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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. In the Devildog House remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, it depends on how much patience you have for grown men acting like absolute maniacs. If you love old-school slapstick and don’t mind a plot that feels like it was written on a napkin during a lunch break, sure, give it a go. But if you need logic, or even a shred of dignity from your protagonists, this is going to drive you up the wall. 🤡
The whole thing revolves around two detectives trying to do their jobs while some novelty toy boss keeps pulling pranks. It is loud. It is frantic. It feels like watching a cartoon where nobody knows how to stop running.
There is this moment about halfway through where a prop clearly wobbles and almost tips over. Nobody fixes it. They just keep acting around it like it’s not there. It’s beautifully sloppy.
The pacing is all over the place. Sometimes scenes drag on for way too long, just waiting for someone to get hit with a pie or a bucket of water. Other times, the plot moves so fast you have no idea why anyone is even in the room anymore.
It’s not quite as sharp as something like Jimmy the Gent, which actually has a bit of personality in its dialogue. Here, the dialogue is mostly just filler between physical gags. You can almost see the actors waiting for their cue to fall down.
It’s a strange little relic. It’s not trying to win any awards, and that’s probably for the best. It’s just trying to fill 20 minutes with as much noise as possible. 🤷♂️
If you enjoy stuff that makes you go, "Wait, why did they do that?" then you'll find plenty to chew on. It’s a messy, uneven ride, but sometimes that’s exactly what you need on a rainy Tuesday when your brain is turned to mush.