The House of the Devil

Blu Ray

  • Score
    61
    from 2 reviewers
  • 'The House of the Devil' divides with its slow suspense; rent before buying.

    The House of the Devil
    2009
    95 min
    R
    DTS-HD MA
  • Video
    61
  • The image, predominantly grainy due to 16mm's lower resolution, often lacks fine detail and depth, appearing flat except for a few sharp close-ups and daylight scenes.

  • Audio
    64
  • The mix subtly enhances eerie ambience with rear channels, providing clear, balanced dialogue through the center, though lacking the immersion of typical horror.

  • Extra
    51
  • In a meticulous yet calm discussion, director Ti West and Jocelyn Donahue cover various film aspects, while Graham Resnik's disjointed behind-the-scenes footage lacks depth.

  • Movie
    56
  • The House of the Devil's slow Hitchcockian pace and meticulous '80s details may challenge modern horror fans used to faster scares.

    DTS-HD MA

    Director: Ti West

    Actors: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov

    Plot: In 1983, financially struggling college student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret, putting her life in mortal danger.

    Disc Release Date: 2 February 2010

    all scores

    Blu-ray.com review by Casey Broadwater
    • Video
      70
    • While there are a few close-ups that display an admirable degree of fine detail, all things considered, most of the time the combination of grain and 16mm's decreased analog resolution leads to a picture...

    • Audio
      70
    • The rear channels are modestly and intelligently used for creaky haunted house ambience�things start to go bump in the night�although unsurprisingly, the mix is never as immersive as horror films with...

    • Extra
      50
    • In the first, director Ti West and Jocelyn Donahue have a subdued but informative conversation that addresses all the usual topics, from the story and hectic 18-day shooting schedule, to the audio and...

    • Movie
      70
    • The pacing will probably throw off younger horror fans, who have been acclimated to quick cuts and big scares from the very first frame, as The House of the Devil is a defiantly Hitchcockian experience,...

    • Total
      70
    • The slower-than-molasses pacing will probably turn off more mainstream horror-hounds, but fans of the classics will be glued to the screen by the syrupy suspense....

    High-Def Digest review by Tom Landy
    • Video
      60
    • The image is also relatively flat, with only a handful of daylight shots offering any sort of depth....

    • Audio
      70
    • Dialogue comes through the center channel clean and well balanced with the rest of the track....

    • Extra
      40
    • In the House of the Devil (SD, 13:34) – This rather pointless collage of behind-the-scenes footage recorded by Graham Resnik covers some of the sets, stunts, and a few other items, but without any real...

    • Movie
      40
    • But the devil is really in the details here -- from the feathered hair and the period-ish clothing, to Samantha's clunky Sony Walkman right down to the candy bar wrapper -- it's clear that a lot of effort...

    • Total
      60
    • At any rate, 'The House of the Devil' is clearly one of those love it/hate it type films so if you haven't seen it then a word to the wise: rent it first....