tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post3180684610686297718..comments2024-03-17T11:29:35.743-04:00Comments on Final Girl: Film Club: The House of the DevilStacie Ponderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07784074536271206501noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-91565115298751983022013-12-07T14:35:13.282-05:002013-12-07T14:35:13.282-05:00My wife complained about how long the movie had go...My wife complained about how long the movie had gone with "nothing happening", just as I was admiring how long the movie had gone with "nothing happening". By the time Sam closed the closet she was snooping in and there WASN'T someone standing behind the door for a cheap jump scare, I was grinning like an idiot. Dates me without the benefit of carbon-14, I guess.Deanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09865305359026867914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-48104260450495327472011-06-09T22:06:56.466-04:002011-06-09T22:06:56.466-04:00Wish I would have been able to review this one way...Wish I would have been able to review this one way back when... Such a cool movie. <br /><br />The ending wasn't entirely satisfactory but was much in keeping with the period being imitated by Ti West.StuartOhQueuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16354997231932290827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-86190038908413260162010-08-03T23:35:58.986-04:002010-08-03T23:35:58.986-04:00I've finally finished reading all of the Film ...I've finally finished reading all of the Film Club reviews (and all of the comments above): An amazing array of opinions; very fascinating to read the various viewpoints. I don't recall a single middle-of-the road opinion, it seems it's all hate or all love. I enjoyed reading everyone's writeups. Thanks for the opportunity to join in.LordSlawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15448489201174906487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-81360502398709584512010-08-02T15:33:34.764-04:002010-08-02T15:33:34.764-04:00I'm glad I'm not the only one who LOVED Gr...I'm glad I'm not the only one who LOVED Greta Gerwig in this and wished she had more screen time. Donahue was great, too. I just wish the movie was better overall. I will say that The House of the Devil definitely captures the 80s better than any recent movie I can think of, but I was one of the people who kept looking at the clock once she got to the house and wondering when something was going to happen. I love suspense, but you can't leave the audience hanging for pretty much the whole movie. You gotta give them something they can bite on (and no, not pizza) in the meantime, until you decide to sucker punch them. And unfortunately, the ending wasn't impressive to me. That said, I am willing to give this movie another chance. Now that I know what to expect, maybe I'll enjoy it more.Ryan Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11962087298048295960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-33337443846207192352010-07-30T18:34:05.342-04:002010-07-30T18:34:05.342-04:00One thing I really appreciated about this movie wa...One thing I really appreciated about this movie was that it was shot on Super16mm film, and it looks GREAT.<br /><br />Hopefully other low-budget horror film-makers will take this example and realise that not everything has to be shot on blurry-ass HD video.CashBaileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13593976245341180685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-25282449176310992862010-07-28T12:19:37.175-04:002010-07-28T12:19:37.175-04:00@Matt-suzaka: I'm actually really surprised th...@Matt-suzaka: I'm actually really surprised that no one (to my knowledge) has used the Inanna myth more directly, instead of the bastardized version of it that the Final Girl narrative has been codified into. I think there's awesome potential for a movie which plays through the typical Final Girl arc in half or less of the movie, and then moves on from there with the FG actually empowered rather than just having been lucky enough to live (until the first scene of the sequel). I guess that Hack/Slash comic is something like that, now that I think about it? Haven't actually read it to know.John Enohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12524338101149267962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-56975050512559493862010-07-27T20:11:45.226-04:002010-07-27T20:11:45.226-04:00To further what John just said, the true existence...To further what John just said, the true existence of a final girl doesn't really fit outside of the mold of a slasher film or its many sub-genres (torture, Gialli, etc...). House isn't a slasher film, so she should not really be compared to the final girl mold.Matt-suzakahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16215962688591291944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-84378868274843137892010-07-27T16:29:43.225-04:002010-07-27T16:29:43.225-04:00@TFRC: I got what you meant by "suffering,&qu...@TFRC: I got what you meant by "suffering," but that broader definition of it doesn't invalidate the point I made. Going through the standard gauntlet of Bad Shit just to get to a triumphant ending is played out, if that's a filmmaker's only reason to spend a lot of time showing the Bad Shit. <br /><br />Or in other words, House is predicated on the idea that you can take the standard slasher form and do something more with it, so slavishly following the standard slasher plot formula would've missed its own point.John Enohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12524338101149267962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-32873512346854513792010-07-27T14:33:27.569-04:002010-07-27T14:33:27.569-04:00Spot on review... I was thankful for the languid p...Spot on review... I was thankful for the languid pace for a change in a horror movie... the only thing that put me off was the on-screen text preface about devil worship... it was unnecessary for me...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-9810113761405129072010-07-27T14:29:34.348-04:002010-07-27T14:29:34.348-04:00The suicide attempt may have been a bit abrupt, bu...The suicide attempt may have been a bit abrupt, but not every woman merely says "so what" after being essentially raped and subsequently impregnated.<br /><br />I see what you're saying, but I thought Sam was pretty damn kickass, especially compared to 99% of the Final Girls out there. She was extremely proactive from the get-go, even admitting that she was getting herself into a hinky situation out of desperation. Once things got bad (and not just creepy-feeling), she fought her way out of the house, killing just about everyone- grabbing knives and guns and whatever else along the way.Stacie Ponderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07784074536271206501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-20916497357085978442010-07-27T14:23:12.072-04:002010-07-27T14:23:12.072-04:00perhaps I didn't convey what I meant. By suff...perhaps I didn't convey what I meant. By suffering, I didn't mean your standard torture scene -- I meant the actual trials and tribs that our hero(ine) goes through to get the final payoff -- the running, the pit of gore, the back stabbing, seeing her friends get hacked up. <br /><br />The Final Girl gets to where she is by going through 9 levels of hell (in the goodies). Then, she passes from mere scream queen to ultimate Jamie Lee Curtis badass.<br /><br />The great horror movies give you a final girl that you love because said final girl has the gumption to pull herself out of the setting that had tortured her for half the movie.<br /><br />In THOTD, Sam thinks this is big nice house. Gets woozy, wakes up with a witch in her face, does a head butt, slips on some blood and runs out. I don't even know why she popped herself in the head (so what if you're a part of Satan's mating cycle? -- I guess she was religious or something?) All I <i>do</i> know is that she's po', broke, lonely, and gots no car.Ruben Romerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00328013951571018512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-10901255406035992682010-07-27T12:55:03.010-04:002010-07-27T12:55:03.010-04:00Totally. For me, protagonist suffering is almost a...Totally. For me, protagonist suffering is almost always the least interesting part of any horror movie, because it's usually something we've seen before. And even if the specific method of torture/pain/squick is something new, it's still Dullsville if it's not employed to some end rather than simply depicting the suffering itself. The tendency to not bother to try to use that depiction of suffering for any weightier reason is the downfall of so many crappy horror movies.John Enohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12524338101149267962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-26619420268793254092010-07-27T11:39:07.378-04:002010-07-27T11:39:07.378-04:00"Sam hardly suffers at all, and that's th..."Sam hardly suffers at all, and that's the best part of a scary movie, isn't it?"<br /><br />For you, maybe. Ask 10 horror fans to describe what the best part of a scary movie is and you'll get 20 answers.Stacie Ponderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07784074536271206501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-11965548193699277272010-07-27T10:53:54.043-04:002010-07-27T10:53:54.043-04:00Can I at least offer some anti-THOTD comments here...Can I at least offer some anti-THOTD comments here? <br /><br />For crying out loud -- there's avoiding cheap scares and there's letting down the audience: if you're going to move slowly can we make it a little weirder throughout the movie? A guy with a beard that shoots a girl in the head is not going to cut it. How about some (OC) chanting or some dirty ass pigs in a bedroom -- or just hitting Sam over the head with a mallet and spending 45 minutes in the bloody orgy, rather than 10?<br /><br />Sam hardly suffers at all, and that's the best part of a scary movie, isn't it? Seeing the girl that suffered this whole time, covered in blood and entrails, breathless and fatigued with a gaping wound, finally be in a position where she can pull a trigger or ram a spear into the weirdo and save herself.<br /><br />I just thought ...... well, I just thought it is a tad overrated.Ruben Romerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00328013951571018512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-59000386914816671182010-07-27T10:53:32.823-04:002010-07-27T10:53:32.823-04:00You know, I thought the same thing about Gerwig an...You know, I thought the same thing about Gerwig and her pizza habits. I once knew a girl that never washed her hands even after using the can -- and she ate everything with her hands, including fried rice.<br /><br />Needless to say, it was revolting every time we got it on -- <br /><br />--and she ate pizza like a jerk off too.Ruben Romerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00328013951571018512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-88994823042507956292010-07-27T10:35:39.181-04:002010-07-27T10:35:39.181-04:00@Just Saying.
I can get what you are saying about...@Just Saying.<br /><br />I can get what you are saying about Ti West. I mean this gets all this crazy praise while everyone pretty muched dissed the Strangers cuz it was so mainstream even though it was one of the few movies I've seen in my life that actually scared the hell out of me.<br /><br />Also The Roost by Ti West is the perfect example of when Roger Ebert said the worst sin a trashy movie can make is to be boring. <br /><br />You should really check out Triggerman though. That movie is so awesome, it has the same slow ass pacing of House of The Devil but once it picks up it's relentless.TheodorePuertoriquezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12077736626126993697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-68373294442352945702010-07-27T10:07:00.746-04:002010-07-27T10:07:00.746-04:00I would simply like to note that nearly every revi...I would simply like to note that nearly every review contains a variation of these words "Dee Wallace yay!"<br /><br />That's synchronicity, folks.Missy Yhttp://babyjanehudson.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-43506151638642851792010-07-27T00:06:55.872-04:002010-07-27T00:06:55.872-04:00: )
This emocon expresses only a small portion of...: )<br /><br />This emocon expresses only a small portion of the gladness of being reincluded.Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-41324416672259523002010-07-26T23:57:03.955-04:002010-07-26T23:57:03.955-04:00Sorry 'bout that! Many links this time. Errors...Sorry 'bout that! Many links this time. Errors happen, errors get fixed!Stacie Ponderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07784074536271206501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-39609786013470446142010-07-26T23:41:51.538-04:002010-07-26T23:41:51.538-04:00:'(
This emocon can only represent a small po...:'(<br /><br />This emocon can only represent a small portion of the infinite sadness I feel for being left out of this one. <br /><br />Used Gmail and everything...Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-55342009794402763312010-07-26T22:43:40.473-04:002010-07-26T22:43:40.473-04:00My only disagreement with your review is about Ger...My only disagreement with your review is about Gerwig. While I did think she was pretty good, she ate pizza like such a jerk-off. Seriously, who eats pizza like that? You know she didn't wash her hands after and there is no way that a shitty one-ply napkin is going to wipe her bony fingers clean of all that nasty grease. What a pig. <br /><br />Otherwise, I had the same reaction to the film as you did. I felt an incredible amount of stress that slowly mounted throughout almost the entire film. <br /><br />There is really only one moment when something big happens before the film's wild finale, and that big, loud and very surprising moment was enough to make me think something else big was going to happen, but nothing does. THAT is what kept me on my tippy toes...tension that just keeps expanding, only to never really break. <br /><br />West's restraint to avoid cheap scares is the biggest strength of the film, and the reason why I loved it as much as I did. It actually scared me. If you are someone looking for a quick and manufactured fix, this is not the film for you.Matt-suzakahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16215962688591291944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-1127368501362759232010-07-26T21:08:59.321-04:002010-07-26T21:08:59.321-04:00That wasn't what I meant at all. I've nev...That wasn't what I meant at all. I've never had a problem with anyone's opinion of any film, and I apologize to anyone who I offended. I just wanted House of the Devil to actually be worthy of the copious amount praise it has received. Either that or replace the walking around scenes that filled the entire 2nd act. OR make it as good as the one sheet leads me to believe it is.<br /><br />And no, Wright is on the other end of the spectrum with those who possess talent.JustSayinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-70952663066216466042010-07-26T20:46:33.679-04:002010-07-26T20:46:33.679-04:00So wait, is Edgar Wright even more of a hipster ha...So wait, is Edgar Wright even more of a hipster hack? <br /><br />I loved this movie. It would've been the best horror movie I've seen this year but for REC 2.<br /><br />I keep waiting for feathered hair to come back in style.matangonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-85398527429343442492010-07-26T19:28:44.057-04:002010-07-26T19:28:44.057-04:00Man, I'm glad someone finally said what I was ...Man, I'm glad someone finally said what I was afraid to say- that fans of things I don't like are merely "fans". Anyone who doesn't think just like me is an asshole!Stacie Ponderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07784074536271206501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13599870.post-17870822032983232952010-07-26T19:19:02.518-04:002010-07-26T19:19:02.518-04:00Is there a place I can get an "I love late-70...Is there a place I can get an "I love late-70's early-80's horror movies" pennants?scarinahttp://scarina.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com