The Woods (2006)

I have seen "The Woods" on Sunday night in Montreal. We were delighted. We love the stylish 1960 mood. Beautiful production, very creative image making. The actress are great. The plot is unusual.The music is very good. M.Lucky Mckee has the touch with the actors. IT is far better than most of the suspense-horror crap we have seen these late years. The filming reminds me of David Lean style. This film will age with grace.The two main actress are very good together. I think the special effects at the end were not that good. Sometimes, less is better. The lighting in the forest was poor, not scary enough. And I did not like the word "firecrotch".

Nostradamus

Fmovies: Judging from the enthusiastic response at Sunday night's screening, I suspect that if THE WOODS were given a conventional theatrical release, it would attract a wide audience. The film is structured and presented as a nightmare, and it has the inconsistencies and incongruities that a nightmare has. That is too much for some people to tolerate, but judging from the screening, there are many who get it, and like it. There is much to like. Fans of MAY will be happy to see that Lucky McKee has developed more fully into an actor's director, zeroing in on character and bringing to a scene the proper dramatic balance and tone. They'll also be pleased to see that given a modest budget by today's shock-horror standards, he has exhibited new freedom of movement and imagery. Above all, this is a visually stunning film. with an almost overwhelming sound design that is understandably too much for some people. McKee knows how to create a mood of foreboding, but he chooses to do it through artistry rather than through cheap manipulation. The clichés that he uses are an evocation, not an imitation, of classics like SUSPIRIA. What lights up the screen is an individual voice, a distinctive style that immediately sets McKee apart from his contemporaries. It's not that he does it better (although compared with most Hollywood releases, he really does it better), but that his work is instantly recognizable as unique, clearly identifiable, unlike anything we've seen before. There is a unity of artistic elements, with cinematography, art direction, music, sound and acting that blend seamlessly into a coherent style that is more important to the film than the details of the story. That's a pretty tough accomplishment, and one that may or may not appeal to thrill-seeking moviegoers, but it's earned him enough respect from his peers to be named one of the "Masters of Horror." He belongs in that group because of the way he approaches his work, not because of the number of screams his films generate, or the clarity and logic of his scripts. It's not for everybody, but it does strike a chord with fans who value the way McKee creates and sustains tension, allows his characters to come alive within the story, and moves the camera with breathtaking effect. I'm still not sure what was going on in that school, but I know how it felt to watch it, and I found this movie riveting. McKee is aiming at lyricism, and while we should expect that plot is also served, in this film it is secondary. Nightmare logic isn't covered in Aristotle's Six Elements of Drama. It is McKee's creativity that we experience, and it was gratifying, last Sunday night, to be among so many people who came to enjoy themselves watching the work of this talented film maker.

I have been waiting for this film to come out for 3 years and finally I saw it a few days ago and I liked it very much. I think Lucky is a very talented director with such insight and vision.

I don't know why it took so long to come out or why it went straight to DVD...it's too bad, I thought it deserved much more. I thought the story was intriguing but the plot could have been tweaked a bit. I thought the acting was really very good from all the performers but that doesn't surprise me because Lucky is so great with his actors and really works closely with them to get the most out of each scene and performance. How do I know all this? I worked with Lucky on this film and loved every minute I had on the set and he's the best director I have ever worked with by far but that's not why I say such nice things...if I didn't like it I would say nothing!! I was also bummed that there are no special features like the making of which I was really looking forward to because Lucky's father was filming everything on a video camera and got some awesome stuff and the outtakes...where are the outtakes? Deleted scenes? Director's commentary? Such a shame because I think many people would have really enjoyed all that stuff..I always do when I watch DVD's. Oh well, all in all I enjoyed it and can't wait to see what Lucky comes out with next!! I really do wish him all the best!!

The Woods fmovies. In 1965, after provoking a fire in a forest, the rebel teenager Heather Fasulo (Agnes Bruckner) is sent to the boarding school Falburn Academy in the middle of the woods by her estranged mother Alice Fasulo (Emma Campbell) and her neglected father Joe Fasulo (Bruce Campbell). The dean Ms. Traverse (Patricia Clarkson) accepts Heather in spite of the bad financial condition of her father. The displaced Heather becomes close friend of he weird Marcy Turner (Lauren Birkell), while they are maltreated by the abusive mate Samantha Wise (Rachel Nichols). During the nights, Heather has nightmares and listens to voices from the woods, and along the days she believes that the school is a coven of witches. When some students, including Marcy, simply vanish, Heather believes she will be the next one.

"The Woods" is an interesting low paced horror movie directed by Lucky McKee, the director of the cult-movie "May". Using a creepy atmosphere to develop the characters and the supernatural mysteries surrounding the boarding school and their teachers, the story reaches its climax in the very end, when the secret of the Falburn Academy is finally disclosed. The underrated actress Patricia Clarkson is scary in the role of the evil dean of the school; the cult Bruce Campbell has a minor but important participation; and Agnes Bruckner is also good in her role. "The Woods" is never better than "May", but it is also a good psychological horror movie. Mr. Lucky McKee, please do not wait for another four years to release your next movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Floresta" ("The Woods")

To hear Director Lucky McKee tell it at a post screening interview at the 2006 Fantasia film festival, the reason his movie The Woods hasn't been released is due to "corporate bullshit", however I'd have to say it has more to do with a distinct lack of tension and chills which, in a horror movie, isn't good. If you were looking for a reason why MGM has kept this movie sitting on the shelf for the past three years, this would be it.

Don't get me wrong. The Woods is a stylish, slickly made, well acted movie. Far worse have made their big screen debut, although simply because other studios have seen fit to put lesser fare in the cineplexes, doesn't necessarily mean they should follow suit with The Woods.

The movie tells the story of Heather (Agnes Bruckner), a troubled girl with a penchant for setting fires, who is relegated to an all girl boarding school by her parents, played by Canadian actress Emma Campbell and "The Chin" Bruce Campbell of Army of Darkness fame. It's there that she slowly learns that witchcraft is afoot and that she, along with select other students have been targeted for ulterior motives by the nefarious teaching staff as a result of their unique paranormal talents.

McKee, who rose to fame with his 2002 movie May, draws heavily on Italian horror cinema influences (the film bears more than a passing similarity to Dario Argento's Suspira), The Woods devotes far more time than most films of the genre building audience identification with the central characters, which normally is a good thing, however in this case it appears to have come at the expense of the fright factor. I suppose McKee was aiming for a slow, turn-of-the-screw approach to mounting tension, culminating with the film's orgasmic release, however it didn't work for me. Instead the movie seemed to plod along in a meandering fashion, only to suddenly kick into high gear during the final 15 minutes.

It's all too bad, really, because The Woods has many strengths going for it. It's terrifically photographed, the cinematography even plays with color hues throughout the film for a stylish effect. It's well acted with copious nifty quirks, the dialog flows naturally, and the special effects are superb. If only this movie delivered more chills than it promises, it would have probably been released a year or more ago.

After all the delay this film suffered I finally got around to seeing Lucky McKee's second movie. His first, 'May', was weird but brilliant horror with some genuine shock moments. The Woods doesn't disappoint in either department. The film is set in 1965 and centres around Heather Fasulo (Agnes Bruckner) who is sent to an all-girl boarding school in the middle of the woods. Right from the start she suspects that something is different about the school and it doesn't help the teachers are all a tad weird, especially Headmistress Traverse (Patricia Clarkson). Her suspicion is raised when the girls at the school tell her the story of three witches who took over the school 100 years ago.

McKee's influences are obvious. From cult favourite 'The Evil Dead', Dario Argento's masterpiece 'Suspiria' and the supernatural Stephen King adaptation of 'Carrie.' He blends all these into an original little horror that is effective and interesting from start to finish. The first hour is actually very slow paced and in terms of horror there isn't a whole lot. That's not a bad thing, however, as it allows McKee to create a mystery around the central theme and develop the characters nicely. The last 20 minutes take a different stance, with gore galore and a neat twist which wraps up the movie nicely. The acting is good from all, Agnes Bruckner carries the movie well, Patricia Clarkson is subtle as the villain and Bruce Campbell makes a cool cameo. All in all 'The Woods' is a fine horror and I eagerly await McKee's next movie! 4/5