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DEEP IN THE WOODS
(Tartan Terror DVD) aka 'Premenons-nous Dans Le Bois'
Head Count: 
Tag-line: 'Don't go there alone' (UK) Death Toll: Eight unlucky souls. Not all killed by the same person, either. Cutting Remarks: French slasher movies are as rare as French rock bands, so the subtitled Deep In The Woods was always going to be a curio. Despite having been marketed with the typical teen slasher poster, in the style of Scream and its many descendents, this is more of a DarioArgento-esque piece. The plot sees five actors summoned to a chateau - which is deep in the woods, strangely enough - in order to perform Little Red Riding Hood for Nicholas, the autistic son of the creepy, wheelchair-bound Lord Axel De Ferson. Unusually for a slasher movie, two of the characters form a lesbian couple. Needless to say, people start to die. Is it the gardener and part-time taxidermist, Stephane? Or the irritatingly weird cop? Or even Wilfried, one of their own number, who seems to be getting more intense by the minute? The latter is a slight misjudgement on director Lionel Delplanque's part, as he is a very obvious herring rouge. Deep In The Woods features some jolting, bloody murders. It is also brilliantly shot. However, its own artistry often works against it, when the proceedings appear overly stylised and lose their edge. The climax, for instance, is badly handled, being cut together into a slow-motion, arty montage. Not what's required at all. Still, a glossily enjoyable romp which invents a new slasher mask - the Big Bad Wolf. Most Memorable Demise: One character gets a harpoon shot through her stomach. Then falls 30 feet. Of course, she lands directly in the middle of a floor mosaic, just to get a nice shot. Look Out For: Young Nicholas stabbing himself in the hand with a fork, at the dinner table. Silly boy. Killer Quote: "I think I may rape someone tonight!" - could Wilfried, gulp, be the killer? Release Dates: June 14, 2000 (France, theatrical), August 26, 2002 (UK, DVD/VHS, through Tartan Terror) DVD Extras: Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Star and Director Filmographies. The original theatrical trailer. Five (on-screen) pages of notes by Alan Jones and a Tartan Terror Trailer reel, including ads for the likes of Basket Case and Blood Feast. [Check it out at Amazon US] [Reviews Menu] [Home] © Copyright Slasherama 2002-present |