THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL
Sub-Genre- Supernatural
In Attendance- Me
Cast Members of Note- Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, AJ Bowen, and Dee Wallace.
Directed by- Ti West.
What's it About?- Margot Kidder's cuter doppelganger needs a job; she's a college student who just rented a new house (because her slut roommate is a pig), and she desperately needs some extra cash. Being that this is the 80's, it's obvious that a babysitting gig could totally pay the rent on a house in a college town. Right? Right.
The only thing creepier than the people she's "babysitting" for is the house (of the Devil) itself, and trust me when I say that's pretty damned creepy. $400 for four hours work is worth it though, right? So, it's the night of a full eclipse, there are creepy people, a creepier house (of the Devil), an even creepier old woman upstairs who is "not to be disturbed"... at least they left her pizza money.
Once alone for the night, cute doppelganger girl pops on her Walkman, throws in a cassette, and begins to dance through the dark, creepy, "I'll be damned if I'd stay" house (of the Devil) without a care in the world... like a dumb ass. At least we get to hear FixxOne Thing Leads to Another, which really is one of the coolest songs of the 80's. Needless to say, shit goes all sorts of wrong, and the cute chick soon realizes that she's really, really screwed.
The Good- The atmosphere and feel of this movie are absolutely astounding; Ti West makes a movie that not only feels like it was mad in the 70's/80's, but truly belongs there. From the creepy music, to the awesome opening credits, to the over permed hair, this plays like an unearthed horror movie that suddenly popped up about 30 years too late. In a cool way.
The payoff in the end wasn't what I wanted or hoped for, but the whole movie was so groovy to watch, that I still found it to be all sorts of keen.
The Bad- Why not just sit in the front room and not move, ignoring any and all noises from upstairs, the basement, or down the myriad of dark hallways... then, they can't get you. Dummy.
The Downright Horrendous- I can't believe that a college girl who is super nervous about "babysitting" for a creepy couple in an even creepier house (of the Devil), would put on her Walkman, blare some music, and dance around the house without a care. The dark, shadowy, foreboding house (of the devil.) I kinda lost sympathy for her after that move.
The Gory- This movie was definitely more atmospheric than it was bloody, but we get a little bit of good violence to satiate our hunger. I'm always down for some good gun violence.
The Naked- Nope, and here I was hoping for some 70's style "action."I do, for the record, totally dig that 70's style hair that the chicks rocked back then. Hot.
Best Line- "This one night changes everything for me" or "You're not the babysitter, are you?"
What did we learn?- Don't ever, never ever babysit, or you will either die or have to face off against Satanist's and Demons. Many a horror movies have shown us this over the years, so heed the damn warning!
The Master Says- B (7.5/10) Were it not for the slightly lackluster ending, I would seriously have given this movie an A. As it stands though, House of the Devil is creepy, stylish, retro awesomeness that you should absolutely see. I miss the old days of horror, as cheesy as they were at times, and Ti West has given me, and others who feel the same, a little throwback present that took me back, if just for a moment... whatever. Just check it out.Final Thoughts- Super cuteness...
