Devour

If the tagline "Don't get Mad. Get Evil" is not enough of a hint of what you can expect from this release, let the fact that this one went straight to video clue you in. Devour features a typical trio of teenage 20-somethings whose personalities range from the sexually promiscuous gal pal to the pot smoking best buddy. Amidst a chance meeting with a newfound love interest (Shannyn Sossamon, The Rules of Attraction), our slightly righteous hero, Jake (Jensen Ackles, Smallville), is forced into a world of darkness via an online game called The Pathway. By playing, Jake's life is opened up to mysterious strangers that manipulate the game players into doing naughty things. For some reason, no one in the film points out the fact that unfamiliar people who follow you around and tell you to hurt other people is a little odd... at least not until the body count begins. Overall, this is simply a "run of the mill" horror movie that is almost too boring, despite only running at 90 minutes. David Winkler does a decent job working with the material, but this second-rate horror story blends stolen ideas from films like Rosemary's Baby, The Ring and even A Nightmare on Elm Street. Despite initially preying upon modern fears of internet spies and identity theft, the film drifts into a plot involving Satanism that proves far less effective. Including Ackles should help this movie reach a younger female crowd however, and this film admittedly features a couple of disturbingly violent scenes that will capture the heart of any horror fan. Still, do not expect to get anything else from this release. Instead, expect this one to fade into obscurity and take its place in your local video store's dusty horror section. Plus: none. (Columbia/Sony)