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The House of the Devil (2009) - Ti West

The House of the Devil is such an intriguing movie right from the beginning. Ti West does a great job of making you feel like you are watching an old VHS.  Remember those days. Walking down to the video store and picking up some creepy looking movie, judged solely by the cover. Those were the days. West does a great job of taking everything that I remember about watching those movies and shoving it into an hour and a half. The soundtrack, the style, the feel... its all from the eighties. 

The House of the Devil is a really cool movie that deserves some attention. Ti West is a new comer to film making that had a lot to prove following his debut flop, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever. A follow-up to Eli Roth's awesome Cabin Fever. 

The plot revolves around a young girl that answers an ad looking for a babysitter, to house sit for the evening. The girl that replies gets the deal of a lifetime. She goes to the house and ends up meeting the weirdest family. They are eccentric and bizarre, but hey, she is offered a ton of money. Why not take the job? Right? 

This movie hits all of the right buttons with me. It has the creepy style that I have come to know and love, since starting the project. When I first watched it, I couldn't stand it. I unfairly wrote the movie off as a straight to video crap fest that would sit on my Netflix queue collecting dust. It wasn't until I sat down and held back those allegations that I really enjoyed the movie. 


The acting is one of the key elements. Tom Noonan, a veteran actor, really sets this movie off. He has everything going for him. He acts like the creepiest person ever. If anything watch this movie just to see his performance. If you want to see who I am talking about, check out the religion episode of the hit comedy show Louie. He does a fantastic job of being a total creep in that as well. 


This is a great nu-horror movie that is turning on a new leaf in the horror genre. Ti West and Eli Roth are only the beginning of a new breed of horror directors that are ready to reshape the field. The horror movie legacy has been tarnished by years of oppression at the hands of the "moral majority". Now it is time for a new face. Time to be scared. Thank you Ti West. 
  • Filmed in Connecticut
  • Filmed on 16mm film to give it that real "retro" style
  • Promotional copies of the DVD were released in a clam shell case, similar to early VHS tapes in the 80's

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Comments

thirdman said…
I know this one isn't for everyone, but for me The House of the Devil was my favorite horror film of 2009. Growing up on films like this I was amazed at how much Ti West was able to make this film look and feel like it was 20-30 years old. Plus, the slower buildup and lack of overly gruesome death scenes made this one stand above the majority of horror films these days.
September 6, 2010 at 1:25 PM
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