REEL DEAL: Conceived Too Soon In "Devil's Due"

After Zach and Sam’s emotional wedding ceremony, they take off for a honeymoon in the stunning coastlines of Dominican Republic. From the stunning sceneries, their honeymoon suddenly takes a bizarre turn after an encounter with a psychic who warns them that “he has been waiting.”

Much to their surprise, after a night of copious quantities of alcohol, the newlyweds wake up with nary a memory of their honeymoon’s first night.

REEL DEAL: Fear Is Born In The Blood-Curling Horror Thriller "Devil's Due" On March 19

A film about a woman impregnated with…something powerful and evil, and dealing with horrific consequences is the “Devil’s Due.”

In “Devil’s Due,” a young couple, Zach McCall (Zach Gilford) and Samantha (Allison Miller) is  about to tie the knot.  A bright future lies ahead for them – and after an emotional wedding ceremony, they take off for a honeymoon in the sun-kissed Dominican Republic.  Their trip takes a bizarre turn after an uncomfortable session with a psychic, who ominously warns the couple that “he has been waiting.” More than a little taken aback by the encounter, Zach and Sam find themselves lost on some dark and empty streets when they finally find a cab driver, who insists on driving them to a subterranean bar for an “autentico” Dominican Republic experience.   Then, things get really unsettling.

Sam and Zach soak up the unusual surroundings – as well as copious quantities of alcohol.  Along the way, fleeting glimpses of disturbing images accompany them from the revelry:  a heap of bones, a grinning skull, a hideous flash of a limp and bloody female body, muffled voices…and a low, insistent chanting.  Flash forward to the next morning.  The newlyweds remember little of the previous night’s events.  Shortly after their return home, Sam learns she is pregnant.  Despite the surprising news, the couple makes plans for an addition to their new family. 

REEL DEAL: Ramped-Up Scares And Shocks In Devil's Due

A few years ago, a quartet of filmmakers known as Radio Silence, comprised of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Chad Villella and Justin Martinez, helmed a segment of the horror anthology film V/H/S about four friends who show up for a Halloween house party, only to realize that not only are they in the wrong home, they have stumbled onto an exorcism.  The segment ends in a melee of brilliantly staged and horrific mayhem and inventive visual effects.The film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Magnolia Pictures.               

The group’s 2010 short film Mountain Devil Prank Goes Horribly,went “viral” and led directly to the V/H/S assignment.  That in turn led to Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett getting the nod to direct their debut feature film, “Devil’s Due,” with Villella and Martinez serving as executive producers.

The quartet’s work on “Devil’s Due” showcases a series of ramped-up scares, shocks and an overall disquieting tone.  But, notes Gillett, they were also striving to make a thriller that “feels really emotionally connected and character driven from the start.  In “Devil’s Due,” after a mysterious, lost night on their honeymoon, a newlywed couple finds themselves dealing with an earlier-than-planned pregnancy. While recording everything for posterity, the husband begins to notice odd behavior in his wife that they initially write off to nerves, but, as the months pass, it becomes evident that the dark changes to her body and mind have a much more sinister origin.

REEL DEAL: YouTube Group Phenomenon Radio Silence Reel It Real Time In "Devil's Due"

There’s the traditional route to a directorial debut; camcorder obsession, film school, an internship, personal assistant, directorial assistant, the keys to the store. And then there’s Radio Silence, a collective of four talented filmmakers who used YouTube to learn their craft, post their clips and advertise their wares with so much professional aplomb that Fox made all their dreams come true.

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Justin Martinez and Chad Villella grew from the ashes of the former group known as Chad, Matt & Rob, three friends who had an idea, a camera, some technical expertise – much of it gleaned from YouTube tutorials –and got to work. Their breakout was Alien Roommate Prank Goes Bad, a found-footage style short they posted in February 2008; as of today, it’s been viewed more than 32 million times.