lol
Wait, what were the plot holes?
And I didn’t think the acting was bad. It totally fit the genre West was paying homage to (or mimicking). Ditto on the “unoriginal” storyline.
right ^ but i never cared for that genre to begin with so that would be my issue with the film =D
edit: i am NOT ‘some kind of idiot’ >:(
SPOILERS
1. She was drugged, then the people changed her clothes and tied her up. So how did she still have the knife?
2. She’s lying on the floor, and somehow stabs the guy in the neck?
Those are the two that I can think of right now… I think there were more, but, like I said, they’re just not that big a deal to me… at all.
And I didn’t think the acting was bad. It totally fit the genre West was paying homage to (or mimicking). Ditto on the “unoriginal” storyline.
Totally agree with you, Santino!! Those are just the criticisms that I could imagine people having that detract from the film for them. But, yeah, for me, those “bad” things totally work in this movie.
Hmm…I never noticed those plot holes. I’ll have to watch the movie again.
Here’s the sneaky thing though. All of these complaints – whether it’s the bad acting, unoriginal storyline, or plot holes – can be chalked up to being intentional for meeting the genre. Don’t most late 70s/early 80s direct to video horror films have these same issues? So I imagine if people have these complaints, it’s because they’re not familiar for the genre. Which is fine but they’re not really complaints that hold much weight to me. But of course that isn’t to say you have to love this genre (or even be familiar with it) to appreciate this film. I’ve talked to people who really liked the film even though they don’t know it’s even referencing other films.
What’s wrong with people who worship this film? It’s a retread homage to 1980s horror than does not transcend the films that it’s paying homage to. I’d rather watch April Fool’s Day, Demons, Fright Night, etc,etc.
Tom Noonan rules though.
@ Ari-
“So what went wrong in your childhood that you can’t fully appreciate this film? :P”
The House of the Devil was, without question, one of the best horror films of the last decade.
I really don’t get what all the hubbub is over Fright Night! I mean… it was alright…….
And I think that HOTD does transcend its genre – the only horror movie I’ve seen with as much tension is the Shining!
It’s a totally mediocre movie, at best.
There are a few things that elevated this above a three star film for me (probably a 3.5 but I rounded up to a four). The fact that he cast Tom Noonan was a big plus (Dee Wallace as the landlady was a nice touch). The tension that DFFOO mentioned above was very well done. The 80’s atmosphere was captured brilliantly (btw, what was she eating throughout the film? was that a Sky Bar?). And that dance scene to The Fixx/One Thing Leads to Another was priceless. I thought Jocelin Donahue was adorable as the lead. It was better than most horror films to come out recently, imo.
Drag Me to Hell was a better horror film from that year.
House of the Devil was pretty good and so was The Innkeepers
Necver heard of it.
Yeah, The Fixx sequence was amazing. My favorite part of the film.
The Fixx? What’s next? A Flock of Seagulls?
This film stayed with me long after I viewed it, and the more I thought about it the more I liked it. I was also a fan of the music sequence and Noonan. But I’ll admit that I wasn’t impressed with it at first. I really did have to think about it. Maybe seeing two other Ti West films within a week after viewing this one helped.
Not a bad dancing scene, but it has nothing on Freddy’s Revenge’s!
I wasn’t that impressed with it at first, either, Bijoux. But, yeah, the more I thought about it the more I liked it and then when I watched it the second time I loved it!
But I’m not really sure why everybody raves about the dance sequence so much. I didn’t think that part was particularly memorable, and there are much better parts of the movie. For example, the first death.
I think that sequence worked for me was because I had fun watching it even though I knew that it would be the only upbeat scene in the film. So he kinda lulled me into a comfortable moment even though I should have known better!! And I also just love the song.
.
Isn’t Ti West just an Eli Roth clone with some mumblecore influence? I mean the guy did Cabin Fever 2 for christ’s sake.
I liked the ending of House of the Devil as well. I just can’t grasp the accolades of the film. It’s an 80s horror film for people who haven’t seen 80s horror is all I can imagine.
I loved the slow burn of the first 3/4 of the movie, but the end didn’t do enough to fulfill that promise for me to elevate the film. A nice throwback with some great suspense and casting, and a bit of a letdown ending.
“Isn’t Ti West just an Eli Roth clone with some mumblecore influence?”
Low blow, Ari! I mean, they’re both tall and they both seem like douchebags but Eli Roth hasn’t done anything even halfway as good as House of the Devil!
^ Yeah, and I think Ti West has pretty much disowned Cabin Fever 2… studio influence and lack of creative control and all that…
I actually like Hostel although that might be apostasy around here. And I remember Cabin Fever (which I didn’t like) had the same kind of reception as House of the Devil when it came out (“a return to REAL horror”).
It’s possible I should see HotD again since it seems to improve with multiple viewings. I saw it at a festival where it had all this hype around it and just wasn’t that impressed by it.
I think it’s a film that could be hurt by the “hype”. But if you have no expectations, House of the Devil was cool.
I thought Cabin Fever was dumb and completely pointless. Hostel had an interesting concept but the execution was just too violent and over the top (and this is coming from someone who appreciates the first Saw).
^ I saw it on instant play without any expectations, and even then, I wasn’t as impressed with it at first as I am now. Try watching it again at night, alone, and I think you might like it better.
Although, I guess your time to watch movies alone is quickly running out with the impending birth of Ari, Jr!
But, baby or not, I think you should give it another try. I can imagine being super underwhelmed seeing it at a festival with hype.
I haven’t seen Hostel or Cabin Fever… not really that interested…
Drunken Father Figure of Old
Are you some kind of an idiot?
Or did you just not like the plot holes? Because the brilliant pacing and atmosphere totally makes up for the plot holes. Also, it’s not taking itself super-seriously, so I’m sure that West was more than aware of the plot holes.
Incredible tension + Amazing atmosphere + Sparing but effective use of gore > Mediocre Acting + Not-fleshed-out characters + Plot Holes + Unoriginal storyline
Or, more simply:
Incredible Style > Substance
So what went wrong in your childhood that you can’t fully appreciate this film? :P