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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
At once a sly tribute to '80s-era grind-house cinema and a remarkable exercise in suspense, writer-director Ti West's House of the Devil is a terrific--and terrifying--horror film that can be enjoyed by genre fans and outsiders alike. West's premise hinges on the "Satanic panic" that gripped America during the Reagan era--in a nutshell, the urban legend posited that secret devil cults were kidnapping and sacrificing individuals by the thousands--and melds it with the tried-and-true babysitter in an old dark house scenario. The house in question is the property of the Ulmans (cult faves Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov), and the babysitter (newcomer Jocelin Donahue) is needed to simply keep an eye on things--and an unseen mother upstairs--until midnight, when, coincidentally, a total eclipse will occur. But the chills that ensue--and there are plenty--are driven more by slow-building atmosphere than by the bloody effects that sum up '80s shocks. That's not to say that there isn't gore on display, but it's not the film's raison d'être; neither are the nostalgic trappings, which are kept to a tasteful minimum. The end result is a genuinely unsettling horror effort that brands West as an indie director who's more than capable of moving up to the majors. The disc includes two informative commentary tracks, the first by West and Donahue, and the other with West, producers Larry Fessenden (The Last Winter) and Peter Phok, and sound designer Graham Reznick; there's also a pair of making-of featurettes and three deleted scenes, one of which, involving the Ulmans' mother, is worth a look. The original trailer for House of the Devil, as well as spots for other Dark Sky releases, round out the extras. --Paul Gaita
Product Description
The Horror Film of the Year available on Blu-ray.
Sam (Donahue) is a pretty college sophomore, so desperate to earn some cash for a deposit on an apartment that she accepts a babysitting job even after she finds out there is no baby. Mr. and Mrs. Ulman (cult actors Noonan and Woronov) are the older couple who lure Sam out to their creaky Victorian mansion deep in the woods, just in time for a total lunar eclipse. Megan (Gerwig) is Sam's best friend, who gives her a ride out to the house, and reluctantly leaves her there despite suspecting that something is amiss. Victor (Bowen) at first seems like just a creepy guy lurking around the house, but quickly makes it clear that Sam will end this night in a bloody fight for her life...
2009 Top 10 List Selections:
TimeOut New York
The Onion
AMCtv
Sound on Sight
Sam (Donahue) is a pretty college sophomore, so desperate to earn some cash for a deposit on an apartment that she accepts a babysitting job even after she finds out there is no baby. Mr. and Mrs. Ulman (cult actors Noonan and Woronov) are the older couple who lure Sam out to their creaky Victorian mansion deep in the woods, just in time for a total lunar eclipse. Megan (Gerwig) is Sam's best friend, who gives her a ride out to the house, and reluctantly leaves her there despite suspecting that something is amiss. Victor (Bowen) at first seems like just a creepy guy lurking around the house, but quickly makes it clear that Sam will end this night in a bloody fight for her life...
2009 Top 10 List Selections:
TimeOut New York
The Onion
AMCtv
Sound on Sight
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 53 people found the following review helpful
Format:Amazon Instant Video|Amazon Verified Purchase
"The House of the Devil" is an assured little film that fondly invokes horror films from the 1970s and 1980s. Many people are going to complain that this movie is slow and boring, but they are missing the joys of this type of film making completely. The best horror is a slow burn leading up to the proverbial poo hitting the whirling blades. You have time to begin to care about these characters, before something terrible happens to them and it cuts deep.
The plot: a college student is ready to move out of her dorm and into a nice rental home, but needs to make some quick cash to pay the first month's rent. Responding to a flyer requesting a babysitter, she will get much more than she bargained for.
The final twenty minutes, while rapid-paced and bloody, do not live up to the promising tension built up by the rest of the movie. However, if the end was a bit of a letdown, overall the movie was very well done. This is not the action-packed gore fest that some people might be expecting. Instead, it is a solid throwback to horror films that used setting, tone, atmosphere, character-building, and music to build up to the scary!
The plot: a college student is ready to move out of her dorm and into a nice rental home, but needs to make some quick cash to pay the first month's rent. Responding to a flyer requesting a babysitter, she will get much more than she bargained for.
The final twenty minutes, while rapid-paced and bloody, do not live up to the promising tension built up by the rest of the movie. However, if the end was a bit of a letdown, overall the movie was very well done. This is not the action-packed gore fest that some people might be expecting. Instead, it is a solid throwback to horror films that used setting, tone, atmosphere, character-building, and music to build up to the scary!
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I attended a midnight screening of Ti West's 'House of the Devil' in Boston last weekend. I had seen a lot of press about the film which led me to watch the trailer. Seeing the inclusion of genre vets Tom Noonan, and Mary Woronov assured me that this was a film that had it's roots firmly planted in the late '70's through to the mid '80's.
The film is one that is not for those who are looking for a quick paced, gore filled scream fest. It is, however, for those who enjoy an atmospheric, character driven movie. The film does have well done effects, a very atmospheric score, and very solid cinematography.
If Mr. West is involved with the marketing of this film then I say job well done. For a film that really does feel from that era the choice to simultaneously release it on VHS as well as DVD is a great one, and for people who collect VHS, like myself, should buy this one as it comes in an over sized clamshell case.
The film is one that is not for those who are looking for a quick paced, gore filled scream fest. It is, however, for those who enjoy an atmospheric, character driven movie. The film does have well done effects, a very atmospheric score, and very solid cinematography.
If Mr. West is involved with the marketing of this film then I say job well done. For a film that really does feel from that era the choice to simultaneously release it on VHS as well as DVD is a great one, and for people who collect VHS, like myself, should buy this one as it comes in an over sized clamshell case.
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
High praises to Director Ti West with this excellent attempt. House of the Devil avoids current pratfalls and absurd, over-the-top rubbish that placates most new horror flicks. Thumbs up for that. This is more of a subtle, intelligent suspense story that will challenge your wits.
However, it's far from perfect. This movie doesn't deliver anything very original with the premise. Another college student/babysitting type of setup. But the idea of a satanic cult touches on a sensitive nerve that is all too disturbing.
But the Devil never really gets his due. This movie has solid acting, good character development, and creepy sound effects. Unfortunately, not much of a payoff for your patience. The story tiptoes along, and finally reaches a frightening bloody climax. Too bad it ends so abruptly.
Overall, House of the Devil is a well told story that includes a little gore. Just not much else happening. 3.5 stars.
However, it's far from perfect. This movie doesn't deliver anything very original with the premise. Another college student/babysitting type of setup. But the idea of a satanic cult touches on a sensitive nerve that is all too disturbing.
But the Devil never really gets his due. This movie has solid acting, good character development, and creepy sound effects. Unfortunately, not much of a payoff for your patience. The story tiptoes along, and finally reaches a frightening bloody climax. Too bad it ends so abruptly.
Overall, House of the Devil is a well told story that includes a little gore. Just not much else happening. 3.5 stars.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A well crafted tribute to classic satanic horror of the 70's and 80's
The house of the Devil is ultimately a reasonable tribute to the moody satanic horror stories of the 70s and 80s. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Natja Kristy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ti West's best movie !!
The soundtrack for The House of the Devil was released in November 2009 as a Double Feature with the score of I Can See You, both by avant-garde composer Jeff Grace. Read more
Published 2 months ago by TheForsaken
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic-style, slow-building horror
This is a movie for the true horror fan. Though the movie is considered "recent", it shares nothing with current horror movies. Read more
Published 2 months ago by C. Thom
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bought it for the vhs!
I'm a sucker for horror on vhs, what can I say. I still buy and watch as much horror on vhs as I did when I was a kid growing up in the 80s. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Eric Gibeau
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome movie.
SPOILER ALERT. This is a great film! A real surprise! A young college co-ed is brought to a house under false pretences. There is an add for a babysitter. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Shopoholic
1.0 out of 5 stars
Are you kidding me?
Hey if you want to sit down and wait for an hour for the action to start in a horror movie this is your film. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Margarita G. Gutierrez
3.0 out of 5 stars
good but dragged
i saw my share of horror movies but never seen one where the film focuses too much of a young college student babysitting and just sitting around the house. Read more
Published 6 months ago by jkalo
5.0 out of 5 stars
I actually thought it was an 80's movie until....
Bought this movie used for a couple bucks, an ex rental, and wow, was I fooled, here I was watching it, thinking it was some old movie from the 80's, kept checking the box for the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by BD
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic
This is a great horror film in the vein of 1980's B grade horror cinema. Shot like it would have been had it been made in the '80's, forced zooms and no CGI. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Graham Swearingen
5.0 out of 5 stars
True Horror.
I watched this movie on MTV one cold night almost as an afterthought. What I viewed was a fright flick based on electrifying suspense and mounting tension rather than the usual... Read more
Published 7 months ago by eric
