Dust Devil (1992)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Richard Stanley

Writer:

Richard Stanley (written by)

Release Date:

8 August 1992 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller | Western

Tagline:

He's not a serial killer. He's much worse.

Plot:

A woman on the run from her abusive husband encounters a mysterious hitch-hiker.

Plot Keywords:

Desert | Shape Shifter | Dust Storm | Woman's Neck Broken | Stranded

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Robert John Burke	...	Dust Devil (as Robert Burke)
Chelsea Field	...	Wendy Robinson
Zakes Mokae	...	Ben Mukurob
John Matshikiza	...	Joe Niemand
Rufus Swart	...	Mark Robinson
William Hootkins	...	Capt. Beyman
Terri Norton	...	Saarke Haarhoff
Russell Copley	...	Cpl. Dutoit
Andre Odendaal	...	Cpl. Bates
Luke Cornell	...	Soldier 1
Philip Henn	...	Soldier 2
Robert Stevenson	...	Rifle Boy
Peter Hallr	...	Marist Monk
Stephen Earnhart	...	Camper Driver
Marianne Sägebrecht	...	Dr. Leidzinger
Isaac Mavimbella	...	Farmhand
Crystal Dobson	...	Mrs. Beyman
Mickey Wenk	...	Checkpoint Soldier
Stephanus Titus	...	Barman
Philip Notununu	...	Man in Bar
Andre-Jacques Van der Merwe	...	Tourist Husband
Marietjie Vaughn	...	Tourist Wife
Ursula Peveling	...	Tourist Daughter
Erle Vaughan	...	Tourist Son
Jaco Espach	...	Truck Driver

Directed by
Richard Stanley

Writing credits
Richard Stanley		(written by)

Produced by
Stephen Earnhart	....	associate producer
Daniel Lupi	....	associate producer
Nik Powell	....	executive producer
JoAnne Sellar	....	producer
Paul Trijbits	....	executive producer
Bob Weinstein	....	co-executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	co-executive producer
Stephen Woolley	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Simon Boswell

Cinematography by
Steven Chivers

Film Editing by
Paul Carlin
Jamie Macdermott
Derek Trigg

Casting by
Callie Bristow
Jory Weitz

Production Design by
Joseph Bennett

Art Direction by
Michael Carlin
Graeme Orwin

Set Decoration by
Eva Strack

Costume Design by
Michele Clapton
Ruy Filipe

Makeup Department
Lisa Boni	....	hair stylist
Lisa Boni	....	makeup artist
Chris Cunningham	....	senior artist (as Chris Halls)
Little John	....	special makeup effects supervisor

Production Management
Daniel P. Collins	....	unit manager (as Daniel Collins)
Carol Hickson	....	production manager: South Africa
Daniel Lupi	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alan Breton	....	second assistant director
Stephen Earnhart	....	second unit director
Immo Horn	....	second unit director
Gary Huckabay	....	third assistant director
Guy Travers	....	assistant director

Art Department
Dirk Buchmann	....	property master
Immo Horn	....	muralist
Graham Humphreys	....	storyboard artist
Emilia Roux	....	set dresser
Ina Roux	....	production buyer
Joel Van Bavel	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Laura Evans	....	assistant sound editor
Pauline Griffith	....	foley artist
Robin Harris	....	sound mixer
Kate Hopkins	....	sound editor
Daryl Jordan	....	assistant sound editor
Jenny Lee Wright	....	foley artist
Dominic Lester	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Mather	....	sound editor
Jonathan Miller	....	sound editor
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Rhys Davies	....	supervising sound editor
Aad Wirtz	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Rick Cresswell	....	special effects

Stunts
Debra Deats	....	stunts
Roly Jansen	....	stunt coordinator
Neville Strydom	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Greg Copeland	....	additional photographer
Liam Daniel	....	still photographer
John Gaeta	....	camera operator
Liam Longman	....	still photographer

Editorial Department
Keith Mason	....	first assistant editor

Other crew
David Ball	....	financing
Jaco Espach	....	location manager
Graham Humphreys	....	titles
Mark Kermode	....	post-production propaganda: final cut
Sheila Fraser Milne	....	production coordinator
Richard Stanley	....	post-production financing: final cut
Antoinette van Speyk	....	script supervisor
Dan Zeff	....	runner

Production Companies

• British Screen Productions
• Channel Four Films
• Palace Pictures
• Shadow Theatre Films

Distributors

• Miramax Films (1992) (USA) (theatrical)
• C/FP Video (1993) (Canada) (VHS)
• Look Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Subversive Cinema (2006) (USA) (DVD) (director's cut)

Other Companies

• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack publisher

Runtime:

103 min | France:87 min | Italy:87 min | USA:87 min

Country:

South Africa | UK

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

UK:15 (re-rating) (2006) | UK:18 (original rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | France:-12 | Germany:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Namibia

Company:

British Screen Productions

Trivia:

Richard Stanley's first cut of the film was 120 minutes long. US distributors Miramax hated it and produced its own 86-minute version without Stanley's permission or cooperation. This cut removed all references to the supernatural and almost completely disposed of the nominal hero's role, played by Zakes Mokae. Stanley came to an agreement with them over a 95-minute compromise cut. At this point the film's British backers, Palace Pictures, went bust, making it increasingly unlikely that the film would ever see the light of day in a UK cinema. A further cut version found its way into Spanish and Portuguese cinemas. Called "Demonica"; Stanley has never seen this version. Then after about a year of frantic searching, Stanley discovered that the original negative was being held by PolyGram. He went to the film's original investors, Channel 4 and British Screen Finances, which were naturally keen to see what had happened to their investment. PolyGram was obliged to hand over the negative, which Stanley recut to his own specifications, and with his own money.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Wendy slams on the brakes of her VW Beetle, she doesn't touch the clutch, but the car stops without stalling.

Quotes:

Joe Niemand: The Dust Devil must keep moving to survive, blown by the desert wind, on and on, throughout eternity, without rest or pity.

Movie Connections:

References Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. (1966)

Soundtrack:

Travel Alone (On the Jericho Road)

Richard Stanley Does it Again

Dust Devil is an interesting, atmospheric film. The storyline is not so much in the for front as the visuals and direction. The movie stars Robert John Burke (Thinner) who plays the part of the Dust Devil, Zakes Mokae (The Serpant and The Rainbow) who plays the part of an officer tracking the Devil, and Chelsea Field who is the subject matter of the movie.

The Dust Devil is a magical creature who has the ability to change his appearance and has other powers. He seems to feed off lonely woman on the verge of suicide. He sleeps with them and then murders them. Afterwards, he takes their fingers. Chelsea plays the part of Wendy who has just left her husband and is incredibly depressed. On an isolated highway in the desert, she picks up a hitch hiker whom is the Dust Devil. She ends up falling for him and does not see the imminent danger in her future. Zakes Mokae is the officer tracking the devil. He does not believe in the extraordinary but has bad dreams given to him from the dust devil.

This is such a bizarre film in many ways like Richard Stanley's "Hardware" with amazing visuals, a captivating musical score, and one Hell of an ending. I would have to say that this movie is not for everyone as most people wouldn't get the direction Stanley was going with this film. 8/10