Don't Go in the Woods
The film opens up with a female tourist running from an unknown predator throughout the woods in broad daylight. Shortly after, a male tourist, who looks like a birdwatcher, has his arms slashed off by a sadistic madman (Tom Drury) that growls and yells when attacking his victims. We are then introduced to four campers, Peter (Jack McClelland), Ingrid (Mary Gail Artz), Craig (James Hayden), and Joanie (Angie Brown), all very unlikable with high-pitced, loud voices and very bad acting skills. Craig warns the others not to go into the woods alone, but their backpacking through the forest soon becomes a bloody nightmare for everyone.
As the four travel throughout the unwelcoming, vast forest, they hear many frightening animal sounds and don't help each other one bit by scary stories at night. On the other hand, the killer does off with many tourists for no reason at all in various, gory ways. Two tourists are killed nearby to where some of the campers are splashing about beneath a waterfall which goes unnoticed, due to the characters' immense stupidity.
The killer seems to be some wild man who's only intent is to viciously attack and murder anyone in sight within the woods. Soon, the joking stops when Craig is killed by the madman, sending the others in separate directions, fending for their lives throughout the night.
Peter and Ingrid run away from the killer, while Joanie is lost within the woods, desperately trying to find a way out. When Peter and Ingrid finally escape the maze-like forest, Peter leaves the hospital to return to the woods and seek Joanie. Of course, their friend is already dead, leaving them to do battle with the killer in a gory, twisted conclusion, proving how far your survival instincts can go when faced with a life-threatening incident beyond your worst nightmares...
This is a terrible movie in every respect, but in some sick way is a fun camp slasher which delivers neverending cheese and bad acting. The music is very unsettling to me for some reason, setting the dark mood of the film. This film features plenty of violence and gore not to be scoffed at by anyone who's a devoted gorefan.
Released, of course, in the early '80s and directed by James Bryan, this isn't your ordinary film here. It's definitely a kick to watch this, due to its fair amount of cheese! Ultimately, "cheese" is the word that best describes this film in which it displays all the definite elements of a bad movie.
I didn't root for the characters in this film. Instead, I just laughed at their unbelievable stupidity. Although, their defense methods are quickly redefined when faced with the killer towards the film's ending.
There's also a laughable end theme which boasts these very lines:
Don't go into the woods tonight, you probably will be thrilled.
Don't go into the woods tonight, you probably will be killed.
There's a friendly beast that lurks about,
And likes to feast, you won't get out,
Without being killed and chopped up in little pieces.
Now you know this film isn't taking itself seriously when you hear this song! Also, when McClelland's character accidentally murders someone thought to be the killer, all he can do is cry "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." over and over again while in hysterics but still not delivering in the acting department. I have no idea why I keep watching this hunk of cheese, but all I can say is that you'll be sorely disappointed if you cannot just throw away any idea of seriousness and have fun with this film. Also known as Don't Go in the Woods...Alone!
