The Devil's Chair

People in an old abandoned asylum ? Going crazy ? Dying ?

We've already seen it all before, and this time, although the production and cast are decent (the overall sound design is actually quite good despite too many squishy noises), I just can't help but think of Brad Anderson's excellent (if flawed in its own ways) "Session 9". Way better.

Sorry, but since braincells don't work on cash, a low budget doesn't excuse a poor script.

So let's make it short : if you want gore & predictable "twists" you might enjoy this one ; if you'd prefer a better film go for "Session 9". My vote is 3 out of 10, however totally unreasonably raised to a 5 due to Matt Berry's appearance (I'm a Boosh fan), and Zoe Keating's beautiful score.

I do appreciate the effort but a pair of suspenders have more suspense than this rotten egg of death. The story evolves around an evil chair adorned with a skull and placed conveniently (probably by some deranged carpenter) in a desolate building, a former asylum. To top it off the main character - a mental patient - continuously delivers a voice-over with a lisp which I believe he suffers from, listening to which is as thrilling as a boat ride on dry land.

Believe me you've seen it done before and better (Session 9 anyone?), don't punish yourself by watching the "Chair". I dosed off countless times which was about the most refreshing thing about the whole experience.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Reckless Nick West (Andrew Howard) takes his girlfriend to an abandoned warehouse to drop acid, but when she sits on a weird chair, she is sucked into a demonic hole, leaving Nick traumatized. Years later, he's in a psychiatric hospital run by Dr. Willard (David Gant) who is the first person to give his story any credence. He offers him escape from the asylum if Nick returns with him to the scene of the mystery to conduct an experiment. But as members of the group go missing, it becomes clear something evil is lurking in the walls of this eerie place...

When I first caught sight of this bizarre looking straight to DVD horror film, I soon cleared the sight of it from my mind, but finding it again in the bargain bin at Morrison's, I thought...why not give it a try? While I don't feel I completely wasted my time, it does feel like a wasted opportunity in a lot of respects.

Adam Mason's film is unsure whether it wants to play as a straight out mind fu*k, gore porn horror flick or a self referentializing parody of the genre, with the lead character giving voice overs saying how we'll like it 'if we saw Hellraiser or Pumpkinhead' and at one point lamenting what 'a poorly written, badly acted' film it's become, either the way the writing feels uncertain of itself and in turn loses the audience a bit. The gore factor really kicks in at the end, shocking even by horror standards with all the blood/distress on display. Either way, you're more likely to sit lost on The Devil's Chair than be on the edge of it. **

Nick West (Andrew Howard) is a troubled soul. He's spent the last four years in a mental institution for a horrific murder that he says he can't remember committing. Dr. Willard (David Grant) decides that it's a good idea to take Nick, along with three college students, back to the scene of the crime. Willard believes they can figure out what really took place. So, the group sets up for a long weekend in the huge, abandoned building in question.

All is well until the titular chair enters the picture. Weirdness escalates into nightmare and ultimate doom. All hell breaks loose, resulting in madness and inescapable death.

Sound like fun?

THE DEVIL'S CHAIR is Director Adam Mason's grimy, foul follow-up to BROKEN. Mason seems dead-set on making movies that extinguish all hope. This film has a tricky, pseudo supernatural thing going on, that twists the plot, leading to a confoundingly unsettling finale. After watching this one, the viewer may feel compelled to watch a Disney film or romcom, just to reset the mind...

I was on the fence whether I should vote 4 or 5 on this. While this horror flick is interesting and has some good effects in regard to the chair itself it definitely lacks in some areas around acting and story. (For example, the main character is in an asylum. He's released to a professor who wants to write a book on what happened when Nick's girlfriend was killed. Probably not such a smart idea.) However, the lead actor, Andrew Howard, really is the lynch pin that keeps the movie together. If he hadn't been as good in the lead role I would definitely have rated this lower. He enables the movie to have enough interest for you to want to see it through to the end. There is the usual blood and guts but overall it happens in the right places and isn't done without advancing the story. If you're a fan of B horror I think that you'd like this. If you only watch horror occasionally I'd pass on this one.