Bart La Rue was a working actor during the 1960s and '70s, trying to land choice parts like so many of his peers. He had the benefit of a defined speaking voice, but not much luck when it came to professional success, handling small parts on television shows such as "The Brady Bunch," "Star Trek," "Bonanza," and "Mission: Impossible." La Rue also tried his luck in filmmaking, launching directorial ambitions with 1975's "The Ark of Noah," playing into the decade's interest in documentaries about strange phenomena and legends. His helming career promptly died with 1979's "Satan War," and perhaps for good reason. La Rue attempts to follow the Satanic Panic trends of the decade during this take on a haunted house tale, observing a married couple and their minimal efforts to do something about an evil presence that won't exit their newly purchased home. "Satan War" is a no- budget offering from La Rue, who doesn't have a story to share with the endeavor, just ideas for haunted moments. It's a long journey with the characters and their inability to accept obvious doom, and La Rue is in no rush to get anywhere in the picture, making for a painfully dull sit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

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