Devil Times Five [DVD](1974) DVD
Set in a Lake Arrowhead mountain lodge, this creepy thriller follows five young people, escapees from a hospital for the criminally insane, who terrorize the resort and its wealthy patrons. Gene Evans is the lodge's owner who tries to put a halt to the frightening proceedings; with Sorrell Booke, Leif Garrett. AKA: "People Toys." 88 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono.
Village of the Damned
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The residents of a small English town pass out for 24 hours. Months later, all women of child-bearing age are found to be pregnant, eventually giving birth to blonde-haired children who possess super intellects, telepathic abilities, and an emotionless, amoral group mentality. Classic British sci-fi shocker "Village of the Damned" stars George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Michael Gwynne. Next, the 1963 follow-up "Children of the Damned," more of a remake than a sequel, follows the global controversy that erupts when six highly intelligent (and dangerous) super-children are discovered in various countries and brought to London for study. Ian Hendry, Barbara Ferris, Alfred Burke star. 166 min. total. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English
Devil Times Five
AKA: The Horrible House on the Hill, People Toys
A Nunsploitation.Net review
The success of the 1960 film Village of the Damned popularized the horrific juxtaposition of seemingly innocent children behaving like adults and committing acts of murder.Village of the Damned was followed by a 1963 remake (Children of the Damned), Children of the Corn (1984) a 1995 remake (starring Christopher Reeve who played a wayward priest in the hard-to-find Mortal Sins) and, of course, Devil Times Five.
A bus crashes in the mountains after what looks like a mechanical malfunction. The driver and a nun are killed, stranding three children with the novice nun, Sister Hannah. The group seeks shelter in a nearby lodge, occupied by three couples on a working vacation.
One by one, the vacationers are picked off in a series of gruesome, intricately planned murders.
Devil Times Five is an above-average slasher film with a lot of character. The individual quirks of the children, combined with superb child acting, keep the movie interesting.
Gail Smale plays the novice nun Sister Hannah who has a bit of a secret. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out as she has no problem taking an active role in the murders.
It's also worth mentioning that Shelley Morrison, who plays Ruth, is a veteran Hollywood nun having played Sister Sixto in several episodes of The Flying Nun.
The film is not without its problems. It drags in parts and overall, the pacing is slow. The movie struggles to fill its 90 minutes of screen time. Later, in the interviews, the filmmakers admit that the original screenplay came up short and they found themselves constantly adding scenes to bring the length up to par.
The DVD release from Code Red is jam-packed with features including the original trailer, cast and crew commentary, and interviews.
Tierre Turner steals the show in the interview session. Now all grown up, he still has a lot of personality and it's fun to watch him recall with delight his role as the murderous juvenile commando.
The crew talks about their experience filming. They relate funny stories about incidents on the set and they talk about what it was like working with Sorrel Booke, Leif Garrett and other stars.
While not the greatest slasher film out there, and not quite the best out of the "evil children" subgenre, the copius extra features make Devil Times Five worth picking up for horror fans.
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