The Woods (2006)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Lucky McKee

Writer (WGA):

David Ross (written by)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Every high school has its secrets...

Plot:

Set in 1965 New England, a troubled girl encounters mysterious happenings in the woods surrounding an isolated girls school that she was sent to by her estranged parents.

Plot Keywords:

Woods | Coven | Boarding School | Nightmare | Fire

Cast

Agnes Bruckner	...	Heather Fasulo
Emma Campbell	...	Alice Fasulo
Bruce Campbell	...	Joe Fasulo
Patricia Clarkson	...	Ms. Traverse
Lauren Birkell	...	Marcy Turner
Jane Gilchrist	...	Ms. Cross
Catherine Colvey	...	Ms. Leland
Marcia Bennett	...	Ms. Mackinaw
Rachel Nichols	...	Samantha Wise
Kathleen Mackey	...	Ann Whales
Cary Lawrence	...	Ms. Charevoix
Colleen Williams	...	Ms. Arbor
Gordon Currie	...	The Sheriff
Jude Beny	...	School Nurse
Melissa Altro	...	Barb (as Missy Altro)

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence and language, including sexual references.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA | UK | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Germany:16 | Australia:MA (2006) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cité du Cinéma, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

This film, which sat on the shelf for nearly three years, caused M. Night Shyamalan to have to change the name of his 2004 film from "The Woods" to The Village (2004).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Towards the end, when Dr. Fasulo is in the hospital, he talks to Ms. Traverse who is on his right side. In the next scene, Ms. Traverse walks over to his left side, but in close-up shots, he continues to look to his right side while talking to her.

Quotes:

Ms. Traverse: [Ms. Mackinaw brings Heather into the office] What is this?
Ms. Mackinaw: Miss Fasulo attacked Miss Wise in the dining hall.
[Her head twitches]
Ms. Traverse: Is that so?
Heather: I didn't...
[she twitches intentionally]
Heather: ... attack anyone. I was just trying to defend myself.
[Ms. Mackinaw looks embarrassed and upset that Heather made fun of her twitch]
Heather: I'm sorry. I didn't meant to...
[Ms. Mackinaw twitches again and leaves angrily]
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Suspiria (1977)

Soundtrack:

He Said Goodbye

Charming, but not as a horror movie

If you try to estimate The Woods as a horror flick it's 2 out of 10. Scary? Impressive story? Good finale? Effects? ... are you kidding?

But despite of all the above the Woods is surprisingly watchable and somehow enjoyable. How's that?

Yes, it's style and imagery (excluding those ridiculous chopping scenes). Hypnotising manner of photography and acting. Slow dialogs, slow movements, close-ups on leading actresses, nice soundtrack selections, charming vocals in chorus scenes. Tea tanned picture, old-fashion haircuts and clothes.

Second, it's a human touch. I mean that scene with radio listening, scene when Heather mimics Mrs.Mackinaw, and so on. It's too common thing for nowadays horror flicks to forget that people are people in the first place, not just screaming dummies for chopping.

In fact, The Woods resembled me Body Snatchers - same slow, beautiful, stylish, and hypnotizing.