Hello and welcome to Hauntedracula’s House of Dorkness, this blog is an idea I’ve been kicking around for a couple of years now. I have been writing for print and web publications on and off for a number of years now and have decided to venture into the world of blogging to A; keep writing on a regular basis, and B; to have a place to post old reviews and interviews which never found a home or had gotten lost in the shuffle. I will be covering a plethora of cult, exploitation, and horror films from around the world, and trying to interview those involved when the opportunity arises.
Plans are to update this site at least once a week so check back and be sure to let me know what you think, thanks for dropping by, and for my first post I bring you,
Don’t Go In The Woods …Alone! / 1981
83 Min. / U.S. / Rated R
Dir. James Bryan
Code Red – Media Blasters
WOW. Where do I start? I mean really this has got to be the most lavish special edition of a bad film I have ever seen. This is just amazing.
Part of the great post Friday the 13th slasher craze Don’t Go in the Woods …Alone! has your usual oversized man in the woods knocking off campers and people trying to get it on. The great thing is that our main characters wander through the woods (and the film) endlessly talking while an unprecedented amount of filler characters literally just walk into frame long enough to possibly say one line and then drop their mannequin arm on the ground. Eventually our group of four encounters the beaded (yes I mean beaded) and bearded madman and things don’t become any clearer but you’re along for the long haul at this point. If not just to find out if this movie even has an ending because it barely has a beginning as we seem to just wander into a melee of bad editing, bad dubbing, and a group of killings without any set-up or context.
Code Red have assembled one hell of a DVD release for this film which provides the viewer with enough insight to the features production to foster appreciation from weary viewers. The film is presented in a full frame 1.33:1 transfer that has some noticeable damage present but isn’t distracting. The special features include still galleries, a vintage talk show appearance, and a one hour interview featurette. The jewel of this package though, are the two commentaries, the first with director James Bryan and the second one on which he is joined by actress Mary Gail and super fan Deron Miller of CKY. The first commentary reveals many of the problems that the production encountered and reveals the fact that the film is supposed to be funny, while the second commentary is wonderful because fan Deron Miller asks most of the questions one thinks of while watching the film.
I certainly will not tell you that this is a great or good film, but it is defiantly the most fun I’ve had reviewing a film in a long time. If you and some friends are going to get together to watch a film and yell at the TV then I must recommend D.G.I.T.W. …A. as a great party DVD.
