HIDDEN IN THE WOODS, available now on DVD from Artsploitation Films
With Halloween going on, scary movies are all over the place. I should put scary in quotes, because, many horror films are violent or eerie but they’re not exactly “scary”. They’re too safe. Real scary, is the stuff that’s too disturbing to be explained away. Like that Ariel Castro asshole. He was scary because he was so far out there, it was impossible to make sense of. Well, if they ever made a biopic of that piece of filth, it might look a little like “Hidden in the Woods”, available now from Artsploitation Films. This Chilean film is supposedly based on a true story and it’s so messed up, there’s no doubt in my mind that it is. Want something terrifying for the 31st? Leave Freddy in slumberland and experience the kind of evil that can only be found in a real life psychopath. Read more
, written and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, falls squarely in the middle of that spectrum. Like a comedy-version of Soderberg’s Ocean’s Eleven, the film succeeds on the chemistry of its cast, whose madcap performances liven up the mediocre material. 
“. Available on DVD on 9/3, this little indie sports some razor sharp dialogue and a superb cast that delivers some of the best performances I’ve seen in awhile. If you’ve ever considered your family to be insanely dysfunctional, Christian’s Petunia clan, with all of their eccentricities and sexual hang-ups, are sure to make you feel better about the ones you love (and maybe even the ones you don’t.) In the very least, you’ll feel better about your sex life… 
“. As each name shows up on the screen, it dissipates into lines that recall the opening of “
“. Even the score sounds suspiciously reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann’s famous theme, with faced-paced violins pulsing away at your ears. Unfortunately, after Al, everybody else is just a pretender to the throne and while imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, it usually just makes the end result look 2nd rate. Not so in this case. Neutzsky-Wulff’s movie comes off as 3rd or 4th rate at best and manages to enter that rare pantheon of films known as “So bad, they’re good.” I’d say I managed to scratch my head maybe three times before my mind was completely blown. 
“ opens beautifully. Home movies capture the backyard barbeques and birthdays of the Whipple family, who live and work in the cornfields of Iowa. We end up seeing 20 years of exposition in a little more than two minutes. It’s a smart, effective way of handling backstory. Unfortunately, it’s about the only thing the movie does well. 
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“, coming to DVD July 30 from Wolfe Video, manages to hit many of the right notes, but doesn’t reach it’s destination without hitting a few speed bumps. 
“, coming to DVD on July 16 from Wolfe Video. The film explores both the false fronts and coming into being of a young teenage male with one small twist: he’s dead. 