Movies
Kill of the Week: Gunshot to the Face in ‘The House of the Devil’
Every week, we spotlight a kill that we just can’t get enough of. This is Kill of the Week.
Countless horror movies released in the past decade have tried to emulate the style and feel of horror movies from the past, whether they’ve aimed to evoke the spirit of a certain film, a certain era or a certain sub-genre. Very few, if any, have captured an intended spirit more than Ti West’s The House of the Devil, a 2009 film that managed to feel like it was ripped straight out of the ’70s.
Set in the early ’80s, The House of the Devil was shot on 16mm, giving it a retro aesthetic that makes it feel like a “satanic panic” movie you would’ve rented on VHS from your local video store back in the day – in fact, the film did actually get a limited edition VHS release!
Nearly every aspect of the film, from the cinematography right down to the wardrobe and the soundtrack (special shout-out to the retro Coke cups) totally nails that ’70s/’80s vibe; The House of the Devil truly is a picture perfect throwback to gems like Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen and even my personal favorite horror movie, Black Christmas.
True to Ti West’s “slow burn” style, The House of the Devil is more than anything an exercise in drawn-out suspense, but there’s one moment that shatters that quiet and foreboding calm with such shocking violence that I’ve never forgotten it these past eight years. And it’s because the movie is otherwise so subdued that this week’s Kill of the Week was so genuinely shocking.
Around the 35-minute mark, a reluctant Megan (Greta Gerwig) drops her friend/main character Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) off at the creepy Ulman house, where Sam has accepted the worst babysitting gig of all time. As she’s driving away, Megan is stopped by Victor Ulman, played by A.J. Bowen. At first, Victor seems like a nice enough guy, helping Megan light her cigarette. But as soon as he realizes she’s not the babysitter, well, that’s when things take a turn for the worse.
To say this particular kill was unexpected the first time I saw The House of the Devil would be an understatement. It happens so suddenly, and is executed so brutally, that I’d have to crown it one of the most truly shocking horror movie death scenes of all time.
Curry Barker is a hot commodity in Hollywood in the wake of Obsession‘s $300 million box office success, with original horror-comedy Anything But Ghosts and the next installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise already on Barker’s dance card. What else can we expect from Barker in the coming years? For starters, another original horror movie.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news tonight that Curry Barker will write and direct an untitled horror movie for Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Universal.
THR reports, “In closing what is described as a rich eight-figure deal, Barker will write, produce and direct his third film for Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Universal.”
“All details are being kept secret, but it is described as a Barker original horror idea,” the outlet notes. “The project was bought off of a pitch Barker made to Universal’s top brass.”
“This film is something I’ve been excited to make for a while, and I’m thrilled to be reteaming with Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Universal Film Group for it,” Curry Barker himself said in a statement tonight. “They’ve built the kind of home for bold, original storytelling that every filmmaker dreams of, and I couldn’t imagine better collaborators for this film.”
James Wan and Jason Blum said in a joint statement, “With Obsession, Curry did what only a handful of filmmakers manage in a generation: he made something wholly original that connected with a massive audience, and that connection is what we care about most. The best filmmakers can work anywhere, and we are proud to have a growing slate with Curry. Getting to put this project in front of the fans his work speaks to is the whole reason we do this.”
Stay tuned for more on all things Curry Barker.
‘Obsession’
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