Even though the winner’s already been announced, I wanted you to have the chance to watch these 10 horror shorts and maybe discover a new filmmaker you’d like to support.

Below is a recap of the Top 10 finalists in the order in which I would’ve awarded prizes. I rate on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 1 star being the lowest and 5 stars being the highest.

#10 – MISTER WEDNESDAY’S PLAYGROUND
Written and Directed by Noah Reich (Twitter)


Click Here to Watch

A kid tortures some random blonde and then deems the victim “no fun.” When she’s finished getting the victim “ready,” Mister Wednesday makes an appearance.

The kid was creepy. However, what exactly was her role? Mister Wednesday’s minion? Daughter? Brainwashed victim? And who (or what) was Mister Wednesday? I dunno. Unfortunately, the score caused total disconnect and the story, as presented, felt choppy. Overall, just meh.

2 stars

#9 – HAZARDS
Written and Directed by Donny Kennedy

Click Here to Watch

An attractive young woman drives along a dark highway, swerves to miss an animal and then must stop to make sure the poor thing is alive. A half-naked man startles her and she runs away from her car, into the night, with only her flashlight to guide the way.

Yeah, sounds pretty familiar, huh? Anyone who’s watched a decent number of movies will predict the ending right away: that’s the biggest mark against this horror short. The other is relying too much on the radio. But, Kennedy succeeded at building tension in a short amount of time, casting a believable actress, and telling a complete story.

2.5 stars

#8 – THE WIDOWER
Written by Mustafa Eshanzada, Directed by Mustafa Eshanzada and Murad Amayreh (Facebook)

Click Here to Watch

A man is haunted by the ghost of his ex-wife and aborted daughter.

An okay ghost story, with rigid acting, that presented too many inconsistent images (scenes) to form a cohesive story. Plus, the voice over narration…not great. Why so many stars then? The score was spot on and I liked the “Boo!” style ending.

2.5 stars

#7 – LOVE ME TENDER
Written by Brian McAuley, Directed by Matthew Morgenthaler (Facebook)

Click Here to Watch

A young girl’s reaction to the boy who lied when he agreed to be her Valentine.

Immediate reaction: Can you scream without a tongue? Overall, the film offered high-quality production, good actors, a perfect score and an interesting story. The little girl reminded me of Dawn from the movie TEETH (2007), but, in my eyes, that’s a good thing.

And, it turns out this is just the opening scene from the real short film about the little girl, Emma, all grown up and in college. From the looks of the trailer, this one might be added to my “must-see Indies” list. [More Info.]

3 stars

#6 – SUFFERING IN ECSTASY
Written and Directed by Jason Karten (Twitter)

Click Here to Watch

An attractive blonde is beaten, mutilated at her own hands, and then committed.

Much like THE NIGHTMARE (2009, Jeff M. Breyer), I wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but I enjoyed it. The story wasn’t totally clear but the visuals were almost overwhelming and the score made my skin crawl. The images coupled with the constant squealing noise at 2:35 forced me to turn off the sound — it was just too much. Cut those color scenes or make them black-and-white, and tame the sound in the last 20-ish seconds, and this film would’ve ranked higher on my list.

3 stars

#5 – TRICK
Written and Directed by William Rot (Twitter)

Click Here to Watch

A young boy’s penny-pinching father won’t allow him to buy a new Halloween costume, so with a little help from “The Demon’s Guide to Making Horrifyingly Scary Masks” and his imagination, he creates his own.

I’ve said it more than once, masks are just downright scary. At least to me. Creepy, twisted and fun – how could I not like this short?

There is an undeniable call out to the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974). And the film’s animation and storyline also seem to be inspired by TREAT ‘R TREAT: SEASON’S GREETINGS, a special feature on the TRICK ‘R TREAT (2007, Michael Dougherty) DVD. Perhaps not; it felt similar, though.

3.5 stars

#4 – JASPER
Directed by Elizabeth B. Schieffer (Facebook)

Click Here to Watch

An elderly woman searches for her cat, Jasper, at night in a not-so-great neighborhood.

Perhaps I’m cynical but the first thing I thought was, “There’s no way that old lady would be there,” which put me en garde straight away. So the twist was lots of fun, but a more believable setting would’ve kept it hidden a little longer, maybe. Aside from that, there’s a lot of potential in this female filmmaker and I look forward to watching her next film.

3.5 stars

#3 – THE MARKSMAN
Written and Directed by Chris Lunardon

Click Here to Watch

A man, possibly a serial killer, targets his next victim but realizes too late that she’s expecting him.

I felt THE MARKSMAN succeeded best at building genuine tension and suspense. A radio was used (again) as a way to work in the necessary information to set up (and conclude) the story but it seemed more organic in this short. Eliminate the ridiculous hair blowing and I would’ve awarded four stars.

3.5 stars

#2 – PARASITE
Written and Directed by S. Christian Roe (Twitter)

Click Here to Watch

A young woman watches a documentary about fear and experiences its message firsthand.

Probably the most relatable and realistic of the Top 10 finalists, which is why it’s my number two pick: Anything that could really happen or plays on our existing nightmares is true horror. Who hasn’t freaked themselves out before? And the best part of the film, for me, was showing the audience that we are our fears — it’s all in our mind and within our control.

4 stars

#1 – THE WINTER STALKER
Written and Directed by Stephen Reedy (Twitter)

Click Here to Watch

No recap for this one: Total surprise is the best way to go…trust me.

Steeped in talent and creativity, this horror short film is uber creepy and suspenseful but with a fun, unexpected twist. Stephen Reedy and Zerofriends Films are officially on my must-watch radar. There’s another short, BLOODBATH, posted on Clicker. Click here to watch it now.

4.5 stars

[Click here for the official winner.]

Even though the competition is over, you can still support these filmmakers by visiting their web site or blog, following them on Twitter, or friending them on Facebook. And, of course, buy their films when / if they are available for purchase.

Filmmakers: If you’re going to submit your work to a national contest, please include credits so we know who did what on your film, and at the very least have a Facebook or basic web page set up for your movie. That way fans of your work have a way to track and support your future projects.

Wanna see the entries that didn’t make the Top 10? Click here.

So ‘fess up: Which was your favorite?

4 stars out of 5

Remember when horror moviegoers used to pee their pants for movies with killers they didn’t know a thing about? Sometimes the killers wore masks and moviegoers never even saw the killers’ faces? And the mystery added to the film’s scariness and the villain’s badass factor.

Ah, the good old days.

Apparently, “modern” horror fans can’t be bothered to observe the characters, listen to the dialogue, pay attention to the setting and, if necessary, make an inference once or twice. When did it become a requirement for “good” horror movies to lay everything out on a silver platter and tie it all up with a bow at the end? Uh, hello, Michael Myers didn’t need a reason or a face–he was just evil. Period.

If you’ve read any other reviews then you probably saw something mentioned about plot holes in THE COLLECTOR. Well I disagree, to a certain extent. Sure, I had to overlook one bump in the plot, suspend my disbelief – just once – to stay in the story. But it was worth it.

The writers didn’t take shortcuts anywhere else in the screenplay so I can allow them one “quick fix” because it moved the story forward and plopped me down smack dab in the middle of the fire. I found the opening scenes were more than sufficient to give me the backstory on Arkin (Josh Stewart) and foreshadow the events to come. Around the 25 minute mark was when the action started and it didn’t let up until the credits.

Let me geek out over the writing for just a minute, okay?

Writers are always instructed to throw everything AND the kitchen sink at their characters, especially the main character. We’re taught, if something bad happens, look at the bad thing and make it even worse. Take your character to the brink, dangle him over the edge, then he either saves himself or dies trying. Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan did just that when they wrote the screenplay for THE COLLECTOR. And what they did even better than that was to keep you engrossed in the story and invested in the characters’ survival so that you didn’t sit there looking for what they could do or what might happen next.

You had no choice – you just had to wait and see.

Well I’m not really great at the whole “patience” thing; I just fidgeted in my seat at first and mumbled a bit. But as the tension grew so did my anxiety. It wasn’t long before I yelled comments like “Go! Go! Go!” All the while tapping my foot and teetering on the edge of my seat. I’m not sure the last time I’ve been that anxious and tense. The Strangers (2008) comes to mind but surely there’s been something else since then? (My memory is on vacation at the moment.)

I do know you won’t find too many other horror flicks with as good a match up – protagonist versus antagonist – as this one. Arkin makes smart choices, albeit mostly defensive ones, that really test The Collector (Juan Fernández). It’s quite fun to watch their cat and mouse game; although, in this case, it’s more like a cat and cat game. Good times!

Trailer:

Synopsis:

Desperate to repay his debt to his ex-wife, an ex-con plots a heist at his new employer’s country home, unaware that a second criminal has also targeted the property, and rigged it with a series of deadly traps.

Solid writing and genuine acting combined with an excellent use of light, sound effects and music all work together to create a top-notch seriously intense flick that horror fans will enjoy. It’s important to note, however, if you cannot stomach in-your-face gore then you might want to skip THE COLLECTOR. Also, there’s some brief nudity during a sexual situation.

Do you ever talk to or yell at a character during a movie?

Web Resources

The Collector official site | on IMDb | on Netflix | Purchase the DVD

(DVD viewed on 5/5/10)

4 stars out of 5

Watching THE SIGNAL I experienced every emotion known to man except disappointment. There were some really bloody, violent scenes that made me cringe. Then there was a good 20 minutes or so where I thought I’d pee myself from laughing so hard — the scene with Clark and Lewis, “not Jim Parsons…” was friggin’ hilarious whilst being an excellent way for the writers to show us just how deranged some people might be in that situation.

I didn’t realize THE SIGNAL was directed by three different people until after I’d already watched it; however, that totally explains the three sequences and their almost bipolar variances in dialogue, tone and atmosphere. I enjoyed the basic plot of the film: a signal broadcast over the TV and radio causes people to go homicidal (“Do you have the crazy?“) but not in the traditional zombie sort of way.

The love story / love triangle, which had me pulling for Mya and Ben until the very end, was vital to the film’s success. Had the writers not given me someone to care about before the darkness set in I might not have connected with the story. And hands down, without Anessa Ramsey, Justin Welborn and AJ Bowen, I would not have enjoyed Mya, Ben and Lewis quite as much.

Despite repeated views, I’m not quite sure I get the movie or its ending, but I was definitely entertained. Like I wrote earlier: a love it or hate it flick, for sure. Oh yeah, the brief nudity mentioned in the rating is a quick shot of Justin Welborn’s butt at the beginning of the film.

Very weird movie; check it out for yourself.

Do you ever question the effects of all the signals zooming around us every day? Or what would happen if someone manipulated those signals?

WEB RESOURCES

The Signal official site | on IMDb | on Netflix | Purchase from Amazon

(Watched Instantly on 6/14/08)

3 1/2 stars out of 5

Okay, if I’m being completely honest, a few of those 80 minutes I wasn’t entertained; hence, only 3 1/2 stars. But when the writing dulled or the plot holes threatened to swallow me whole, either the great soundtrack or the chunks of gore saved the day. Or, Nathan’s best friends, Henry and Diggs, dropped some comic relief, which caused me to laugh and overlook the not-so-stellar moments.

Since BOY EATS GIRL was released in 2005, I have to think the filmmakers attempted to follow in the footsteps of Shaun of the Dead (2004), which is just fine except those are wicked big footsteps. SHAUN was the first RomComZom (romantic comedy with zombies) and thus far, the best. BOY grasped the concept and took an impressive bite out of the premise but fell short of its mark in the overall scheme of things.

The love story resembled My Boyfriend’s Back (1993) while the relationship dynamics were closer to those in Dance of the Dead (2008); Neither of which was close to the awesomeness that is SHAUN OF THE DEAD. Plus, not only did the zombies in this movie run (and snarl), but they were the result of a mother’s incorrectly performed Voodoo ritual to resurrect her dead son, who then transmitted the condition to others through a bite. Hmm… And these zombies could be cured by — wait for it — a snake bite.

At any rate, despite its flaws, rabid zombie addicts will get a kick outta this movie. If for nothing else than to see a young man gettin’ head from a zombie chick.

Yeah, that doesn’t end so well for the young man.

Or his penis.

Here’s the trailer:

Here’s the synopsis:

A boy declares his love for his girlfriend, only to die the same night. He is brought back to life by his mother as a flesh-craving zombie, who sires more teen undead while trying to control his, er, appetite for his beloved.

One more thing: There was a scene that had to be an homage to Dead Alive (aka Braindead, 1992) and that scene was all kinds of gorelicious fun so give this flick a chance.

Are Voodoo zombies more plausible than the virus variety? Why?

WEB RESOURCES

Boy Eats Girl on IMDb | on Netflix | Purchase from Amazon

(Watched Instantly on 3/12/2010)

4 stars out of 5

Whether the audience connected with this movie rested almost entirely on whether they liked Sam and cared about his relationship with Hanna. While I wasn’t given a lot of time to emotionally invest in Sam before the bad stuff happened, Bishop did an adequate job later on through hearsay and flashbacks that showed me why I should care.

The story had a strong plot and the twist on whodunit was fun and fit the movie’s theme and atmosphere. With a steady pace and a fair amount of violence, action fans shouldn’t be disappointed. Where the film could fail, for some, was how fast it dug into the action without much character development and, at times, the editing felt choppy. Also, there were a couple scenes that came across a little like info dump.

Oh, and I wasn’t really feelin’ what happened with Oz in the cemetery, but it’s more of a subjective observation, so I won’t taint the review with my feedback there.

Without a doubt, the coolest thing about the whole movie was the Reapers. An interesting concept and, with the money available, they looked rather intimidating and badass. The main male Reaper reminded me of a demon version of the Terminator or the Mummy, not his appearance, his abilities. There was only a momentary bout of disapproval: when the female Reapers were introduced, scantily clad. However, the fems had some wicked kills, and technically they were demons in possession of a body, so I overlooked their lack of clothing.

When I caught sight of the male reaper with the black hat (after he switched), I said out loud, “Ben? From The Signal?” Sure enough, it was Justin Welborn. He doesn’t last long, which was disappointing, but I was happy to see him nonetheless.

Side note: I need to post my review of The Signal – watch it if you haven’t already. Justin’s range is impressive when you compare Ben to, say, Carter in The Final Destination.

There are probably hardcore action or horror fans who will hate this movie, if for nothing else, then definitely because of its ending. I was a little surprised by it but also sad whilst being satisfied.

Here’s the trailer:

Here’s the synopsis:

Award-Winning Writer and Director Gregg Bishop delivers a fast-paced supernatural thriller about Samuel North (Nathan Mobley), who has just been murdered and sent to Hell. There, in “the Pit,” two other damned souls on the run help Samuel escape back to the world of the living to be reunited with the girl he loves. But now, Samuel has Hell to pay: the Netherworld has sent 3 REAPERS (invincible bounty hunters from Hades) to hunt and kill each of the escaped men. Samuel must solve his own murder and fight for his soul’s redemption in order to escape THE OTHER SIDE.

Do you think a person, who lived a “good” life, should be condemned to Hell for a one-time lapse in judgment or crime of necessity?

WEB RESOURCES

The Other Side official site | on IMDb | on Netflix | Purchase from Amazon

(Watched Instantly on 3/12/2010)

4 1/2 stars out of 5

The plot is nothing new: a group of college students trek to a secluded cabin in the snow-covered mountains of Norway only to discover the area’s sordid history which includes torture, murder, and zombies. But not just any zombie. Nope. These are Nazi zombies!

There are reviews with remarks about the “boring first half” of the film but I disagree. I wasn’t bored for one minute of the entire 92-minute movie. I think the pacing works well and I am given enough exposition to leave me feeling like I am in-the-know before the brains hit the floor. However, once the kills begin, it’s a breakneck pace until the end.

The dialogue is cheesy but there are references to some of my favorite American horror films – like The Evil Dead (1981) – and a few scenes are obvious homages to those movies so that let me know the writers (Tommy Wirkola and Stig Frode Henriksen) weren’t going for anything deep when they penned the script. Plus, the editing definitely reminds me of Shaun of the Dead (2004) and the buckets of gore are comparable to Dead Alive (aka Braindead, 1992), which, again, lets me know what sort of film it aims to be.

The zombie-in-charge scares me. He could think and command his minions. Shivers. The kills are wicked and imaginative. And the grossest part of the whole movie has nothing to do with zombies. It involves sex in an outhouse. That’s all I’ll say because the surprise is half the fun, er, repulsion.

Oh, for all you zombie / horror purists, these Nazi zombies do run, and they run fast!

Lastly, if you don’t like to read subtitles, I believe the DVD does offer English dubbing. Personally, I avoid dubbing at all costs, but to each his own. If you do watch this movie with the subtitles, they are well done: short lines and the font is easy to read.

Are there any other Nazi zombie flicks you suggest I watch?

WEB RESOURCES

Dead Snow (Død snø) official site | on IMDb | on Netflix | Purchase from Amazon

DISCLAIMER: This was my first experience with the Nazi zombie subgenre of horror films.

(Watched Instantly on 3/5/2010)

4 stars out of 5

It’s so rare to find a movie both touching and disgusting, funny and sad, comedic and horrific. I was laughing one minute and nauseous the next.

You could extract just about whatever message or moral from this story that you wanted to, but from my viewpoint, Teeth dealt mostly with the teenager’s struggle with body image and sex and all their intricacies.

The production value and high caliber performances took me by total  surprise. Often times, one or both is sacrificed in “indie horror.” Kudos to the producers for spreading the wealth, so to speak, and giving moviegoers a well-rounded picture. Also, I cannot stress enough how much Jess Weixler’s performance contributed to the film’s success. She made Dawn frightening and intimidating while maintaining her innocence and believable vulnerability.

The ending – Dawn’s evolution into self-acceptance and beginning to embrace the power she has - left me cheering yet slightly afraid of the movie’s heroine. If there’s a sequel, I wonder, will Dawn abuse her power or will she continue to play fair and only act in self-defense?

Be warned: Teeth was packed with sexual situations – dialogue and intercourse, some of which is incestuous – as well as violence and gore involving male genitalia. For a specific group of movie fans, this will be a sickeningly, sweet hit. For mainstream American audiences, this movie will repulse them. For every man who watches, you will cross your legs and groan on more than on occasion. You’ve been warned!

In closing, I made the mistake of getting involved in a debate on a forum for Teeth, so I feel it necessary to add the following to, hopefully, head off any hate mail:

Before anyone posts a comment that I must be a feminist since I enjoyed this movie, let me clarify that it’s not what happens to the men, or even the portrayal of men, in this movie that I loved. The film’s theme of coming to accept who we are and embracing that individuality, and the sense of empowerment one receives from that acceptance is what I loved. Not the penis-munchin’ vagina. Yes, vagina dentata was an interesting concept, but like I noted above, the movie would’ve failed had it relied solely on that concept and not developed the characters and plot to their fullest.

Synopsis

High school student Dawn works hard at suppressing her budding sexuality by being the local chastity group’s most active participant. Her task is made even more difficult by her bad boy stepbrother Brad’s increasingly provocative behavior at home. A stranger to her own body, innocent Dawn discovers she has a toothed vagina when she becomes the object of violence. As she struggles to comprehend her anatomical uniqueness, Dawn experiences both the pitfalls and the power of being a living example of the vagina dentata myth.

WEB RESOURCES

Teeth official site | on IMDb | on Netflix | Purchase from Amazon

(DVD viewed on 5/7/08)

3 stars out of 5

While there are a few redeeming qualities to Automaton Transfusion – the title not being one of them – it does not earn Bloody-Disgusting’s “Best Zombie Film in Decades” endorsement on the DVD cover art. It’s too choppy and immature for that distinction.

But, Miller does show quite a bit of promise and I don’t say that lightly. Perhaps there’s still time for him to read critiques and edit the sequel accordingly. Insert wishful thinking here. And yes, there’s a sequel in the works. Maybe all the haters should blame the reviewers who hyped the film far beyond what it actually is?

Just a thought: When you refer to a film as the “Holy Grail” of independent horror, it’s important the movie can live up to the connotations of such a statement. Unfortunately, Automaton cannot.

Questionable writing, inexperienced actors, and extremely blurred and shaky handheld cinematography are the three main areas where the movie failed.

So what are those redeeming qualities mentioned above?

Well, in my humble opinion, the most obvious is the delicious devouring of human flesh. I mean, come on; if you’re watching a zombie flick, you’re expecting a certain amount of gore. Automaton delivers. There are two particularly brutal scenes that will have you near vomiting — how yummy! Another reason I rated this so high is the honest to goodness use of tension and suspense. Miller obviously knows how to orchestrate such scenes and I hope he uses that talent in his upcoming films.

Overall, if you can get over the not-so-stellar writing, the way-too-shaky camera work, scenes that introduce and kill a character in the same scene, or clichéd choices (e.g. leaving the safety of a vehicle to investigate), you might be able to enjoy this movie.

Low expectations wouldn’t hurt either.

If you have to see as many zombie movies as possible like moi then this one won’t be too hard to sit through but, at times, you will squirm.

WEB RESOURCES

Automaton Transfusion on IMDb |  on Netflix |  Purchase from Amazon

automaton
1: a mechanism that is relatively self-operating; especially : robot
2 : a machine or control mechanism designed to follow automatically a predetermined sequence of operations or respond to encoded instructions
3 : an individual who acts in a mechanical fashion

transfusion
1: an act, process, or instance of transfusing; especially : the process of transfusing fluid (as blood) into a vein or artery
2 : something transfused

transfused
1 a : to cause to pass from one to another : transmit b : to diffuse into or through : permeate
2 a : to transfer (as blood) into a vein or an artery of a person or animal b : to subject (a patient) to transfusion

(DVD bought & viewed on 3/25/09)

Some of the first shorts I watched were those from Fewdio, specifically Bedfellows by Drew Daywalt.

I’ve waited patiently for Drew’s new web series, Camera Obscura, which I believe will finally be available in 2010. (Watch the trailer.) But what will I watch until Camera Obscura is released?

Well, Drew has posted little nuggets of nightmares on Daywalt Fear Factory’s YouTube channel. Sweet! It’s obvious the man loves to make movies because it appears that’s all he does. Seriously, I aspire to his level of productivity.

Written and directed by Drew Daywalt, starring Adam Conn, Zoe Simpson and Brooke Wolfe, Suicide Girl packed quite a punch during its 3 minutes and 17 seconds.

A young woman’s suicide video acts as a catalyst for horror from beyond the grave…

It’s sad how many people nowadays never think twice about the affect of their words or actions on another person. And I always enjoy the wronged getting their revenge. No blood, no guts, and nothing extravagant here. Just concise writing, solid performances by the actors, spooky sound effects, and creepy makeup. The last shot was my favorite with its view of all three pairs of feet. But the best part was the dread I felt whilst seeing what the girlfriend could not.

Here’s the trailer:

WEB RESOURCES

Daywalt Fear Factory on YouTube | Follow Drew on Twitter | Watch & Buy Fewdio’s Nightmare House

So please consider that whilst reading this “review.”

The House of the Devil (2009) might possibly be in my Top 10 Horror Films of 2009. Trick ‘r Treat (2008) and Zombieland (2009) being number one and number two, respectively.

3 1/2 stars out of 5

The gritty film quality, the score, rotary phones with 20-foot cords, payphones, the cars, the clothes, the hair, the electronics — I actually checked the DVD sleeve to verify it was indeed made in 2009. It could’ve been something from a vault of lost 80s movies. Did I mention the huge soft spot I have for 80s horror and thrillers?

The House of the Devil, written and directed by Ti West, opened on Samantha (Jocelin Donahue), an attractive, young woman, as she checked out the house she hoped to rent from The Landlady (Dee Wallace). The Landlady liked Samantha and had a gut feeling she would be a trustworthy tenant. And, right away, I connected with Sam, not only because of her appearance and personality, but even the Landlady thought she was good people.

You had me at Dee Wallace.

Next, as Sam listened to her Walkman, I followed her on a walk from the house back to where she lived. All the while the opening credits rolled and the score played, composed with – what I’m convinced was – music cloned from the 80s. If I hadn’t been sold on the setting up to that point, I would’ve been after watching and listening to the scene with the credits. Then, I was given further insight into Sam’s character as she arrived at a college dormitory where she couldn’t enter her room because of the roommate’s naughty behavior, foretold by a sock on the doorknob.

I wiped a tear from my eye at the sight of that red-striped tube sock.

Later, when Sam responded to a “Baby $itter Needed” ad and accepted the job from an ominous employer (Tom Noonan), I began to understand just how dire her financial situation was and how far her desperation to come up with the first month’s rent in less than a week would push her. It was Sam’s need for a quick buck that paved the way for her [bad] choices the entire movie.

And that’s all I want to give away about the plot. I’m sure other reviews will provide a full synopsis or summary if that’s what you want. However, I prefer to go into movies with as little specific information as possible, so that’s usually how I write my “reviews.”

Overall, the film was good. Not great, but I see a lot of promise in Ti West as a writer and director.

However, certain elements of the movie were great. The lead character was attractive, likeable and in need of something important: money for a place to live. The villains were creepy as hell. West nailed the 80s setting from the opening shot. He developed the suspense at a very slow pace and relied on my sense of dread to pick up on the subtle clues that things weren’t going to turn out for the best.

West also used shadows and sound effects to pull me to the edge of my seat, then startled me as far back into my seat as I could squeeze. Sometimes that jump scare (e.g. a ringing doorbell or a vase crashing to the floor) is a cheap tactic on the part of a filmmaker but in certain situations it’s authentic. The House of the Devil is one of those situations.

Why?

If you’ve ever been alone at night, in a strange house in the middle of nowhere, with the tick of the clock almost as loud as the thud of your heartbeat because you’ve spooked yourself over a weird shadow outside the window or by a strange noise from the attic, you know how every little noise makes you jump from that point forward.

In addition, West twisted the brunettes are smart; blondes are dumb stereotype with the character, Megan (Greta Gerwig), who was Sam’s best friend. Megan was blonde, pretty and rich, but she was the one who warned Sam against taking the babysitting gig. More than once Megan used her wits to look out for Sam, but Sam ignored her friend and her own gut instincts. Thus, against her better judgment, Megan was forced to abide by Sam’s wishes.

I have a question for Ti West though: Obviously, Megan had common sense, so why the eff would she pull over on that road to light up a cig? Just sayin’…

In closing, I want to reinforce the slow pace of this movie. It is not action-packed or gore-filled until about the last 15 minutes, seriously. Also, there’s not much profanity and zero nudity. For about 80 minutes, all you’ll get is character and story development, and a heavy dose of the “This ain’t gonna end good” vibes. So if you don’t appreciate a slow build to a hectic, all-at-once climax, then you will probably not enjoy the film. However, I say take the chance. You might be surprised by what you find here.

Which do you prefer in scary movies: a slow build or a breakneck pace?

WEB RESOURCES

Purchase the The House of the Devil DVD on Amazon.

Or, purchase the VHS/DVD bundle. Oh yes they did and you knew they would.

Official site | IMDb | Netflix