Bryanston Distributing Company, 1975

starring: Ernest Borgnine, William Shatner, Tom Skerritt and Eddie Albert
directed by: Robert Fuest

the plot: Centuries ago, the Preston family stole a Satanic ritual book from Jonathan Corbis (Borgnine), an evil priest in possession of a nefarious power. But with the book stolen, Corbis was robbed of much of his power. And so he cursed the Preston family and spent the next 300 years tracking them. In the present day, Mark Preston (Shatner) and his family are hiding in a desert town, safeguarding the book. Corbis manages to find them, though, and whisks away Mark’s mother and father under the cover of a fierce storm. Mark confronts Corbis and challenges him to a “test of faith,” but Mark is soon sucked into Corbis’ cult. Meanwhile, Mark’s brother Tom (Skerritt) and his friend Dr. Sam Richards (Albert), a paranormal researcher, learn of Corbis’ evil plans. The two venture out to the desert and launch an attempt to rescue Mark, as well as Tom’s wife, Julie. But the two men may not be a match for Corbis, whose power is growing and whose dark plans are quickly coming to fruition.

why it’s good: Any movie about Satanists starring Ernest Borgnine and William Shatner ought to be supremely awesome. Sadly, “The Devil’s Rain” is a B-movie that’s mediocre at best. It’s not for lack of trying, though. Anton LeVay, founder of the Church of Satan, is listed as the movie’s “technical advisor,” and a collection of paintings of Hell by Bosch provide a backdrop for the opening credits. Borgnine and Shatner are wonderfully over-the-top. With his wild eyebrows, evil grins and grand pronouncements, Borgnine is clearly having lots of fun—just check out the moment when, wearing the most ridiculous demon-goat mask ever, he shouts “Who calls me from out the Pit?”

“The Devil’s Rain” is pretty good looking—the production values aren’t too bad, and the effects, especially the film’s face-melting climax, are cheesy in the best way possible. There are two things that ultimately bring “Rain” down, though. The first is a complete and utter lack of suspense (and gore, for that matter). The movie drags in so many places that any dramatic momentum is immediately snuffed out. “Rain” is also an incomprehensible mess. The title refers not to a bout of unholy precipitation but to a ornate ceramic jar, complete with devil horns, that contains the souls of Corbis’ followers. The rest of the story is similarly confusing. “Rain” also features the first screen appearance of John Travolta. It’s interesting to note that, 30 years later, he’s still hanging out with religious organizations of dubious merit.

why you should own it: “The Devil’s Rain” is definitely a rental. VCI Home Video’s DVD contains nothing but the movie and some photo galleries of movie stills.