Product Details

• Actors: Jocelin Donahue
• Directors: Ti West
• Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Dark Sky Films
• DVD Release Date: February 2, 2010
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (143 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002OVO18A
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,407 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "The House of the Devil" on IMDb

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 DVD.

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...

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 53 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Horror done correctly October 4, 2009

By Richard J. Leis

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!

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ti West's 'House of the Devil' AKA How to market your movie January 11, 2010

By Christopher A. Nichols

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.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Dripping wet with atmosphere, but dry on action February 14, 2010

By C. Christopher Blackshere

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.

30 of 39 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fear of What You Can't See November 16, 2009

By Chris Pandolfi

Format:DVD

You'd think a title like "The House of the Devil" would tell you everything you need to know. It does tell you a few things; this is, indeed, a story that involves evil people and hapless victims, who of course are young and female. But on the whole, this movie plays against everything you would probably expect, which in this case is a compliment. Instead of the usual gory camp fest, where idiotic teenagers are a dime a dozen, "The House of the Devil" is a quiet, slowly paced exercise in suspense, where apprehension comes not from bad things happening but from the idea of bad things happening. It's the kind of film where story plays second fiddle to style, the first hour spent on virtually nothing except establishing mood. This is good because, when there finally is a startling moment, we really do feel it.

The mood is so thoroughly established that one can't help but be somewhat disappointed by the final ten minutes, when all is explained (as best as can be explained, anyway). That's the inherent flaw with suspense: What leads up to the ending is always more frightening than the actual ending. Fortunately, the last major scene is amped up with a final shot so unnervingly ambiguous, you may find yourself clutching onto your armrest waiting for something to happen.

In spite of its fresh approach, the story effectively makes use of familiar horror movie themes. Taking place sometime during the 1980s, it tells of Samantha Hughes (Jocelin Donahue), a young college student trying to make it on her own but in desperate need of cash. Lo and behold, she spots on a bulletin board a want ad for a babysitter, and when she calls, she's immediately offered the job. As is always the case, the house she goes to is old, ornate, and located deep in the woods, far, far away from any other house.... The occupants are Mr. and Mrs. Ulman (Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov), an older couple who dress in attire that might have been in fashion fifty years earlier. They're soft spoken and accommodating, yet there's always an uncomfortable air of mystery surrounding them.

As they get ready to leave for the evening, Mr. Ulman confesses that he and the missus have no young children for Samantha to look after. Instead, he wants her to stay in the house just in case Mother needs any help. Mother, who lives somewhere upstairs, is quiet and should be no problem at all; in all likelihood, Samantha won't ever have to go up and check on her. Samantha agrees to the job if her pay is increased to $400 (if that sounds ridiculous, keep in mind that the original offer was $100). Mr. Ulman, in dire need of someone for the night, agrees. He and his wife then depart, leaving Samantha with a list of phone numbers, including a local pizza joint in case she gets hungry. We don't exactly know where the Ullmans are going, but we do know that there will be a lunar eclipse around midnight.

What follows is a carefully paced buildup of tension. At first, it seems like absolutely nothing will happen; Samantha goes up and downstairs checking out various rooms, and that's it. Uneventful? Yes, but at least we get the chance to take in the ambiance of the house, which gives one the feeling of having stepped back in time by at least seventy-five years. At a certain point, things start to get creepy. For one thing, she keeps calling her best friend, Megan (Greta Gerwig), but gets only the answering machine. She then orders a pizza, and the guy at the other end seems a little too friendly. She turns on the television, where "Night of the Living Dead" is being broadcast on the weekly horror show. When she has to use the bathroom, she takes a butcher's knife with her for protection. And what exactly is Mother doing upstairs? Is anyone even up there?

I suspect the vast majority of today's audiences will be bored out of their minds by "The House of the Devil," a film released at a time when the success of a horror movie is measured by masked killers and teens wandering off alone and getting naked before dying elaborate, bloody deaths. Writer/director/editor Ti West has the ambition to avoid such clichés and go for something much subtler, relying on dim hallways, eerie shadows, and phantom noises emanating from faucets. Even the final scenes, which aren't as strong as the scenes that came before them, don't follow the conventions of the typical horror movie; they explain certain things, yet they still leave much to the imagination. As we all know, what we see is never as scary as what we don't see.

When we leave the theater, we think not about the plot or the characters but about what has been experienced - the suspense a quiet room can generate, dangers that may or may not be hiding behind a closed bedroom door, terror brought on by what we can't actually see or hear. What evils lurk out of sight? Will they ever be seen? And if they are seen, what will they do? Even if "The House of the Devil" is founded on a premise that's all too familiar, it manages to be frightening because it exposes some of our most basic fears, none more powerful than being alone in a house. If you're tired of the typical teen slasher film, if you find slow and steady buildups more satisfying than back-to-back pop out scares, then I would recommend you go and see this film. Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Horror! June 13, 2012

By pleasedie1979

Format:DVD

Absolutely brilliant! This is exactly what I am looking for in a horror movie. This movie was done perfectly. The tension and suspense were built up so beautifully that my wife actually screamed. Just amazing! I am shocked that I didn't hear anything about this horror masterpiece earlier than I did. I will say that this is one of those movies that some will love while others will hate, but for me it was fantastic. It does take a while to get going and there really isn't much action, but this is one film where I would say BE PATIENT. Not a lot happens, but when it does it is just incredible. The first murder was probably one of the greatest I have ever seen in it's simplistic brilliance. Ti West you just became my idol.