The Devil's Rock

This was not bad at all.

The narrative was a bit weak admittedly, more explanation of the occult rituals would have been nice. The ending was also the classic writers getting tired making something quick up.

A more clever ending had been appreciated.

Overall the acting was really good. Try yourself to play a red painted demon and keep a straight face :) The two male leads, well the only ones really, delivered well.

Camera work and editing was good, though in a way that is to be expected from shooting in small spaces.

Overall, good effort from everyone involved and if you have popcorn and a nice hang over this is absolutely rent-able.

There are better exercises that play with a similar idea as is this movie. Still this is not a bad movie at all. I got to watch this at a special preview at the Empire in Leicester Square. The director and some of the stars were there to watch the movie with a "kraut" (forgive the pun if you can).

Speaking of language problems, I talked to the director after the movie was over and asked him about the German language used in the movie (as can be seen on signs too). Overall a good job, that his researcher did, but there are a few minor mistakes that you might spot, if you know your German language. Overall a decent job on creating atmosphere too. A classic example of "B-movie", that will entertain people who like this stuff :o)

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

The Devil's Rock: British Commandos, an SS Occult Unit in search of the ultimate Supernatural Weapon, Witchcraft, a shape shifting Demon. Yes, the Channel Isles were a fun place to be during WW2.

Two commandos land by dinghy on a decoy mission to sabotage gun emplacements thereby misleading the Germans as to the likely D-Day invasion sites. But they hear female screams coming from a bunker investigating they find a Lovecraftian scene, half eaten German soldiers, a soldier who has committed suicide. A Grimoire lies on the ground.

A surviving SS officer kills one commando and captures the other. Then we encounter the Demon who handily can take on the features of your loved ones. A summoning has gone wrong. The commando and SS officer are forced to cooperate.

Great Demon, ripping heads off.

Good War/Horror film, 7/10

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.