Ti West's directing career began in a very modern manner, as he was hired to helm first the low-budget creature feature The Roost and then direct-to-video horror movie sequel Cabin Fever 2, both of which were much better than they had any right to be. There were glimmers of his filmmaking prowess in those early efforts but he really broke out as one to watch with his third (proper) film, which took cues from a much earlier form of horror cinema. The House Of The Devil is so self-consciously referential of the eighties time period it's evoking, it got released not only on DVD and Blu-Ray but also those big, chunky VHS tapes from days gone by. The House Of The Devil does an excellent job of recreating the era, down to the synth-heavy score, directing style and fashions all the characters are clad in - but it also takes inspiration from an older sort of horror film, where it's all about building tension and suspense, and less about gore and boobs. Jocelin Donahue stars as college student Samantha Hughes who, strapped for cash, takes what looks like a babysitting job at a creepy old rural mansion. When she gets there, it turns out she may be charged with spending the night looking after something very different...and when you find out what, that's when all hell breaks loose.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
