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Year of Release - 1992
Rating - Unrated
Director - Richard Stanley
Running Time - 108 Minutes
Distributor - Subversive Cinema

Reviewed by Gregory S. Burkart

After witnessing Richard Stanley's eyeball-blistering debut feature Hardware, I anticipated amazing new things from the eccentric filmmaker in the '90s. Sadly, his follow-up project, Dust Devil, seemed cursed from the outset. Plagued by technical and budgetary woes, the collapse of its parent studio and subsequent abandonment by distributors who failed to understand its intricate, dreamlike structure, the film gathered dust for more than a year before Stanley came to its aid ? and at great personal expense, brought it more closely in line with his vision. Unfortunately, despite favorable reviews and decent box-office returns, it was soon relegated to a half-hearted VHS release and promptly forgotten. Except, of course, by its many loyal fans, who now have plenty of reason to celebrate thanks to Subversive Cinema's comprehensive 5-disc collector's edition DVD.

The film itself, on the surface, seems deceptively simple: a nomadic serial killer (Robert John Burke) hitchhikes down a desolate highway at the heart of the Namibian desert, searching for his next victim. Preying on hopeless souls who have resigned their lives to despair, he captures their images with his instant camera before hacking their bodies to pieces, painting cryptic ritual symbols in their blood, and saving their fingers as trophies. On his trail is world-weary South African cop Ben (Zakes Mokae), who is tormented by guilt over his son's death, and reluctantly seeks the counsel of a reclusive shaman (John Matshikiza), whose spiritual guidance reveals the killer's true identity: the human incarnation of an ageless, shape-shifting demon who collects human souls in his quest for spiritual power.

Next in the demon's sightline is the troubled Wendy (Chelsea Field), who leaves her husband behind in South Africa and heads for the ocean, intending to end her life along the way. In the parched ghost-town of Bethany, she falls willingly into the handsome nomad's clutches, drawn to his power and mystery. Both of them know that their passion is fleeting - and that Wendy has begun her dance with death.

Although the story itself is nothing out of the ordinary to the seasoned horror fan, it's the images Stanley employs to tell this doomed tale that make it a profound experience. Despite a token cast of characters, the very nature of the location lends an epic quality to an otherwise low-budget venture. The film is also peppered with odd stylistic touches - the killer spinning donuts in the sand outside his latest victim's house; Burke and Field dancing alone at an outdoor cafe while explosions flash on the night horizon; and the shaman practicing his mystic craft in the lot of an abandoned drive-in ? giving the entire experience the feeling of a waking dream.

In many ways, Dust Devil calls to mind Alejandro Jodoworski's El Topo in its fusion of Spaghetti Western archetypes with principles of ancient mysticism. For this reason, it's not an easily digestible film, and those seeking gory serial-killer antics will be disappointed. But for those who understand that horror and art are not mutually distinct, Dust Devil will certainly merit multiple viewings.

Subversive Cinema certainly makes this easy with a lavish limited edition: we not only get Stanley's beautifully remastered final cut of the film - presented in 1.85:1 (16x9 compatible) with full-bodied Dolby 5.1 and 2.0 mixes - but they've also provided the 115-minute workprint, which blends the original footage with additional excised material (taken from a VHS source). The director's cut comes with an impressive share of supplements, including lengthy interviews with Stanley and composer Simon Boswell, a trailer for the now-lost 16mm original, photo galleries for both versions, behind-the-scenes footage, and a commentary track in which the director goes into exhaustive detail about the making of the film, citing his inspirations and relating the many woes suffered during and after production.

In addition to the film proper are two more discs comprising three of Stanley's critically lauded but profoundly disturbing documentary films. The feature-length Secret Glory combines newsreel footage with re-enactments to tell the tale of occult researcher Otto Rahn, whose obsession with obtaining the Holy Grail was bolstered by the support of the Third Reich. The shorter films Voice of the Moon and The White Darkness detail, respectively, the inner workings of Afghanistan's Mujahadeen militia during the Soviet invasion, and the secret rituals of Haitian voodoo practitioners. Collectively, these nonfiction films are as profoundly disturbing and visually fascinating as Stanley's narrative work.

The whole package is neatly topped off with a CD containing Simon Boswell's moody score, and three booklet inserts: segments of the Dust Devil production diary; a brief comic-book introduction to the story; and a text essay on Stanley's documentary film projects. So be prepared to settle in for a long and fascinating ride... rest assured, you won't emerge unscathed.