The House of the Devil
00:37:21
About
We’re heading back to 2009 (or is it 1983?) for Ti West’s “The House of the Devil”. A film which gives us the do’s and don’t’s of babysitting: DO bring a friend along to ensure the employers aren’t weirdos, DON’T then ignore that friend who has spotted every red flag in the situation; DO order pizza that the employers have generously left money for, DON’T then stick on your walkman really loud so you couldn’t hear the doorbell, dance on the furniture, generally run amok and break things; DO accept $400 for a night’s work, DON’T accept $400 for a night’s work from Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov who are both, clearly, scary as all fuck. Before the success of his “X” trilogy brought Ti West’s brand of horror to the attention of a much wider audience, he was already acclaimed in genre circles for a series of outstanding films, of which “The House of the Devil” is a fantastic example. Not only does the film evoke its 1983 setting through a period-truthful aesthetic (not the absurd nostalgia of everyone in neon headbands and ET T-shirts, solving Rubiks Cubes) it also achieves it through the visual language and filmmaking techniques as well. With a superb central performance from Jocelin Donahue, who looks like she could have stepped straight out of the original “Black Christmas”, and a slow burn tension that ratchets up to a manic and visceral last 15 minutes, “The House of the Devil” is both an echo of the past, and a thoroughly modern take on it as well. Watch (or re-watch) to avoid spoilers and join us.
Adam's research
Verbatim lifts from Adam's own words in the episode. Click a timestamp to hear him say it.
- Connection between House of the Devil and The Innkeepers
Which actually comes after this because they stayed at, what is it, the Yankee, uh, yeah, that's it, The Yankee Pedler Inn, they stayed there while they were making House of the Devil and heard all the ghost stories that then might led into making The Innkeepers.
- 1983 cultural context regarding smell
Well, because at that point Claire said, well, you wouldn't be able to smell that. And I said. It's 1983, everyone smokes, no one's got everything just smell like everything will smell like old open, you know, no one's no one's got a a sense a sense of smell in their head. And everything will just smell like a humidor, it's like that.
- Ty West's career trajectory and recent trilogy
Six years ago. But since then, Ty West has obviously done the trilogy of, uh, X, Pearl and Maxine, which have obviously just really sort of rocketed his profile. I mean. So how the devil was was big. And, um, uh, The Innkeepers as well, you know, they're all. But but yeah, X, Pearl and Maxine are sort of like the the trilogy that he's done over the last few years that are the things that have really sort of propelled him, uh, you know, his name out there and and have really sort of put him into more public acclaim, more people have seen those than they've seen House of the Devil.
- Tom Noonan's role and structure of Ty West's first film, The Roost
And it starts off with him like it's you're watching like a cable horror host. And then it goes into the actual film and then at the end of it he sort of wraps it up. And it's like, you know. Like Elvira or Dr. Demento or whatever like that, so yeah, and I was just I was just intrigued by that because I I've not seen that.
- The Sacrament's premise and style
Um, which is his, um, sort of version of Jonestown. Which is done really really well. Again, it's that sort of thing of because that's done as if it's Vice reporters going to Jonestown. So it's all sort of like, you know, it's, um, not not quite found footage, but it's that sort of thing that it's presented as it's the the footage that they've shot while they're there. And actually that's the thing with this is because this this looks.
- House of the Devil's authentic 80s aesthetic (titles, camera techniques)
And again, it's not flashy, it's not like even though I enjoyed them like stuff like Grindhouse and things like that where it's like. Oh, we'll put a load of lines on it and we'll make it do like screen burn at that point, or we'll put the cigarette burns. There's none of that, but it is just like that those opening titles with the yellow font doing freeze frames is so much more evocative of 1983 because that's just how a film, you know, that's how films looked. And like you were saying, the editing of it and everything and even the fact that he's doing like he's doing camera zooms and things that are much more of that period. You know, it's, um, yeah.
- Score, sound design, and production company details, including Graham Resnick and Larry Fessenden's contributions
Because it's because Jeff Grace does the score, um, but that is by the opening bit is by a guy called Mike Mike Armstrong. And I bought it's it changed over when it came out on vinyl, but I bought the original CD of House of the Devil and it's got the Jeff Grace score on there, but I was so disappointed that the Mike Armstrong piece wasn't on there. Because it was like, no, that's the defining thing for me because it just went with those titles and it's just perfectly of its time, you know, that sort of. Slightly slightly new wave chuggy with the the sort of the keyboards in there and stuff like that, it was just a really great. And actually, the other the other thing as well is that the sound designer on it is Graham Resnick. Um, who, um, who is also the voice of the DJ on the radio in this. Um, but in the week I was listening to he released an album called The Interconsciousness Catalog, which has got some of the soundscapes he did on this because he does like soundscapes and composing and stuff and he's done like he he's worked with Ty West loads because he did The Innkeepers and Sacrament and X and The Roost and stuff like that. Um, but also, um, he worked on, do you remember I Sold The Dead? Film with Larry Fessenden, um, and Ron Perlman film. … Yeah, and I was like, oh shit, when I was I was like, yeah, I've got I've got to watch that again as well, because that was just, um, yeah, that was just a a great film. But this is Glass Eye films. So this is Larry Fessenden's like one of the producers on this. And again, I don't think we've covered a lot to do with Larry Fessenden apart from he's in Session 9. But obviously, you know, his contribution to horror goes far beyond just being an actor. You know, as a producer and writer and director and everything else like that, you know. But yeah, I yeah, that just suddenly came out, I saw the dead and I was like, oh, bloody, I haven't seen that. In so, so long. Um, but also Graham Resnick's actually done directing as well. He did a film called I Can See You, but apparently he's done a series called Dead Wax, which is like a sort of Noir about record dealers. Um like sort of like a like like rare records, um like sort of second-hand record dealing or something like that, but it's like a bit weird.
- Tom Noonan's role in Manhunter and its significance
Because that is the most neon, Sythy like pastel colored thing that you'll ever see and is the first Hannibal Lector film. Back when Brian Cox is playing Hannibal Lector and until Mads Mikkelsen came along, was my favorite Hannibal Lector.
- Mary Waronov's career, including Andy Warhol, Eating Raul, Star Trek connections, Chopping Mall cameo, and Death Race 2000
She's like, she was started off with Andy Warho's factory and she danced with the Velvet Underground as part of the exploding plastic and inevitable. And she's in loads of. Warhall films and stuff like that, um, but also, um, she, um, there's a film called which I really recommend. I think you definitely I think you and Jennifer should watch it, Lee, a film called Eating Raul. Um, and it's her and Paul Bartel and it's a very it feels very sort of a bit John Waltersy. Yeah, but basically, um, they she worked with Paul Bartel low, has worked with Paul Bartel loads. Uh, and they often play like married couples and stuff. But they are basically this married couple who live in an apartment block next to a group of swingers and they find it just so offensive that they end up killing killing off all like pretending that they're swingers as well. So they can get people to their. And they then just kill them off and get a guy to dispose of the bodies and so they can get money for running their, uh, their little restaurant. And, um, yeah, it's a genuine. And weirdly enough. Because Mary Waronov auditioned for the role of Captain Janeway in Star Trek Voyager. And Mr. Chakote from Star Trek Voyager is in eating Raul, he is Raul. Uh, but yeah, but eating Raul is just, yeah, it's it's really, really fucking funny. And the best bit. Just out of nowhere, both Paul Bartel and Mary Waranov play the same characters briefly in Chopping Mall. … Which is just fucking mad because just out of the middle of it all, you've got chopping mall, but there's the bit where they're demoing the security robot right near the start and they're just sitting the audience and it's like, oh, that's very good, isn't it? Yeah. It's like, yeah, we could use one of those in the shop. And that's literally it, but they're there and it's like, but they met doing, um, Death Race 2000. Because Paul Bartel directed it. And she's Calamity Jane in Death Race 2000. The original Death Race 2000, well, actually the only Death Race 2000. Let's not dignify these other pricks with this nonsense, you know. Um. But yeah, so I mean, so she's sort of like both her and Tom Noonan I think are really good gets and they are just excellently excellently creepy. And actually AJ Bowen's pretty good as well. It's good as well as their, um, son as it turns out.
- Comparison to Inside Number 9's 'The Harrowing' and its release date
Also it has to be said, and this is no disrespect to them because as you know, we are very much a league worshipping podcast. Um. But it's also The Harrowing from Inside Number 9, isn't it? … Yeah, it's a proper proper moment that. But I, um. But also I because I literally, I had to check it, but yeah, the Inside Number 9 episode is 2014.
Highlights
Transcript
Show full transcript
LeeGood evening and welcome to Horror.
LeeI'm Lee.
ChrisI'm Chris.
AdamI'm Adam.
LeeAnd we're here, spoilers and swearing abound for 2009's The House of the Devil.
Leeyeah, I know that me and Adam have, yeah, this is a film that we frequently talk about about how amazing it is, but for some reason it still had and I think because of its slow burn, might be why we, although we admire the film, we were like, is there a lot to talk about?
LeeBut actually having rewatched it for the first time in probably 12 years, yeah, there's a shitload to talk about.
ChrisYeah.
ChrisStarting with like how great a job they did of making it 80s.
LeeYes.
LeeIt was like.
ChrisI yeah, I felt like am I watching the right film? It's just too good.
AdamWell, because the the thing is is that I was, I was watching it with Claire.
AdamAnd I said 1983 because like at one point I just mentioned, well, that's 1983 for you because that's when it's set.
AdamAnd it wasn't until sort of she rings the she rings, 911 and I said, oh, the voice, the voice of the emergency operator is Lena Dunham.
AdamAnd she was like, well, hang on, so how old was Lena Dunham when she did this?
AdamI was like, it's 2000, sorry, I realized, oh no, that's how good a job.
AdamBecause it's not, it's not flashy.
ChrisYeah.
AdamIt's not sort of like, you know, it's not Rubik's Cubes and you know, literally everything is 1983.
AdamIt just feels like it was made at that time.
ChrisYeah.
AdamEveryone's everyone's kind of dressed for want of expression, normally.
LeeYeah.
AdamYou know, there's but there's there's nothing, you know, no one's in a eye shot JR T-shirt or like.
LeeYeah.
LeeAnd it's not all like I was going to say yeah and neon legwarmers and all that stuff that like as soon as you, oh if it's the 80s someone's got to be roller skating like they didn't do any of that cliche stuff, they just gave it a genuine film that.
ChrisIt made it so real just yeah.
LeeIt's just.
Chrishorribly real.
AdamYeah.
AdamYes, grim grimly real.
AdamThat's the thing.
AdamThat we could have done with here at the minute it was just that sort of it just feels like.
AdamBecause I think, and also, I I know it sounds like an odd thing to say, but I think that Jocelyn Donahue who plays Samantha.
AdamLooks very 70s and 80s and I know it's obviously the costume, the hair and everything else like that is done, but she just looks like.
ChrisYeah.
AdamShe looks like someone who knows Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween or in a Friday the 13th or something like that.
AdamYou know, she just.
AdamShe just looks the part really a lot.
AdamYou know, and I think it's, yeah.
AdamThey've they've done considering it's low budget as well, they've done you know.
AdamI mean, in fairness, you sort of stick you stick to interiors, you stick to sort of a remote house and stuff like that, so you don't have to, you know, it's not like, oh, well, we're going to go to Time Square and it's got to look like it did in 1983.
AdamBut still, yeah, they do, you know, it's a tremendous job that they've done.
ChrisYeah.
ChrisYeah, I mean it absolutely doesn't need anything like that.
ChrisIt's it's all about just how it makes you feel.
ChrisWhen she's just even the phone calls you know, early on you're like this is just so creepy it's too like yeah the whole idea creates it's so well done.
LeeYeah, the whole idea creates is so well done.
LeeAnd that's one of the things I did want to mention is so obviously it's Ty West, it's the second Ty West film we've covered.
Leeand.
ChrisWhat was the first?
LeeThe Innkeepers.
Chris-huh.
AdamWhich actually comes after this because they stayed at, what is it, the Yankee, yeah, that's it, The Yankee Pedler Inn, they stayed there while they were making House of the Devil and heard all the ghost stories that then might led into making The Innkeepers.
ChrisThat's pretty cool.
AdamYeah.
LeeBut so so Ty West wrote, directed and edited.
LeeAnd editing I think is something that we don't generally discuss a lot on this show because when it's done well, you don't kind of notice it.
LeeExcept when it's done exceptional if it's done badly you notice and if it's done exceptionally well you notice.
LeeAnd I thought the editing in this was perfect it so it really amps it up.
LeeIt's just something about the way he's edited it everything just nothing's on too long that it becomes annoying, but everything's there long enough to just give you that unease and that quiet in the back.
ChrisAnd when he ramps it up to the action.
LeeYeah.
ChrisEspecially your for.
AdamLast what, 20 minutes, 15 minutes, I think even.
ChrisI was also the what was it, the the the inspiration for Trump's ice force.
ChrisWhen when he suddenly hits, I'm like, oh, didn't quite expect that.
ChrisRight then.
AdamOh, yes, that that was that was a proper.
AdamAlthough although weirdly enough because the the her friend, that's Greta Gerwig.
AdamWho obviously is now fucking hugely famous because she wrote and directed the Barbie movie and you know, and obviously an actress as well like a noted actress as well.
ChrisYeah.
AdamBut this was like one of her earlier roles.
AdamBut she is the voice of sense.
AdamYou know, which is which actually is kind of it's half helpful and half not.
AdamBecause it's like you still want to shake her and say, look, this is clearly a fucking terrible, terrible idea.
AdamMuch as she does.
AdamBut she sort of goes along with it, but at least they're addressing it rather than just, why did you do that?
AdamThat feels bloody mental.
LeeYeah.
AdamWhen, you know, it's clearly a fucking weird set up.
AdamAlthough to be fair, she's the one who knocks him up to $400.
LeeYeah.
AdamBecause because at that point Claire was like, no, that's when I'm out.
AdamAs soon as he goes $200.
Adam$300.
AdamAnd Claire was like, no, that's when I'm out.
AdamAnd admittedly that was when I was.
LeeYeah.
AdamNo.
AdamThat's when I'm staying because because it's, you know, it's yes, it's easy money, but I, you know, the money's the the key factor there.
AdamBut then she goes up to 400.
AdamNow, I'd have admittedly gone 500 and I'll let you bolt.
LeeYeah.
AdamYou know, that's just me on a personal level. So, yeah.
LeeYeah, so so how did you find it, Chris, watching it for the apart from obviously as you say being thinking you were watching the room the wrong film because it is too 80 to be made in 2009?
ChrisYeah, no, it's it's just one of those where you you think, all right, yeah, they've they have made it to be of the time, but actually they're almost making it too well.
ChrisThat like could be like you said it didn't go over the top at any point.
ChrisIt was like, no, this just feels like a very real film so yeah, you know, yeah, nice, happy Sunday, relaxing situation going on.
ChrisJust what I needed.
ChrisBut no, it was like, yeah, it was done so well, it just draws you in and I know what you mean though, like you said it's like a slow burn.
ChrisIt is, I could kind of think, would I rush back to watch it, probably not necessarily, but absolutely so effective at what it needed to do.
LeeI find that I think with all slow burn movies, I I I watch a slow burn movie like this and I thoroughly enjoy it.
ChrisOh my god, yeah.
LeeI won't go back to it in six months time the way I will with like a Wolf cop or something punching it.
LeeNot because I don't appreciate it, just because you need to sit down and give it the time it needs.
ChrisYou feel yeah, you feel like you've got to appreciate it for.
AdamYou have to let it settle in a weird way.
AdamBecause I think that's the thing is this is one of those films where it's like it it worms its way into you.
AdamAnd actually like when when we said we were going to cover it, I was like, right, I know I've got it on DVD.
AdamWhich obviously from when I first, you know, from whenever I first saw it.
AdamAnd then I was like, oh, well, I've I've definitely I know I've got it on DVD.
AdamFound the DVD, hadn't actually opened the DVD.
LeeNo.
AdamAnd it came from HMV's blue cross sale when they thought they were going into administration.
AdamSo we are talking, you know, over about 15 years ago.
AdamAnd, you know, I'd obviously bought it at that point and still, but it was like, there was no way it wasn't, you know, that that was never a poor decision.
AdamBecause it was always like, no, I will watch this again.
AdamBut again, it is that you these sort of slow burn things, some of some some of them you have to let them sort of almost become a a memory before you can go back to it.
ChrisYeah, I think you get more out of it.
AdamYeah, if you if you go if you watch this in six months, you'll be sitting there tapping your fingers going, no, hang on, when's the bit when when does her friend get her face shot off?
ChrisYeah.
AdamOr.
AdamWhen does, you know, when does she.
ChrisIt's gone to her, that's been spoiled.
AdamYeah.
AdamWhen does, I mean, because that's the thing as well.
AdamIs as someone from the point of view of say, Tom Noonan and Mary Warranov are not evil satists, but actually just ask someone to come and look after their elderly mom.
LeeYeah.
AdamYou know, first thing you do, stick on your headphones, so you can't hear the poor old dear if she's like calling out and she's got around the house, dance on the fucking furniture with your shoes on.
LeeCalling out going, crawling out.
LeeKnock over precious vases.
LeeThis is what.
LeeI was like you've just phoned the pizza, they've said they're going to be 30 minutes, you dithered around for 15 minutes and now you've got your headphones on and you're playing Paul, like there's no way you're going to hear that doorbell you tart.
AdamIt's it's just bizarre it's just a very because at that point I'd just be I'd be fuming.
AdamYou come home and it's like there's footprints on the bloody furniture, you've been playing pull, you've been you've you've been in the the fur coat room.
LeeYeah.
AdamYou know, and everything, it was, and actually it it has to be said, I mean, we obviously we were inspired to watch this because Tom Noonan passed away.
Adam
AdamOh sorry, that was really great.
Adamlast week, actually, and here's an interesting little thing in that we sometimes we were obviously watching it, me and Claire were saying about, oh, you know, because take your telescope for Christmas and we were like, oh, well, you know, a lunar eclipse and everything, there was a lunar eclipse on Tuesday.
LeeNo, was there?
AdamYeah.
AdamApparently, there was a lunar eclipse, full lunar eclipse.
AdamAnd you're like, we have once again hit the sort of just about the right point of, you know.
Adam
ChrisWas it cloudy though?
AdamIt I think it was.
AdamBut, but like, yeah, just Tom Noonan is wonderfully creepy.
ChrisYeah, yeah, that is the right role for him.
AdamIn how because obviously he is such a physically imposing man.
ChrisYeah, yeah, the very first scene where you see him it's like, yeah, it almost feels like in police, you know, where they had the guy who.
AdamYeah.
AdamHe's out of frame because he's just so tall.
AdamAnd, but also because of he is so sort of gentle and softly spoken, but it feels like it's an effort of putting someone at their ease.
ChrisYeah.
AdamAnd then Mary Warnov comes out and she's just mad and sort of like slightly overfamiliar and everything.
AdamAnd it's sort of I just think they, you know.
ChrisThat's interesting as well, the difference between a man and a woman being creepy.
ChrisBecause like if he was at all like her, then it should have been straight out of there.
LeeYeah.
AdamYeah.
ChrisBut yeah, he's almost like he's just plausible.
ChrisHe's, you know, it took 400 pounds to be convinced, but you know.
ChrisIt's like it's it's on.
AdamAt that point, you've you've you've.
AdamI mean, let's say again, going back to the scenario that it's not devil worshipers, but you you have found you found a couple and their distressed elderly relative that you're looking after and you've decided, no, I'll let's let's push it to 400.
AdamYou know what I mean?
AdamHe's already dug out 300.
AdamI'd be quite happy with that.
ChrisI demand a ritual for 400.
AdamBut.
ChrisThey better be a goat at the end or I'm not interested.
AdamThat's true.
LeeI've got to say, so this is one of those films as I say, I've roved about how much I love it.
LeeBut actually when I tried to think back, I could only remember two scenes and they were two scenes that were very fast.
LeeSo obviously it's the gunshot in the graveyard.
LeeWhich.
AdamYeah.
LeeIs one of my all time favorite moments of a movie. It's it's the pacing of it, it happens so quick, I remember the first time literally jumping in my seat because it's the speed with which he just goes from being very friendly, so that gun comes out and her face is gone.
AdamYeah.
LeeAnd it looks beautiful. I know it's a horrible thing to say but watching someone get their face shot off.
LeeBut it is it looks it's so brilliantly crafted.
AdamIt's incredible, yeah.
AdamAnd the thing was that yeah, when I I was saying to Claire, first time I watched, first time we watched it, first time I watched it, jumped out your skin at that point.
LeeYeah.
AdamAnd Claire just went, well, that's male privilege.
AdamBecause she was like, no, immediately she was already terrified.
ChrisShe was already terrified.
AdamAnd actually I think the more friendly he tried to be.
ChrisYeah.
LeeThe more suspicious she became.
AdamYou know.
AdamWell, because I love and actually again, I think the friend again, like Greta Gerwig's character has her head screwed on because it's like, oh, it's terribly cold out here.
AdamAnd.
LeeYeah.
AdamYou're not getting in the fucking car, I don't care, give me a light mate, you're still a strange bloke in the dark, what the fuck are you doing?
LeeYeah.
LeeIt's great, so I remembered that and I also remembered the other scene that I I absolutely love, which is the first the next scene where you know something is definitely wrong, where she hears the noise coming from the room and she's talking through the door and you think the old woman is on the other side and then you just get a very quick cut of the family murdered inside and the child nailed down on that pentagram and it's just there long enough for you to take it all in and then it's gone again.
ChrisYeah.
LeeLike it's just it's fantastically done.
LeeIt's oh.
LeeAnd again and then it goes back to being subtle and nice and you kind of always forget about it.
ChrisYeah.
AdamWell, because at that point Claire said, well, you wouldn't be able to smell that.
AdamAnd I said.
AdamIt's 1983, everyone smokes, no one's got everything just smell like everything will smell like old open, you know, no one's no one's got a a sense a sense of smell in their head.
AdamAnd everything will just smell like a humidor, it's like that.
AdamBut I mean, I think the, because.
AdamBecause actually weirdly enough since we because obviously we did, we did The Innkeepers back in episode 92.
Adamand.
ChrisIs that like 20 years ago now?
AdamIt feels like it.
AdamBut, well, it was it was 2020.
AdamSo.
Chris2020.
AdamSo.
ChrisYeah.
AdamSix years ago. But since then, Ty West has obviously done the trilogy of, X, Pearl and Maxine, which have obviously just really sort of rocketed his profile.
AdamI mean.
AdamSo how the devil was was big.
AdamAnd, The Innkeepers as well, you know, they're all.
AdamBut but yeah, X, Pearl and Maxine are sort of like the the trilogy that he's done over the last few years that are the things that have really sort of propelled him, you know, his name out there and and have really sort of put him into more public acclaim, more people have seen those than they've seen House of the Devil.
AdamI was interested though, have you ever seen a film called The Roost, Lee, which is his first one?
LeeI have got it.
Adam
LeeI've got a feeling I bought it and did watch it, but I don't remember anything about it.
LeeI've still got it on DVD, I think it's on a DVD up in the loft.
LeeYeah, I've, I don't remember anything about it.
LeeWhich doesn't mean it's bad.
LeeIt just means.
AdamYeah, it's just because Tom Noonan's in it as a horror host.
AdamAnd it starts off with him like it's you're watching like a cable horror host.
LeeYeah.
ChrisYeah, I could imagine doing that.
AdamAnd then it goes into the actual film and then at the end of it he sort of wraps it up.
AdamAnd it's like, you know.
AdamLike Elvira or Dr. Demento or whatever like that, so yeah, and I was just I was just intrigued by that because I I've not seen that.
Adam
AdamObviously, and the other recommend from for me is I really fucking love The Sacrament.
Adamwhich is his, sort of version of Jonestown.
AdamWhich is done really really well.
AdamAgain, it's that sort of thing of because that's done as if it's Vice reporters going to Jonestown.
LeeYeah.
AdamSo it's all sort of like, you know, it's, not not quite found footage, but it's that sort of thing that it's presented as it's the the footage that they've shot while they're there.
AdamAnd actually that's the thing with this is because this this looks.
AdamAnd again, it's not flashy, it's not like even though I enjoyed them like stuff like Grindhouse and things like that where it's like.
AdamOh, we'll put a load of lines on it and we'll make it do like screen burn at that point, or we'll put the cigarette burns.
LeeYeah.
AdamThere's none of that, but it is just like that those opening titles with the yellow font doing freeze frames is so much more evocative of 1983 because that's just how a film, you know, that's how films looked.
AdamAnd like you were saying, the editing of it and everything and even the fact that he's doing like he's doing camera zooms and things that are much more of that period.
LeeYeah.
AdamYou know, it's, yeah.
LeeHis attention to detail is phenomenal.
LeeAnd it it really does come through in the film as you say.
LeeLike if you showed somebody this and said it came out in the 80s, I don't think anyone would go, this is clearly a modern film that's been made in the same way you would with Grindhouse you would see it for what it is.
LeeBut yeah, that this is is not that at all.
LeeIt's just yeah, it it's so so well crafted.
LeeEverything about it and it's even the story feels like.
LeeYou know, The Sentinel or Rosemary's Baby, it's it's yeah.
LeeIt's just a brilliant piece of yeah, retro filmmaking that works on so many levels.
LeeThe score as well, the score sounds like an 80s.
AdamOh yeah, because that that opening music is fucking fantastic.
AdamBecause it's because Jeff Grace does the score, but that is by the opening bit is by a guy called Mike Mike Armstrong.
AdamAnd I bought it's it changed over when it came out on vinyl, but I bought the original CD of House of the Devil and it's got the Jeff Grace score on there, but I was so disappointed that the Mike Armstrong piece wasn't on there.
AdamBecause it was like, no, that's the defining thing for me because it just went with those titles and it's just perfectly of its time, you know, that sort of.
AdamSlightly slightly new wave chuggy with the the sort of the keyboards in there and stuff like that, it was just a really great. And actually, the other the other thing as well is that the sound designer on it is Graham Resnick.
Adamwho, who is also the voice of the DJ on the radio in this.
Adambut in the week I was listening to he released an album called The Interconsciousness Catalog, which has got some of the soundscapes he did on this because he does like soundscapes and composing and stuff and he's done like he he's worked with Ty West loads because he did The Innkeepers and Sacrament and X and The Roost and stuff like that.
Adambut also, he worked on, do you remember I Sold The Dead?
LeeYes.
AdamFilm with Larry Fessenden, and Ron Perlman film.
LeeYes.
LeeI love that film, it's crap as assholes but it's great.
AdamYeah, and I was like, oh shit, when I was I was like, yeah, I've got I've got to watch that again as well, because that was just, yeah, that was just a a great film.
AdamBut this is Glass Eye films.
AdamSo this is Larry Fessenden's like one of the producers on this.
AdamAnd again, I don't think we've covered a lot to do with Larry Fessenden apart from he's in Session 9.
AdamBut obviously, you know, his contribution to horror goes far beyond just being an actor.
AdamYou know, as a producer and writer and director and everything else like that, you know.
AdamBut yeah, I yeah, that just suddenly came out, I saw the dead and I was like, oh, bloody, I haven't seen that.
AdamIn so, so long.
Adambut also Graham Resnick's actually done directing as well.
AdamHe did a film called I Can See You, but apparently he's done a series called Dead Wax, which is like a sort of Noir about record dealers.
Adamlike sort of like a like like rare records, like sort of second-hand record dealing or something like that, but it's like a bit weird.
Adam
Adam
Adam
AdamIt's like.
AdamOh.
AdamWhich could be quite good.
AdamSo I'll have to,
AdamAnd obviously, we saw Tom Noonan in The Monster Squad and yeah.
LeeYeah.
AdamYeah, that was, yeah.
AdamAnd for me, he's always Francis Dollarhide in Manhunter, which I still cannot that is from the 80s and is so from the 80s.
AdamBecause that is the most neon, Sythy like pastel colored thing that you'll ever see and is the first Hannibal Lector film.
AdamBack when Brian Cox is playing Hannibal Lector and until Mads Mikkelsen came along, was my favorite Hannibal Lector.
AdamSo.
LeeYeah.
AdamBut also like Mary Waronov, who like was with she started off with, who was like Mrs. Olman.
Adam
AdamShe's like, she was started off with Andy Warho's factory and she danced with the Velvet Underground as part of the exploding plastic and inevitable.
AdamAnd she's in loads of.
AdamWarhall films and stuff like that, but also, she, there's a film called which I really recommend.
AdamI think you definitely I think you and Jennifer should watch it, Lee, a film called Eating Raul.
Adamand it's her and Paul Bartel and it's a very it feels very sort of a bit John Waltersy.
AdamYeah, but basically, they she worked with Paul Bartel low, has worked with Paul Bartel loads.
Adamand they often play like married couples and stuff.
AdamBut they are basically this married couple who live in an apartment block next to a group of swingers and they find it just so offensive that they end up killing killing off all like pretending that they're swingers as well.
AdamSo they can get people to their.
AdamAnd they then just kill them off and get a guy to dispose of the bodies and so they can get money for running their, their little restaurant.
AdamAnd, yeah, it's a genuine.
AdamAnd weirdly enough.
AdamBecause Mary Waronov auditioned for the role of Captain Janeway in Star Trek Voyager.
AdamAnd Mr. Chakote from Star Trek Voyager is in eating Raul, he is Raul.
Adambut yeah, but eating Raul is just, yeah, it's it's really, really fucking funny.
AdamAnd the best bit.
AdamJust out of nowhere, both Paul Bartel and Mary Waranov play the same characters briefly in Chopping Mall.
LeeWell, yeah, I mean that's very random.
AdamWhich is just fucking mad because just out of the middle of it all, you've got chopping mall, but there's the bit where they're demoing the security robot right near the start and they're just sitting the audience and it's like, oh, that's very good, isn't it?
AdamYeah.
AdamIt's like, yeah, we could use one of those in the shop.
AdamAnd that's literally it, but they're there and it's like, but they met doing, Death Race 2000.
AdamBecause Paul Bartel directed it.
AdamAnd she's Calamity Jane in Death Race 2000.
AdamThe original Death Race 2000, well, actually the only Death Race 2000.
AdamLet's not dignify these other pricks with this nonsense, you know.
Adam
AdamBut yeah, so I mean, so she's sort of like both her and Tom Noonan I think are really good gets and they are just excellently excellently creepy.
LeeYeah.
AdamAnd actually AJ Bowen's pretty good as well.
AdamIt's good as well as their, son as it turns out.
LeeYeah.
LeeYeah, I mean he's brilliant in it.
LeeAgain, it's just yeah, he he just plays.
LeeAnd again, it's the it's the way he's introduced, so you see what he's done, yeah, you don't know what his affiliation is, you assume he's part of the cult and then you realize it isn't a cult, it's just a family who are doing it.
AdamYes.
LeeIt's just yeah, a great twist.
AdamAnd actually I think that that bit where she finds where she finds the photographs of the family that is so desperately creepy and that's a proper sort of.
ChrisIt's like, how do they keep making it get more creepy?
AdamYeah, especially because there's I'm not sure is is that bit after the bodies?
Lee
Adam
LeeBefore, I can't find the photo.
LeeYeah, so then when you see the bodies 10 minutes later, you know who they are, you know it's the family who's right.
AdamYou know it's.
AdamYeah.
AdamBut it's still, yeah, it's just so sort of.
AdamAlso it has to be said, and this is no disrespect to them because as you know, we are very much a league worshipping podcast.
Adam
AdamBut it's also The Harrowing from Inside Number 9, isn't it?
LeeThat's exactly what I said to when we were discussing.
LeeIt, I said to Jennifer, you remember.
LeeThe House of the Devil and she went, no, and I said, it's it's the last episode of season one of Inside Number 9.
LeeAnd she was like, no, I don't I don't remember.
LeeAnd she watched the whole film and said she didn't remember any of it, but I remember watching it with her only because I remember the gunshot and her going, wow.
LeeAs well.
AdamYeah, it's a proper proper moment that.
AdamBut I,
AdamBut also I because I literally, I had to check it, but yeah, the Inside Number 9 episode is 2014.
LeeYeah.
AdamBut I think that they've done if if they have seen it, they've just done the wise thing of what's the point in ripping off.
AdamThe hugest film ever rather than let's be inspired by.
AdamBecause let's face it, The Harrowing is funny.
LeeYes.
AdamThis this this is low on last.
LeeYeah.
AdamYou know, in in that sense, you know.
AdamI think it's sort of,
AdamYeah.
AdamI certainly it's like, well, it's House of the Devil with jokes.
LeeYes.
AdamSo, you know.
LeeAnd in half an hour.
LeeWhich again.
LeeI'd forgotten how short this film is as well.
LeeBecause it is.
AdamIt's only an hour and a half, yeah.
LeeWell.
Lee
LeeWell.
LeeNot even, I think it's just under, is it? Just over, yeah, but it's around that hour and a half mark, yeah, 135.
LeeYeah.
LeeBut yeah, and it it just to get a slow burn film in an hour and a half, it yeah, it just it's such a brilliantly and it is brilliantly paced.
LeeLike you say, it's that really it makes you uncomfortable for the entire duration.
Leeyeah.
LeeAnd it it's one where the the final 15 minute payoff is nuts.
LeeAnd it's.
ChrisYeah.
ChrisAnd even the very final scene still adds another extra like.
ChrisIf if you.
LeeYeah.
ChrisAnd that enough now.
LeeFinal whisper of the knife.
ChrisIt's subtle enough and yet powerful enough.
AdamYeah.
AdamAnd actually, like you say, in terms of the pacing because obviously you've got like the sort of you've you've got the ordinary girl build up.
AdamYou've got the the phone calls that are a bit creepy.
AdamEverything it goes to the house.
AdamYou're already uneasy.
AdamYou get that blast, literal blast of violence.
AdamAnd then nothing again, you know, it's like back to her, she doesn't know what's going on.
AdamAlthough it also did evoke that horrible time when everyone first got a mobile phone and had those fucking.
LeeOh, yeah.
LeeAnswerphone messages, yeah, yeah.
AdamOh, yeah.
AdamAnd, yeah, but and but it's like you almost have left that behind.
AdamBecause of the rest of the buildup.
AdamBut then and then, yeah.
AdamThen you suddenly just.
AdamFor that last 15 minutes.
AdamAnd I think that's what it is, is that that sort of like because you're you're literally you're literally post it right now, Chris, and it's sort of like that final sort of like that final sequence is like.
AdamCompared to the rest of it is like just phenomenally sort of brutal and.
Adam
LeeQuick.
AdamAnd.
LeeYeah.
LeeIt is, it's a bleak ending to the film.
LeeWhich, yeah, which which is fitting.
LeeI mean, it's.
AdamAnd absolutely appropriate for a 1983, yeah, horror film certainly.
AdamYou know, there was never going to be a fucking happy ending.
AdamShould never be.
LeeOh.
LeeBut yeah, I say.
LeeYou know, and looking at it, it looks so much like, Black Christmas.
LeeYes.
AdamYes.
LeeLike the house.
LeeIt's got that exact.
LeeAnd as you say.
LeeYou could have taken, is it Jacqueline the main actor?
Adam
LeeYou could have taken her and.
LeeAnd put it put her in Black Christmas or in Sorority Row, like and she would just fit, she's just got that look.
LeeIt's.
AdamYeah, Jocelyn Donahue.
LeeYeah.
Adam
AdamApparently she's also in Doctor Sleep.
AdamI know you've seen it, Lee.
AdamBut I've, I've not.
LeeI have.
LeeI I can't remember a lot about it, if I'm being perfectly honest.
AdamOh, fair enough.
AdamBut yeah, she I mean, she's she's she's done a lot of.
AdamShe's done a lot of horror actually.
AdamI trapped the devil, off season, The Burrowers, Insidious 2.
AdamWhere apparently she's young Lorraine Warren.
LeeOh.
AdamSo, but we can't hold that against her.
AdamDead Awake, Fast and Furious 7, that's horror on a different scale.
LeeOh yeah, I love them films.
AdamAnd he's just not that into you, apparently.
LeeYeah.
AdamWhich is, a hell of a bleak thing to be told.
AdamIn your own notes.
AdamSo because I thought I was I thought I was well in there.
Leeyeah.
LeeSo, you know, as we said, it is one of those it doesn't come off the shelf very often, but when it does.
LeeIt yeah.
LeeIt's it's fantastic.
LeeIt's such a good film.
AdamYeah.
Lee
LeeYeah.
LeeGreat movie.
LeeI'd love to go and see this on a big screen at some point.
LeeI'd love to see it with people on a big screen who haven't seen it before.
AdamYes.
LeeYeah.
LeeAmazing.
AdamAbsolutely, this is again.
AdamIt's one of those.
AdamUnfortunately, I mean if you've got this far and you haven't seen it, we've spoil it quite extensively.
AdamBut.
AdamI don't think we've probably we've probably not done it justice in terms of its.
AdamOwn sort of burn.
AdamOh, but you do know.
AdamMost of the plot points.
AdamSo.
AdamApologies for that.
AdamBut yeah, I think.
LeeWe didn't spoil.
LeeWe didn't spoil the actual ending though, so you know.
ChrisThe very last bit, yeah.
LeeYeah, that's true.
AdamYeah.
LeeI mean, we said it got chaotic in the last 15 minutes.
LeeBut we didn't actually say what happened.
LeeSo.
LeeYeah.
AdamSo there you go.
AdamWe told you.
LeeSo if you so if you're listening and you haven't already seen it.
LeeDefinitely still do.
LeeThis film is brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
LeeCouldn't rate it highly enough.
Leeso on that note.
AdamAll right, P Tom Noonan.
LeeYeah.
LeeI know.
LeeHe's.
LeeThis film is perfect for him as well because as you say, he plays that, he is a big imposing character, but as you say because he's got that gentleness about him.
AdamYeah.
LeeThis is this is where he belongs in these roles where he's being nice, but it's still coming across as somehow scary.
ChrisHe's he's both evil and harmless in equal measures.
AdamThere's a sort of it's a weird power that comes out of him.
AdamYeah.
AdamIt's.
LeeYeah.
AdamIt's.
LeeYeah.
LeeAmazing actor.
Leeyes, so, we will be back in a fortnight's time, we will be covering the, HP Lovecraft Society's release of the Call of Cthulhu, from.
Leea year in which we saw it.
Lee2005.
Chris2005, yeah.
AdamWhen was it?
Adam2005?
LeeYeah.
AdamOh, cool.
Leeso it's a short film.
LeeI think it's about 40 minutes if I remember correctly, silent film.
Leemade very much in the old again, given that old silent film look.
LeeBut with a new edge to it.
LeeSo it doesn't.
LeeIt's done in that style, but it isn't made to look like an old like an old silent film.
AdamYeah, it was I mean, basically the premise was they wanted to make the film as if it had been made at the time that the story came out.
AdamSo they wanted to give it that 1930s.
Adam
ChrisThat's cool.
AdamLook, so you know, with we're sort of looking silent film, King Kong style.
AdamStop animation.
AdamYou know, that kind of that kind of treatment for it.
AdamAnd,
AdamYeah, I've watched it in a very long time.
AdamSo I'm looking forward to that.
LeeI have.
LeeI know I know Adam and I bought it when it very first came out.
LeeLiterally, I think the week it came out, Adam bought it, told me about it and I immediately all, I can't remember if I immediately ordered it or Adam bought it for me.
LeeBut,
AdamI think I might have got it for you.
AdamI can't remember now.
AdamBecause I because it was because again, it was one of those ones where you just heard about it.
AdamIt was like, I've got to go and get this because this will this will yeah.
AdamThis won't see the light of day beyond three weeks.
LeeAnd it.
LeeIt's.
LeeAnd it's absolutely brilliant and yeah.
LeeIt it's really good fun.
LeeIt's on Amazon Prime.
LeeWe've just had a quick look.
Leeso if you're subscribed to Amazon Prime.
LeeYou can watch it on there.
Leeyeah.
LeeSo go and watch that and we'll return in a Fortnite's time to, to talk about that and all things HP Lovecraft and Call of Cthulhu.
LeeSo.
LeeThanks very much for listening.
LeeGood night.
ChrisGood night.
AdamNo night.
