By Stephen Pytak 

     This is the most fun I've had watching a horror film in a
while.
     Inspired the early works of Roman Polanski -- 
"Repulsion (1965)" and "Rosemary's Baby (1968)" -- Ti 
West crafted a gem which will keep you glued to your seat
and force you to keep the lights on during the tension of
its slow build. It's really refreshing. Wish flicks like this
would play in local theaters.
     Set in the 1980s, it's about a college sophomore from 
Connecticut, "Samantha (Donahue)." She wants to move
off campus and get her own place. Problem is, she's short
on cash. She spots an ad for a baby-sitting gig, calls to
express interest and, unwittingly, embarks on a terrifying
journey into the grip of ultimate fear.
     Don't want to give too much away with this one. 
Honestly, I hadn't even seen the trailer when I popped the
DVD into my Playstation last night. And that was good,
because I didn't know anything about it. I was like Sam,
going along for the ride, not sure what was around the
corner. 
     I read a few positive reviews on this flick and decided to
buy it on Amazon. It's how I end up seeing half-decent 
horror flicks anymore. It's not every day that something 
engaging comes to your run-of-the-mill mall theater. 
     I loved a lot about "House of the Devil." The slow build
was done with a lot of care. The film takes place basically 
over a 24 hour period (or so it seems). Through it, we get
to know this girl a bit, how she's kind of a loner, how she
deals with the blues, and how she enjoys listening to her 
dictionary-sized Walkman. I liked her. And Donahue
was just as likable as Jamie Lee Curtis was in her early 
slasher pictures. But she looks a bit like Karen Allen, or 
maybe Karen Allen's sister.
     While maintaining a leisurely pace, Director Ti West -- 
never heard  of him by the way -- keeps us on edge. While
we're watching Sam go about her day, I got the funny 
feeling I wasn't the only one watching her. You get the
sense that there's someone else on the perimeter. The film
is creepy that way.
     Things start to amp up when Sam gets to the babysitting 
gig. The less I say about this the better. But I loved it. Tom
Noonan is great. Remember him from "Manhunter (1986)?
In "House of the Devil," he's the guy who owns the house.
He's fun. While he delivers his lines with a nervous subtlety,
he fires off enough quirks to clearly tell us something isn't 
quite right here.
     I won't say any more about that. See the film.
     One thing I do want to add is I liked how West really
made an effort to make the film look and feel like a product
of the '80s. The walkman which looked like a pocket Bible.
The feathered hair styles. The opening credit sequence.
Bam! Freeze frame. Big yellow letters: The House of the
Devil. Awesome!