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A Love Letter to Great Indie Horror: Ti West’s ‘The House of the Devil’ Turns 10

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2009’s big-budget studio horror was chock-full of lifeless remakes, satirical horror-comedies, and even emerging fresh takes on zombie movies, but slow-burn, ‘80s-inspired nostalgia— which we now see in droves— was never really on the slate…that is, until the masterful combo of a little slasher/Satanic cult/haunted house indie called The House of the Devil came along.

We, collectively, kind of failed Ti West’s “mumblecore” treasure that year, which turns 10 on this very Halloween Eve. Made with a humble budget of $900k and earning a mere fraction of that at the box office, we sort of let it slip it through our fingers— not fully giving it the love and support it deserved at the time, even when some of the most skeptical of film critics were hailing it as one of the best of its decade. Thankfully, through word-of-mouth and streaming, we’ve come around, and The House of the Devil has rightfully earned its place into classic status.

What makes House the beloved paragon that it has become is its marriage between unapologetically borrowing from the classics that came before it, while simultaneously being several years ahead of its time (we’ll come back around to that.) Through its aesthetic, pacing, tone, and voyeuristic tendencies, the film is a deliberate callback to the horror that we fell in love with in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and its brilliance lies within how well it nods to both of these decades of film. Its slow-burn, meticulous precision is reminiscent of Carpenter’s drawn out, stalking-before-the-actual-slashing within ‘78’s Halloween. West also incorporates camera zooms and wide shots which were entirely filmed on 16 mm, as well as an opening text with a “based on true, unexplained events” warning that recalls ‘74’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And, of course, long before ‘80s nostalgia in horror was trendy (and tiresome) House was giving us all the long opening credit sequences, feathered hairstyles, acid wash jeans, and Walkman dancing sequences to ‘80s hits by The Fixx that we didn’t know we needed back in 2009— yet never in a way that feels like a parody.

Best Horror Films

Cleverly, West’s screenplay was also a simplistic, bare-bones commentary on what life was like during the backdrop of the 1980s Reagan era, in which rhetorical fears of both “Satanic Panic” and “stranger danger” went widespread, and young women were concurrently being told that their independence wasn’t worth their overall safety. Interestingly, instead of subverting these ideas, West uses these fear-mongering tactics as actual scary traps for poor Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) over the course of the plot.As she desperately scrambles to responsibly find the cash for her first month’s rent, the Ulmans manipulate her into coming over to “babysit” by promising $400 on the spot, for an evening of tending to a sickly mother-in-law and eating crappy pizza that doesn’t taste right…and that proves to be the least of her troubles.She later becomes a victim of the family’s Satanic ritual, barely escaping their bloody grasp, along with a threatening lunar eclipse in tow.

As the film relays to us in the beginning, many Americans were influenced into believing in the existence of dangerous Satan-worshipping cults during this era, and House attempts to startle us into thinking those things could have been true. West coyly plays on that morality trope of ‘80s slashers as well: The more you put yourself in harm’s way, the higher your chances are to die. The most frustrating part is how intelligent and aware Samantha actually is— she’s just a college girl with financial woes trying to make something of herself, yet gets woefully punished for it— just like the ‘80s scaremongers warned. Luckily, she turns out to be somewhat of a final girl, but with way more trauma and baggage than she ever deserved.   

Like any effective, low-budget indie horror that may lack in special effects and other tweaks, House relies on good ol’ fashion shock-induced frights and performances that stand out more than anything a jump scare-laden studio movie could ever do. In one of the film’s most jolting moments, AJ Bowen’s ever-creepy Victor suddenly approaches a pre-Lady Bird Greta Gerwig as Megan in her car, offering her a light for her cigarette. After realizing she is “not the babysitter,” he abruptly shoots her—mid-sentence— and blood spatters across the window shield, before you can even comprehend what you just witnessed. It knocks you off your feet and prepares you for the impending doom that House is about to bring you for the remainder of its runtime. Additionally, Donahue’s charming performance as Samantha carries the film, while the casting of Mary Woronov as Mrs. Ulman recalls a less campy version of Karen Black in Burnt Offerings. And West caps off his ‘80s love by casting Dee Wallace as Samantha’s landlady in a winking nod.

As some of the best cinema does, House gets better and feels more haunting after every repeat viewing, especially with its conclusion. Coming from a woman’s perspective, its final moments are incredibly gnawing. In one of the ballsiests attempts at not letting the oppressive patriarchy— if you will— win, Samantha tries to take her own life before accepting her “fate” aka getting raped and impregnated by Satan (and/or Tom Noonan’s Mr. Ulman too?) All Samantha ever wanted at this time was independence: her own place, an education, with no romantic partner or children, as Megan notes earlier in the film that Samantha doesn’t even like kids. So when her suicide attempt fails, and we find her unconscious at the hospital, with a nurse rubbing her stomach, telling her, “You will be just fine. Both of you”— it feels especially gutting. Although we’re relieved to see her with a pulse, Samantha is the epitome of not having rightful control over her own body, and there’s not much that is scarier than that.

Being its release came several years before the now-popularized brand of moody, atmospheric type of horror that A24 trickled into our psyches, The House of the Devil was a bit ahead of its time. Proving that restraint is key, House lures us in with a building sense of paranoid dread that creates a helplessness for not only our protagonist, but for us as well. Similar to A24’s Hereditary, The Witch, and Green Room, much of our time spent viewing House consists of feeling like a mere fly on the wall, observing and waiting for the horrible events we can just feel coming, before rewarding our patience with one of the gnarliest, bittersweet endings after a third act that is top-tier insanity. It isn’t crazy to think that perhaps the film may have been more viable had it been released within the same timeframe as the above ones mentioned.

West has reiterated in the past that he creates movies that feel authentic to what he himself would want to see on screen, versus worrying about commercial viability and appealing to mass audiences. The auteur famously wrote, directed, and edited House, collaborating with Glass Eye Pix— helmed by legendary indie filmmaker Larry Fessenden, who helped kick off West’s career by giving him some money to make his first features. With Fessenden’s support, West succeeded in creating a film that never feels like anyone else could have made it, and the film evokes that specialness.

Gems like The House of the Devil are the reason we need to keep cherishing that special pocket of independent, inventive, and made-from-little-money brand of horror films. Keep supporting the A24, Glass Eye Pix, SpectreVision, Yellow Veil Pictures, and countless other indie film studios and distributors of the world that are often bringing us the best that the genre has to offer— because we need independent horror just as much as it needs us.

Journalism/Communication Studies grad. A24 horror superfan- the weirder, the better. Hates when animals die in horror films.

Editorials

The 10 Scariest Moments in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie Franchise

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scariest Ghostbusters

WARNING: The following contains mild spoilers for the Ghostbusters franchise. 

Yes, Ghostbusters is a horror movie – gateway horror to be exact. Setting aside the fact that the title literally contains the word “ghost,” a foundational element of the scariest genre, the franchise follows a group of paranormal researchers who battle entities attacking from beyond the grave. After countless rewatches, the classic films and newer sequels may not scare us much anymore, but how many times have we as genre fans asserted that a film does not have to be “scary” to be considered horror?

Genre classification is nebulous and any film that centers on ghosts has a place in the sprawling house of horror. Yes, it’s true that most viewers over the age of thirteen will find more to laugh about than scream while watching a Ghostbusters film, but each entry contains a handful of terrifying moments. With Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire uniting three generations of the parascientific warriors, perhaps it’s time to highlight the most frightening moments from each phase of this legendary franchise. 


Ghostbusters (1984)

A Haunted Library

scariest Ghostbusters movie

Ivan Reitman’s original film begins with a campfire tale come to life. We follow an unsuspecting librarian as she ventures deep into the stacks to reshelve a book. With her hair blowing from a spectral breeze, we watch a hardcover float across the aisle to the opposite shelf. A second book follows, but the librarian remains unaware. She finally notices the disturbance when card catalog drawers open on their own spewing cards into the air like literary geysers. She flees through the maze of narrow stacks only to come face to face with a mysterious force who blows her back with a powerful roar. We won’t see the Library Ghost (Ruth Oliver) until a later scene, but this introduction firmly positions the film that follows in the world of horror. On first watch, we can only speculate as to the ghost’s malevolence and whether or not the librarian has survived the encounter. It’s the perfect introduction to a world in which ghosts are not only real, they will pounce on unsuspecting humans at the drop of a … book. 

Shaky Ground

The original finale may not be the film’s most terrifying moment, but it has become the franchise’s most iconic image. When faced with choosing a form for Gozer (Slavitza Jovan), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) inadvertently conjures up an image from his childhood. Moments later, a set of once-cheery eyes peer through the skyscrapers. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man towers over the city, stomping and destroying everything in its path. While there’s definitely something terrifying about a jovial mascot turned deadly killer, what happens moments before is arguably scarier. 

The Ghostbusters arrive at the luxury apartment building to throngs of adoring fans. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) plays into this hero-worship and promises an easy solution to a supernatural problem. But before they can enter the building, lightning strikes the upper floors sending massive chunks of brick and cement raining down on the barricaded street. The ground begins to shake and a giant fissure swallows the entire team. It’s a destabilizing moment made all the more terrifying by its shocking reality. Speculation about the existence of ghosts may vary from person to person, but there’s no doubt that sinkholes are very real. It’s entirely possible that the ground we’re standing on right now could spontaneously begin to crumble, sucking us down into a seemingly bottomless void beneath the earth. 


Ghostbusters II (1989)

Runaway Baby

Ivan Reitman’s sequel begins with a sly update on the life of a beloved character as Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) pushes a baby carriage containing her infant son Oscar (Henry and William Deutschendorf). When last we saw the attractive cellist, she was kissing Venkman in the wreckage of Gozer’s demise and the thought of this loveable lady’s man becoming a father may be more nerve-wracking than anything contained in the first film. We never learn much about Oscar’s real father, but we do discover that fate has a sinister plan for the adorable child. While Dana chats with her landlord, Oscar’s carriage rolls a few feet away. Dana reaches for the handle, but the buggy begins speeding down the sidewalk careening through the busy crowds. As if guided by unseen hands, the carriage twists and turns, then abruptly swerves into oncoming traffic. Cars honk and veer out of the way, but the racing carriage marks a collision course with an approaching bus. The wheels screech to a halt moments before what would surely be a deadly crash and Dana rushes to embrace her vulnerable child. This harrowing scene is likely to terrorize any parent who’s experienced the fear of trying to protect a baby in an unpredictable world.  

Sewer Screams

scariest Ghostbusters scene

While investigating the second film’s primary villain, Vigo the Carpathian (Wilhelm von Homburg), three of the Ghostbusters venture into the sewers hoping to find a growing river of slime. Ray, Winston (Ernie Hudson), and Egon (Harold Ramis) trek down an abandoned subway line while speculating about the hordes of cockroaches and rats they hear scurrying behind the walls. These vermin may be scary, but there are more malevolent monsters lurking in the dark. Ray and Egon both amuse themselves with the tunnel’s echo but Winston’s “hello” goes unanswered. Moments later, a demonic voice bellows his name from the dark end of the corridor. Waiting behind him is a severed head floating in the empty tunnel. As he tries to retreat, the team finds themselves surrounded by dozens of ghoulish heads that disappear faster than they materialized. Moments later, a ghostly train hurtles towards them, swallowing Winston in its spectral glow. Egon theorizes that something is trying to keep them from reaching their destination with effective scares designed to frighten the Ghostbusters and audience alike.  


Ghostbusters (2016)

Haunted Basement

Like its predecessor, Paul Feig’s remake opens with a spooky vignette. Garrett (Zach Woods) gives a tour of the Aldridge Mansion, a 19th century manor preserved in the middle of the busy city, and walks visitors through a troubling history of excess and cruelty. Hoping to inject a bit of excitement, he pauses near the basement door and tells the horrifying story of Gertrude Aldridge (Bess Rous), a wealthy heiress who murdered the house’s many servants. Hoping to avoid a public scandal, her family locked her in the basement and her restless spirit can still be heard trying to escape. Garrett triggers a trick candlestick to fly off the shelf, hinting at the spirit’s presence, but a late night incident shows that the deceased murderess may actually be lurking in her ancestral home. While closing up for the night, Garrett hears ominous noises from behind the barricaded door and watches the knob rattle against the heavy locks. An unseen attacker hurls him through the house and eventually drives him down the basement stairs to a sea of green slime pooling on the floor. The stairs crumble leaving the tour guide hanging on to the door frame for dear life as a spectral figure glides toward him with menacing hands outstretched. Once again, we won’t see the fully revealed ghost of Gertrude Aldridge until later in the film, but this terrifying opening sets the stage for a dangerous showdown with an army of the dead.

Mannequin On the Move

The scariest moment of the 2016 remake is arguably the vicious online hatred sparked well before the film’s release. In response to brutal comments posted to the first official trailer, the cast returned to film an additional scene in which they react to dehumanizing negativity. But another sequence may cut closer to the heart of this upsetting experience. The Ghostbusters respond to a call at a concert venue and split up to cover more ground. Patty (Leslie Jones) enters what she calls a “room full of nightmares” and immediately reverses course to avoid a multitude of mannequins stacked haphazardly in the dark. As she walks out the door, one of the faceless creatures turns its head her way. Walking on its own, this sentient prop follows her down the hall, pausing the moment she turns around. Eventually breaking cover, the mannequin chases Patty down the hall to the rest of the team. They unleash their proton packs and make quick work of the gargoyle-like ghost. Though this connection is surely unintentional, it’s a terrifying parallel to a faceless monster sneaking up to attack a woman simply trying to do her job. 


Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Smoke and Monsters

While Ghostbusters: Afterlife is nowhere near as scary as the horror films playing in the local summer school science class, Jason Reitman’s legacyquel does contain its share of frights. The film opens with a harrowing scene as we join Egon (Oliver Cooper) in the last moments of his life. Racing away from a sinister mountain, Egon’s truck collides with an unseen force and flips upside down in a field of corn. The elderly scientist races back to his crumbling farmhouse with a trap in hand, intent on ensnaring this invisible being. Unfortunately, the power fails and Egon has no choice but to hide the trap under the floorboards and wait. He sits in a comfortable old chair as a horrifying cloud of smoke drifts in behind him, momentarily forming the shape of a fanged beast. Demonic hands grab him from within the chair, likely causing the heart attack that will be listed on his death certificate. But his abandoned PKE meter below the chair activates, reminding us that Egon may be deceased, but he is far from gone.  

The Terror Returns

scariest Ghostbusters moments

Ghostbusters: Afterlife turns out to be a touching tribute to Harold Ramis as his friends and family unite to complete the beloved scientist’s heroic mission. In addition to a tearjerker ending, Reitman also includes a bevy of callbacks to the original film. Not only do the Spenglers square off against the team’s first enemy, Gozer (Emma Portner), the nonbinary entity brings back the Terror Dogs that once possessed Dana Barret and Louis Tully (Rick Moranis). These demonic beasts first rear their ugly heads while Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) stops by Walmart to buy a midnight snack. While the horde of mini marshmallow men are eerie in their gleeful self-destruction, the ghostly canine that chases him through the store is the stuff of nightmares. Early iterations of this fearsome creature are hindered by ’80s-era special effects, but Reitman’s version feels frighteningly real. While Gary frantically tries to find his keys, this Terror Dog snarls at him from atop his car dashboard, leaving the endearing science teacher with no way to escape. 


Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Frozen Dinner 

After a film set in a small mountain town, the opening of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire takes us back to New York circa 1904. We see the fire station in its early years as a horse-drawn carriage responds to a call. Arriving at the scene, a fireman tests the door for heat and watches in horror as his hand instantly freezes. Inside, they find jagged shards of ice surrounding and piercing a frozen dinner party. Guests are posed in various states of ice-covered surprise while an eerie record skips in the corner. A figure covered in brass armor we will come to know as a Fire Master is crouched in the corner clutching a mysterious orb. When the fireman touches this rippling sphere, the frozen diners’ heads begin to explode, an ominous precursor to the chilling threat awaiting the newest Ghostbusting team. 

Lights Out

If Ghostbusters: Afterlife featured the lo-fi gear of the 80s, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hurls us into the future. Wealthy financier Winston Zeddemore has been surreptitiously building a new containment unit to relieve pressure on the original model along with a secret lab designed to study ghosts and haunted objects. In addition to fancy new gadgets and gear, this facility contains several captured spirits like a fanged Wraith and a speedy Possessor. Lab techs assure the astonished Spengler team that they are perfectly safe, but it seems they’ve overestimated the facility’s security. Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) and Lars (James Acaster) are studying the aforementioned orb when the power goes out, leaving them stranded in the dark with a cache of haunted objects. Not only does the ancient sphere hold a deadly spirit, the proton fields containing the captured ghosts have just been disabled. These terrifying creatures begin to drift through the walls toward the defenseless lab techs, perhaps at the bidding of an evil commander. Thankfully the generator kicks on in the nick of time, drawing the ghosts back into their cells. It’s a tense moment reminding us that no matter how charming the Ghostbusters may be, they still spend their days with evil spirits just waiting for an opportunity to wreak havoc.  


The Ghostbusters franchise excels at mixing humor and fear, practically setting the blueprint for the modern horror comedy. Moments from the original two films terrified a generation of gen-xers and elder millennials and newer iterations are currently scaring their kids. The fifth franchise installment effectively passes the proton pack torch to a new generation of Ghostbusters and we can only hope additional films will continue to induct future generations of Ghostbusters fans into the horror family as well. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in theaters. Read our review.

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