More Satan. The second one today. The fairy tale of Satan is always more fun than reality. Nowadays we're having a deep crisis in Sweden. Over 10 perfect of the population (around one million) wants to vote for the neo-nazis. Yeah, the neo-nazi party (called Sverigedemokraterna) is the third biggest party in Sweden. Says a lot about the state of disaster we're in. So why bother with watching movies? To forget? To have fun? That's a disgusting way to ignore that everything is going to hell around us.
Only cowards do that.
The real strenght of Ti West's House of the Devil is how he let the characters live. There's very little unnecessary dialouge. What we get instead is talk that leads somewhere, actions that have a meaning. Not many movies have that, not even those I've written. I'm not saying that House of the Devil is a masterpiece, because it's not. It wants to be something right out of the 70's or 80's, but still doesn't have enough plot twists or action to make it look like an original. Instead it's pretty close to be pretentious.
I sound negative, I know. But I'm not. I really love House of the Devil, but real love means you can see the weakness of the thing or person you love. Blind love is for fools. For idiots. For VHS collectors. West likes his actors. He gives them time. I appreciate that a lot. That's respect for the craft. The story works quite well, but it's also a bit unlikely. There's too much strange things going on in the house at the end that if I was the girl I would escape directly. Or just stay outside, on a distance, to have a chance to see what's happening around me. Here instead she runs upstars when she's chased, the worst cliché ever, she skips taking the gun the first time - and sure, you can blame it on panic or whatever. But that kind of logic rarely works in film.
Instead you're saying loud to the TV: "You stupid idiot!". Like I did. And this is the second time I see it. But West gives us a beautiful film, very traditional directed. It has wonderful wide shots, nice camera trackings... it just oozes old-fashioned horror. Jocelin Donahue who plays Samantha, the leading character, also looks like she was a star in the early eighties - those big eyes, high cheekbones. Like all female stars looked during a brief period of time. Of course her hair cut and clothes helps out a lot, but she's a damn fine actress. We also get some fine performances from veteran character actors like Tom Noonan, Dee Wallace Stone and Mary Woronov - and Dee is in the movie way too short time.
The second time House of the Devil looses some of it's initial punch. It's still a very good horror film with awesome gore and fine effects, good ending also - but it never comes up in the complex brilliance like The Innkeepers (a movie I know many don't like, but fuck 'em!). It will be interesting to see what West comes up with in his next feature length production. ButI'm afraid it will never be as scary as the rise of the neo-nazis, the right-wing fascism spreading over the world.
Anyway. I hope Ti West haven't sold his soul to the mainstream-devil now. I hope he still can make something that stands out, that manages to provoke people. But I doubt it.
I saw this after reading a lot about it and how Ti West was this new saviour of horror films and was very disappointed with it. The Innkeepers is a far superior movie I think. Cool review.
Posted by: gk | March 18, 2013 at 06:15
Yeah, The Innkeepers is growing every day. I like House of the Devil also, but it's have some problems that's hard to get away from.
Posted by: Fred Anderson | March 18, 2013 at 08:19
"Nowadays we're having a deep crisis in Sweden. Over 10 perfect of the population (around one million) wants to vote for the neo-nazis. Yeah, the neo-nazi party (called Sverigedemokraterna) is the third biggest party in Sweden. Says a lot about the state of disaster we're in."
That´s what happens when people forget that SD and it´s party leaders are well educated spin doctors, PR consultants who apply the same techniques that Karl Rove, and Lee Atwater, christian right use in the USA.
Sad part is.......we got a christian extreme right in sweden......something new in the swedish political landscape.
"I'm not saying that House of the Devil is a masterpiece, because it's not. It wants to be something right out of the 70's or 80's, but still doesn't have enough plot twists or action to make it look like an original. Instead it's pretty close to be pretentious."
I haven´t seen it yet, only film by West I seen is Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever(2009) so far.
But judging from the poster art, trailer etc, I got the feeling this was another homage/tribute to grindhouse cinema from the 70´s-80´s.
"Here instead she runs upstars when she's chased, the worst cliché ever, she skips taking the gun the first time - and sure, you can blame it on panic or whatever. But that kind of logic rarely works in film."
Yeah, logic is the first casualty of genre film but the good ones, try at least to avoid too many gaps, and non logical solutions.
"We also get some fine performances from veteran character actors like Tom Noonan, Dee Wallace Stone"
I remember Noonan from RoboCop 2(1990) mostly, Dee Wallace has done alot of stuff....Cujo (1983), The Howling (1981) , Critters (1986) etc....always a pleasure to see her.
"but it never comes up in the complex brilliance like The Innkeepers (a movie I know many don't like, but fuck 'em!)."
Another hyped genre film that I haven´t seen yet.
"ButI'm afraid it will never be as scary as the rise of the neo-nazis, the right-wing fascism spreading over the world."
Yeah.....most docs on SVT are scarier......trust me on this one.
"Anyway. I hope Ti West haven't sold his soul to the mainstream-devil now. I hope he still can make something that stands out, that manages to provoke people. But I doubt it."
Oh he will......most do.....and who can blame them...?
Bills,student loans, marching powder, cute supermodels, cars etc......success bring alot with it.
Good review and thanks.
At first I thought this was a review of Adventures in Babysitting (1987)...hahahhaha...would love a highschool film week at this blog....think about it.
Posted by: Megatron | March 18, 2013 at 16:08