Review: Dead Woman's Hollow

I need to have a little talk with the female Cellmates out there, particularly those of you who haven’t ventured outside of the city much.  In addition to being entertaining, horror movies can also teach us survival skills.  One of those lessons that is often ignored is “stay the hell out of the woods.”  You don’t think they named a movie “Don’t Go In The Woods” just because it was a catchy title, do ya?  Well, maybe they did, but the truth of the matter remains.  Think back to every horror movie you’ve ever watched.  Has going into the woods ever turned out well for anyone?  Not often.  You know who it works out for? Those who are familiar and comfortable with the woods.  In other words, not city folks.  You’re especially in trouble if you have sex in the woods.  That’s a good way to end up raped, slaughtered, raped again, and eaten by some backwoods loon.  The problem is, getting it on out in the forest is a big romantic fantasy for a lot of people.  I want all of you ladies to have the opportunity to experience that, so I’ve decided to selflessly offer my services in your best interest.  I’ve lived in the big city, but I was born in the mountains of North Carolina and spent my childhood in rural Georgia.  I’m very familiar with the woods.  I practically grew up in them.  Horrible things can happen if you’re out there with the wrong guy, so wouldn’t you rather choose a man who knows what’s up in the underbrush?  Now, I know that offer might seem self-serving at first glance but I assure you, ladies, my concern is solely for your personal well-being.  I’m here to help because I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to any of you.  So before you run off into the woods with city boy, think how much safer you’d be with SOC.  Your life may just depend on it.  Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about Dead Woman’s Hollow. 

Synopsis: “Along the Appalachian Trail, Jen (Mel Heflin) and Donna’s (Sarah Snyder) college project to find peace in a bruised and battered world runs into the true face of fear and evil… Leroy (Boodle Montgomery).  The story of Dead Woman;s Hollow unfolds by following a murder investigation by Sheriff Hatsley (Charles Dawson).  The crime reveals many layers to the quest of truth.  The true horror being our ability to hate and the true fear of the killer in us all.”

The number one thing this movie has going for it is atmosphere.  A lot of people who do backwoods/small-town horror play it as way too sensationalistic.  That’s when things like some of the Wrong Turn sequels happen.  Dead Woman’s Hollow has the good sense to keep things low key.  I’m not sure where they shot it, but it had an authenticity that comes with small rural towns.  It reminded me of a lot of places in the mountains of North Carolina.  Speaking of the shooting locations, the outdoor photography is absolutely gorgeous.  They definitely took full advantage of the picturesque terrain.  Everything has that hazy fall pallor that I love. 

Another factor that goes a long way towards the atmosphere is Sheriff Hatsley.  I don’t know if it comes more from the way that John Taylor wrote the character or the performance of Charles Dawson (or both), but he comes across as very believable.  Most movie “small town sheriffs” are shallow stereotypes; just obnoxious for no good reason.  This one has some actual depth.  He seems like he may have been a good guy at one point, but the middle of nowhere beat has ground him down to the point that he’s become a dick with a badge.  It’s a well-drawn character that’s played very competently, making it a joy to watch.

Dawson’s is not the only performance that deserves high commendation.  You know those huge rock mounds that sometimes surround railroad tracks?  Well, the flick opens with Maura Housley stumbling out of the woods naked and climbing up one of those.  Yes, she’s naked and barefoot crawling over rocks.  Now THAT’S dedication to a role.  Major kudos to her for being willing to go the extra mile.  I have an amazing mental picture of her talking to her grandkids one day far in the future.  One of them says something about how easy it is to make a movie now that CGI has taken over.  Maura waves a wrinkly fist at the young whippersnappers and bellows “CGI?  In my day we had to crawl naked over huge piles of jagged rocks in the freezing cold to make a movie!”  The kids roll their eyes and say “Yeah right.  Whatever, grandma.”  She then hobbles to the shelf, pulls out a copy of this movie, brushes away the cobwebs, and proceeds to scar the ungrateful little bastards for life with scenes of granny’s naked, bloody ass crawling over the rocks.  That thought made me laugh harder than it probably should have.  Yes, these are the things I think when I see bloody, naked chicks stumbling down train tracks.  I should probably seek professional help.  What was I talking about anyway?  Oh, Dead Woman’s Hollow.  That’s right.

Another aspect of the flick that I found interesting, and kinda refreshing, is that there are no good guys among the main characters.  Some of the townspeople, like the shopkeepers and secretaries, seem nice enough.  The story focuses on the unsavory folks, though.  As I said, the cops are pricks. Leroy, the killer, is kept mysterious.  He has a great look, but he’s damn hard to understand sometimes.  The ladies are competently played, but the characters are way too bitchy to elicit any kind of sympathy.  The concerned boyfriend might have a violent history.  The rednecks that bring one of the victims to the hospital even turn out to be assholes.  Hell, everyone in this movie is a shade of gray.  I like that approach. 

One thing that I do have to call the movie out on is the editing.  First of all, while they are traversing some really pretty terrain, there is entirely too much footage of the two female leads walking through the woods.  That could have been tightened up by a couple of minutes at least.  Second, some of the dialog scenes need some work.  When there is a shot/reverse shot conversation, there will be a second too long between the previous line and the response.  It makes the scenes play very awkwardly.  This is most evident in the diner scene.

The diner scene!  I almost forgot to talk about the diner scene.  I’m not sure what was going on there, but it seemed like it was lifted from a completely different movie.  The afore mentioned dialogue editing really gave it a bizarre feel.  Then there is the performance of Dan Miller.  I’m not sure what he was going for, but it’s completely bonkers.  I’ve never seen him in anything else, but I kinda got the feeling that he’s being natural to an extent because I don’t see how those acting choices would make sense.  I’m sure it’s intentionally comical, but it’s just so weird that when coupled with the strange pace set by the editing in the scene, it gives the scene a completely different atmosphere from anything that happens before or after it.  It’s almost like it’s not happening in the same reality as the rest of the story.  Although, I now feel compelled to track down the other two flicks he’s been in.

The flick does end with quite a bang.  The final 9 minutes are a taut, engrossing, well-staged piece of cinema.  Everything from the way the minimal lighting glistens off of the sweat on Charles Dawson’s head to the subtle desperation creeping up into Koran Dunbar’s bravado works together perfectly.  It all leads up to a wonderfully downbeat and nihilistic as hell ending that did my cynical little heart good.  Some people like for the good guys to win in their movies.  Others prefer for the bad guys to win.  There’s a place for both, but I always dig endings like this one where nobody wins.

Random Thought #1: The soundtrack works very well in the context of the film.  Some of the musical choices were downright inspired. 

Random Thought #2:  The scene between the Sheriff and Ranger Swanson (think a backwoods bumbling R. Lee Ermy) is hilarious.  Maybe my favorite moment of the flick.

Random Thought #3:  It would have been nice to get a little more background on Leroy.  Maybe see his lair or something.

Random Thought #4:  The identity of the naked chick in the beginning is only mentioned twice in the middle of the movie, less than a minute apart.  I don’t know if I sneezed or took a drink or the dog jumped on me or what, but I totally missed it.  This, coupled with the batshit diner scene and one photographic inconsistency, led me to believe that this was some kind of Lynchian mindf**k with a character having multiple fates and being played by multiple actresses.  A second viewing later, it all made sense.  They really should have mentioned her at least one other time.  On the other hand, I think I might have even liked it better when I thought it made no sense at all.  Then again, I may or may not be nuttier than squirrel shit.

Featuring a lot of the same talent behind a flick I really dug a couple of years ago called Leach, Dead Woman’s Hollow is a cool indie thriller.  It’s got a few rough patches, but it more than makes up for those with a lot of heart, some good acting, atmosphere to spare, and a finale that will punch you in the gut.  It’s also a flick with something to say if you read between the lines.  Congratulations to Libby McDermott for turning out a movie that’s both dark and fun on her maiden voyage in the director’s chair.  Now if I can just figure out what’s up with Dan.  Hit up Dead Woman’s Hollow’s facebook page HERE to get your copy and SUPPORT INDEPENDENT HORROR.  Seven entry wounds out of 10.  Nathan says check it out.   Oh, and remember what I said, ladies.

Review: Leach

There is a very fine and hotly debated line between horror flick and psychological thriller. I would put Leach firmly on the psychological thriller side. People give me a lot of horror flicks of all kinds to review. This is the first psychological thriller I’ve gotten though, and I’ve always kinda wondered about that. You would think that it’s a genre that would lend itself to low budget independent productions. You don’t need elaborate special effects. You don’t need elaborate sets. If you’re working with limited funds, you’d think it would be more cost effective to make a Cape Fear or Rear Window than a Dawn of the Dead or Friday the 13^th. I think the reason they’re more rare is that this type of movie relies on two things, writing and acting. The writing has to be taut and suspenseful, and the performances have to be strong enough to carry the movie. Ironically, script and acting are two things indie flicks often falter on. Well folks, I have proof that it can be done, and done well. Leach is an edge of your seat thriller that features some top-notch acting and a story that had me guessing until the final moments.

The synopsis: Wes Chandler (Jim Dougherty) is an aspiring filmmaker whose chance encounter with police detective Ron Leach (Thomas J. Smith) seems like a golden opportunity at first glance: an opportunity that quickly spirals into something much more harrowing. Desperate to breathe new life into a failing movie he’s producing, Wes approaches Ron for assistance with his dying film. Ron agrees in exchange for Wes’s help with a little known project of his own. While attempting to honor his end of their deal, Wes discovers that Ron is really a depraved cop with sinister motives. Both men are willing to do whatever it takes to win a game of cat and mouse that leads to Wes’s ever increasing struggle to protect his family.

First of all, this is simply a well written movie. The problem is, I’m gonna have to be very careful and pretty vague here since I don’t want to give away a single plot detail, so bear with me. It’s too good to ruin like that. One thing I will say is that it’s not one of those movies where a character turns out not to be who you think they are. I’m glad writer/director John Taylor didn’t go that way with it. While that old chestnut can work beautifully, it’s overused in this type of flick and often it’s a bit of a cheat. It’s much more challenging for a writer to lay all of the characters cards on the table fairly early, clearly tell us their motivations and goals, and then plot an effective cat and mouse game between the two. The relationship between Wes and Ron is perfect. The difference in who has the power in each situation makes for a very realistic interplay as well as a real mystery as to how the tables can be turned.

I found myself genuinely not knowing where this movie was going quite a few times, which is refreshing. I’ve seen all of the clichés a million times. That’s the sign of damn good writing. The problem with a lot of movies like this is that the twists and turns either come out of nowhere on one end of the spectrum, or you can see them coming from a mile away on the other side. Leach is the happy medium. All of the twists catch the audience off guard while still making sense…with a couple of notable exceptions. There were a couple of moments that were real head scratchers. A couple of them are logistical issues, most often having to do with how it could possibly be faster to cut through the woods on foot from a remote location than to drive. The other big issue is that the climactic moment of the flick requires us to believe that an otherwise smart, calculating character is completely unobservant, oblivious, and possibly blind. These are only a couple of missteps in an otherwise outstanding script however.

Taylor also has a firm grip on the art of the callback. Comedies have always used (and overused) this technique, but it seems to be a lost art in drama these days. What I’m talking about is when something that either happened or was said earlier in the movie is brought back up in a dramatic way after you’ve more or less forgotten about it. Once again, I’m not going to give examples, but it’s something I rarely see done well, and here it’s done perfectly. Taylor also knows just when to insert a little comedy too, as there are some very funny moments in this film. A little comedy makes the deadly seriousness of the following scenes hit harder. There are some great lines in this flick. In fact, the dialog is one of the major strengths of the film.

The two main characters are superbly written and portrayed. Wes has a rarity in movies these days, an actual character arc. At first he’s a real jerk, but he’s not evil. Just a jerk. Then he’s confronted with real evil. He’s still a jerk, but we realize that this jerk wants what everyone wants, to protect his loved ones, so we can get behind him. It’s his flaws that make him seem more like a real person and less like a stock movie hero. While he never truly becomes a good guy, he’s a regular dude stuck in a horrific situation, and he can’t trust the authorities to make it better. Most of us can relate to that one way or another. Jim Dougherty is excellent. He gives this character such humanity that, despite the douchebaggery we see from him at times, we can still root for him. As he struggles with what to do next, we can read his inner turmoil and his concern for his family in his eyes and all over his face. He has a great everyman quality. He’s not a badass, he’s a regular guy who has been pushed to his limits. He’s scared, and Dougherty has the good sense and the balls to play it that way when the temptation would be to go tough guy with it. It’s a lot more effective the way he did it.

On the other side of the coin is Thomas J Smith as Ron Leach. My god is this guy sleazy. It might as well be dripping off of him. Thomas, don’t take this personally, but you are a magnificent scumbag. That performance made my skin crawl. Bravo. I already don’t like cops much, but a slimeball like this wielding the power of the system is way scarier than any zombie, vampire, slasher, or monster you can throw at me. People like this actually exist. The only drawback is that maybe Thomas did just a little too good of a job. I can’t imagine Ron going anywhere and talking to anyone without giving them the creeps. A little more of a difference between “in public” Ron and “full on evil” Ron might have been nice. Then maybe Ron’s wife’s trusting and flirtatious reaction to him would have been more believable. Actually, I’ve seen women fall for WAY less veiled bullshit before, so nevermind. She was a little too bitchy to be all that sympathetic anyway. Even better than the fact that Dougherty and Smith are so good on their own is how good their onscreen chemistry is. The scenes between these two are straight up electric.

Disclaimer: because I’m being vague to avoid spoilers, this paragraph is gonna sound like a much bigger deal than it actually is. One thing that I could see being a little controversial is the film’s treatment of children. Without giving anything away, children are harmed in this story. Nothing is actually shown, but some things do happen that indicate that these children are going to be harmed. A lot of movies are squeamish about that kind of stuff. People are weird about kids getting hurt onscreen. Don’t get the wrong idea, we’re not talking Serbian Film here or anything, but some parents might have been reluctant to let their kids be involved. It’s fairly intense. There are people, even though it’s obvious that nothing bad happened to these young actors and actresses, who would say these things shouldn’t be done. I say precisely the opposite. These scenes add some extra punch to the proceedings, and really ramp up the stakes. Well done. I applaud the bravery of these young actors and the filmmakers for going there without actually going there.

Random Thought #1 – Where the hell did they film the jail scenes? It looks like a freakin’ medieval dungeon. Jeez, remind me never to jaywalk in Indiana!

Random Thought #2 – I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the shaky, bouncy shot of Wes and his daughter coming out of the school looked awful. The rest of the flick looked so good that, unfortunately, that one shot stood out.

Random Thought #3 – POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT – I was surprised to see an actual car crash in a flick that reportedly cost $20,000. That added a LOT of production value. Good call.

Random Thought #4 – It doesn’t matter what day or time, if someone walks into a church to pray or talk to the preacher in any movie, someone is there playing the organ. Do churches just pay someone to play 24/7 just in case?

Random Thought #5 – The last shot of the film is brilliant!

Leach is something you don’t normally see in independent film, a well written, well directed, and extremely well acted thriller that puts the screws to the viewer and never stops tightening them. It’s genuinely suspenseful in a…dare I say it…Hitchcockian way. In fact, the plot kinda reminds me of a variation on Strangers on a Train. I can’t overstate how well crafted this story is (aside from a handful of major logic jumps), or how talented the two leads are. Leach definitely does not suck. Oh come on, I couldn’t resist that one. THIS is the film’s website by the way. One and a half severed thumbs up. Nathan says check it out.