Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Instant Favorite.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Devil Times Five opens with a spectacular bus crash, the driver losing control of the vehicle in heavy snow, the bus careering off the road and rolling numerous times down a hill until it smacks into a tree. Amazingly, there are survivors: five kids, patients from the children's acute ward at the State Mental Hospital, and one adult, who the psychotic brats soon take care of. The demented youngsters trek through the snow until they reach the home of businessman Papa Doc, who has arranged a weekend get together for family and employees; concerned for their wellbeing, the adults welcome the pint-sized visitors into the house, unaware that their new guests are homicidal maniacs.Generally speaking, the success of a horror film that revolves around killer kids relies heavily on the acting chops of the youngsters chosen to play the murderous mites. Since all five of the children in Devil Times Five are absolutely bloody awful actors, the film fails spectacularly as a horror, with genuine shocks being extremely thin on the ground, despite the thoroughly twisted subject matter. However, as a camp piece of inept, trashy nonsense, it actually proves quite entertaining…Directors Sean MacGregor and David Sheldon employ some very poorly considered creative techniques, including particularly lousy use of slow motion and unnecessary freeze frame, all of which proves fairly amusing. A completely inappropriate, whimsical score provides further unintentional laughs, as do the highly preposterous death scenes, which include hanging via electric generator, piranha bath, and scythe swing.The film's array of outlandish characters are also a lot of fun: the crazy kids consist of army obsessed Brian (Tierre Turner) whose antics are accompanied by military drumming on the soundtrack, pyromaniac Susan (Tia Thompson), Sister Hannah (Gail Smale), who pretends to be a novice nun, evil moppet Moe (Dawn Lyn), and weirdo David (played by 70s teen heart-throb Leif Garrett) who enjoys a spot of cross-dressing. Of the adults, Papa Doc (Gene Evans) is a bully, his wife Lovely (Carolyn Stellar) is a big-breasted slut, Ralph (John Durren) the handyman is retarded, Harvey Beckman (Sorrell Booke) is a wimp, and his wife Ruth (Shelley Morrison) is a lush. Only Papa Doc's daughter Julie (Joan McCall) and her husband Rick (Taylor Lacher) are remotely normal, but this being a '70s 'shocker', even they don't make it out alive!5/10, plus an extra point for Carolyn Stellar as Lovely, who takes part in an awesome cat-fight with McCall that sees her top popping open to reveal her ample breasts, and who also gets them out during her hilarious death scene. Oh, and for having a couple of people listed in the credits with a very amusing surname.

This is a reflection not a review... It occurred to me when I was 10 years old and watching the bad news bears for the 100th time that grown ups do not children. Looking back I wondered what is was about the 1970's that painted a portrait of children being evil or bad and the parents hating them? anyone remember "the little girl who lives down the lane?" This was suggesting a girl who is evil but in reality its the adults who are evil (Martin sheen character) how about "the omen?" The devil incarnated.Here in this movie devil times five not only suggests such an idea but confirms it! I definitely recommend this movie for sending a chilling message into your psyche.

This is as bad as any 70's horror film could get. Sadly it could have worked if there was a little effort. What mars this exploitation film is not the bad acting (where some lines are mangled) but the continuity errors. Leif Garrets hair goes from his natural locks to a wig to a short haircut! I understand this had to be mostly re-shot but at least try a little. Were these kids from the van that crashes in the start of the film? It is that kind of editing that ruins the entire film. Even Sorrell Booke couldn't save this mess.The only thing I found creepy in this film was Leif Garret's sexual fascination for Booke! When Leif is dressed as a woman you get the feeling he was a jilted lover of some kind. The only depth to any character and they don't explore it further. Watch this for laughs only.

Now i don't like to use juvenile terms when i review a movie, but honestly. i hated this movie. hated hated hated this movie. I know that's a childish thing to say (no pun intended) but there's no better word. This movie was stupid.Allrighty, i might as well tell you WHY. So let's jump into Movie number 22 on our Chilling Classics 50 movie pack.So it starts off with these little annoying kids who climb out of a bus that crashed apparently unharmed. It seems that they just escaped from a crazy house and they are just.... it isn't really clear what their motive it, they're just doing stuff. On the other side of the plot though an old guy who isn't much of a family man has a get together for the rest of his family. They all kind of yell at each other the whole time, so it really isn't that good of a reunion. Or then again, it's like EVERY reunion. Now it said on my DVD sleeve that these people were mafia. I don't know, they never mentioned it, and if this old guy were the head of a mafia you'd think he'd have guards or something, but you know what? i seriously question ever aspect of this movie anyway.So these kids show up and start killing off people one by one. And everyone thinks it's suicides. Because they're idiots. And then they lose their guns. because they're idiots. Then they start getting killed off one by one... because, well something tells me you could figure out why.I am going to spoil the ending here for one specific reason. So you know what happens and you have no cause or reason to see this movie. EVER. The only guy left's girlfriend gets killed by the kids, so he goes out to get his revenge. FINALLY! oh. wait. then he falls in some bear traps and dies..... God i hate this movie.Look. There's something people who make movies need to understand. Just because you have a child in a movie, that does not make them invincible. If a child/ group of children are killers, it does not mean that they can get away scott free and that we think that would be chilling or a role reversal. No. IT'S STUPID. it doesn't frighten or disturb you, it INCREDIBLY ANNOYS YOU. if that was their attempt, then great job, but something tells me they're not that smart to think of something like that. If you have 5 main evil kids, AT LEAST 2 have to die if you're going to make some live. you CANNOT have all of them live. That is BEYOND retarded. Now i know that sort of thing in the role reversal is terrible like Jason Voorehees pretty much won't ever be seen killing a kid, but on the other hand, if 5 kids are slaughtering everybody around them, i think they need to pull out the punches and start lopping off some annoying kid heads.Now i normally don't review in this way, but this movie made me angry at it. So much so that if it were not part of a collection, and "passenger of bali" (which is also on the same disc) not being somewhat entertaining, i would have thrown this stupid thing out.Devil times five gets 1 terrible EVERYTHING out of 10.