From the Mind of Master Imaginationist Crystal Connor ~"A Trusted Name in Terror."

The Darkness, Artificial Light, In The Valley of Shadows

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Live Action Reviews! The Devil's Hand

At 3pm Oct 20th 2014, upon just waking up Crystal Connor checked her email, and found within a review link. Grabbing a bowl of cereal, she sat in front of her computer and clicked play.  For the next 86 minutes her neighbors were subjected to screaming, crying, and expletive outburst…

This is the unedited journal chronicling the harrowing experience her neighbors were forced to endure as she watched, Christian E. Christiansen's 2014 The Devil's Hand.


Reader discretion is Advised

Entry 1: What the hell, that's an elder.

Entry 2: You don fucked up now

Entry 3: You really think you can just change the prophecy?

Entry 4: Your gonna hide in the well? How is that even an option?

Entry 5: “Your own flesh and blood deceives you and you doubt the Prince of Darkness would do the same.” <-best horror="" movie="" nbsp="" of="" quote="" religious="" span="" the="" year.="">

Entry 6: Say that then!

Entry 7: Oh my God this Stepmother is a fucking bitch

Entry 8: How 'bout barring the closet door closed.

Entry 9: Wow, that is a hateful woman

Entry 10: What the fuck?!??

Entry 11: For the love, they're just kids

Entry 12: No, that's NOT the word of God

Entry 13: If you banish someone from the community why go look for them?

Entry 14: BOOM!!! And that's exactly why you need to read the bible for yourself

Entry 15: Dude, you've been banished, you just can't go back home.

Entry 16: JUST STAY WHERE YOU ARE UNTIL MORNING!!!

Entry 17: OMFG what did I just say to you?!!

Entry 18: See!

Entry 19: OMFG YES! Finally
Plotline: When young girls start to go missing within a religious cult, older followers fear a long-told prophecy while the younger members suspect abusive elders are killing them off.

Scariness Factor: Slasher films = jump scares. Solid three. If you watch as many horror films as I do you know when to expect them and in which order everyone will die. That being said it didn't take away from this movie. There are some really fun eerie/creepy parts.    

Gore Factor:  This is a slasher film and true to form there is killing but not too much blood

High Points: The way it ended! Another huge plus was that this movie doesn't make the Amish faith seem cultish even though this particle group is. Like so often in cults, the people in this community are trusting the words of an elder over the words of the scripture and then are lead astray. The elder is doing some horrific things and I'll just let you experience the examination for yourself. The way they pit the younger man against the elder…it's a nice contrast and boldly draws the line between faith and fanaticism.    

Complaints: If you're going to make a person's culture the center piece of your story you need to do the research and observe their customs. These girls are about to turn 18, but when Amish kids turns 14 their Rumspringa begins. 

During this time they get to do Non-Amish things like wear modern clothes, drive a car and hang out with Non-Amish kids, doing normal teenage things like shopping at the mall and using cell phones. There not even punished for having sex or experimenting with drug and alcohol. It gives them the chance to see if they want to stay or leave. This is a big deal because if these girls would have gone thru their Rumspringa two of them most surly would have left.

Overall: I think watching horror movies should be an interactive activity (which is why I watch them alone) and the more I yell at the people on the screen the more fun I'm having. I'm a tough customer and I can be pretty unforgiving when it comes to the myopic way in which I prefer to be entertained.

This was a really fun slasher/religious themed horror movie that is absolutely worth the watch.

Stars: 3 ½ Stars

Where I watched it : VOD