Haunted Forest (2007) Reviews

• A REAL Review

  jb2392007-06-11

  I recently got to see this movie and it had some potential, but turned out just average. I've seen much worse movies and I was able to watch the whole movie, but I was hoping for more. None of the actors really stood out and the story was pretty cliché filled, but it did have a few cheap scares. It looks like an imitation Japanese horror flick and you will probably agree if you watch it. The movie doesn't really introduce anything new, but if you scare easy it should make you jump a few times. Overall I'd say the movie is watchable if you go in expecting a cheap B type movie, but if you expect a great movie you will be highly disappointed.

• Thrives on cheap scares then gets tired and falls over

  khunia2007-06-14

  The beginning of this movie had me in tears of laughter the guy who opens who tries so hard to look scared just had me doubled over in fits of amusement I honestly thought "What The ?" this guy is confused maybe he got stuck in the wrong movie. There are a few scares in this movie but all of which are of the cheap variety for example "ghostly shadow walks past in background" "deathly face in mirror" "hand coming out of the ground" the list really does go on and that is where all the scares come from seriously. The acting is very flawed and quite comical although I am sure that was not their intention. You cant really take this movie seriously and it is quite unbelievable that movies such as this are made but even more weird they are unleashed on the unsuspecting public. So unless you like the thought of a cheap chill and a laugh or too then you should most definitely stay away from this movie.

• Mediocre low-budget scare-fest

  ThrownMuse2007-09-13

  Several groups of people camping in the woods find themselves the prey of a majorly PO'ed Native American tree spirit lady. Or something. This odd little movie is like a hybrid of "The Blair Witch Project" and a modern Asian ghost horror. It's clearly derivative of these things in it's execution and the acting is laughable, but I have to give it credit for its original story and interesting scare techniques. Some of the editing choices are confusing, but I'll chalk that up to the low budget. Overall, this isn't a bad horror movie, but there isn't much that's good about it either. If you like ghost movies or movies that take place in the woods, then you'll probably find something to like about this one.

• Reasonable Premise, Poor and Flawed Execution

  claudio_carvalho2007-06-22

  The Indian descendant Sean comes to a forest with his friends Josh and Flipp trying to find the track to a mysterious cursed tree and a secret burial ground. His grandfather wrote a journal about the love of the Indian Satinka and the son of the medicine man of their tribe one hundred and twenty years ago, and how Satinka was trapped in a tree by an evil spirit. Meanwhile, the girlfriends Jennifer and Kiyomi are searching for flowers in the same woods. When Flipp and Kiyomi vanish, their friends meet each other and stay together while a deranged hunter chases new victims for the vengeful spirit of the tree. "Haunted Tree" has a reasonable premise, but a very poor and flawed execution. There are many low budget horror movies that work, usually based on solid screenplays and great performances. Unfortunately this flick has a terrible and messed screenplay, and the story begins without any previous development of the characters, probably because of the restraint in the budget. Therefore, the viewer sees Sean, Josh, Flipp, Jennifer and Kiyomi, and even the forest, without any reference or explanations about their motives for being in the dark and distant place. When Josh shots his gun, surprisingly neither Jennifer nor Kiyomi listen to the noise. The girls lose their car (is it possible?) and there is no explanation why they have come to such a distant place without tent or appropriate outfits. Nobody eats in this film, and the day is extremely short. Satinka is a rip-off of typical ghosts of Asian movies, and recalls Sadako of "Ringu" franchise. There are so many flaws that I could extent my review, but I believe this is enough to give a hint about this film. My vote is four. Title (Brazil): Not Available

• Adventurous Flick with a Stupid Title...

  terrible22008-12-05

  First thing you notice while thumbing through the new "Horror" release section at the video store is the cover art, followed by the title... Of course the artwork for "Haunted Forest" looks great, but I have been fooled by this before (See: "The Wickeds"). Then there's the title of the film, because even if the art looks awesome, if the film is called "Really Scary Monsters" chances are you are gonna leave it alone. This was the case with "Haunted Forest", but with the pickin's lookin slim, I decided to take a chance on it... I wasn't let down! Director Mauro Borrelli's take on how to scare people in a forest seems to work on a lot of different levels, and the story is nothing less then a creepy adventure. The Japanese horror influence is definitely there, but it is used to great effect, and if you are a fan of this genre you will be pleasantly surprised. The story is quite original in context, even though the ole' haunted woods premise has been used a thousand times (usually in slasher films when no real haunting is taking place), but fear not, because this is a supernatural story and certain to send some chills up your spine... The acting is solid from all involved. Sevy Di Cione gives a convincing performance as our would-be hero and Jennifer Luree is wonderful (and quite nice to watch...). The special effects are top notch through out, which is quite uncommon with these types of low budget films and the cinematography is (for the most part) well done. "Haunted Forest" is an adventurous flick from a surprising source, and certainly worth owning or for a fun night's rental.