Director: Sean MacGregor
Script: John Durran
Cast: Sorrell Booke, Gene Evans, Taylor Lacher, Shelley Morrison, Carolyn Stellar, Joan McCall, John Durren
Running time: 88.5 minutes
Year: 1974
Certificate: 18
When a hospital van crashes in a wintry northern Californian landscape most of its passengers survive, including five children. All of the children have mental problems that make them dangerous. A nun, travelling with them, is killed outright, but the driver survives long enough to follow his wards, but they later turn on him, killing him in a deserted loft space.
The children then make their way to a nearby large house where a group of adults have just arrived for a weekend business meeting/socializing get-together session. At first the kids ingratiate themselves with some of the adults, albeit not always successfully, before turning on them, murdering them one-by-one, sometimes viciously. However, we’re never too upset by the deaths since most of the adults are unpleasant people, especially the patriarch, Papa Doc, (Gene Evans), who appears to enjoy make others feel belittled and uncomfortable. One of his daughters, Julie (Joan McCall), is probably the nicest of the adults, although the mentally-challenged caretaker, Ralph (John Durren), is also a decent person – all he wants to do is look after his pet rabbit, which we never see.
The other adults include Julie’s husband, Rick (Taylor Lacher), her narcissistic sister, Lovely (Carolyn Stellar), alcoholic Ruth (Shelley Morrison) and her simpering husband, Harvey (Sorrell Booke). As we get to know the adults we’re exposed to lots of in-house politics, fighting and bickering.
The children make for an interesting combination, which includes Brian (Tierre Turner) who’s dressed in army fatigues and marches around with a toy gun, and ‘Sister Hannah’ (Gail Smale) who wears the novice nun’s vestments for the whole film. David is a 12-year old blonde boy, who seems to like cross-dressing and Dawn is the youngest of the pack, although is just as dangerous in her own way.
While Devil Times Five is more Grindhouse than Arthouse, it’s a fairly well made film, despite the small budget, relative lack of experience amongst the children and adults involved, and ‘creative differences’ at the top. Apparently director Sean MacGregor had a difficult working relationship with producer Mickey Blowitz, which ended acrimoniously with MacGregor punching Blowitz in the face and the producer throwing MacGregor through a plate glass window! Partway through production David Sheldon replaced Sean as director, although it sounds like it was only for the last week or so of the shoot. Regardless, considering what was happening behind the cameras, the film is a decent watch with some good performances.
Also known as The Horrible House on the Hill in the UK, I encountered it originally on video under its other title Tantrums, which isn’t as good as it’s original title, namely Peopletoys – a name that best encapsulates the theme of the film and the subversive story. And, it really is quite subversive, having children be cold, calculating killers of anyone that gets in their way, even if, on the surface, they’ve seemingly befriended them, as in the case of the rather simple, and child-like, Ralph, who (spoiler alert) certainly doesn’t deserve his eventual grim fate.
And, talking about the murders, these are satisfyingly varied, from a bludgeoning, to an axe attack, to a throat-slashing and even a nasty burning-to-death sequence. I guess this is why Devil Times Five is sometimes labelled as a ‘Slasher’ film, including by 88 Films who quite commendably have spruced this up and even found a decent amount of extras to accompany the release.
To sum up, Devil Times Five is not a great film, but considering its troubled history it managed to come out of its production pipeline as an exploitation title that deserves reappraisal and some TLC. Certainly recommended to fans of feral kids movies and ‘slashers’, in general.
Extras include –
Audio Commentary by The Hysteria Continues! – As per usual the Hysteria boys deliver a fun and informative commentary track for the film, spotting some mistakes and interesting anomalies about the film. They also talk about the main investors in the film, namely the Wank brothers (stop tittering at the back), who ran a law firm and invested in a few films over the years. They talk about the troubled production history of the film, including the fact that the initial director allegedly only had 38 minutes of film in the can when he was fired.
Archival commentary track with actresses Joan McCall and Dawn Lyn, producer Michael Blowitz and uncredited co-director David Sheldon, moderated by Darren Gross – Another interesting commentary where we learn that they shot the film as winter was ending so had to ‘chase’ the snow somewhat. We also learn that they had initially planned for a sequel. It’s a shame that that didn’t materialise.
“Puppeteering” – An interview with second assistant director Walter Dominguez (20 mins) – We learn that Walter later worked on bigger films, such as The Andromeda Strain and that he met his wife-to-be on the Devil Times Five shoot. Apparently, the production hired a ski resort to film the movie in, although some was later filmed back in LA.
“Daddy’s Home” – An interview with Bruce Wank, son of executive producer Jordan M. Wank (8.46 mins) – Bruce talks about how his dad got involved in the film and how the Wank brothers worked out a way of utilising tax-breaks to fund the pictures they executive produced. We also learn that the piranha used in the film were real and were frozen before being used in the bath sequence.
“Holiday from Hell” – an interview with Nightmare USA author Stephen Thrower (26 mins) – The ever reliable Mr Thrower gives quite a detailed background for the director who initially worked in theatre and TV. Apparently the director had a tendency to make-up credits so it’s difficult to verify exactly what he did or didn’t work on!
Archival featurette comprising interviews with actors Tierre Turner, Joan McCall, Dawn Lyn, producer Michael Blowitz and co-director David Sheldon (22 mins) – We learn from the talking heads contributors that the director was a big drinker and raconteur and got jealous of the writer’s role in the film, that of Ralph, the simple caretaker. We also find out also that a big inspiration for the film was Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians.
Bonus archival interviews (7 mins) – My favourite sound-bite from these short interviews is when actor Tierre Turner, who played Brian, the war-loving kid in the film, later worked with Blaxploitation legend Fred Williamson, who very kindly took him to see his first football game in a limo.
Alternate DEVIL TIMES FIVE title card (1.5 mins) – Exactly what it says on the tin – showcases the alternative title of Devil Times Five instead of The Horrible House on the Hill, the title on the print that 88 Films have remastered.
Theatrical trailer (2.15 mins) – An okay trailer, with a voiceover stating that ‘not since Village of the Damned has death been so brutal…’
Reversible Sleeve – not seen for this review
