Monday 14 July 2008

Don't Go In The Woods ... Alone!

How did I come by it? Well, I think the main draw interest wise was that the DVD features a "bonus commentary", which features (among others) Deron Miller of CKY, who (as well as being a super fan of Sleepaway Camp) is a huge fan of this flick.

So I ended up on IMDb and Wikipedia to check out stuff about this movie, then shoved it onto my "wish list", as-it-were, to eventually get around to purchasing.

So, when I needed to get some more miniDV tapes I ended up getting the DVD to go along with it as it was a mere £3.97 ... quite possibly £3.97 too much, but still.

Thankfully ... those involved are fully aware it's an awful film, it really is ... it's ... bad. Also, it IS intended to be funny and silly ... mind you, it's not exactly all that explicit about that intent until the whole escapade involving the bloke in a wheel chair.

Now - for some reason - the DVD release is a complete and utter arse up. The cover gets the date wrong by a whole two years, but more importantly, has a blurb which barely resembles the film at all! For instance - nobody is on a hunting trip, the two leads aren't called Alex or Wayne, there is no burial site, no weird skull which inspires people to kill, and no mention of them being firefighters ... and yes, this skull even has a screen shot on the back of the box - and it's not even in the flick! I really am shocked how a cover can be ballsed up so poorly ... surely it wasn't intentional? If it is, surely it's a bit too close for comfort to various Trading & Advertising laws?

As for the DVD itself, WHERE THE FUCK IS THE MUSIC?! The entire movie is without music, until the end credits ... and there's supposed to be music throughout, as seen in the extra features ... which are ... rough ... to say the least.

Mind you, you do have to admit it truly is an independent production - not only the film but the DVD. A bunch of people out there getting involved in something, which I'm all for ... it was all a bit of a bugger up though, you have to say.

There are good bits though (perhaps shockingly so) - many of the deaths are entertaining, or even somewhat inspired (I'm thinking of the bloke in the wheel chair again, who beat Friday 13th Part 2 to the punch) and you do find yourself laughing out loud at the silliness of it all - especially the dialogue (when there is some to be had, that is) - I remember one was along the lines "we'll get some warm food, into a warm bed, and find a doctor for your cut" ... so says the male lead to the female lead, who's been slashed up pretty good, yet he's painting a picture of a quack sticking on a little plaster over a grazed knee.

Where does this movie fit? Well, it's definitely indie - although there are certainly far better and far more competent indie productions out there - but I think it works best when viewed with friends ... with booze ... and all there to have a laugh at it.

Just like when I got the Sleepaway Camp box set on DVD and watched all three with one of my housemates - who is the sort of person who'd never watch such a film - so not only was it a shock to get him watching them, he fair got into them and we both had an absolute lark about just guffawing and enjoying that particular trilogy. This reminds me though, what's happened with Sleepaway Camp 4? Deron Miller and CKY are actually in that one, tying it neatly back to the beginning of this long-winded musing.

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