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 Cu The Umbrella release of DUST DEVIL does include two new audio commentaries not on any previous edition (including the Kino Lorber 4K/ Blu-ray releases).
The first new audio commentary is with writer/ director Richard Stanley. The other 2025 audio commentary is with critics Bryn Tily and Richard Kruper.

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
Theatrical trailer for DUST DEVIL

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. However, there is a behind-the-scenes gallery from the 1984 short film of DUST DEVIL.

Now Umbrella did go out of their way to include most of the extras that was on the Subversion release. The following aren't on the Kino Lorber release (but on the Subversion Limited Edition):

The DUST DEVIL workprint cut with introduction by Richard Stanley, but Umbrella has did one better with included the deleted scenes from the workprint as a separate option too. They have included two of the three Richard Stanley directed documentaries: THE SECRET GLORY (on Otto Rahn) real life inspiration for Indiana Jones and his quest for the Holy Grail) and THE WHITE DARKNESS. The documentary VOICE OF THE MOON isn't in the umbrella release. There are 2006 interviews with Richard Stanley on THE SECRET GLORY and THE WHITE DARKNESS. There are also audio commentaries by Richard Stanley and Norman Hill for those two docs along with introductions by Richard Stanley for both of them too. The only other exclusions from the Subversion Films Limited Edition DVD is the comic book, the production notes, and the soundtrack CD.

Now to the other new extras included in the Umbrella edition like
HIGHWAY TO NOWHERE- an interview with cinematographer Steven Chivers
CHAOS WALKING- a video essay as Guy Davis talks about DUST DEVIL and the dangerous drifter in popular culture
The Directors Cut also has an original storyboard overlay feature too.

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 Umbrella 4K UHD will be the winner among collectors since it has more extras (including many of the ones from the Subversion Films DVD along with new ones).

This review is ©11-9-2025 and 1-5-2026 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com