Sean MacGregor, a director known for his work in the 1970s, helmed the unsettling film Devil Times Five (1974). In this cult classic, he masterfully intertwines horror and dark humor, creating a chilling atmosphere that resonates with fans of exploitation cinema. MacGregor's unique vision and approach to storytelling contribute to the film's lasting impact within the genre, making it a notable entry in the realm of cult films.
Devil Times Five
This quirky psychological thriller involves a quintet of weird kids who stumble into the luxurious winter retreat of a wealthy patriarch (Gene Evans) and his arrogant guests. Little do the effete vacationers realize that the children are escapees from an asylum for the criminally insane -- a fact they realize only after their doom has been sealed. The only known film from director Sean MacGregor (released theatrically as People Toys), this is a seldom-seen but thoroughly satisfying horror sleeper with a sardonic sense of morality, taking great delight in knocking off Evans' circle of decadent snobs in graphic and innovative ways (one guest is joined in the bath by piranhas; another is pummeled with chains in a creepy still-photo montage). Known also to some drive-in venues as The Horrible House on the Hill, no doubt as part of a double-bill with Wes Craven's Last House on the Left.
