In Theaters: The Devil Inside -

By Tommy Bond, Film Critic

It’s The Rite meets Paranormal Activity, and it’s nothing to be proud of.

This cheap scare-a-thon uses the tired technique of telling us that everything we’re watching is real, that it really happened, and that there’s a website where you can investigate the “true story” further! We all know the website will be bogus. Blair Witch did this more than a decade ago, come on! Fool me once, right?

The “true story” is that of Isabella Rossi and her mother Maria, the latter of which killed three people during an exorcism on herself and is now a well-kept secret in the heart of The Vatican. The Church denies that she could still be possessed, but her daughter, and a spontaneously available documentary filmmaker, set out to unveil the truth!

We know where this is headed don’t we? Jumpy sounds, people appearing out of nowhere, shaky running cameras, and an ominous ending that only leaves us wanting, but hey, “that’s just where the real footage ended”. Sub-par acting plagues this film worse than a swarm of Biblical locusts, and the camera work and lighting are far too professional to be “on the fly”. Throw in the weak story device of a demon that is as easy to catch as the common cold and you’ve got The Devil Inside.

Though cheap and full of problems, its got some great scares and an ending that is impressive to watch.

But save your money for Redbox where you won’t have to hear the annoying sounds of people laughing because they are too uncomfortable to let themselves get scared. But let’s not get me started on “Scary Movie Etiquette”…