'The House of the Devil'

'The House of the Devil' (R) ***1/2

Writer, Director and Editor: Ti West
Starring: Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Jocelin Donahue, Greta Gerwig

You could not wipe the big grin off my face at any point during "The House of the Devil"! Man did I love this movie with all my heart! I have been starving for this kind of horror movie for decades! I want to call it the best horror movie of the decade and I just might. Forget "Paranormal Activity", this is the most scared I have been during a movie since I was 12 years old. "The House of the Devil" will best be appreciated by those who grew up in the 70's and 80's. It is a flawless recreation of that period's slasher and exploitation devil movies. The thing is it is better than most of those movies and equally creates the same fun I had watching "Halloween" and the old "Texas Cahinsaw Massacre". If you have seen those old slasher movies or haunted house movies you will nod in recognition at every moment in this film. I wrote an article before about how I was tired of these unscary torture porn horror movies that have been shoved down our throat lately. This movie is in the style of those old slasher movies that took their time setting a mood before the final bloodletting. They created old school scares like doors creaking, bumps in the night and boogeymen jumping out at you. "The House of the Devil" does just that and I actually felt my heart racing and my palms sweating with a big lump in my throat.

"The House of the Devil" sets it up just right as a college girl sees an ad for a babysitter. She responds and we know right away from the creepy voice on the other line that she is doomed from the start. Her friend tells her she is crazy to do this but she needs the money! The babysitter character played wonderfully by Jocelin Donahue is obviously a throwback to the Laurie Strode character in the original "Halloween". She goes to the house and meets the occupants and of course they are creepy but damn she needs the money! The couple tell her that actually it is not a child but an adult who needs special care. As they leave we know where this is heading and it is heading towards a suspenseful roller coaster. The house is big, dark, spooky and creaks and why haven't we seen this adult she is sitting for? Then all strange occurrences start to happen and we in the audience are like saying "Get Out" but damn she needs the money! The movie for the most part sets up this creepy mood and builds and builds until let's just say you will be jumping in your seats! This movie is perfect in every way! It is suspenseful, scary, funny and I felt so strongly like I was a child in the 80's watching this scary movie that was going to give me nightmares. The settings, the costumes, the look of the film is a perfect recreation of that time. The acting is good and seeing pros like Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov was a kick. I had such a great time at this movie! I also found myself actually scared during a horror movie for the first time in a long time! It also brought back memories of me sitting alone in my big house that I grew up in Libertyville and being sacred out of my wits when I heard creaks and bumps in the night. Director Ti West gets it and he has created a loving throwback to the fun and terror of classics like "Halloween" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and man if he hasn't made a horror movie that is almost equal to them.