Two hunters who have journeyed deep into the woods stumble across a burial site. They decide to dig it up. It is only after they uncover a strange horned skull amongst the artifacts that the... Read allTwo hunters who have journeyed deep into the woods stumble across a burial site. They decide to dig it up. It is only after they uncover a strange horned skull amongst the artifacts that they become aware of the evil they have unleashed. Getting out of the woods becomes a nightma... Read allTwo hunters who have journeyed deep into the woods stumble across a burial site. They decide to dig it up. It is only after they uncover a strange horned skull amongst the artifacts that they become aware of the evil they have unleashed. Getting out of the woods becomes a nightmare for the two men.
- Alex Kerwood
- (as D.J. Perry)
- Pathologist
- (as Rachael Walker)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- GoofsAfter Helen Kerwood is attacked by the beast, one would guess she's dead or at least unconscious. However, her fingers keep moving, then her whole arm shifts, then her fingers again. If she were still conscious, she should show some reaction to the pain of having her arm ripped off.
- ConnectionsEdited into In the Woods: Behind the Scenes (2007)
- SoundtracksSushi Blues
Written and Performed by BDK
Although D.J. Perry's character is no innocent, when he first journeys into the forest (he is an alcoholic and an emotionally abusive husband), the viewer gets the sense that he is unaware of the world in which he lives. He is, like many individuals, contented with the life in which he lives: working, drinking, and going home; this routine is his world. When he is forced to face the inconsistencies and unexpected circumstances which life throws his way, manifested rather dully by a three-horned dog and a reptilian-looking homo sapien, he demonstrates an incapacity to tackle turmoil and confusion. Most everyone in his life, but particularly his wife, pays a price for his lack of insight. Yet, in the end, miraculously he overcomes his naiveté, but realizes that "the beast continues to exist in the forest," and that is the nature of "the forest" (of life). Now, while that may sound fairly intriguing, Drzick fails to motivate the viewer to invest any empathy or emotion into the film. D.J. Perry's and Jim Gruelick's turn as a quixotic duo fails for, among other reasons, lack of chemistry and unengaging dialogue. Perry's relationship to his wife, although more involved than his connection with Gruelick, is too cursory and terse to be effective. The dynamics of this dysfunctional household are presented in a rather shallow, inept manner.
The creatures, as hinted at previously, lack even the sophistication of, in reference to the B-movie classics of the 1950s, lizards with prosthetic armaments attached to their bodies. The three-horned dog reminds one of a stuffed animal, with three tusks attached to its face.
Of even more disappointment is the film's screen writing. Apparently, this film is set in the United States; it would seem near the forests of the Carolinas. In flashback sequences (which are not readily connected to the film's plot nor to D.J. Perry's character development), two knights (one of which may be a sorcerer who conjured up these monsters to wage a battle between two kingdoms) appear fighting in the forest. I mean, "hello!," knights and sorcerers were indigenous to medieval Europe, not 12th or 13th century North America. Also, the tag line for this film is "Vengeance is Timeless." OK, what was this "vengeance" (as supposedly set forth in these flashbacks) based upon, and how does it relate to the D.J. Perry character's conflict. No direct ties to this "medieval" vengeance, and the film's focus on this man and his wife is ever made.
I give this film 1 out of 10 points. My criticisms go to the heart of the screenplay, the acting, and the special effects. However, one suggestion for the director, Lynn Drzick, is to consider the original material, and reshape it to create tension, significance, and believability. "In the Woods" may have the chance for merit, but unfortunately, this merit is utterly unrealized and shockingly disregarded in the final cut.
- Jay-90
- Feb 18, 2002
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Catacomb of Creepshows
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $252,000 (estimated)