Kids Go to the Woods... Kids Get Dead (2009) (V)

Director:

Michael Hall

Writer:

Michael Hall

Release Date:

June 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Plot:

Paying homage to the classic slasher flick - featuring horny teenagers, worthless cops, a crazy war vet and a masked killer. Complete with VHS static, fake commercials and vignettes with horror hostess Candy Adams.

Plot Keywords:

B Movie | Independent Film

Cast

Leah Rudick	...	Casey
Andrew Waffenschmidt	...	Scott
Joseph Campellone	...	The Killer
Carly Goodspeed	...	Candy Adams
Meghan Miller	...	Heather
Eric Carpenter	...	Derrick
Amanda Rising	...	Jill
Kevin Shea	...	Lloyd
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kristen Adele	...	Robin
Ashley Callan	...	Shampoo Girl
Bradley Creanzo	...	Brad
Mary Elisabeth	...	Lisa
Michael C. Freeland	...	Biff
Mike Hall Sr.	...	Uncle Bill
Nick Hall	...	Dave
Phillip Langer	...	Sheriff Jones
Michelle Lawson	...	Vicki
Nancy Malleo	...	Mom
Dory Manzour	...	Deputy Sampson
Sal Massari	...	Dad
George Rallis	...	Bartender
Seth Stephens	...	Tom

Directed by
Michael Hall

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Hall

Produced by
Michael Hall	....	producer

Original Music by
Dave Gillen

Cinematography by
Robert J. Huntley

Film Editing by
Michael Hall
Robert J. Huntley
Nathan Nowlin

Costume Design by
Eleni Koutsouradis

Makeup Department
Julie Langer	....	makeup artist
Julie Langer	....	special makeup effects artist

Sound Department
Neal Seidman	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Bradley Creanzo	....	camera operator
Bradley Creanzo	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eleni Koutsouradis	....	costume supervisor

Thanks
James Cullen Bressack	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Darkstar Entertainment

Distributors

• Robb Studios (2012) (worldwide) (all media)
• Robb TV (2012) (worldwide) (TV)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Company:

Darkstar Entertainment

For Bad B movie lovers only.

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

A group of friends head up to a cabin in the country to celebrate one of their friends (named CASEY) birthday. Along for the ride is the usual stereotypical college kids one would see in a film such as this, Casey's sex starved, dumb boyfriend, the obnoxious jock etc. & let's not forget Casey's weirdo brother, who just can't make a hit with the ladies no matter how hard he tries, with even his sisters friends & boyfriend constantly picking on him & laughing at him, however he just might be the only one able to save their butts when a ferocious serial killer that the brother is reading about in a horror novel, has come to life, with attempts to kill them all, wearing a miners mask & brandishing a sharp blade. With a title like KIDS GO TO THE WOODS...KIDS GET DEAD, how can one not at the very least not give the film's box art & plot description a glance at the most? The plot as you have already read is no more than just kids heading into the woods & getting killed by a supernatural serial killer. The direction was not to bad for a film like this, with MICHAEL HALL, writing, producing, directing & editing his first feature, obviously made on an almost non existent budget. He actually displays some really good ideas, as well as adding touches of humour to help elevate the film from the usual shot on video direct to DVD slop. Unfortunately, an extremely low budget has proved to be Hall's worst enemy, since it's obvious he could not afford any halfway decent actors here (or at the very least an attractive cast that can't act). The film follows through on all the various slasher movie clichés such as worthless cops, a creepy Vietnam veteran that runs the store, that knows of the evil lurking in those woods & tries to warn the kids who of course ignore his warnings to not head up to the cabin & of course the obligatory sex & nudity. The gore is okay for what it is worth, with lots of blood being thrown around, as well as some good, if cheap special effects,. I will give the film some props, despite the fact that it doesn't work as it should have (again an almost non existent budget hinders the film-makers from achieving their true vision) & the suspense & tension factors, not to mention the atmosphere, are almost non existent & the film to often over indulges in cheap thrills & clichés, with Hall never really explaining as to how the killer is able to manifest himself in the flesh, nor why, is the book cursed? why does it foretell everything that is going to happen to the kids? where did he get the book? & who wrote it? & at times, makes the mistake of later on in the film of showing a cop getting killed with an axe in closeup, since you can see the axe is made of plastic. Again Hall shows some good idea's here, such as having an ELVIRA like horror host named CANDY ADAMS (But she goes for sexy instead of the dark, Gothic look) interrupt the proceedings a few times throughout the film to chat, that's after of course the film fast forwards through hilariously funny, cheap looking bad commercials & old family home movie moments (The film is supposed to be taped on an old VHS tape) & as a result the film could have been a disaster had he taken this whole project seriously, as it is he appears to be playing the film for laughs, with the best moment being the opening scene with a big breasted, dumb blonde, badly acted nurse tripping & falling in the woods & pathetically unable to get up as the killer catches her & kills her. All in all, though despite the fact the film has some humorous moments & the fact I really admire the film-makers for trying to inject something new, fun idea's into the tired & cliché ridden worn out plot & as well as it's obvious the film- maker's heart was in the right place, I really can't recommend this one to horror fans, since it's not scary enough, nor entertaining enough to satisfy. This is strictly for fans who enjoyed those old ELVIRA horror hosted cheapies of the 70's & 80's. If you're not one of them, I advise you skip this one. But if you did love some of those cheap bad classics Elivra used to host, then by all means dig in.

**1/2 stars

PROLOX TRIVIA:

When the kids get out of the van upon first arrival at the cabin keep you;re eyes on the window of the van you can see the film crew.