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
Lee Good evening and welcome to Horror.
Lee I'm Lee.
Chris I'm Chris.
Adam I'm Adam.
Lee And we're here, spoilers and swearing abound for 2009's The House of the Devil.
Lee yeah, 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?
Lee But actually having rewatched it for the first time in probably 12 years, yeah, there's a shitload to talk about.
Chris Yeah.
Chris Starting with like how great a job they did of making it 80s.
Lee Yes.
Lee It was like.
Chris I yeah, I felt like am I watching the right film? It's just too good.
Adam Well, because the the thing is is that I was, I was watching it with Claire.
Adam And I said 1983 because like at one point I just mentioned, well, that's 1983 for you because that's when it's set.
Adam And 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.
Adam And she was like, well, hang on, so how old was Lena Dunham when she did this?
Adam I was like, it's 2000, sorry, I realized, oh no, that's how good a job.
Adam Because it's not, it's not flashy.
Chris Yeah.
Adam It's not sort of like, you know, it's not Rubik's Cubes and you know, literally everything is 1983.
Adam It just feels like it was made at that time.
Chris Yeah.
Adam Everyone's everyone's kind of dressed for want of expression, normally.
Lee Yeah.
Adam You know, there's but there's there's nothing, you know, no one's in a eye shot JR T-shirt or like.
Lee Yeah.
Lee And 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.
Chris It made it so real just yeah.
Lee It's just.
Chris horribly real.
Adam Yeah.
Adam Yes, grim grimly real.
Adam That's the thing.
Adam That we could have done with here at the minute it was just that sort of it just feels like.
Adam Because I think, and also, I I know it sounds like an odd thing to say, but I think that Jocelyn Donahue who plays Samantha.
Adam Looks 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.
Chris Yeah.
Adam She looks like someone who knows Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween or in a Friday the 13th or something like that.
Adam You know, she just.
Adam She just looks the part really a lot.
Adam You know, and I think it's, yeah.
Adam They've they've done considering it's low budget as well, they've done you know.
Adam I 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.
Adam But still, yeah, they do, you know, it's a tremendous job that they've done.
Chris Yeah.
Chris Yeah, I mean it absolutely doesn't need anything like that.
Chris It's it's all about just how it makes you feel.
Chris When 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.
Lee Yeah, the whole idea creates is so well done.
Lee And 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.
Lee and.
Chris What was the first?
Lee The Innkeepers.
Chris -huh.
Adam Which 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.
Chris That's pretty cool.
Adam Yeah.
Lee But so so Ty West wrote, directed and edited.
Lee And 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.
Lee Except when it's done exceptional if it's done badly you notice and if it's done exceptionally well you notice.
Lee And I thought the editing in this was perfect it so it really amps it up.
Lee It'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.
Chris And when he ramps it up to the action.
Lee Yeah.
Chris Especially your for.
Adam Last what, 20 minutes, 15 minutes, I think even.
Chris I was also the what was it, the the the inspiration for Trump's ice force.
Chris When when he suddenly hits, I'm like, oh, didn't quite expect that.
Chris Right then.
Adam Oh, yes, that that was that was a proper.
Adam Although although weirdly enough because the the her friend, that's Greta Gerwig.
Adam Who 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.
Chris Yeah.
Adam But this was like one of her earlier roles.
Adam But she is the voice of sense.
Adam You know, which is which actually is kind of it's half helpful and half not.
Adam Because it's like you still want to shake her and say, look, this is clearly a fucking terrible, terrible idea.
Adam Much as she does.
Adam But she sort of goes along with it, but at least they're addressing it rather than just, why did you do that?
Adam That feels bloody mental.
Lee Yeah.
Adam When, you know, it's clearly a fucking weird set up.
Adam Although to be fair, she's the one who knocks him up to $400.
Lee Yeah.
Adam Because because at that point Claire was like, no, that's when I'm out.
Adam As soon as he goes $200.
Adam $300.
Adam And Claire was like, no, that's when I'm out.
Adam And admittedly that was when I was.
Lee Yeah.
Adam No.
Adam That'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.
Adam But then she goes up to 400.
Adam Now, I'd have admittedly gone 500 and I'll let you bolt.
Lee Yeah.
Adam You know, that's just me on a personal level. So, yeah.
Lee Yeah, 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?
Chris Yeah, 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.
Chris That like could be like you said it didn't go over the top at any point.
Chris It was like, no, this just feels like a very real film so yeah, you know, yeah, nice, happy Sunday, relaxing situation going on.
Chris Just what I needed.
Chris But 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.
Chris It 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.
Lee I find that I think with all slow burn movies, I I I watch a slow burn movie like this and I thoroughly enjoy it.
Chris Oh my god, yeah.
Lee I won't go back to it in six months time the way I will with like a Wolf cop or something punching it.
Lee Not because I don't appreciate it, just because you need to sit down and give it the time it needs.
Chris You feel yeah, you feel like you've got to appreciate it for.
Adam You have to let it settle in a weird way.
Adam Because I think that's the thing is this is one of those films where it's like it it worms its way into you.
Adam And actually like when when we said we were going to cover it, I was like, right, I know I've got it on DVD.
Adam Which obviously from when I first, you know, from whenever I first saw it.
Adam And then I was like, oh, well, I've I've definitely I know I've got it on DVD.
Adam Found the DVD, hadn't actually opened the DVD.
Lee No.
Adam And it came from HMV's blue cross sale when they thought they were going into administration.
Adam So we are talking, you know, over about 15 years ago.
Adam And, 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.
Adam Because it was always like, no, I will watch this again.
Adam But 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.
Chris Yeah, I think you get more out of it.
Adam Yeah, 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?
Chris Yeah.
Adam Or.
Adam When does, you know, when does she.
Chris It's gone to her, that's been spoiled.
Adam Yeah.
Adam When does, I mean, because that's the thing as well.
Adam Is 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.
Lee Yeah.
Adam You 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.
Lee Calling out going, crawling out.
Lee Knock over precious vases.
Lee This is what.
Lee I 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.
Adam It's it's just bizarre it's just a very because at that point I'd just be I'd be fuming.
Adam You 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.
Lee Yeah.
Adam You 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
Adam Oh sorry, that was really great.
Adam last 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.
Lee No, was there?
Adam Yeah.
Adam Apparently, there was a lunar eclipse, full lunar eclipse.
Adam And you're like, we have once again hit the sort of just about the right point of, you know.
Adam
Chris Was it cloudy though?
Adam It I think it was.
Adam But, but like, yeah, just Tom Noonan is wonderfully creepy.
Chris Yeah, yeah, that is the right role for him.
Adam In how because obviously he is such a physically imposing man.
Chris Yeah, 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.
Adam Yeah.
Adam He's out of frame because he's just so tall.
Adam And, 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.
Chris Yeah.
Adam And then Mary Warnov comes out and she's just mad and sort of like slightly overfamiliar and everything.
Adam And it's sort of I just think they, you know.
Chris That's interesting as well, the difference between a man and a woman being creepy.
Chris Because like if he was at all like her, then it should have been straight out of there.
Lee Yeah.
Adam Yeah.
Chris But yeah, he's almost like he's just plausible.
Chris He's, you know, it took 400 pounds to be convinced, but you know.
Chris It's like it's it's on.
Adam At that point, you've you've you've.
Adam I 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.
Adam You know what I mean?
Adam He's already dug out 300.
Adam I'd be quite happy with that.
Chris I demand a ritual for 400.
Adam But.
Chris They better be a goat at the end or I'm not interested.
Adam That's true.
Lee I've got to say, so this is one of those films as I say, I've roved about how much I love it.
Lee But actually when I tried to think back, I could only remember two scenes and they were two scenes that were very fast.
Lee So obviously it's the gunshot in the graveyard.
Lee Which.
Adam Yeah.
Lee Is 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.
Adam Yeah.
Lee And it looks beautiful. I know it's a horrible thing to say but watching someone get their face shot off.
Lee But it is it looks it's so brilliantly crafted.
Adam It's incredible, yeah.
Adam And 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.
Lee Yeah.
Adam And Claire just went, well, that's male privilege.
Adam Because she was like, no, immediately she was already terrified.
Chris She was already terrified.
Adam And actually I think the more friendly he tried to be.
Chris Yeah.
Lee The more suspicious she became.
Adam You know.
Adam Well, 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.
Adam And.
Lee Yeah.
Adam You'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?
Lee Yeah.
Lee It'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.
Chris Yeah.
Lee Like it's just it's fantastically done.
Lee It's oh.
Lee And again and then it goes back to being subtle and nice and you kind of always forget about it.
Chris Yeah.
Adam Well, because at that point Claire said, well, you wouldn't be able to smell that.
Adam And I said.
Adam 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.
Adam And everything will just smell like a humidor, it's like that.
Adam But I mean, I think the, because.
Adam Because actually weirdly enough since we because obviously we did, we did The Innkeepers back in episode 92.
Adam and.
Chris Is that like 20 years ago now?
Adam It feels like it.
Adam But, well, it was it was 2020.
Adam So.
Chris 2020.
Adam So.
Chris Yeah.
Adam Six 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.
Adam I mean.
Adam So how the devil was was big.
Adam And, The Innkeepers as well, you know, they're all.
Adam 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, 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.
Adam I was interested though, have you ever seen a film called The Roost, Lee, which is his first one?
Lee I have got it.
Adam
Lee I've got a feeling I bought it and did watch it, but I don't remember anything about it.
Lee I've still got it on DVD, I think it's on a DVD up in the loft.
Lee Yeah, I've, I don't remember anything about it.
Lee Which doesn't mean it's bad.
Lee It just means.
Adam Yeah, it's just because Tom Noonan's in it as a horror host.
Adam And it starts off with him like it's you're watching like a cable horror host.
Lee Yeah.
Chris Yeah, I could imagine doing that.
Adam And then it goes into the actual film and then at the end of it he sort of wraps it up.
Adam And it's like, you know.
Adam 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.
Adam
Adam Obviously, and the other recommend from for me is I really fucking love The Sacrament.
Adam which is his, sort of version of Jonestown.
Adam Which is done really really well.
Adam Again, it's that sort of thing of because that's done as if it's Vice reporters going to Jonestown.
Lee Yeah.
Adam So 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.
Adam And actually that's the thing with this is because this this looks.
Adam 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.
Adam 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.
Lee Yeah.
Adam 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.
Adam 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.
Lee Yeah.
Adam You know, it's, yeah.
Lee His attention to detail is phenomenal.
Lee And it it really does come through in the film as you say.
Lee Like 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.
Lee But yeah, that this is is not that at all.
Lee It's just yeah, it it's so so well crafted.
Lee Everything about it and it's even the story feels like.
Lee You know, The Sentinel or Rosemary's Baby, it's it's yeah.
Lee It's just a brilliant piece of yeah, retro filmmaking that works on so many levels.
Lee The score as well, the score sounds like an 80s.
Adam Oh yeah, because that that opening music is fucking fantastic.
Adam Because it's because Jeff Grace does the score, but that is by the opening bit is by a guy called Mike Mike Armstrong.
Adam 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.
Adam 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.
Adam 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.
Adam who, who is also the voice of the DJ on the radio in this.
Adam 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.
Adam but also, he worked on, do you remember I Sold The Dead?
Lee Yes.
Adam Film with Larry Fessenden, and Ron Perlman film.
Lee Yes.
Lee I love that film, it's crap as assholes but it's great.
Adam 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, yeah, that was just a a great film.
Adam But this is Glass Eye films.
Adam So this is Larry Fessenden's like one of the producers on this.
Adam And again, I don't think we've covered a lot to do with Larry Fessenden apart from he's in Session 9.
Adam But obviously, you know, his contribution to horror goes far beyond just being an actor.
Adam You know, as a producer and writer and director and everything else like that, you know.
Adam But yeah, I yeah, that just suddenly came out, I saw the dead and I was like, oh, bloody, I haven't seen that.
Adam In so, so long.
Adam but also Graham Resnick's actually done directing as well.
Adam 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.
Adam like 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
Adam It's like.
Adam Oh.
Adam Which could be quite good.
Adam So I'll have to,
Adam And obviously, we saw Tom Noonan in The Monster Squad and yeah.
Lee Yeah.
Adam Yeah, that was, yeah.
Adam And for me, he's always Francis Dollarhide in Manhunter, which I still cannot that is from the 80s and is so from the 80s.
Adam Because that is the most neon, Sythy like pastel colored thing that you'll ever see and is the first Hannibal Lector film.
Adam Back when Brian Cox is playing Hannibal Lector and until Mads Mikkelsen came along, was my favorite Hannibal Lector.
Adam So.
Lee Yeah.
Adam But also like Mary Waronov, who like was with she started off with, who was like Mrs. Olman.
Adam
Adam 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.
Adam And she's in loads of.
Adam Warhall films and stuff like that, but also, she, there's a film called which I really recommend.
Adam I think you definitely I think you and Jennifer should watch it, Lee, a film called Eating Raul.
Adam and it's her and Paul Bartel and it's a very it feels very sort of a bit John Waltersy.
Adam Yeah, but basically, they she worked with Paul Bartel low, has worked with Paul Bartel loads.
Adam and they often play like married couples and stuff.
Adam 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.
Adam So they can get people to their.
Adam 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, their little restaurant.
Adam And, yeah, it's a genuine.
Adam And weirdly enough.
Adam Because Mary Waronov auditioned for the role of Captain Janeway in Star Trek Voyager.
Adam And Mr. Chakote from Star Trek Voyager is in eating Raul, he is Raul.
Adam but yeah, but eating Raul is just, yeah, it's it's really, really fucking funny.
Adam And the best bit.
Adam Just out of nowhere, both Paul Bartel and Mary Waranov play the same characters briefly in Chopping Mall.
Lee Well, yeah, I mean that's very random.
Adam 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?
Adam Yeah.
Adam It's like, yeah, we could use one of those in the shop.
Adam And that's literally it, but they're there and it's like, but they met doing, Death Race 2000.
Adam Because Paul Bartel directed it.
Adam And she's Calamity Jane in Death Race 2000.
Adam The original Death Race 2000, well, actually the only Death Race 2000.
Adam Let's not dignify these other pricks with this nonsense, you know.
Adam
Adam 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.
Lee Yeah.
Adam And actually AJ Bowen's pretty good as well.
Adam It's good as well as their, son as it turns out.
Lee Yeah.
Lee Yeah, I mean he's brilliant in it.
Lee Again, it's just yeah, he he just plays.
Lee And 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.
Adam Yes.
Lee It's just yeah, a great twist.
Adam And 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.
Chris It's like, how do they keep making it get more creepy?
Adam Yeah, especially because there's I'm not sure is is that bit after the bodies?
Lee
Adam
Lee Before, I can't find the photo.
Lee Yeah, so then when you see the bodies 10 minutes later, you know who they are, you know it's the family who's right.
Adam You know it's.
Adam Yeah.
Adam But it's still, yeah, it's just so sort of.
Adam 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.
Adam
Adam But it's also The Harrowing from Inside Number 9, isn't it?
Lee That's exactly what I said to when we were discussing.
Lee It, I said to Jennifer, you remember.
Lee The 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.
Lee And she was like, no, I don't I don't remember.
Lee And 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.
Lee As well.
Adam Yeah, it's a proper proper moment that.
Adam But I,
Adam But also I because I literally, I had to check it, but yeah, the Inside Number 9 episode is 2014.
Lee Yeah.
Adam But 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.
Adam The hugest film ever rather than let's be inspired by.
Adam Because let's face it, The Harrowing is funny.
Lee Yes.
Adam This this this is low on last.
Lee Yeah.
Adam You know, in in that sense, you know.
Adam I think it's sort of,
Adam Yeah.
Adam I certainly it's like, well, it's House of the Devil with jokes.
Lee Yes.
Adam So, you know.
Lee And in half an hour.
Lee Which again.
Lee I'd forgotten how short this film is as well.
Lee Because it is.
Adam It's only an hour and a half, yeah.
Lee Well.
Lee
Lee Well.
Lee Not even, I think it's just under, is it? Just over, yeah, but it's around that hour and a half mark, yeah, 135.
Lee Yeah.
Lee But 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.
Lee Like you say, it's that really it makes you uncomfortable for the entire duration.
Lee yeah.
Lee And it it's one where the the final 15 minute payoff is nuts.
Lee And it's.
Chris Yeah.
Chris And even the very final scene still adds another extra like.
Chris If if you.
Lee Yeah.
Chris And that enough now.
Lee Final whisper of the knife.
Chris It's subtle enough and yet powerful enough.
Adam Yeah.
Adam And 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.
Adam You've got the the phone calls that are a bit creepy.
Adam Everything it goes to the house.
Adam You're already uneasy.
Adam You get that blast, literal blast of violence.
Adam And then nothing again, you know, it's like back to her, she doesn't know what's going on.
Adam Although it also did evoke that horrible time when everyone first got a mobile phone and had those fucking.
Lee Oh, yeah.
Lee Answerphone messages, yeah, yeah.
Adam Oh, yeah.
Adam And, yeah, but and but it's like you almost have left that behind.
Adam Because of the rest of the buildup.
Adam But then and then, yeah.
Adam Then you suddenly just.
Adam For that last 15 minutes.
Adam And 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.
Adam Compared to the rest of it is like just phenomenally sort of brutal and.
Adam
Lee Quick.
Adam And.
Lee Yeah.
Lee It is, it's a bleak ending to the film.
Lee Which, yeah, which which is fitting.
Lee I mean, it's.
Adam And absolutely appropriate for a 1983, yeah, horror film certainly.
Adam You know, there was never going to be a fucking happy ending.
Adam Should never be.
Lee Oh.
Lee But yeah, I say.
Lee You know, and looking at it, it looks so much like, Black Christmas.
Lee Yes.
Adam Yes.
Lee Like the house.
Lee It's got that exact.
Lee And as you say.
Lee You could have taken, is it Jacqueline the main actor?
Adam
Lee You could have taken her and.
Lee And put it put her in Black Christmas or in Sorority Row, like and she would just fit, she's just got that look.
Lee It's.
Adam Yeah, Jocelyn Donahue.
Lee Yeah.
Adam
Adam Apparently she's also in Doctor Sleep.
Adam I know you've seen it, Lee.
Adam But I've, I've not.
Lee I have.
Lee I I can't remember a lot about it, if I'm being perfectly honest.
Adam Oh, fair enough.
Adam But yeah, she I mean, she's she's she's done a lot of.
Adam She's done a lot of horror actually.
Adam I trapped the devil, off season, The Burrowers, Insidious 2.
Adam Where apparently she's young Lorraine Warren.
Lee Oh.
Adam So, but we can't hold that against her.
Adam Dead Awake, Fast and Furious 7, that's horror on a different scale.
Lee Oh yeah, I love them films.
Adam And he's just not that into you, apparently.
Lee Yeah.
Adam Which is, a hell of a bleak thing to be told.
Adam In your own notes.
Adam So because I thought I was I thought I was well in there.
Lee yeah.
Lee So, you know, as we said, it is one of those it doesn't come off the shelf very often, but when it does.
Lee It yeah.
Lee It's it's fantastic.
Lee It's such a good film.
Adam Yeah.
Lee
Lee Yeah.
Lee Great movie.
Lee I'd love to go and see this on a big screen at some point.
Lee I'd love to see it with people on a big screen who haven't seen it before.
Adam Yes.
Lee Yeah.
Lee Amazing.
Adam Absolutely, this is again.
Adam It's one of those.
Adam Unfortunately, I mean if you've got this far and you haven't seen it, we've spoil it quite extensively.
Adam But.
Adam I don't think we've probably we've probably not done it justice in terms of its.
Adam Own sort of burn.
Adam Oh, but you do know.
Adam Most of the plot points.
Adam So.
Adam Apologies for that.
Adam But yeah, I think.
Lee We didn't spoil.
Lee We didn't spoil the actual ending though, so you know.
Chris The very last bit, yeah.
Lee Yeah, that's true.
Adam Yeah.
Lee I mean, we said it got chaotic in the last 15 minutes.
Lee But we didn't actually say what happened.
Lee So.
Lee Yeah.
Adam So there you go.
Adam We told you.
Lee So if you so if you're listening and you haven't already seen it.
Lee Definitely still do.
Lee This film is brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
Lee Couldn't rate it highly enough.
Lee so on that note.
Adam All right, P Tom Noonan.
Lee Yeah.
Lee I know.
Lee He's.
Lee This 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.
Adam Yeah.
Lee This is this is where he belongs in these roles where he's being nice, but it's still coming across as somehow scary.
Chris He's he's both evil and harmless in equal measures.
Adam There's a sort of it's a weird power that comes out of him.
Adam Yeah.
Adam It's.
Lee Yeah.
Adam It's.
Lee Yeah.
Lee Amazing actor.
Lee yes, 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.
Lee a year in which we saw it.
Lee 2005.
Chris 2005, yeah.
Adam When was it?
Adam 2005?
Lee Yeah.
Adam Oh, cool.
Lee so it's a short film.
Lee I think it's about 40 minutes if I remember correctly, silent film.
Lee made very much in the old again, given that old silent film look.
Lee But with a new edge to it.
Lee So it doesn't.
Lee It's done in that style, but it isn't made to look like an old like an old silent film.
Adam Yeah, 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.
Adam So they wanted to give it that 1930s.
Adam
Chris That's cool.
Adam Look, so you know, with we're sort of looking silent film, King Kong style.
Adam Stop animation.
Adam You know, that kind of that kind of treatment for it.
Adam And,
Adam Yeah, I've watched it in a very long time.
Adam So I'm looking forward to that.
Lee I have.
Lee I know I know Adam and I bought it when it very first came out.
Lee Literally, 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.
Lee But,
Adam I think I might have got it for you.
Adam I can't remember now.
Adam Because I because it was because again, it was one of those ones where you just heard about it.
Adam It was like, I've got to go and get this because this will this will yeah.
Adam This won't see the light of day beyond three weeks.
Lee And it.
Lee It's.
Lee And it's absolutely brilliant and yeah.
Lee It it's really good fun.
Lee It's on Amazon Prime.
Lee We've just had a quick look.
Lee so if you're subscribed to Amazon Prime.
Lee You can watch it on there.
Lee yeah.
Lee So 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.
Lee So.
Lee Thanks very much for listening.
Lee Good night.
Chris Good night.
Adam No night.
