da_klaw Reviews

The Woods (2006)

Supernatural horror at its best! Real chills and twists.

[8/10 · 26 January 2007]

This movie is very well made. A great horror/supernatural thriller that will keep you on edge throughout the whole movie.

Since you guys have already read the synopsis (most likely), I will concentrate on revelations in the movie that make it really worthwhile.

First, Heather's supposed enemy Samantha is not what she seems. I thought the revelation that she is trying to help Heather is the best turning point in the movie. It will all make sense.

Samantha overhears that Heather "took the scholarship test", which is just a way to screen "specially gifted" girls, and also to collect the blood of girls that take the test. From this point on, she is constantly trying to harass Heather. By purposely spilling her milk, throwing it at Marcy, and by telling her to "run away" and never come back- All in the pretense of bullying her. Of course, we soon find out that she has only done all these things in order to warn Heather about the real goings-on of the Woods and school.

Brilliant script and good acting. The only thing I thought was overdone, was the way the milk was given too much sreen time. I mean, just by focusing on the milk for 10min, you are already asked to make a connection between the milk and the problems at the school. I wish they had made it a little less obvious. Every time they're in the cafeteria, it shows the milk and the girls are reminded to "drink the milk" by one of the staff.

Otherwise, its a fine horror movie that has many twists and is not some Hollywood bubble crap.

Oh, the ending comment in the movie really set the tone for the real chill. Because, even if you don't believe in the supernatural, you are forced to ask a question of why the woods didn't burn when the school did. It made me look up the movie and the incident that inspired the movie.

Abominable (2006)

Cheesy, but considering the low budget, it has its moments

[4/10 · 22 January 2007]

First off, do not go into the movie with any positive expectations. You will then be decently impressed or just neutral about the film.

Ultimately, the revealing of the bigfoot (a guy in a costume) is what makes this otherwise decent movie suffer in the ratings. I will have to add, though, that you don't see much of the creature until half way through the movie.

The first half of the movie was pretty good. Nice, chilling music that complements the dark, scary atmosphere (which, of course is some deserted mountain cabin). The second half is pretty dumb, once you get a full view of the monster. It just isn't as scary anymore. Horror movies have to make you believe in the terror and the monster, but this movie shoots itself in the foot by showing the entire bigfoot. If the yeti had stayed more or less in the shadows, and if they limited the stupid roaring, then I'd have rated it at least a 7.

The acting was par. For B list actors, they performed averagely.

The ending sort of redeems the movie. But then again, please don't have any high expectations before watching the flick. It doesn't deserve any expectation.

However, if you are a crypto movie fan, then you might just enjoy this anyway. There aren't that many bigfoot, nessie, etc flicks out there, so you guys might like this.