'you have to forgive me Samantha because, I've not been completely honest'.
Directed by Ti West
Starring: Josh Braun, Derek Curl, Roger Kass, Peter Phok
Released: 25th April 2009
Budget: $900,000 Box Office: $100,000
Concept
Samantha Hughes is a college student in the 1980's and has a problem, her new apartment has a new deposit extension thanks to her landlady. In short of cash she decides to do some part time work babysitting. She eventually finds a client with the Ulman family, who agree to pay $400 for the one night.
Samantha's friend Megan reluctantly gives her a lift to a remote mansion, concerned about the situation. Mr Ulman greets the two of them and welcomes them inside. The host then sits the girls down and tells them a small secret of what the job entails.
He and his wife have no children, and Samantha is to care for his step-mother, who is very frail and ill. Megan pulls Samantha outside to talk to her, saying how Mr Ulman is a liar and he and his wife are highly peculiar. Megan leaves, promising to return later to pick up her friend.
In an isolated mansion, alone aside from an elderly lady upstairs, Samantha is dragged through a nightmare. Her life will never be the same again, witchcraft, Satan and the occult all play a part in the evening, can she survive the night in...the House of the Devil?!
Review
It's a shame this movie bombed at the box office, as it encapsulates the style of 80's horror. The plot is like a video nasty movie with the same pacing, the film itself is shot with 16mm film the same kind used in the 80's. The culture of the decade subtly is there too and isn't pushed in your face. Even the camera shots are the same such as the dramatic zooming in close up shot of the 70's and 80's 'check the climatic scene in Carrie for an example'. Hell the film was even released in early 80's VHS boxes, in which it was released on also.
A homage to past horror that doesn't take anything away from the story, it is a slow burner but the story itself is enjoyable and will leave you with a chilling ending. If you love 70's-80's horror get yourself this movie on VHS or DVD and enjoy it, enjoy it as much as I did.
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