MovieChat Forums > Dead Wood (2007) Discussion > Cut This Movie Some Slack

Cut This Movie Some Slack

posted 15 years ago by torque1610
3 replies | jump to latest

I gotta say to all the negative comments on the message
boards, and other comments on here, cut this movie some slack it's the
director's first attempt at a movie and yes it was terrible for the
most part. But it is probably the first movie I've hear of about a
ghost or witch in the forest beside The Blair Witch Project and that's
something different; and I liked this more than The Blair Witch
Project. And I don't work for the company because well they are based
in the UK and I live in Canada so yea.

[–] Tweck 15 years ago

I have a tendency to try to find things that are good about movies, even if they aren't great movies.

That said, I'll contribute to the positivity on this one with a simple acknowledgement that certain aspects of the movie were very effective.

First off, the decision to simply 'disappear' the characters was pretty brilliant. By foregoing any hideous death scenes at all, and not showing you what happens to the characters, you are very effectively kept in the dark about what's going on until the very end. It proves that 'kills' or 'death scenes' are not a necessary ingredient of effective horror.

Also, the acting was okay, and the photography was often very beautiful and atmospheric. The director could probably make a great nature documentary.

Otherwise, I had a hard time liking the end of the movie, as I thought all the wind blew out of it, and it was kind of cliche'. The tree-morphing effect was quite obvious CGI, and bothered the hell out of me.

And the movie was shot with some kind of soft-lens or processed through a softening filter or something, probably because it was shot on cheap video and they wanted to make it more film-like. Good idea, bad execution. It felt like half the movie was out-of-focus.

So, it could have been done better, but certain directorial decisions in the movie were very good, and I think the director has a future ahead of him. He just needs a budget and a real camera.

[–] G_man2 14 years ago

in reply to Tweck's comment - thank you for bringing that to light. the "suddenly missing", i mean, as opposed to explicit offings of the characters. it is a departure from the usual formula - quick kills, one by one, then "gee, where did cindy go off to....ahhhh, is that her head?!"

i was not enthusiastic when this flick appeared to be another 'lost in the woods, danger lurks' movie. but i stuck with it. thank the character "Jess" for that - i couldnt take my eyes off of her. i thought she was delicious.

basically, i did enjoy the tension between her and Milk. i liked him, too - he seemed like a good guy, and not the typical horny/weed smoking/foul-mouthed a-hole youd usually get from such a film.

also, another person in another thread mentioned jess' song. i thought it was so haunting and foreboding. i actually reversed the film to hear the song again. (I viewed via On Demand, which streams to your television, in case you dont know. you can pause, rewind, etc.).

i couldnt stand the interloper - the asian woman. she was in need of some direction. her delivery, her acting in general - a dud.

scenes some might have noted as boring were to me, were tolerable, because i delighted in jess and milk and their possible budding romance.

finally, i was amazed at the leadership that Larrie took. i thought she was the archetypical bimbo that would be the first to go. she got herself together and made the best of it.

no, this is not a candidate for a Golden Globe. but as a project for a young directing team on a shoestring budget, i think it was a good product. coulda been better, and more original, but i was entertained by it.

and i wish the best for its 5 main actors. they are young, and i think have potential. and "Jess", please marry me! lol

[–] coop82 14 years ago

yeah i agree with everything you said 100%

i really liked the interaction between the characters. Milk and Jess were my favorites. Ive been Milk so many times throughout my life haha, hes so geeky and insecure yet he tries so hard to be cool. i like the scene where Webb is being all cool and telling Jess how easy it is to live in the woods, so Milk climbs a tree to get these tiny little bird eggs haha. its just the subtle stuff thats really good. the whole tent scene was very nicely done and pretty shocking for genre films.

as for the cast themselves, Fergus March and John Samuel Worsey (Webb and Milk) they are starring in the upcoming, modern take on Macbeth thats coming out soon (as Macbeth and Banquo respectivly) and im super excited for it