The Devil's Rock

This film stands on the strength of the actors as there is very little movement from the bunker which the Allied soldiers have come to put out of action.

I watched in rapt attention to the performances of the Nazi Colonel and the New Zealand Captain as they struggled to subdue the demon and keep a step ahead of each other.

I am indeed a horror fan and would love to see more character driven films such as this one. I believe it was put out by the New Zealand Film Commission, I should find out what else they have made.

The gore effects were top notch as well, I am puzzled by the people who feel it was too long and feel it was drawn out, maybe the sci-fi channel is more their speed, this is quality film making with superb actors (and actress) shot in an extremely atmospheric and convincing manner.

7 out of 10

I have to agreed with davidfurlotte (user review from 20 July 2011). This is definitely a B- horror movie if we talk about special effects (don't worry there is enough gore, blood and eye, brain…), but the story and good acting makes it more A-horror movie type. Even if there was not many special effects the story line make it more believable then other similar movies. I did enjoy the movie to full content and I do like good movie (A or B movie) with good suspension, blood, gore and specially solid acting and story line!!

I am kind of disappointed in IMDb rating or people who rate it so low 3.9 …. 3.9 only :-( this movie deserve more and it gives more it should be at least 6.5.

Set in the Channel Islands on the eve of D Day, two Kiwi commandos, sent to destroy German gun emplacements to distract Hitler's forces away from Normandy, discover a Nazi occult plot to unleash demonic forces to win the war.

Okay, I have to admit I had low expectations on this one. I had heard no buzz on it, the cover looked sort of cheesy, it has no names that I recognized. That was probably unfair, but I am just getting so used to the average horror film being crud. This is better than the average horror film.

The cinematography is beautiful, let us just get that out there. Such a great use of light and color. And the demon-Nazi connection? A good execution of that. We have seen some Nazi zombies, and we know that the Nazis had some interest in the occult... but I daresay I cannot recall the last time this was executed so well. This might not be quite as good as "Dead Snow", but it is in the same range and they would make a great double feature.

Where does this film sit in the history of New Zealand horror? While the budget is clearly higher than Peter Jackson's early endeavors and possibly even "Black Sheep", I feel like this one might take a while to catch on (if it does at all). Horror fans like a good-looking film as much as anyone, but they also like the humorous and cult horror films. While not devoid of humor, this is not like the tradition that Jackson started...

THE DEVIL'S ROCK is a little-known but more than effective Kiwi horror flick set during the dark days of WW2. It's one of those films that links the Nazis with the occult, exploring their penchant for black magic with a very dark storyline, although unlike most it doesn't go down the obvious route and just real with Nazi zombies. This time things are a lot odder, and dare I say it, more effective.

The film is oddly set on the Channel Islands, as a couple of soldiers infiltrate a Nazi bunker and discover that a massacre has just taken place. What soon unfolds is a plot involving devil worship, black magic, and the summoning of a powerful demon with a taste for human flesh. For a low budget movie, this is decent: for most of the running time we're trapped with three actors in a single location, and yet it never feels stale or boring.

I'm not saying that THE DEVIL'S ROCK is a masterpiece, because it isn't. The acting and script are only average. Matthew Sunderland gives the best performance as the conflicted Nazi colonel, and it's a shame when his character turns out to be far more ordinary than you expect from the set-up. Still, there's plenty of flowing gore on offer here, alongside effective demonic scenes that bring to mind the best of the Dennis Wheatley classic, THE DEVIL RIDES OUT. Horror fans should enjoy themselves.

When I first saw the low rating of this film, I had my doubts on watching it. Reading the plot summary, it seemed like a far-fetched concept that could only lead to cheesiness. I was wrong.

As was said by the other reviewer, the first thing I noticed was the solid acting performances of all the characters, be it main or supporting. The film had a good feel to it, and kept me at the edge of my seat all throughout. There were also moments of creepiness where you'd probably hold your breath, tensely waiting on what would happen next. The story was quite good and it held the film together until the very end.

All in all, this is a film I would recommend to fans of the genre. I'll definitely be adding this to my collection.

P.S.

I was honestly puzzled as to the low rating of this movie. Though I know it's not a great film, it definitely is a front runner and a notably good piece of work. Perhaps the people who gave it such a low rating wanted a gore fest or something with less...dialogue. I hope, dear reader, you won't be another sheep that just follows the opinion of the majority. Watch the film for yourself and be your own judge. It's the only way of discovering gems such as this.