An hour too long

Rating: Null/10 (16 August 1999)

I wanted to believe that this would be the scariest movie of recent memory, even if the hype seemed overblown. I knew it would be goreless, I knew a little about the background, but hadn't seen the documentary. I am an indie film fan and a lover of the unusual. I should have been the ideal audience for this movie.
I was bored to tears.
95% of the movie could have been a radio drama, the visuals were that unimpressive. At times, the screen is completely black - could have been a well-timed psychological effect, but it seemed more accidental and unfortunate.
The interviews with townspeople seemed staged and artificial. The woods were mostly bright and well lit, with little undergrowth (haven't these people ever seen a *real* forest?).
The little stick thingies were curious but not haunting. The last few minutes were interesting (finally! I was thinking. Something's happening!) but unclear and only vaguely unsettling. The characters were teeth-grindingly irritating.
Save yourself the seven bucks, or whatever your theater charges - visit the nearest greenbelt and alternate hours of walking in circles and whining with sitting in a dark tent asking "What the **** was that?"