DON'T GO IN THE WOODS...ALONE

DON'T GO IN THE WOODS...ALONE

An uneven if cheerfully exploitative entry in the 'Slasher-thon' pantheon of the 1980's, Don't Go in the Woods . . . Alone was just one of many pictures that hopped on the "Don't" bandwagon, which warned us against straying into basements, houses, or, in this case, the woods. More importantly, this cult favorite -- as often revered for its inadequacies as for its ability to celebrate sleaze and violence in the primal deep of the forest -- managed to make fun of the very genre that is strove so hard to decipher, joining the plethora of other slasher thrillers that took place in Man's last stronghold of primal savagery and freedom. A sense of unconscious parody and undeniable streak of energy runs through this uneven body count opus, re-mastered and seen uncut for the first time on DVD courtesy of Media Blasters and newcomer Code Red.

Don't Go in the Woods is an admittedly poor story, filled with tiring cliché, idiotic decisions on the part of VERY minimally drawn characters, dull pacing, and little if any script/story development. Transplanting the 'body-count' formula of countless other Slasher films before it, the chief merits of this 'comedy' are its instances of complete illogic, with the whole of the fragmented story possessing the surreal atmosphere of a bad dream, albeit beneath the summer sun. The boy count formula, began, in earnest, by Agatha Christie's seminal Ten Little Indians, even at the time of Woods making was growing stale. Friday the 13, The Burning, and countless other psychological horror films had/would paint the woods red. Yet despite over familiarity, a minuscule budget, and more enthusiasm than sense, the movie overcomes its limitations, somehow capturing our attention if only during the odd moments of atmosphere and, more truthfully, during the fun, reckless kill scenes for which it has long been known. The story: four young back-packers looking for sun, fun, sex, and adventure hike through the mountains during the weekend. Consisting of Craig, Peter, Ingrid and Joanie, these kids are parodies in and of themselves, each so broadly drawn as to be easily substituted for practically any other slasher film. Traveling at the height of summer, Craig's warns his friends not to 'go into the woods alone.' Of course they do, only to find -- surprise! -- a killer is wiping out campers in the mountain. The kids -- and assorted large-boned women climbing hillsides and young couples on the make -- find sloppy deaths at the hands of a mysterious woodsman, whose trademark is yelling while shaking tree branches. Craig finds himself at the business end of a machete while the others flee, and the remainder of the day (and subsequent night) is spent watching the dim-wits run from the blood happy mountain man.

A return to the glory-gory days of 80's slaughter-fests -- many of which had more brawn than brains, story taking backseat to physical carnage -- Don't Go in the Woods is more shlock than shock. Lacking a coherent story, and treating its characters more as caricatures, the screenplay suggests a greater interest in how to kill off its characters than on how to make them believable. While in many storytelling circles this is unadvisable, and weakens narrative, for selected horror films, particularly the gory mechanisms of the slasher, a bad story can nevertheless produce an enjoyable film. Grade Z exploitation at its most simplistic, this 'killer in the woods' extravaganza entertains despite itself, focusing on satisfyingly gory dismemberments and enough brutality to recommend it to lovers of grade Z trash. While not a successful example of psychological horror, and certainly not up to par with classics of the genre upon which it attempted to model itself, Don't Go in the Woods . . . Alone does convey cheap thrills and sudden moments of shock. As such it sets comfortably in the pantheon of the so-bad-its-good category. This print, featuring expanded scenes, focuses on the murders in all their unrated fetishism, suggesting the true purpose for the fragmented story's existence -- namely, a format for the spilling of blood and body parts.

Media Blasters/Code Red are off to a good start with this release, the later making their debut, as the visual and audio quality of Don't Go in the Woods is sterling in both picture and sound. The supplements are somewhat more impressive than even the feature itself, featuring commentary and production values that far surpass any on the actual movie. This 25th anniversary edition of a film that celebrates the truism that "everyone has nightmares about the ugliest way to die" is offered in a director supervised Full Frame transfer from original negatives, and is free from the blemishes and blurred image that marred earlier VHS incarnations. Sound is likewise professional, bringing to admirable life the nocturnal sounds of rushing springs, wind through trees, and the terror-riddled screams of the dying. Extras are where this disc shines, featuring supplements that create a context of social commentary and film as a business, both of which encourage a better understanding of the movie at hand. These include a last-minute addition of a new introduction by Deron Miller, a vintage talk show appearance (15 min), and, most noteworthy, a new hour long featurette with the cast and crew, which explores everything from the planning of the film to its production woes. Personal insight is accompanied by production stories in this insightful commentary, and the assessable personalities of all involved make this easy, enjoyable watching. This combination of personal intimacy and show business rigor is further emphasized in two audio commentaries. The first, with director Bryan, is by far the most telling in terms of technical data and the process of producing the feature, while the bonus track featuring CKY's Deron Miller, star Mary Gail Artz and, again, director Bryan is more lively, interspersed with good natured chiding and reminiscences between folks who obviously had a good time together. A poster and still gallery round out the festivities on what is clearly the retro-Slasher event of the year.

Review by William P. Simmons


 
Released by Media Blasters/Code Red
Region 1 - NTSC
Not Rated
Extras :
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