The Devonsville Terror

A forgettable entry in the witch category of horror films, directed with little regard to pacing by Ulli Lommel, who honestly seems inspired by noble intentions when he tries to highlight how the ignorance and close-mindedness of Devonsville’s residents are the true monstrosities to be fought against. All that nice rhetoric goes up in flames, however, with an ending that justifies the barbaric townspeople’s paranoid fears – in a bizarre turn, the witch’s vengeance is reminiscent of the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) with melting faces and exploding skulls.

The bottom line is that on one hand the film never succeeds in adequately addressing the important themes it touches on (particularly, the progressive feminist notion of women’s role in society deserved to be better developed). On the other hand, it also fails on the entertainment front given its lack of tension, plodding storyline, and exasperatingly monotonous dialogue. Budgetary constraints weigh heavily on the makeup and special effects (a few worms, a pair of burning scarecrows, an evil devil mask). Meanwhile, the sets are crawling with American flags and soft drink logos.

Lackluster bit part for Donald Pleasence who probably just happened to be in the neighborhood.