Horror films set in World War 2 are relatively rare, in part because their fantasy horrors run the risk of being upstaged by their all too real real life equivalent, but that didn't stop Michael Mann delivering the masterful if generally underrated The Keep back in 1983 (DVD or Blu-ray release plese!). Now we have the New Zealand made The Devil's Rock, the debut feature from concept artist and matte painter Paul Campion (Sin City, X-Men: The Last Stand, 30 Days of Night, Clash of the Titans).
Two elite commandos are sent on a top secret mission to destroy a German base, located in the occupied Channel Islands, to distract Hitler's forces away from Normandy on the eve of D-Day. Upon reaching their destination, the two saboteurs discover the base is littered with dead German soldiers and piercing screams are echoing around the corridors within. Compelled to learn the details of the disaster, the pair enter the labyrinthine complex and uncover a Nazi occult plot to unleash devastating demonic forces against the Allied forces. They soon realise their lives are not the only thing in the balance – the fate of World War II hinges on their mission to destroy the base and the diabolical evil that lurks within.
Genre commentator Alan Jones at Shocktillyoudrop.com assures us that, "Craig Hill, as Captain Ben Grogan, really does make the whole cliché of the demon taking on his dead wife's persona work against all the odds, while Matthew Sunderland, as Colonel Klaus Meyer, does the nasty Nazi schtick with class," while Charlotte Stear at Horrortalk.com says, "it's a new take on a great idea and it's refreshing to see this from Campion's directorial debut and it definitely is a good indication of things to come from him." We shall see.
The Devil's Rock will be released in cinemas on 8th July 2011, and on UK DVD on 11th July 2011 by Metrodome Distribution at the RRP of £15.99. No extra features have been listed.
