The House of the Devil | DVD Review

Much like Cabin Fever announced the arrival of director Eli Roth as a major – albeit somewhat controversial – voice in the horror genre, The House Of The Devil does the same for writer/director/editor Ti West (who, coincidentally, also helmed the recent direct-to-DVD sequel, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever). But where Roth’s film was brash and in your face, hinting at the all-out gore-fests to come in Hostel and its sequel, West has taken a different approach, channeling the atmospheric chillers of the 70s in setting an ominous tone early and letting it ride for the bulk of the film until the final act, where the action explodes in a bloody payoff. that might be considered too short and not worth the wait for fans of the current trend in horror of all action, all the time.

In need of some quick cash to help her ditch dorm-room hell in favor of her own place, college student Samantha (Jocelin Donahue, The Burrowers) takes on a babysitting job that turns out to be anything but easy money. Despite warnings from her friend Megan (Greta Gerwig, Baghead) that the big money/easy job seems too good to be true, Samantha heads to the isolated mansion or Mr. and Mrs. Ulman (genre fixtures Tom Noonan, Manhunter, and Mary Woronov, Silent Night, Bloody Night), who are heading out for the evening to witness the lunar eclipse. For $400, all they ask Samantha to do is make sure that “Mother” doesn’t have some kind of accident. What could go wrong, right? Plenty, but not before an exquisitely slow buildup that perfectly paces the rising tension that Sam feels as she explores the house. What follows is a brutal denouement that, while short, ties everything together in a satisfying, if depressing, ending.

The first thing any viewer will notice is the ’70s horror aesthetic of The House Of The Devil, in both the look and the feel of the film. West has certainly done his homework, and the attention to detail, coupled with excellent sound design from Graham Reznick (I Sell The Dead) and the ever-so-slight graininess of the picture, will make one feel as if they are watching a 35-year-old lost treasure. What could have come off as a cheap knockoff of films of that era actually comes across as West’s loving homage to some of his favorite films: Kubrick’s The Shining, Peter Medak’s The Changeling, and – of course – the obvious reference, Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby. Like these and other thrillers of that era, most of the horror in House is felt in the mounting tension as opposed to what we can actually see on the screen, except for the final reel, where all hell literally breaks loose. And then there’s Donahue’s portrayal of Samantha: it’s no easy feat to pretty much be the only character on screen for a large section of the film, but she pulls it off with aplomb, and you believe every emotion she goes through as her fear and paranoia mount with each passing frame as she unravels the mystery behind the Ulmans and their mysterious house.

The widescreen transfer is solid, and the intended 1970s look of the film doesn’t suffer even in the digital format. The 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround is put to excellent use as well, with bumps and other sordid noises coming at the viewer from all angles, ratcheting up the tension.
Special features included on the DVD from E1 Entertainment:

Deleted Scenes: there are three deleted scenes amounting to roughly 8 minutes of footage. Two of the scenes were meant to be edited together into one, as they comprise both ends of a telephone conversation between Samantha and Megan near the beginning of the film, while the third scene, if left in, would have detracted from our surprise when we first meet “Mother” later in the film.

“In The House Of The Devil” (Behind The Scenes): this 13-minute featurette is a series of shots depicting the set-ups of many scenes from the film. Without any narration, it’s an intriguing way to see the filmmakers in their natural habitat.
Commentary with Writer/Director/Editor Ti West and actress Jocelin Donahue: in this commentary track, West and Donahue discuss Donahue’s preparation for the role and for specific scenes, but there are also plenty of amusing anecdotes about other cast members and crew as well.

Commentary with Writer/Director/Editor Ti West, producers Larry Fessenden and Peter Phok, and sound designer Graham Reznick: Phok remains largely silent as West and Reznick try to discuss the technical aspects of the film while pointing out some things that might have been missed in a first viewing of the film. ‘Try’ is the operative word here, as filmic jack-of-all-trades Fessenden does his best to hijack the proceedings to hilarious effect. There’s plenty of interesting stuff here, though, and Fessenden manages to come off as lovable despite his grandstanding.

Featuring a breakout performance by Jocelin Donahue in the lead and many strong turns by genre luminaries such as Noonan, Woronov, and Dee Wallace (Cujo), The House Of The Devil, from Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix independent movie house, makes for one ‘hell’ of a good throwback to the horrors of the 1970s and early ’80s. Easily the best Satanic-cult-baiting-a-young-co-ed-babysitter film to come along in ages! Highly recommended!

Movie rating – 4

Disc Rating – 4