...well frankly I'm not sure, but MGM and Sony ought to be ashamed that they let this beautifully crafted, creepy and thoroughly memorable chiller slip through the cracks.
It's depressing enough that Japanese-horror junk like THE GRUDGE, PULSE, and related rip-offs all get theatrical releases, while Lucky McKee's THE WOODS has been sent straight to DVD, despite having spent two years on the shelf.
It's a somewhat muddled but visually spellbinding tale of a young girl (Agnes Bruckner) who ends up in a girls boarding school in the mid '60s, where all sorts of bizarre supernatural occurrences take place. Bruce Campbell has a co-starring turn and Patricia Clarkson is excellent as the headmistress.
The movie does have narrative problems -- much was apparently cut and the ending changed (there are scenes in both trailers not in the movie) -- but I'll be damned if the film isn't beautifully shot in a moody, creepy manner...with superb performances and the most effective Dolby Digital sound design I've heard all year, with whispering voices, John Frizzell's effective score, and Lesley Gore '60s tracks hauntingly evoking time and place.
Sony's DVD isn't out until October 3rd and doesn't have any extras (sadly), but the movie is compelling, frightening, and stays with you long after the credits have rolled.
Unquestionably recommended!
THE WOODS -- The Best American Horror Movie Since...
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AndyDursin
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