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This is a direct to video release, and I'll admit, I took this film home thinking "It's probably just another low budget film that's going to make me scream in agony while I watch it." This however just doesn't happen with Devil's Pond. While the film starts a bit slow, it's necessary for what is yet to come. What seems to begin as a happy couple getting married and off on their honeymoon, will soon change into a dark nightmare.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this film from the title. I thought perhaps it was just another horror flick with some nasty monster cruising around at the bottom of a lake or pond. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

We begin as we watch our young couple getting married. Mitch (Kip Pardue) and Julianne (Tara Reid) are exchanging vows. All is perfect, a beautiful wedding, a loving couple, what more could one ask in a relationship. Mitch and Julianne have decided to take their honeymoon out in a cabin in the deepest recesses of the woods. Julianne is somewhat of a spoiled little rich girl, while Mitch is the down to earth, average type of guy. Taking their honeymoon in the woods will help Julianne get to know her husband better as the person he is (and boy will it).

Upon arriving at the cabin, Julianne is a bit surprised to find that it is located in the middle of a rather large pond. There is probably not more than twenty feet or so of earth from the cabin to the shoreline, and the water completely surrounds the cabin. Julianne is a bit upset at this, as she doesn't know how to swim, and Mitch didn't tell her that they would have to take a boat to their island paradise. Assuring her that all is and will be well, Mitch gets Julianne to the cabin via a small boat.

Being the little gal from the better side of the tracks, Julianne decides she needs to call her mother Kate (Meredith Baxter). Her cell phone however just won't function, no signal at all. Somewhat aggravated at this since Mitch has told her the cell phone would work (this will be important later in the film). She lets it go and forgives Mitch, and settles in for a honeymoon of her dreams.

Things are absolutely fantastic for a few days. Two people in love, enjoying all that each other can give. Then things start to deteriorate. Something is going wrong and Julianne isn't quite sure what to make of the events as they are now unfolding.

That's all I'm going to tell you about this film. It's really very well done, and director Joel Viertel has a work that he can be proud of. This film had a budget of of just under 3 million dollars, with about 1.2 million going to below-the-line production (Mr.Viertel confirmed this himself). While that may sound like a fortune to you or I, it's a very small amount when working on a production. The thing that I really enjoyed about this film is that the camera work didn't make it feel like they were working on a small budget. This entire film had the feeling of a much bigger production.

Tara Reid and Kip Pardue both turn in a very solid performance. You truly believe what's going on during the film. Pardue is particularly good at going from the loving person to the paranoid schizophrenic. While there are a couple of minor inconsistencies in this film, I think they can be easily overlooked due to the performances, direction and budget of this film.

Devil's Pond is a truly enjoyable experience. The film will keep you wrapped up in the story and when it's over, you won't think that you've set through 90 minutes. This is a direct to video release, so run out and grab a copy at your local video store. I look forward to seeing more work from Viertel in the future.

link directly to this review at http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=8626&reviewer=351
originally posted: 01/23/04 12:37:15
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