I'd been awaiting this film's release for over a year now, and finally, after a bunch of problems with editing and whatnot, this movie got a DVD release. "The Woods" tells the story of a troubled girl named Heather (Agnes Bruckner),who is sent to a secluded private girls school in 1965 by her estranged parents after causing problems and lighting a tree on fire in their back yard. Ms. Traverse (Patricia Clarkson),along with two other women, run the old school. Heather doesn't seem to fit in at the school, and has a rough first week there, getting in scuffles with a snobby bully named Samantha (Rachel Nichols). Her only friend is Marcy, a quiet girl who is nice but shy. As she spends more time around the school, Heather has nightmares and hears strange voices, and is told the story of some witches who took over the school 100 years ago. As more strange events occur in and around the woods surrounding the school, girls begin to disappear.

Unlike some, I found "The Woods" to be a satisfying horror film. I'll start off with the story - it's intriguing but derivative, I'd describe it as a hybrid of "Suspiria" and "The Watcher in the Woods", which are both films that I love, I might add. While it does borrow ideas from these films, it's nonetheless an imaginative and entertaining movie. The direction in the film was great - Lucky McKee, who spawned the unique fairy-tale-like horror film, "May", does a good job with this film. There are some really creative & spooky sequences and some nice cinematography to offer, plus the great '60s atmosphere was strongly present, brought to life through the costumes, sets, and the vintage score, and providing a perfect backdrop for the story to take place. I tend to have a soft spot for period pieces, so I really liked the time setting.

The acting was on par and flowed naturally, the whole cast performed very well. Agnes Bruckner is likable in her role and Patricia Clarkson was great as the mysterious, something-isn't-quite-right-about-her Mrs. Traverse. Horror legend Bruce Campbell (of the "Evil Dead" series) plays Heather's father, although his role is pretty minor. And Rachel Nichols, who had a small role in the "Amityville Horror" remake, plays the rude school bully very well. There are some neat special effects used nicely throughout the film, and weren't too overdone. The CG was surprisingly really real-looking. I felt the conclusion of the of the film was slightly rushed, but I've seen films end much quicker than this, so for me it wasn't really a big deal. Plus, the ending features some great witch slashings via an axe, which was a nice addition to the film since the majority of it is gore free.

Overall, "The Woods" is a satisfying horror movie. It's different, but it's imaginative and throughly entertaining, with a great story and a strong vintage atmosphere. Definitely not bad at all, especially for a horror period piece. Other than the slightly rushed conclusion, I can't really say anything bad about it. It took over a year to finally get a release (in any form),but the wait was well worth it. I love stuff like this, so it was almost perfect for me. One of the better horror films of the past year. 9/10.

THE WOODS is at least a film with a slightly different atmosphere to distinguish it from the more mundane glut of teen horror films currently popular with the masses. This one is set in the 1960s, has an isolated girl's school as is setting, and is for the most part a subtle, eerie film that works hard on atmosphere rather than needless death sequences and moronic teen humour. It's also a virtual remake of the Dario Argento classic SUSPIRIA, as the lead finds that her new school holds dark secrets: namely, most of the staff are witches, eager to bump off their students in the name of black magic...

It goes without saying that this isn't a patch on the Argento movie. Comparisons between the film just aren't worth it, as this is the lesser effort in every respect. However, it is a fairly good movie that does well building up some good suspense, and for the most part the literate script works hard to stop things descending into predictability. There are a few missteps here and there: the lead character isn't very sympathetic, and while Agnes Bruckner's acting isn't bad, she fails to make her in the least bit likable. Angsty and peed off, yes, but not likable. Still, there's a bonus in the form of supporting actor Bruce Campbell, who has been away from the genre far too long: he doesn't have a great deal to work with in the 'protective father' role, but he does get to have some fun and do a little ass-kicking along the way, so it's not all bad. Kudos too to Patricia Clarkson, whose sinister headmistress is the film's most interesting character.

The witchcraft elements are fairly well handled and despite the presence of some of that horrendous MTV-style super-fast editing in the horror sequences, they are genuinely frightening on occasion. I could have done without the resort to some lame CGI menace near the climax (the killer roots, while looking good for CGI, are still so obviously CGI) but then the filmmakers make up for it with some hack 'n' slash fun with an axe for the gore fans. This isn't a great film, no, but it's okay for what it's worth.

It's 1965. Heather Fasulo (Agnes Bruckner) is brought to Falburn Academy by her parents (Emma Campbell, Bruce Campbell) for almost burning down the house. Ms. Traverse (Patricia Clarkson) is the head mistress. Marcy Turner (Lauren Birkell) befriends her but mean girl Samantha Wise (Rachel Nichols) picks on Marcy and starts on Heather. It's an unfriendly place surrounded by creepy woods and her mother refuses to let her come home. The girls tell a story of witchcraft and mysterious sisters coming out of the woods. Then the girls start disappearing leaving behind piles of leaves on their bed.

It's a pretty standard girls school horror movie. The witchcraft is just a requirement. The creepy atmosphere is well done. Agnes Bruckner does a reasonable job. Patricia Clarkson almost elevates the whole enterprise just with her presence. The style from director Lucky McKee is OK but lacks daring. The movie needs some more excitement for the ending. Bruce Campbell coming in is fun for horror fans. I wish they push his character harder. I think true horror fans would love it if he got a chainsaw. The movie is derivative and just needs someone to add something more shocking.