@themovies/ 'The Devil Inside'
There doesn't seem to be a year that goes by in which Hollywood drops an exorcism movie on us...this year is no exception, except that this year's is far from exceptional
BY EMIL TIEDEMANN
MORE than 12 years ago we eagerly welcomed in a new breed of scary movies, when The Blair Witch Project made composed fear seem real. In fact, they all but told us it was. The hand-held camera effect had become the technique to turn to when filmmakers truly wanted to taunt our nearly immune nerves. And it worked.
And so that's why director and co-writer William Brent Bell (Stay Alive) chose the "found footage" route that is already starting to get a lil' old. But Bell's supernatural horror feature, which is not based on true events, neglected to offer up anything fresh to pass on to the next generation of documentary-styled scary movies (precautions if anything!). And I assure you, there'll be plenty more.
If you haven't already seen the previews or read the endless bad press or had your buddy insist you skip it and rent the Paranormal trilogy instead, then I'll give you a brief synopsis: Isabella (Fernanda Andrade) heads to Rome to track down her mother Maria (Suzan Crowley), who has been in a Catholic psychiatric hospital since she murdered three people during an exorcism performed on her 20 years ago. She finds her belligerent mother...bla bla bla...others become possessed...bla bla bla...death and chaos ensues...bla bla bla...you get the idea.
Then it ends abruptly, less than 90 minutes from when it began, with no resolution. No explanation. No implication. There was, however, plenty of opportunity for a sequel. And with a #1 opening weekend at the box office, that's a likely scenario. Ugh.
I will admit, though, that The Devil Inside, God-damn shaky camera and all, had its moments. Rare, yes, but the few that were at least memorable were also unnerving. Others that were meant to be simply weren't. Afterall, there is a reason why the producers of this "micro-budget" ($1 million) indie effort chose not to screen it for critics and audiences prior to its wide release. That's always a red flag.
If you like scary movies, like me, then The Devil Inside isn't a total waste of your 12 bucks, I guess. Not exactly a full-fledged endorsement, but rather a half-assed suggestion.
1.5 outta 5 stars
For showtimes in Edmonton for The Devil Inside, click here.
Below is the official trailer for William Brent Bell's 'The Devil Inside.'
BY EMIL TIEDEMANN
MORE than 12 years ago we eagerly welcomed in a new breed of scary movies, when The Blair Witch Project made composed fear seem real. In fact, they all but told us it was. The hand-held camera effect had become the technique to turn to when filmmakers truly wanted to taunt our nearly immune nerves. And it worked.
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| 'The Devil Inside' was released by Insurge Pictures, who's parent company is Paramount, the same studio that distributed the 'Paranormal Activity' trilogy. |
If you haven't already seen the previews or read the endless bad press or had your buddy insist you skip it and rent the Paranormal trilogy instead, then I'll give you a brief synopsis: Isabella (Fernanda Andrade) heads to Rome to track down her mother Maria (Suzan Crowley), who has been in a Catholic psychiatric hospital since she murdered three people during an exorcism performed on her 20 years ago. She finds her belligerent mother...bla bla bla...others become possessed...bla bla bla...death and chaos ensues...bla bla bla...you get the idea.
Then it ends abruptly, less than 90 minutes from when it began, with no resolution. No explanation. No implication. There was, however, plenty of opportunity for a sequel. And with a #1 opening weekend at the box office, that's a likely scenario. Ugh.
I will admit, though, that The Devil Inside, God-damn shaky camera and all, had its moments. Rare, yes, but the few that were at least memorable were also unnerving. Others that were meant to be simply weren't. Afterall, there is a reason why the producers of this "micro-budget" ($1 million) indie effort chose not to screen it for critics and audiences prior to its wide release. That's always a red flag.
If you like scary movies, like me, then The Devil Inside isn't a total waste of your 12 bucks, I guess. Not exactly a full-fledged endorsement, but rather a half-assed suggestion.
1.5 outta 5 stars
For showtimes in Edmonton for The Devil Inside, click here.
Below is the official trailer for William Brent Bell's 'The Devil Inside.'
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