Dust Devil

Very dark, gory, mystical film with strong, haunting atmosphere, much in the spirit of Stanley's work for occultist rock band Fields of the Nephilim. A demonic entity hitchhikes across the desert taking possession of bodies with which to commit ritualistic murders - the crime scenes, their walls minutely detailed with glyphs and sigils painted in the victims' blood, are stunningly effective. Skeptical detective finally enlists the help of an old shaman who knows the creature's vulnerabilities and the killer is stopped - or is it? --Really remarkable; anyone who enjoyed Stanley's earlier "Hardware" should make the effort to find it.

If there ever was a film which deserved to be called HAUNTING - it's this one. Excellent music, wonderful dream-like atmosphere, masochistically-grim mood verging on nihilism, mystical overtones, a sympathetic supernatural yet human 'villain'... it's just wonderful. Disturbing gore, genuinely creepy scenes, the setting unlike anything you've ever seen before- this is one of the unsung, unknown masterpieces of the '90-ies (thinking/feeling man's)horror film at its best.

The titular Dust Devil is an evil demon that preys only on those who have lost the reason to live.This includes Wendy,who has broken up with her husband and is now making her way aimlessly across the South African desert.Feeling lonely,she picks up a stray by the name of Hitch and the nightmare begins...Richard Stanley's "Dust Devil" re-interprets the true story of a South African serial killer,known among locals as "Nhadiep".Bizarre ritualistic murders took place in the town of Bethany.The killer who inspired Dust Devil preyed on migrant workers and railways workers."Dust Devil" is a creepy and hypnotic horror film.Richard Stanley of "Hardware" fame relies on the magical elements of the legend of Nhadiep,invoking tribal rituals,witchcraft and Namibian mysticism.There is also a good amount of gore splashed on screen.The cinematography of Namibian desert is absolutely fantastic and there are some striking visuals.A must-see for horror enthusiasts!

"Dust Devil" is an intriguing, moody little genre film, marked by very fine acting and the kind of atmosphere one can only get in practical locations. In this case, the setting is the Namibian desert, and that adds a lot to the story and presentation. The ambiance is practically overwhelming; writer / director Richard Stanley ("Hardware") nicely captures on film a world that not that many of us get to see. Aided by a truly haunting music score by Simon Boswell, he does an excellent job at keeping the viewer uneasy yet interested in everything that happens on screen. The surrealism is top notch, and Stanley keeps the special effects work at a minimum. Overall, this is actually a better film than "Hardware", if not entirely satisfying; the script is indeed somewhat muddled. The characters are worth watching, with likable protagonists and a creepy antagonist.

The under-rated Robert John Burke stars as the title character, a spirit trapped in a human body who must kill in order to gain access to another realm. He makes the acquaintance of Wendy (Chelsea Field), who was unhappy in her marriage and has run away. Tracking Wendy is her concerned husband Mark (Rufus Swart), while The Dust Devil is pursued by haunted cop Ben Mukurob (the late, great South African actor Zakes Mokae, whom you may recognize as the villain from Wes Cravens' "The Serpent and the Rainbow".

Adding even more intrigue to Stanley's tale is the fact that he based it on the case of a real- life serial killer in the area who was never caught, or even identified, leading to speculations about a possible supernatural origin. The director blends African mythology with the serial killer and otherworldly elements, not to mention a love for the Western genre, to great effect. The fact that Wendy and Ben are such sad people adds much pathos; if Ben can be considered a hero, then he's definitely a tragic one. It's easy for the viewer to feel sympathy towards this character. Field and Mokae beautifully perform their parts, and Burke is deliciously sinister. Adding solid support is another departed great character actor William Hootkins, who'd acted in "Hardware" and appears here as Bens' superior. Delivering the exposition in an entertaining way is John Matshikiza, who's magnetic as Joe.

The heavily edited American release of "Dust Devil" really did it no favours; the subsequent reviews then motivated American distributor Miramax to put little effort into promoting it, which further prevented this film from reaching the audience that it deserved. If you are able, track down the multi disc Subversive DVD release (which also includes a few Stanley documentaries, the work print of the film, and the soundtrack on CD); you can then see this offbeat effort the way it was intended.

Seven out of 10.

Director Richard Stanley's sophomore film, Dust Devil, is a haunting and effective horror story, about a demon in human form (Robert Burke), who kills lonely people in ritualistic fashion. What I liked about this film more than anything,however, is the use of filming locations in Namibia. Namibia is a special place: one of the lowest population densities in the world, ancient deserts, well-run cities with a remarkably well-preserved Dutch/German colonial look, the second-largest canyon in the world, and magnificent landscapes. It is becoming an increasingly popular tourist attraction - make sure to go there if you plan on visiting Africa.