Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Devil Times Five Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 6, 2021

1974’s “Devil Times Five” (a.k.a. “The Horrible House on the Hill” and “People Toys”) rides the line of good taste as it offers a story about mentally ill children who enjoying killing adults, spending a weekend at Lake Arrowhead murdering a collection of couples who’ve settled in for a nice vacation. The “Evil Kids” genre is a tough one to deal with, as it takes a special filmmaking touch to extract the horror of the situation without making the whole endeavor mean-spirited. While “Devil Times Five” isn’t a polished picture, with plenty of dim directorial and editorial choices, it’s also not an endeavor that’s looking to destroy viewers with scenes of cruel behavior. There’s plenty of violence to satisfy genre fans, but the movie isn’t a complete chore to get through, helping it to rise above the competition.

Rick (Taylor Lacher) and Julie (Joan McCall) are traveling to Lake Arrowhead for a vacation, meeting up with her father, Papa Doc (Gene Evans), his wife, Lovely (Carolyn Stellar), along with Doc’s employee, Harvey (Sorrell Brooks) and his wife, Ruth (Shelley Morrison). While settling in for a weekend of fun in the snow and romping around their chalet, the gang experiences some interpersonal issues, causing tremendous tension among the guests. Arriving at the house is Sister Hannah (Gail Smale), who’s in charge of young David (Leif Garrett), Moe (Dawn Lyn), Susan (Tia Thompson), and Brian (Tierre Turner). Surviving a van accident in the woods, Sister Hannah hopes Papa Doc will provide shelter for the children as they sort things out. However, the kids aren’t alright, trying to hide their state mental hospital patient status as they get to know the guests of the chalet while figuring out ways to kill them all.

“Devil Times Five” eventually gets to evildoing, but the first act is devoted to introductions, getting viewers used to the unsteady temperaments of the characters, who are reluctantly gathering for what was meant to be a freewheeling weekend before a snow storm has denied their escape. Rick loves Julie, but doesn’t have positive feelings for Papa Doc, a cold man with a short temper (and love of piranhas) who’s married to Lovely, one of Rick’s ex-lovers. Harvey is a timid man waiting for his moment to request a raise and new professional responsibilities, having difficulty working up the bravery to do so, also facing insults from Ruth, his alcoholic wife. The screenplay doesn’t really need the killer kids, doing reasonably well with mounting tensions in the chalet, finding Lovely a depressed woman who enjoys making trouble, coming on to mentally challenged caretaker Ralph (John Durren), who’s scripted as a man who loves his rabbits. Lovely also irritates Julie, leading to a catfight showdown that’s campy fun for a movie that needs more outrageous behavior.

Once the children make their way inside, “Devil Times Fives” transitions into slasher formula, with the wee ones figuring out ways to pick off the guests. However, David enjoys the mental gamesmanship of the moment, targeting Harvey, while Brian plays the role of a military man, keeping order and organizing violence. The first victim is actually a doctor in charge of the children, who meets his demise in a hilariously elongated way, with the production panicking about meeting a 90-minute-long run time, transforming a wine cellar death into a slow-motion showcase that feels like it goes on forever. Sadly, it’s one of many ways editor Byron “Buzz” Brandt fattens up the picture, paying close attention to pauses, long stares, and vacation activities (including snow tubing), which doesn’t exactly keep the movie speeding along.

“Devil Times Five” gets more interesting as it starts to take shape, with David and the kids commencing their reign of terror, dreaming up ways to dispatch the adults, with one bathtub rampage leaning into ridiculousness in the right way. There’s a strange style to “Devil Times Five” that also keeps it watchable, with the production attempting to revive flat moments of horror with post-production tinkering, including a cartoon-like use of point-of-death zooms, which turns a somewhat static endeavor into a genre party. Evil amplifies in the final act, offering decent bodily harm and some passable performances, including young Garrett, who’s game to go where the screenplay leads, exploring David’s fractured mind.

Devil Times Five Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Devil Times Five" is sourced from a "2K Scan of the Original Negatives." Color is big in the picture, with period hues a common sight, giving costumes some punch with primary colors. Interior paint jobs are equally bright. Locations retain clear winterscapes, with decent snow and forests. Skintones are natural. Detail is acceptable with some softness. Facial surfaces are defined, along with wispy '70s hair. Clothing is fibrous, showcasing chunky knitted sweaters and sheer, seductive outfits on Lovely. Decoration is open for examination. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is fine and film-like. Source has some wear and tear, with a few jumpy frames, scratches and speckling, and periodic damage.

Devil Times Five Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix delivers a comfortable listening event for "Devil Times Five," but not a crisp one. Hiss is consistent throughout the feature, and popping can be quite loud at times. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, with enough clarity to pass, securing emotional reactions and argumentative behavior. Scoring cues remain supportive with decent instrumentation and position.

Devil Times Five Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features producer Michael Blowitz, reshoot director David Sheldon, and actors Joan McCall and Dawn Lyn.

• Featurette (22:01, SD) offers interviews with producer Michael Blowitz, reshoot director David Sheldon, and actors Joan McCall, Dawn Lyn, and Tierre Turner. While topics are scattered, the interviewees focus on behind-the-scenes difficulties, including an assessment of original director Sean MacGregor, who had a physical altercation with Blowitz during the shoot, contributing to his early exit. Distribution issues are recalled, and a kid perspective is offered by Lyn and Turner, who share their happy memories with the cast and crew. Thoughts on writer/actor John Durren and actors Sorrell Brooks, Gene Evans (another guy Blowitz tangled with), and Leif Garrett are presented, along with technical tidbits and thoughts on aborted plans for a sequel.

• Additional Interviews (7:00, SD) reunite with McCall, who details a special effects mishap. Lyn offers her advice to young actors, reminding them to have other interests and maintain control of money. Turner recounts his early acting years, palling around with Fred Williamson, Carl Weathers, and Pam Grier. He also remembers time with "Devil Times Five" co-star Gene Evans, and reveals a run-in with Linda Lovelace while shooting "Bucktown." And Sheldon finally sets the record straight on his "Angel of Death" nickname.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:17, SD) is included.

Devil Times Five Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Devil Times Five" isn't especially frightening, but it offers some unsettling business with the kids and their ultimate goal for the weekend. What's impressive is a lack of griminess, as the feature looks good for a low-budget affair, and the cast is invested in the dramatic possibilities of the material. It's not especially well-constructed, but "Devil Times Five" isn't hard to digest, which is something of a cinematic miracle when considering the production era and the unsavory details of the story.