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Dust Devil - The Final Cut (Limited Collector's Edition) [DVD]

Robert John Burke (Actor), Chelsea Field (Actor), Richard Stanley (Director) Rated:
Unrated
Format: DVD
4.3 out of 5 stars 287 ratings
IMDb6.2/10.0
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Dust Devil $3.79 $4.99
Genre Horror, Mystery & Thrillers
Format Color, Box set, NTSC, DVD, Limited Edition
Contributor Rufus Swart, Marianne Sägebrecht, John Matshikiza, Robert John Burke, Terri Norton, Zakes Mokae, William Hootkins, Richard Stanley, Chelsea Field, Andre Odendaal See more
Language English
Runtime 1 hour and 27 minutes

Product Description

Amazon.com

As noted by Richard Stanley fans, Dust Devil, the feature following his box-office hit Hardware, failed to find release, and when it did, a terrible edit drastically altered the story. Subversive Sinema has now released the director-approved final cut of Dust Devil, in a box set that also contains Dust Devil's working edit, the film's Sergio Leone-like soundtrack, and three riveting Stanley documentaries: The Secret Glory, Voice of the Moon, and The White Darkness. Dust Devil, a horror story based on the myth of a Namibian serial killer, looks more like a Western. Filmed on location in Africa where the murders allegedly took place, Chelsea Field plays Wendy Robinson, a woman, who under duress of leaving her husband, heads out to the desert to accidentally encounter the Dust Devil (Robert John Burke), a mercy killer who slays depressed women to save them from the dark side. According to locals, the Dust Devil is a demon, enabling Stanley's abiding interest in world folk religions to weigh heavily in on the plot, especially when the town's witch doctor visits the beyond to unlock mysteries, or when the Dust Devil displays a box containing his victims' fingers. The documentaries, however, are most exciting. The White Darkness unravels political and social aspects of Haitian Voudon, including the history of American Imperialism in Haiti, as told by skilled priest and priestess, Altes Paul and Edelle. Voice of the Moon shows footage of Afghani rebels in the late '80s, sans narrator, instead beautifully accompanied by native music and poetry, adding Herzogian emotional effect. The Secret Glory pieces together the story of Otto Rahn, an SS officer who thought he'd located the Holy Grail. In all three films, the authenticity of the subjects reign, making it more difficult to buy the magic's fictionalized version in Dust Devil. Dust Devil, though, with its cheesier horror moments, provides a dose of humor to a fairly serious package. --Trinie Dalton

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.75 x 5.25 x 1 inches; 6.88 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Richard Stanley
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, Box set, NTSC, DVD, Limited Edition
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 27 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ September 26, 2006
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Robert John Burke, Chelsea Field, Zakes Mokae, John Matshikiza, Rufus Swart
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Subversive Cinema
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000HEWGTW
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 5
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 287 ratings

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4.3 out of 5 stars
287 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Mike. TS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Dust Devil
    Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2025
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    It was great!
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  • dwall
    5.0 out of 5 stars Richard Stanley's overlooked masterpiece
    Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2014
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    If ever a movie suffered through production hell and studio interference, it was Stanley's Dust Devil. Brilliantly filmed in Namibia and South Africa, many of the landscape shots are truly breathtaking, the resulting film was edited by studio forces in such a way as to remove all menace, coherence and soul. But this edition is everything restored, the final director's cut. Stanley is as much a visionary as a director, much in the way of Terry Gilliam, a trait that often brings production headaches that studio suits disdain. Immersed in myth (the central figure embodies the nameless, drifting stranger acting outside of social expectations) and local, mystical beliefs, Stanley weaves a chilling tale much deeper than the base acting on the screen. The Devil preys on persons who have given up on life- he can "smell" it, is drawn to it- and he acts in a dimension of sorts that defies concepts of time or reality. It is a film that demands thinking, demands work on the part of the viewer, and is all the more satisfying for it.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Brien Corey
    5.0 out of 5 stars This ia a movie to watch when you've been awake too long and can't get to sleep
    Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2019
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    I loved this movie since i caught it on cable a million years ago. Is it a good movie? That I can't tell you. But I like the soundtrack, the acting, and the story. I'm a big fan of this film. It does kind of lose it's way for a little bit, but I recommend this film highly to my friends. It's just one of those films that has stuck with me all these years. To strangers on the internet: some of you will like it and some of you will hate it. Give it a shot, hopefully you'll enjoy it.
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  • dooby
    4.0 out of 5 stars Visually gorgeous film... Fascinating Extras... Excellent buy
    Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2006
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    This is a visually gorgeous film. I watched it expecting a horror movie but ended up enthralled by its sheer visual splendour; both in its stunning photography and its breathtaking landscape. As a horror film, I doubt if it would attract the mass of today's horror fans. It's obvious why the studio quietly dumped it onto video without a theatrical release. It would not have sold as a horror movie. There are not enough shocks, gore or horror to satiate today's audience. The predominant feeling I got was not so much of fear, but of despair, desolation and spiritual isolation, made all the more stark when set amidst all that beauty. I would agree with director Richard Stanley, when he says that it is closer to an "art film" than a horror movie.

    Stanley grew up in South Africa and learned the folklore of the natives at the feet of his mother, an anthropologist who collected stories and folktales of the African tribes. This story revolves around a shape-shifting spirit, variously called a Soupwah, a Num or in Afrikaans, a Nagtloper (literally Night-Runner). The Nagtloper (Robert John Burke) feeds off the life-force of the damned - people who have lost the will to live. Into his orbit float two lost souls, Wendy (Chelsea Field) a South African woman fleeing from a failed marriage and Ben Mukurob (Zakes Mokae), a Zulu policeman whose life came to an end years ago with the death of his wife. Who will attain deliverance? The white woman, the black policeman or the Nagtloper, whose own aim is to return to the spirit world from where it came. The desolate emptiness of the Namib is beautifully captured. Scenes are exquisitely choreographed, almost like a ballet. I don't know if I would recommend it to the usual horror film fan, but it is definitely one for cinephiles. The DVD is superbly produced with crystal clear image quality, no dirt, no damage and with exceptionally good sound. It is presented in its original 1.85:1 widescreen. Strangely there are no subtitles. The main feature is anamorphic (enhanced for widescreen TV) as are all of Stanley's interview segments. Sadly none of the other Extras are anamorphic. Even the workprint is letterboxed.

    This Special Edition comes with a host of Extras spread over 5 discs. Personally I felt that devoting an entire disc to the "Workprint" was overkill. But I'm not complaining. You can watch the workprint in its entirety or just use the 46 chapter-stops to get directly to the various deleted segments, which are sadly all taken from a VHS source; some having no sound, some looking really terrible, and most having the video-counter running above or below the print. I would recommend the workprint only to ardent admirers of the Final Cut. The other Extras have nothing to do with the main film itself but are Stanley's TV documentaries on other subjects. Nonetheless, they are definitely worth viewing.

    The most substantial Extra is "The Secret Glory of SS Obersturmfuhrer Otto Rahn" made for Britain's Channel Four TV. This is a 97min documentary on the life of the Nazi poet and writer Otto Rahn who was obsessed with the search for the "Holy Grail". This is not the Grail of Christ which we usually associate with the legendary quest but a more obscure "Grail" supposedly made from the crown of Lucifer, variously described as a stone, a gem or a diadem. Stanley contends that Rahn and the Nazis did find the Grail in southern France but gives no source for his claim. To be fair, the documentary is not about the search for the Grail itself but is an account of Rahn's tragic life. The sad irony of his life is that this Nazi stalwart, who wrote so many vile tracts condemning the Jews, was in the end, himself revealed to be a Jew. The documentary is very dense, and expects the viewer to be fully conversant with Grail legend, 13th Century Crusader history (specifically of the Albigensian or Cathar Crusade) and German history circa WWII. Like Rahn, Stanley doesn't make clear when he conflates fact and fiction. The Lucifer Grail is referred to in Wolfram von Eschenbach's medieval poem Parzival (the source of Wagner's Parsifal). This is by almost all accounts an invention based on the old Arthurian legends. Rahn ties that in to historical fact by assuming that the Grail mountain, the fictional Montsalvat of the poem, is the same as Montsegur, the last retreat of the Cathars in southern France. The Cathars were Gnostic Christians, declared heretics by the Vatican, which sent in Crusaders to annihilate them in what became known as the Albigensian Crusade. The hilltop fortress of Montsegur was where the Cathars made their last stand. At Montsegur Rahn searches and apparently finds the Grail he is looking for. In fact, the Cathars never claimed to possess the Holy Grail. The documentary is packed with so much information, both historical fact and literary fantasy, that it requires more than one viewing for full assimilation and it is not easy to sit through. Picture quality is mediocre but tolerable for a documentary extra. It is in 1.85:1 widescreen, letterboxed into a 4x3 fullframe. Sound quality is very poor. Dialogue is recorded at fluctuating volume levels, is frequently inaudible and in many instances drowned out by extremely boomy bass. Worse, the sound and picture for the interviews are never in sync. The film's temp-track sounds terrible (like a bad B-grade horror flick) but the accompanying Wagnerian music is grand and transcendent. The exerpts come from Wagner's Parsifal and Tannhauser. The documentary interviews are in equal parts German, French and English. The entire documentary comes with obligatory English subtitles. To be fair, Stanley admits that this is just a preview of a work in progress which he hopes to release in proper form one day.

    My favourite of the documentaries is the 36min long "Voice of the Moon". It is a visual record of Stanley's visit to Afghanistan towards the end of the Soviet occupation (1989). As Stanley points out in the interview, it is more akin to poetry than a documentary; a visual tone-poem if you will. The sparse narration, in verse form, occurs only at the beginning and end and is given wholly in Pashto (Pashtun language). English subtitles are burnt onto the print. This was made for Britain's BSB channel. As a traditional factual documentary it falls flat, but as a visual poem it is beautiful. And this is evident despite the poor quality of the 16mm film footage. It was shot on a mechanical (spring driven/hand-cranked) Bolex camera, with no sync-audio. The reason was because they were travelling with the mujahideen and shooting for months in places where there was no electricity; mostly around the Afghan/Pakistan border region in the majestic Hindu Kush mountains. Stanley's 1/2-hour long interview accompanying this film is a must-see. He describes the Afghan expedition, his meetings with the Afghan mujahideen, his deep admiration for them and his sadness at seeing them bombed into oblivion post-9/11. The film itself ends with the mujahideen victorious in the final battle for Jalalabad. The music score is lyrical and evocative and is easily the loveliest score written by Simon Boswell on these discs. It is inspired by Eastern European folk music (not native Afghan music) and the documentary also features the Trio Bulgarka singing "Oi Yano Yanke" from their "The Forest is Crying" album.

    "The White Darkness" is a documentary Stanley made for the BBC as part of a series on world religions. Its focus is on the practise of Voodoo on the island of Haiti. Coincidentally, while the documentary was being shot, America invaded the island. The documentary ends up being an examination of Voodoo practise on the one hand, and a record of the American invasion on the other. Thanks to a particularly obnoxious US Army Colonel, it also becomes a story about superior American Evangelical Christianity coming in to trounce the devil-worshipping heathens of the island. The Colonel is so boastfully arrogant and self-righteous that one could only sigh with relief to learn that he was eventually "removed from command". Visually this film looks the best of the three and is presented in its original 1.33:1 fullscreen with good audio quality. Most of the documentary is in English with the French and Creole segments suitably subtitled. It also comes with a 17min long interview where, amongst other things, Stanley describes the American invasion and the surreal image of US Marines and "Armed Baptists" coming to evangelise the heathens.

    The last disc of this 5-disc set is an audio-CD containing the soundtrack of "Dust Devil". I wish they had included the soundtrack of "Voice of the Moon" as well. It is probably the best thing Simon Boswell has written. The set is accompanied by three separate 12-page booklets, the first being a very detailed and informative production diary on "Dust Devil", the second containing equally detailed discussions on the 3 documentaries, and the third being a comic-book version of the film. The "Dust Devil" feature alone is worth the asking price for this release. Coupled with all the extras, this DVD is self-recommending.

    Note: As we are reminded on every disc here, Richard Stanley is the Great-Grandson of the legendary explorer and adventurer, Sir Henry Stanley, who gave his name to the Stanley Falls (now Boyoma Falls, DRC), and the city of Stanleyville (present day Kisangani, DRC), searched for and rescued his even more famous fellow-explorer, David Livingston and is credited with the iconic line, "Dr. Livingston, I presume?"
    22 people found this helpful
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  • Catherine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thinking Man's Horror
    Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2011
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    I fell hopelessly in love with this movie when I saw the scene with aboriginal magical blood drawings decorating the walls of the victim's room like some dimly lit cave at Lascaux. The director's extensive knowledge of South African anthropology and magic make this film an absolute jewel. His commentary and interview is a fascinating barrage of intriguing facts and tales of adventure while filming on location in Namibia.

    The sets are great...very atmospheric, and the photography is incredibly beautiful; the surreal locations of sand dunes and endless highway of Namibia are definitely an asset. The sound track is also great.

    This is more than a horror movie...there is so much info about African magical beliefs, especially if you listen to the commentary and interview, that it would enthrall an anthropologist as well.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Wicingas
    3.0 out of 5 stars Spagetti western in Namibia.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2019
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    Take a spaghetti western, throw in demonic possession and locate it in modern day Namibia, and you have this film. I really could not get the spaghetti western theme out of my head the whole time I was watching it. Cinematography, music, dialogue and so on. If they had throw in Clint Eastwood and Lee van Cleef we would have been there. The demon, in a possessed human host who happens to be American (complete with cowboy boots, broad rimmed hat and over coat), seeks out those ready to die. He kills them in ritualized murders trying to gain the power to cross back over to his world. Enter Wendy who is fleeing from an abusive husband (or is she? She seemed pretty sympathetic towards the jerk). She picks demon up on her drive to the sea (no explanation as to why that is her destination). Cop is a skeptic who comes to realize what he is hunting thanks to a shaman. High Noon takes place in a ghost town keeping true to that spaghetti western theme they had going. If you kill the demon host after tricking him to step over a magic stick, you kill the demon. Without the magic stick, you become the demon's new host. Demon, Wendy and Cop have their High Noon in the ghost town with what was a predictable ending. If I had not been amused by the whole spaghetti western theme this probably would have rated 2 stars. Not a lot of action...dry acting (they were in the desert after all, although it was a dry heat)...no chills or thrills, etc.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Elwyn Roberts
    5.0 out of 5 stars Africa has seldom looked as beautiful as this on-screen.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2021
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    Finally, we get to see Director Richard Stanley's beautiful director's cut version of Dust Devil (1992) on DVD. I bought this edition for my birthday in 2013 and I was immediately astonished by the unforgettable imagery and intrigued by the legend of the "Vanishing Hitchhiker" that I was learning of for the first time. Simon Boswell's score is a treat to listen to and be reminded of lilting desert winds and spaghetti westerns. The cinematography by Steven Chivers is so good that it will probably make anyone fall in love with the desert. All of the actors and actresses are excellent, including William Hootkins (RIP), who chameleon-like effortlessly shines in a small but vital role, supplying a very good Afrikaner accent that reminds the viewer just how good an actor he was. I hope that more horror fans get to witness this unforgettable cinematic experience since The Color Out Of Space (2019) was recently released to wide acclaim and that we get to see many more films from Director Richard Stanley.
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    Elwyn Roberts
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Africa has seldom looked as beautiful as this on-screen.

    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2021
    Finally, we get to see Director Richard Stanley's beautiful director's cut version of Dust Devil (1992) on DVD. I bought this edition for my birthday in 2013 and I was immediately astonished by the unforgettable imagery and intrigued by the legend of the "Vanishing Hitchhiker" that I was learning of for the first time. Simon Boswell's score is a treat to listen to and be reminded of lilting desert winds and spaghetti westerns. The cinematography by Steven Chivers is so good that it will probably make anyone fall in love with the desert. All of the actors and actresses are excellent, including William Hootkins (RIP), who chameleon-like effortlessly shines in a small but vital role, supplying a very good Afrikaner accent that reminds the viewer just how good an actor he was. I hope that more horror fans get to witness this unforgettable cinematic experience since The Color Out Of Space (2019) was recently released to wide acclaim and that we get to see many more films from Director Richard Stanley.
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  • Frank cotton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Die wütenden Winde
    Reviewed in Germany on August 14, 2019
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    Richard Stanleys Film ist mir seit Mitte der 90er Ein ewiger Begleiter , ebenso wie sein Mark 13 -Hardware . Beide Filme sind in ihrer Form so weit weg vom Kommerz wie es nur geht und in ihrer Art auch heute noch einzigartig . War Hardware wie ein überlanges Metal Video mit metaphysischem Touch so ist der Touch hier geblieben jedoch getaucht in ein Ambiente einer Mischung aus Kunstfilm und Western , gefüllt mit Horror Elementen . Hatte mich daher auf die Edition gefreut und dies ist auch ein spitzen Paket .3 Film Fassungen / soundtrack / alle Dokus von Stanley sowie Film bezogene Extras . Kann nix schief gehen . Sollte man im Regal haben und ich warte auf Stanleys nächsten Film : Color out of Space , mit Nicolas Cage . Übrigens ist diese Edition kein Mediabook wie angegeben sondern ein Digi im extrem stabilen Pappmantel inkl voller . Also besser wie ein Mediabook
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  • Terence Tan Co
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best DVDs to come out this year
    Reviewed in Canada on October 8, 2006
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    Subversive cinema put out all the stops to make Dust Devil SE DVD simply one of the best DVDs to be put out.

    First you get five DVDs in the set.

    DVD#1: COntains Dust Devil the Director's Cut. While the movie is just excellent with excellent cinematography and quite metaphysical. The commentary just blows you away and Richard Stanley does one of the best commenataries ever put on a DVD(it compares to Werner Herzog's commentaries). The commentary clears up many loose ends in the movie and recounts the crazy shooting of the whole show.

    DVD#2: contains the workprint release of the movie. Again you get a different longer cut of the movie along with a different commentary.

    DVD#3: Dust Devil music CD, excellent music.

    DVD #4: Secret GLory. This is his documentary on the Nazi quest to find the holy grail. Again the commentary is not only very informative but also sheds new light on the whole topic with hilarious and informative commetnary by Richard Stanley.

    DVD #5: White Darkness. THis doucmentary is on voodoo in Haiti with special guest appearances by the U.S. Marine Corps who threatened to shoot Richard Stanley and his crew while he was filming the documentary(which coincided with the U.S. invasion of Haiti)(he embarassed the U.S. marine General Walker by making him look like a fool on camera(he said he came to Haiti in effect to convert people to christianity, hilarious!!!!!). Again, excellent commentary by Richard Stanley and gives new info on voodoo with special mention to Robert E Howard!!!!!

    Voice of the Moon: This is his documentary on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 80s. Again the commentary shines here with implied stuff on 911.

    Conclusion: Why is Richard Stanley not making movies, the guy is a genius!!!!!!!

    Now if Subversive cinema can do a simliar treatment to Hardware and I would be a very happy guy!!!!!
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  • Elleppi
    3.0 out of 5 stars Buon film misterioso ma un po' deludente
    Reviewed in Italy on July 26, 2015
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    Buon film misterioso ma un po' deludente. Dalla costruzione ci si aspetterebbe di più, ma alla fine non porta granchè lontano (malgrado la trama).
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  • R. ALAN Bryan / Alan2112
    5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS GREAT!
    Reviewed in Germany on July 29, 2019
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    Richard Stanley is very underrated. This is a gem of a horror film. (I also recommend HARDWARE by Mr. Stanley). We finally get a Director's Cut on a Wonderful Blu-ray plus DVD editions and many many extras. This is one of the best sets I've seen in years. The package is great. The price for myself in the USA was under $40. That is a bargain. I highly recommend this set to anyone considering it. Sure, it's big and bulky, but let us appreciate the film. It's haunting and brilliant. I'd love a sequel.
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    R. ALAN Bryan / Alan2112
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    THIS IS GREAT!

    Reviewed in Germany on July 29, 2019
    Richard Stanley is very underrated. This is a gem of a horror film. (I also recommend HARDWARE by Mr. Stanley). We finally get a Director's Cut on a Wonderful Blu-ray plus DVD editions and many many extras. This is one of the best sets I've seen in years. The package is great. The price for myself in the USA was under $40. That is a bargain. I highly recommend this set to anyone considering it. Sure, it's big and bulky, but let us appreciate the film. It's haunting and brilliant. I'd love a sequel.
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