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