The House of the Devil

Writer-director Ti West is clearly a fan of ‘80s-style horror movies (straight-up slice and dice, minus the knowing winks popularized by the Scream movies). The House of the Devil also takes this bluntly old-fashioned approach. Cute college co-ed Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) accepts a lucrative offer from an oddball couple, the Ulmans (Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov), to babysit an old lady who is supposedly asleep on the upper floor of their isolated house (on the night of a full lunar eclipse, no less.) It will come as no surprise to anyone but Samantha that the Ulmans are Satanists who intend to use her as a sacrifice in their demonic rituals. Most of the film is prologue, detailing why the heroine needs money, how she lands the job, and her increasing anxiety as the evening wears on and the strange noises in the house portend something frightening. Despite an obviously modest budget, West is fairly adept at building up suspense, while Noonan and Woronov add a healthy dose of grim humor to the mix. But the big revelation ultimately proves to be a letdown, and the final confrontation boasts lots of blood but not much punch. Although it serves up some chilling moments, The House of the Devil doesn't quite measure up to the genre classics it's emulating. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include two audio commentaries (one with director Ti West and star Jocelin Donahue, the other with West and the film's producers and sound designer), a pair of behind-the-scenes/cast interviews featurettes, and deleted scenes. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an uneven horror film.] (F. Swietek)