The Woods (2006)

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

RELEASED IN 2006 and directed by Lucky McKee, "The Woods" chronicles events in 1965 New England when a troubled teen (Agnes Bruckner) is dropped off at a spooky remote boarding school for girls by her estranged parents (Bruce Campbell & Emma Campbell). Weird, witchy things ensue. Patricia Clarkson plays the dean while Lauren Birkell and Rachel Nichols play fellow students, one nice and the other mean. This is a mystery/horror flick that combines "Suspiria" (1977) with elements of "Carrie" (1976) and "The Ruins" (2008) or "Man-Thing" (2005) (yes, I realize "The Ruins" came out later; I'm just trying to give people an idea of what the movie's like). The haunting atmosphere and the Montreal location are very good, as well as the unsettling creepiness. So the plot is a winner, the film looks good and there's an effective darkness, if that's your thang. Unfortunately, the story is underwhelming. It's too ambiguous and feels incomplete, like a half hour of events were cut from the runtime. The hints of levitation and telekinetic abilities don't amount to much, nor do the leaves on a bed.The characters are either underdeveloped or unlikable, except for maybe the protagonist (Bruckner). All we know about Heather is that she recently set fire to something and there's enmity between her and her self-absorbed mother. The father is a pushover. We don't learn much about them or anyone else at the academy. Marcy provokes pity while Samantha is too over-the-top as the villain. You're more curious about WHY she's so mean than anything else. With all the young females available, the filmmakers drop the ball by not taking advantage of these resources (and I'm not tawkin' bout nudity or sleaze). The emotionless deliveries of the all-female faculty don't help, but I realize they were written that way to create a sense of oddness and it works. The witchcraft elements are decidedly subdued, which I liked; the focus is on the formidableness of the forest itself (hence the title). Speaking of which, the woods F/X in the last act are well done. THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 31 minutes and was shot at McGill University, Montréal, Québec. WRITER: David Ross. GRADE: C

It was a really good film, it can be rough on some scenes. I absolutely like Agnes Bruckner playing as Heather Fasulo, she's an absolute badass! I hated in the scenes where she was bullied by the blond girl who just taunted her with horrible nicknames! Seriously the amount of abuse Heather got, was absolutely terrible! She didn't have a good life anyway since her crazy mother disowned her and made the father (Bruce Campbell) drive her up to that horrifying boarding school! It then really becomes awesome in the end, Bruce Campbell became the hero once again by killing the witches who badly needed to destroy Heather. As usual, the good always wins over evil! It was great also to see Patricia Clarkson as the witch, she is like the best underrated actresses out there. Who knew that her character would become from a guidance councellor to a witch all along? She definitely did well, well done to her!I really liked this good horror film, I give it a 8/10!

"The Woods" is just another example of a film that seemingly seems to possess such potential but is let down by the directing and screenplay. It did seem that "The Woods" had an interestingly complex story, but unfortunately it was far too complex to actually tell to the audience, meaning that we are left confused and underwhelmed by the mixed up finale. "The Woods" however does boast atmospheric and creepy direction, (even though it does look as if it was more of a TV movie than an actual film) unfortunately, the story becomes confused and as twisted as the branches. However, it is intriguing and although it does let you down, it's worth a watch.

Predictable plot devices can't harm what's a compellingly performed and slickly directed slow-burn supernatural feature "The Woods" just happens to be. Even with its foreseeable nature, the chilling story manages to balance your interest with its eerily haunting atmospherics of its remote surroundings and the slightly offbeat mannerisms of its characters. The opening half of the dreary plot is smartly captured, drawing you in as it tries to screw around with the possibilities where it drums up an intriguing urban legend-like theme. The school has something of a past… terrible and dark secrets that the girls like to talk about in hush-hush means although the teachers (looking all but suspicious with their glaring eyes and minor nodding) simply pass it off. However after building upon it's tearing psychological traits and devious developments, it somewhat goes off the rails delving in shock-tactics with an overload of some mediocre computer FX work. This is when it turns outrageously silly, especially in the final 15 minutes or so. The old-fashion build-up is all but lost. Good chemistry between the actresses, as there is very adept performances by Emma Campbell and Agnes Bruckner. They might be stoic, but that's the film's tone. Cult fans will enjoy the presence of Bruce Campbell. Director Lucky McKee's sober, but classy handling crafts out some striking visuals demonstrating some moments of mystic and suspense. Also it's beautifully scored with a very fitting soundtrack.