More like Formica than real wood

Rating: Null/10 (2 August 1999)

Whatever you do, do not see this movie alone! Not because it is scary, but so you will have another perspective. While my movie partner was screaming in fear, I was screaming let me out of here! I was excited when it started, and ecstatic when it was over. This rates as one of the most tedious and boring movies I have seen in years. The effect,to me, was more like Formica, than real wood. It was pretending to be something real, but I was never able to believe it.
Three film students get lost in the woods on a quest for any truth behind local myths of witch evils, and ritual slayings. You know the ending from the very beginning, so how the story takes us there is the meat of the movie. Events start out fairly enough, introducing the players and effectively sharing their enthusiasm and naivete'. The filming process can be dizzying but is part of the premise. The first half of the movie lost my attention and was never strong enough to recapture it. As a result, I never felt their fear, or cared about their plight, but instead my mind wandered during the terror-like scenes to visions of the real film crew skipping happily through the woods gathering bundles of twigs and rocks, while others strung them into funky voodoo ornaments to hang in the trees. Lapses in logic became more noticeable due to my lost interest and the seriousness of the documentary pretense. If you find yourself in that position during this movie, you might wonder where they found the super-batteries to power their cameras?..why would someone waste flashlight power to sew in the dark when you might really need it to find the boogie-bitch later...why, if you are scared witless, hallucinating about mashed potatoes, inhumanly fatigued, and eating tree leaves, could you even consider hauling around a 70 pound back pack, much less, remain focused on filming??? While the script's depiction of bickering and likely conversations may have been one of the more accurate aspects of the movie, that too, became annoying due to its excessive reliance on the characters "f**king" limited vocabulary.
Many moviegoers will love this effort simply because it is different, not because it is good. That alone, reflects the sad state of big budget offerings. Hooray for the true indies and I'm happy for this group and their success. Maybe they can make the movie business better now.

There certainly seems to be no middle ground for personal or professional passions regarding this movie. You love it or you hate it. With that in mind, wait for the discount showing or video. It will be a bargain love fest, and not much lost for the other scenario (take a flashlight and a knitting project, just in case). But please, if you choose to see this move, bring a friend and plan for lively discussion afterward.