Canny, clever novice filmmaking

Rating: 6/10 (28 June 2001)

Independently-produced thriller filmed on videotape concerning 3 student filmmakers making a documentary about the haunted woods near their Maryland homes. Those looking for a slambang chiller will be disappointed--the budget obviously didn't allow for special effects--but the movie certainly works as an examination of the deterioration of the human mind in crisis, complete with dissension and hysteria. The actors are extremely capable and the results are largely creepy for a one-time viewing. It also deserves credit for tapping into the sudden need in America for "real" entertainment. **1/2 from ****.