Devil's Diary

maybe I'm a lightweight anyway these days since I am not interested in some really extreme horror these days but this film in spite of I would say not great acting and the story having some really weak points and going in directions that made no sense at all sometimes, with some situations just getting sorted out way too easily and in spite of the dialog not being too good still it was plotted in a way that made it lots of fun and it was very nerve wracking to wait for these bad things to happen. one thing that was odd was that the evil stepfather was really so good looking that, if you have to have a bad stepfather, it could be a lot worse than with that guy...and he gives mountain climbing tours in Vancouver I see go-ogling him. quite the fox.

This made for tv film was a favorite of mine as a preteen, and after watching it again as an adult I still hold the same love for it. Honestly better than a lot of horror/thrillers that make it to theaters, keeps you interested and is fun all together.

Teen school kids find themselves up to their necks in trouble when an evil book lands in their very incapable hands, bringing forth Dominique the Diabolique.

I have to admit, the story itself got my attention as it is a good one even though we've seen this type of thing a thousand times over. The characters, Ursula and Dominique introduce things with good humour and edginess, both providing an interesting start to the movie. But, as is often the way with teen horrors, Devil's Diary does the usual nose dive on ideas in the second half and quite literally dies in the dirt unceremoniously. One part that worked was when the book left Ursula to entice other ill-prepared characters, giving some further interest in the story, leaving a path of calamity in the book's wake. It all sounds quite silly when we consider a book's ability to cause people's demise, but actually it's the silliness that keeps things fun and watchable. It kind of reminds me of a Scooby Doo episode for some reason, with it's playfully not-to-spooky scenarios. I'll give it just a pass mark of 5 stars, because the second half is very tropey and by the numbers, but I enjoyed Ursula and Dominique in the first half.

DEVIL'S DIARY (TV MOVIE 2007)

BASIC PLOT: On a strange night, in an abandoned cemetery, two teenage girls, Dominique (Alexz Johnson) and Ursula (Magda Apanowicz), see a grave get hit by lightening. When they approach it, they see it's a minister's grave, and on top of it, still smoking, is a strange book. It appears unharmed by the lightening strike, and is full of blank pages. Dominique is unfazed by this odd occurrence, but Ursula is intrigued. There's an inscription inside the book's cover. It reads, "Who shall ever freely give thy soul in these pages, shall be requited with a power. The word is thy bond." Ursula feels a strange pull coming from the book, and when she returns home, she begins pouring out every negative and hateful feeling she has ever had, onto it's pages. Most of her thoughts are on the "popular bullies," the cheerleaders, the jocks, all of which have made her life a living hell. The next day, the head cheerleader, Heather (Miriam McDonald), has her legs crushed in a freak accident. The day after, Heather's boyfriend is burned in chemistry class. Ursula's behavior is becoming increasingly bizarre. Dominique knows she has to get help, and soon. A strange title appeared on the cover of the book, after Ursula began writing in it. When translated from Latin, it reads, "Devil's Diary." Dominique's only hope is Father Mulligan (Brian Krause). Can the two of them discover what's happening in time to save Ursula's immortal soul?

WHAT WORKS: *This is a great atmospheric! The location management team (Jamie Lake -location manager and Kimberly Lozinski -location scout) deserve real accolades for finding these creepy locations. The cemetery, the old church, even Dominique's house, all give this film a disturbing vibe.

*John Benjamin Martin does a great job writing believable characters. Anyone who's ever been to high school will recognize these people. It's a much better effort than his later work, I'd recommend you avoid Le bijou maudit (2008), one of the worst movies I've ever seen. But here he shines, giving a dark interpretation of a supernatural teen scream.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *Why doesn't Father Mulligan (Brian Krause) come to Dominique's aid at the end of the movie? He would be able to help her formulate a story, so she wouldn't be trapped in the nut hut. His character in general, is not needed, and never materializes to anything.

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of supernatural teen screams. It is a bit dark, but a worthwhile effort, especially for a made-for-tv movie.

CLOSING NOTES: *This is a Made-For-TV movie, please keep that in mind before you watch\rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.

*I have no connection to the film, or production in ANY way. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews. Hope I helped you out.

So two high school girls find an evil demonic book in a graveyard while performing rituals in the graveyard like normal high school girls do. Much hilarity ensues.

And really, it did not exactly go how I figured it would. I wish it would have had some TA or some great lines, but overall watching it certainly didn't make me miserable. 6/10