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The House of the Devil (2009) - Trailer Included
The House of the Devil - Available on DVD and VHS
Writer/Editor/Director: Ti West
Starring: Tom Noonan, Dee Wallace, Jocelin Donahue, Greta Gerwig, AJ Bowen, Mary Woronov
‘This is Huge. This one night changes everything for me.” – Samantha Hughes
Ti West’s The House of the Devil is a rarity. A back-to-basics throwback to the horror fundamentals of the late 70’s and early 80’s, set in the period that at no time gives a self aware wink. Made in 2009, the exceptional attention to every facet of the era is so successful that if you were flicking through the cable channels and turned it on you would believe it was in fact a lost gem. The marketing campaign for the film even included a VHS copy for fans.
Channeling elements of the popular slasher, babysitter in peril and satanic panic genre the film is an exercise in slow burning suspense that succeeds in achieving a level of anxiety through nothingness that matches its brethren and refuses to go for cheap thrills. The gore is limited; it’s the dense atmosphere of ominous horror created by a minimalist score, subtle signs of danger and deliberately slow pacing that strain the nerves.
As the film opens a full Lunar eclipse is due that evening. We meet Samantha Hughes (Jocelin Donahue), a pretty college student looking at a one bedroom apartment. She likes it and accepts the rental despite not having the cash to cover the first month’s rent.
The retro opening credits.
After being stood up Sam eventually talks to Mr Ulman again and after some pleading she agrees to come to his house that very night. Driven to the secluded dwelling in the woods by her best friend Megan she finally meets her employer.
Once there she is told that the job is actually to look after his ailing mother. When more than enough cash to pay the rent is offered she reluctantly agrees to take the 4 hour assignment. Her friend begrudgingly leaves with plans to pick her up at half past midnight and so Samantha sits in the large, quiet house and she waits for the return of Mr Ulman and his wife…..and nothing happens. And that is where the terror slowly ratchets up.
“But it’s 400 dollars. That covers the first month’s rent and all I have to do is sit inside and watch TV” – Samantha Hughes
Samantha Hughes before the terror begins.
John Doe Says:
Director Ti West
The way it used to be. a phone hangs on the wall and the cord has to stretched.
Filmed on 16mm with clumsy framing, uneven angles and character zooms, the cinematography of Eliot Rocket (Cabin Fever 2, The Specials) never strays into the new millennium. There are touches of Roman Polanski, Tobe Hooper and many others that will be seen by aficionados.
The discreet sound design and paused tinkling of the ivories scoring by Jeff Grace (The Last Winter) contribute substantially to the impatient wall climbing creepiness.
Samantha is destined to see blood.
All the behind the scenes factors would have been for nothing without a worthy protagonist and former Levi’s model turned actress Jocelin Donahue (The Burrowers) does a stellar job of making us care about her plight. Her cute, youthful appearance having that all American look so prominent in films like Friday the 13th combined with believable building of concern makes her perfect for the role of Samantha. We experience the film through her eyes and when the final act finally arrives we are completely invested in her fate. Her panicked decisions totally appropriate to the genre.
Tom Noonan with cane in hand as Mr Ulman
Greta gerwig looks like she never left the 80's
If you haven’t already worked it out John Doe was hugely impressed with The House of the Devil. Consciously trying not to over hype it because the film is an understated gem rather than full blown house of shock, it's not for those with a short attention span. All JD will say is that anyone of the generation this film emulates should certainly put it on their Halloween list for the end of the month.
The trailer for The House of the Devil
For those in Oz, JD is not sure if the film is available on DVD so here is the first ten minutes of The House of the Devil to see if your heading to Amazon to grab a copy.
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