(imdb)THE HORRIBLE HOUSE ON THE HILL-(aka PEOPLETOYS)-1974-A van crashes, but 5 kids who were passengers survive. Meanwhile, a crude dictatorial jerk nicknamed Papa Doc (Gene Evans) bosses everyone around: his wormy assistant Harvey (Sorrell Brooke) and his alcoholic wife, his own bitchy wife Lovely (Carolyn Steller), his daughter Julie (Joan McCall) and her fiancé Rick (Taylor Lacher) and dimwitted servant Ralph (John Durren). The kids trudge through snow not knowing that one of the adult passengers didn't die and is following them. When he catches up with them, the kids kill him in a long very slow-motion scene. It's obvious these aren't your average kids. In fact, they are homicidal and have escaped from a mental institution! One girl (Gail Smale) thinks she's a nun and another likes fire. A young black kid (Tierre Turner) talks like he's an army officer. Another boy David (Leif Garrett) just seems weird, and a very young girl Moe (Dawn Lyn) seems normal. Poor Ralph gets hanged trying to fix the generator. Then Harvey gets an axe in the back courtesy of David. Later the nun and Moe put piranhas in Lovely's bubble bath. Harvey's wife is set on fire. After killing Doc and making a snowman out of him, they kill Rick & Julie, and go off to find "new toys".
This very strange but pretty well-made horror film (with good acting) was directed by Sean MacGregor (CRY BLOOD, APACHE (1974)). Leif Garrett had a brief career in the late '70's as a teen pop idol. His sister Dawn Lyn had played Dodie on the later seasons of TV's MY THREE SONS. This played on cable TV as THE DEVIL TIMES 5.
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