DUST DEVIL is one of director Richard Stanley's two extraordinary cult classics (with the other being HARDWARE). He always had problems getting films made with Richard only directing three feature films and a few documentaries in addition to some short films. DUST DEVIL can be described as a supernatural horror western which blends the supernatural, spiritualism, and the director's love for Spaghetti Westerns and you are piercing the surface of this very beautifully crafted movie from the writing to direction to cinematography to the music score by Simon Boswell. The preferred version to watch of this movie is the final Cut version which is twenty minutes longer than the original theatrical cut.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Audio Commentary by Writer/ Director Richard Stanley for the Final Cut

RICHARD STANLEY: DUST DEVIL AND OTHER MISADVENTURES- a 2006 interview with Richard Stanley including contributions by Dust Devil composer Simon Boswell. The half hour interview covers his early career through the Final Cut version of DUST DEVIL. Learn about the compromises he made when making HARDWARE and DUST DEVIL (which I think those compromises made the movies better instead of the excess he wanted to include in some scenes and didn't). Also learn about the short films he made for HARDWARE and DUST DEVIL (which he basically remade as feature films). Then the original 16mm short of DUST DEVIL is lost to a former girlfriend selling all his stuff (including the negative for the DUST DEVIL short, but I wonder if him playing Iron Maiden over and over for a week while writing HARDWARE could have been part of the cause).

Original Film Storyboards

Original Polaroids shot by the director during filming

Trailers for the 16mm version of DUST DEVIL and the 35mm movie version, HARDWARE, RAMPAGE, and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Now I will tell you what isn't included in this release from Kino Lorber. The five disc Limited Edition from Subversive includes four DVDS and the soundtrack CD. None of Richard Stanley's three documentaries is included in this release or the workprint cut (or at least the deleted material which didn't make it into either the theatrical cut of the final cut). Also the limited edition includes a comic book and a production diary (probably partly due to the head of the Kino releases not liking to include booklets). However, most of the extras included on the DVD set are on the Umbrella 4K UHD out in December in addition to two new audio commentaries.

Outside of the trailer for the 16mm DUST DEVIL short, we don't get the surviving rushes from the short included as extras on the blu-ray.

FINAL ANALYSIS: DUST DEVIL is a cult classic from writer/ director Richard Stanley. This 4K and blu-ray release is the best the movie will ever look. Despite some extras not being included from the five disc Limited edition from Subversive or the surviving material from the DUST DEVIL shot film, the Kino Lorber release is worth owning for the transfer alone. Just don't throw out or sell the Subversive release if you own it. The Kino 4K is good as a budget release where the forthcoming Umbrella 4K UHD will be the winner among collectors probably.

This review is ©11-9-2025 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com