Audio By Carbonatix
Of all the horror films in our countdown, Ti West’s The House of the Devil (2009) is the most unpredictable and inspiring homage to the genre. The film is set in the 1980’s, and if you didn’t read anything else about the film before popping it in your Playstation–you’d think it was shot in the 1980’s (yay, no cell-phones!). West’s style is an homage to the low-budget films of the 80’s in the way Shaun of the Dead was a nod to Romero’s zombie films–and just as genuine.
The movie’s plot is simple: a college student is looking to buy a house, so she takes a baby-sitting job. The twist is: the gig is on the same night as a lunar eclipse. Oh! And the house’s owners are members of a satanic cult. Exciting, straight-forward horror filmmaking.
Ti West, who’s gathering some buzz for his new horror film The Innkeepers, keeps the story neat and focused. There’s rarely any blood, there’s rarely any cursing, and it’s 95 minutes. Tom Noonan–who you’ll recognize as “that-guy-from-a-bunch-of-films”–gives a frightening and subtle performance. Definitely recommend for group, late-night-pizza watching.
The Most Memorable Scene
I… just…can’t ruin it. It’s too good. Embedding this scene would totally ruin a great scare…and a great character death. All I’m going to say is the most memorable moment in the film (besides the Texas-Chainsaw-Massacre-esque climax) is at the end of Chapter 6, around the thirty-minute mark. Trust me, if you’re into horror you won’t regret renting this one.
The Mixmaster’s Horror Movie Countdown
October 1: Halloween
October 2: Antichrist
October 3: Student Bodies
October 4: Poltergeist
October 5: Jaws
October 6: Suspiria
October 7: Scream
October 8: The Fly
October 9: Dead Alive
October 10: Drag Me to Hell
October 11: Se7en
October 12: Rosemary’s Baby
October 13: Friday the 13th
October 14: The Thing
October 15: Audition
October 16 and 17: The Exorcist and The Exorcist III
October 18: The Omen
October 19: Paranormal Activity
October 20: Changeling
October 21: Hellraiser
October 22: 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later
October 23: A Nightmare On Elm Street
October 24: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
October 25: The Amityville Horror
October 26: The Shining
October 27: Psycho
October 28: Trick ‘r Treat
October 29: The Wicker Man
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