The Device (2014) (film DVD review)
Two sisters, Abby (actress Angelo DiMarco) and Rebecca (actress Kate Alden), finally get together after many years to spread their mother’s ashes on a lake they used to visit when young. Abby’s boyfriend, Calvin (actor David S. Hogan), comes along and hears from her that Rebecca had a traumatic abortion when young. Rebecca is drawn to the forest and Abby follows and they discover what appears to them to be a couple parts of a downed aircraft. A large spherical black object which cuts Rebecca’s hand and she collapses. Later, she recovers and wants to go back and they should leave the object behind.
They return to Calvin and Abby’s home and he brought the object and finds out it has some unusual properties, like returning to the top of the table when spun down it. Rebecca is uneasy about it but Calvin says they ought to find out what it is and, if it proves dangerous, then they’ll call the police or army. Oh, did I say Abby was getting nightmares? A lot of them. So is Calvin.
They both have medical checks and Abby is told she is pregnant. Should I mention that there is a humanoid alien in Abby’s dreams. Quite why Calvin keeps the sphere under their bed she doesn’t know but even Abby wants it gone now.
Later, Rebecca explains what really happened years ago at the lake and that she was a victim of alien abduction. Thing is, the dreams are getting worse for Abby as the alien periodically examines her. Calvin keeps the object in the basement until Rebecca has done and Abby gets rid of it. Calvin gets a report from the doctor who tells him he’s sterile so how is Abby pregnant. He’s not a happy bunny and doesn’t believe in immaculate conception. She wants to see her own doctor but advised to see Dr. Mora (actor Russell Hodgkinson) who had treated Rebecca and believes in the alien abduction. He also wants her gone when he realises she’s pregnant.
Meanwhile, back at the house, Rebecca returns and finds Calvin has also gone crazy. From there, its all spoiler.
This film relies on minimum cast and plays quite low-key. The alien (actor Gabriel Condon) is really scary looking when you get to see him from time to time. Don’t expect anything too spectacular for an alien abduction film but as a drama, it ticks over quite nicely.
It also has three audio commentaries. The first is with co-writer/co-producer John Portanova, director/co-writer/co-producer Jeremy Berg and co-producer Matt Mendisch in August 2014. They had to film it before filming ‘The Valley Of The Sasquatch’ (2015). I had to look that film up, it got renamed ‘Hunting Grounds’. They cover why it was made so quickly and production information and living on the real cabin set outside Seattle. The curtains were blacked out to ensure night scenes. They agree that facing a real alien abduction is the scariest thing they could imagine. A lot of the exteriors were filmed in pouring rain which you see from time to time. The device is actually six painted balls of wood. The editing was done in a month and a half, stripping 30 minutes from the film, mostly the dreams. They do give a lot of insight into how much was filmed and then cut. They had a lot of problems with aircraft passing overhead that they had to get around, too. A lot of alien abduction films were referenced throughout and a lot of other film techniques that got them around various problems. There’s a lot more than this but you get the idea.
The second commentary is with cast actors Angela DiMarco who played Abby, Kate Alden who played Rebecca and David S. Hogan as Calvin and their dog in the background. I should point out that DiMarco and Hogan are married and, in real life, known Alden for 12 years unlike in their parts. Considered it was filmed in Seattle and used Seattle actors its hardly surprising they know each other. They also suggest playing the drinking game for the number of times they change clothes, cry and seeing the sphere device. Prepare for some risqué chat but they are also complementary to the production crew by naming them. How many cast can do that in audio commentaries? DiMarco admits she likes alien-based films. A lot of the film was filmed in a temperature of 98F (to me, that’s around 40C) for a winter period. All the alien scenes were filmed on the same day and a reminder that much of the film was filmed out of sequence. The actresses burst into singing ‘Sisters’ whenever they work together with adjusted verses. There’s a lot more than that but is worth listening in.
After watching so many times, it has struck me that Hogan looks awfully like a young version of the late actor, Gary Graham. They aren’t related so it must be something about the eyes and nose.
The third commentary is with co-producer/co-writer John Portanova and ufologist and produced the likes of ‘Fire In The Sky’ (1993). Tracy Tormé (1959-2024). His dad, Mel Tormé had seen a UFO and said it didn’t behave like an aircraft. Much of it is Portanova interviewing Tormé about his film background, especially the TV series ‘Intruders’ (1992) and takes alien abductions very seriously.
GF Willmetts
March 2026
(pub: Image/RLJ Productions. 1 DVD 87 minute film with extras. Price; varies. ASIN: 0361930404177)
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