‘War is Hell’
The Devil’s Rock is a 2011 New Zealand supernatural horror war film produced by Leanne Saunders, directed by Paul Campion from a screenplay co-written with Paul Finch, and Brett Ihaka.
Main cast:
Craig Hall, Matthew Sunderland, Gina Varela, and Karlos Drinkwater.
Plot:
On 5 June 1944, commandos are sent to the Channel Islands on sabotage and distraction raids, to draw Hitler’s attention away from Normandy.
Two New Zealand soldiers, Captain Ben Grogan (Craig Hall) and Sergeant Joe Tane (Karlos Drinkwater), paddle to Forau Island. They approach a German fortification and hear what they think is a man being tortured. They are disturbed when a German soldier (Luke Hawker) runs out of a tunnel pleading for help. Grogan stabs the soldier in the back of the neck and kills him. They hear a woman screaming…
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Reviews:
“By keeping the action confined to the tunnels and cells of the blockhouse, Campion creates a claustrophobic setting, but for all the gore and demonic transmogrification, there’s a distinct lack of chills and frights.” Michael Hann, The Guardian
“There’s not much in the way of flaws in The Devil’s Rock. The film does suffer a little technically. But, then…it is a low-budget affair. Some of the CGI is a little dodgy and perhaps you could argue that there was a lack of grue for a film about conjuring gore-eating demons. However, I felt that the lack of gore let you take in the wonderful performances without distraction.” Bryan, Film Deviant
“For all its gore, The Devil’s Rock is an undercooked chiller, but it cleverly uses the conventional tropes of diabolism to comment on the horrors of war.” Anton Bitel, Film4
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” … they have a little fun with the historical touches; amidst all the real actions mentioned, the Nazi mentions Hitler’s near-possession of the Ark (Raiders) and attempt to raise the Old Ones (Hellboy). Pretty cool, and not distracting if you don’t get the reference. The demon makeup is also terrific…” Brian W. Collins, Horror Movie a Day
“Eventually, after what feels like an agebut what was actually only about half an hour, The Devil’s Rock gets to the meat of its story, which turns out to be some disappointing and mass produced packet ham available from any cut price supermarket. There is nothing fresh or creative about the taste of this film once it shows its hand.” Flickering Myth
Cast and characters:
- Craig Hall as Captain Ben Grogan
- Matthew Sunderland as Colonel Klaus Meyer
- Gina Varela as Helena/The Demon
- Karlos Drinkwater as Sergeant Joe Tane
- Luke Hawker as Private Muller
- Jonathan King as Suicide German
- Hadyn Green as Dead German
- Jessica Grace Smith as Nicole
- Geraldine Brophy as the Voice of the Demon
