The Devil's Rain

Year releasted: 1975

by Nathan Rabin
October 18th, 2006

Tagline:"Absolutely the most incredible ending of any motion picture!"

Plot: Back in old-timey days, Satanic minister Ernest Borgnine swears vengeance when the wife of his disciple William Shatner rats Borgnine out to the town holy man. Three centuries later, Shatner's descendents are bedeviled by a Borgnine-led cabal of Satan worshippers out to retrieve a book pledging various souls to Satan. Shatner travels to a spooky ghost town to confront Borgnine, but ends up among the hooded, chanting, pentagram-happy damned. Shatner's brother (Tom Skerritt), an ESP expert, investigates his brother's mysterious disappearance by going undercover as one of Satan's minions. He seemingly succeeds in smashing Borgnine's ring of satanic evil, but Borgnine gets the last laugh when he uses his dark powers to possess Skerritt's wife.

Key scenes: Early in the film, Shatner challenges Borgnine to an epic faith-off in which Shatner prays to his god and Borgnine worships his satanic majesty. God totally gets served.

Can easily be distinguished by: It's the only film in which John Travolta's credit precedes a technical-advisor credit for Anton Szandor LaVey, "High Priest in The Church Of Satan." Presumably, LaVey was on hand to ensure that the film is culturally sensitive in its depiction of devil-worship.

Sign that it was made in 1976: Only in the wake of The Exorcist could William Shatner, Ida Lupino, Eddie Albert, Keenan Wynn, Ernest Borgnine, Anton LaVey, and a young John Travolta all unite for a low-budget satanic horror movie.

Timeless message: Satan is real and really has it in for William Shatner.

Memorable quotes: Before facilitating a soul transfer, Borgnine anoints Shatner with "the holy water of forgetfulness," a tonic everyone who appeared in this film might want to consider procuring for their own personal use.