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.
