As I began watching “House of the Devil” I felt like I was Marty McFly traveling back in time. It seemed as though I was in 1984 watching a B-horror movie that was on USA’s Up all night. Everything from the opening scene to the opening credits, music, acting, and plot  had that touch of the 80’s era of horror film.

The film begins with our heroine, Samantha looking at an apartment. While speaking to the land-lady we find out that Sam needs to come up with the first months rent by the beginning of the week to move in, this is where the story begins. Samantha is a college student living in the dorm and wants to move out, apparently she is tired of having to deal with her promiscuous roommate. While roaming around campus she sees a flyer for a babysitting job and gives the number a call on the campus pay-phone. When no one answers she walks away and just as she gains a few feet the phone rings. A creepy man on the other end tells Samantha she has the job and she is to meet him at the registration office where he will pick her up to take her to the location of the job.

The man on the phone never shows and Samantha is let baffled as to where she will come up with money to get her apartment. Eventually she ends up getting in touch with the guy and gets the job. Samantha’s friend Megan gives her a ride to the house and immediately things look sketchy. We find out that their is actually no baby to be sat, and that the man wants to pay Samantha to watch his over the house while he and his wife go out for the night, she refuses. But, he offers to pay her $400 to stay which she accepts.

Megan tries to plea with Sam to not stay, that this is in fact “too good to be true!” but Sam is desperate and stays. This is where things start to get…well…Fucked up! We see Megan meet her doom  shortly after leaving Sam, which is a great scene. Then we start to see Samantha figure out that this is not what she signed up for. She finds dead bodies throughout the house and pentagrams drawn on the floors.

The last 15 minutes of “House of the Devil” is where the real goldmine lies. We see this slow moving movie come to a bloody and quite shocking of a close, and you are left with your stomach a little unsettled. This is a great film that, while quite slow moving, really comes together and leaves you satisfied.

Although it is all very familiar subject matter, I would have to say that “House of the Devil” freshens things up and gives us a taste of the good ole’ “bad” horror movies we use to love. I would give this film an 8 out of 10.

Be sure to tune in to Zombie Popcorn Radio on Saturday from 7-9 eastern time, where we will be discussing this and other topics. Also download the podcast on iTunes.

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