The Forest (1982 film)

Last updated
The Forest
The Forest (1982).jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed byDon Jones
Written byDon Jones
Produced byFrank Evans
Don Jones
Starring
  • Dean Russell
  • Michael Brody
  • Elaine Warner
  • John Batis
  • Ann Wilkinson
  • Jeanette Kelly
  • Tony Gee
  • Stafford Morgan
  • Marilyn Anderson
  • Corky Pigeon
  • Becki Burke
CinematographyStuart Asbjornsen
Edited byRobert Berk
Don Jones
Music byRichard Hieronymus
Alan Oldfield
Production
company
Wide World of Entertainment
Distributed byFury Films Ltd.
Release date
  • December 9, 1983 (1983-12-09)(New York City)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$42,000 [1]

The Forest is a 1982 American supernatural slasher film directed, written, edited and produced by Don Jones and starring Gary Kent, Tomi Barrett and John Batis. The film was shot in Sequoia National Park in California in 1981.

Contents

Plot

A middle-aged couple are hiking through the remote wilderness in the Sierra Nevada, when the wife becomes convinced someone is following them. Shortly after, an unseen assailant attacks the husband with a hunting knife, stabbing him to death. The killer then pursues his wife, and slits her throat.

Some time later, two Los Angeles couples— Steve and Sharon, and Charlie and Teddi—plan a camping trip to escape the city. Sharon and Teddi depart before their husbands, who plan to meet them later that evening. While hiking toward their planned camping spot, Sharon and Teddi find themselves in a sudden thunderstorm, and make a camp at the base of a waterfall. Unbeknownst to them, the ghosts of two young children, John and Jennifer, watch them from a nearby cave. Sharon and Teddi are horrified when an apparition of the children's dead mother appears before them, asking where her children are, before disappearing before their eyes. This causes Teddi to panic. Meanwhile, Steve and Charlie, who have been trailing after the women, become lost as night falls.

The ghosts of John and Jennifer visit their father, John Sr.—a cannibalistic hermit who lives in a cave and hunts hikers passing through the woods—and informs him that they saw two young women camping by the river. When John Sr. leaves to pursue the women, Sharon, who has fallen asleep, is awoken by the ghostly children, who warn her that their "daddy is coming." Sharon flees, leaving Teddi alone at the campsite. John arrives at the camp and stalks Teddi before killing her. Sharon manages to elude John by jumping into the river. Steve and Charlie, meanwhile, seek shelter in John's cave during a rainstorm; they are perplexed to find the cave furnished and with a fire-pit roasting a slab of meat. Moments later, they are confronted by the ghosts of John Jr. and Jennifer before their father arrives. Steve and Charlie are baffled when the children vanish, and John informs them they only "come to visit." John allows the men to stay in the cave, and offers them the meat—which, unbeknownst to them, is in fact Teddi's flesh.

John regales Steve and Charlie with the story of how his wife abused their children, John Jr. and Jennifer, and carried on numerous affairs with men. In the morning, Steve and Charlie separate to search for their wives. While climbing over rocks, Steve falls and breaks his leg. Meanwhile, the ghosts of the children awaken Sharon, warning her that their father is coming to hunt her. She heeds their warning, and flees. Later, the children confront Sharon again, and explain to her that they are in fact ghosts, and that their abusive mother still makes attempts to hurt them beyond the grave. They tell her how their father killed their mother and one of her lovers before fleeing with them into the woods. After some time, the children, depressed and in ill health, committed suicide together, which drove their father into a psychotic state.

As night falls, the children attempt to lead Sharon to the injured Steve. Meanwhile, Charlie is confronted by the ghost of the children's mother before John attacks him. The two get into a violent fight, but John manages to kill Charlie. In the morning, Sharon stumbles across John butchering Charlie's corpse. John threatens to kill Sharon, but the ghosts of the children persuade him not to, telling him Sharon is their friend. Sharon eventually stumbles across the injured Steve, who is being pursued by John, but Sharon manages to ambush John, stabbing him to death. The ghosts of the children bid Sharon and Steve farewell. Moments later, their mother's apparition appears, asking where they are, but she vanishes when Sharon tells her they are gone.

Cast

Production

According to an interview with actor Gary Kent, writer-director Don Jones lost his house acquiring funding for the making of the film: "He hocked his house to make the film. He's one of the few directors ever that I know of, besides myself, who actually paid his deferments...When he finally got money from the film, he paid us first before he paid off his house." [2]

Release

The film was released theatrically in the United States through Fury Films Ltd., opening in New York City under the alternate title Terror in the Forest on December 9, 1983. [3]

It was released as a video in the 1980s and 1990s by Prism Entertainment and Starmaker Video.

On November 7, 2006, Code Red released the film on DVD with an anamorphic widescreen transfer, a stills gallery, and commentary with director Don Jones and Gary Kent. [4]

As a part of their Exploitation Cinema line, Code Red rereleased the film in 2009 as a double feature with Don't Go In The Woods . This release did not include the commentary or stills gallery, but retained the widescreen transfer. [5]

Reception

TV Guide awarded the film one out of four stars, writing: "This obscure low-budgeter gives the Friday the 13th formula a bit of a twist, introducing both a cannibal angle and ghosts. A human-flesh-eating madman terrorizes people in a patch of woods, haunted by the ghosts of his murdered wife and children. A poorly made effort that barely saw a theatrical release and is now available everywhere on videotape for less than 10 bucks." [6] Todd Martin from HorrorNews.net gave the film a negative review, stating that the film was "boring, lame, and the death scenes left a lot to be desired". [7] Hysteria Lives gave the film 1/5 stars, calling it "a grade Z, back-packing slash-a-thon which starts with too very wooden (but hey that's ok, it ties in nicely with the forest theme!), middle aged actors being offed by briefly glimpsed back wood loon." [8] Brett Gallman from Oh, the Horror! wrote, "The Forest is an incoherent mess of a flick... There’s almost no redeeming value to the film, as the acting is terrible, the music is generic, and the direction is mediocre. I can somewhat praise the photography, as I have seen worse in these low budget slashers... Beyond this, you only have a half baked story about a cannibal man and his ghost kids that only registers on the unintentional comedy scale." [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Scary Movie 2</i> 2001 film by Keenen Ivory Wayans

Scary Movie 2 is a 2001 American supernatural parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. It is the sequel to Scary Movie and the second film in the Scary Movie film series. The film stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans, as well as Tim Curry, Tori Spelling, Chris Elliott, Chris Masterson, Kathleen Robertson, David Cross and James Woods. The film is the last in the series to feature the involvement of stars Marlon and Shawn Wayans, and director Keenan. Marlon would eventually go on to produce a similar horror-themed parody, A Haunted House, and its sequel, both starring himself. In the latter film, Wayans pokes fun at the Scary Movie series' decline in quality after his family's departure.

<i>Sometimes They Come Back... Again</i> 1996 film by Adam Grossman

Sometimes They Come Back... Again is a 1996 film directed by Adam Grossman and starring Michael Gross, Alexis Arquette, and Hilary Swank. It is the straight-to-video sequel to the 1991 horror film Sometimes They Come Back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Voorhees</span> Fictional character in the Friday the 13th series

Pamela Voorhees is a fictional character and the overarching antagonist of the Friday the 13th series of horror films. She was created by Victor Miller, and first appeared in Sean S. Cunningham's Friday the 13th (1980), played by Betsy Palmer. Pamela is the main antagonist of the first film, in which she is known only as Mrs. Voorhees, and remains an antagonistic presence in its sequels, in which she is seen mostly as a severed head or a figment of her son's imagination. In Friday the 13th Part III (1982), the character appears as a reanimated corpse in a hallucination, played by Marilyn Poucher. Paula Shaw played Pamela in the crossover Freddy vs. Jason (2003); according to Palmer in Friday The 13th Reunion, she was asked to reprise her role in the film, but turned it down after reading the script. Nana Visitor played Pamela in the 2009 reboot.

<i>Camp Blood</i> (film) 2000 American film

Camp Blood is a 1999 American direct-to-video slasher film, written and directed by Brad Sykes. It was followed by seven official sequels, one official spin-off entitled "Ghost of Camp Blood" and one unofficial film entitled Within the Woods. Camp Blood stars Jennifer Ritchkoff as a young woman who travels to a deserted camp with her friends, only to find themselves at the mercies of a killer clown. The film had a home video release on April 4, 2000, and was released to DVD in 2002.

<i>The Prey</i> (1983 film) 1983 American film

The Prey is a 1983 American slasher film directed by Edwin Brown, and starring Debbie Thureson, Steve Bond, Lori Lethin, and Jackie Coogan. It follows a group of campers in the Rocky Mountains who are stalked and murdered by a disfigured assailant.

<i>Just Before Dawn</i> (1981 film) 1981 American slasher film directed by Jeff Lieberman

Just Before Dawn is a 1981 American slasher film directed by Jeff Lieberman and starring Chris Lemmon, Gregg Henry, Deborah Benson, Ralph Seymour, Jamie Rose, and George Kennedy. The film follows a group of hikers who travel into a mountainous region of Oregon to visit property inherited by one of them, only to be hunted by a ruthless backwoods killer.

<i>The Mutilator</i> 1984 American slasher film by Buddy Cooper

The Mutilator is a 1984 American slasher film written, directed and produced by Buddy Cooper, and co-directed by John S. Douglass. The plot follows a group of college students who travel to an island property during fall break and are stalked and murdered by one of the students' fathers.

<i>Madman</i> (film) 1982 film

Madman is a 1981 American slasher film written and directed by Joe Giannone and starring Gaylen Ross and Paul Ehlers. The plot focuses on an axe-wielding murderer named Madman Marz who, after accidentally being summoned by a group of campers during a campfire tale, begins to stalk and murder the young adults.

<i>Mothers Day</i> (1980 film) 1980 American rape and revenge slasher film by Charles Kaufman

Mother's Day is a 1980 American rape and revenge slasher film directed, co-written and produced by Charles Kaufman, brother of Troma Entertainment co-founder Lloyd Kaufman. The plot focuses on three women on a camping excursion who fall victim to two deranged, murderous young men and their unhinged mother. The film contains elements of the satire, thriller and slasher genres.

<i>To All a Goodnight</i> 1980 horror film by David Hess

To All a Goodnight is a 1980 American slasher film directed by David Hess and starring Jennifer Runyon and Forrest Swanson. Its plot follows a group of female finishing school students and their boyfriends being murdered during a Christmas party by a psychopath dressed as Santa Claus.

<i>Home for the Holidays</i> (1972 film) 1972 television slasher film from the United States directed by John Llewellyn Moxey

Home for the Holidays is a 1972 American made-for-television slasher film directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, produced by Aaron Spelling and starring Sally Field, Eleanor Parker, Julie Harris, Jessica Walter, and Walter Brennan which premiered on ABC on November 28, 1972. The plot focuses on a wealthy father on his deathbed who invites his four daughters home for Christmas and tells them he suspects his second wife of poisoning him. Shortly after, the girls learn that their stepmother was accused of killing her first husband, and they begin to fall prey to a killer dressed in a yellow rain slicker.

<i>Psycho Cop</i> 1989 American film

Psycho Cop is a 1989 American slasher film, released direct-to-video. It was written and directed by Wallace Potts, noted for its similarities to the previous year's Maniac Cop by William Lustig and Larry Cohen. It was followed by a 1993 sequel entitled Psycho Cop 2.

<i>Blood and Lace</i> 1971 film by Philip Gilbert

Blood and Lace is a 1971 American exploitation horror film directed by Philip Gilbert, written by Gil Lasky, and starring Gloria Grahame, Melody Patterson, Len Lesser, and Milton Selzer. The film follows an orphaned teenager (Patterson) who arrives at a remote orphanage run by a madwoman (Grahame) and her handyman, both sadists and child murderers.

<i>The Barrens</i> (film) 2012 American film

The Barrens is a 2012 American horror film written and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and starring Stephen Moyer and Mia Kirshner.

Katherine Kamhi is an American actress, best known for her role as Meg in the slasher film Sleepaway Camp, and as Pamela Kingsley on All My Children.

<i>Midnight</i> (1982 film) 1982 American exploitation horror film by John Russo

Midnight is a 1982 American exploitation horror film directed by John Russo and starring Melanie Verlin, Lawrence Tierney, and John Amplas. Its plot follows a female hitchhiker en route to San Francisco who finds herself at the mercy of a backwoods Satanic cult in Pennsylvania who sacrifice young women in an attempt to resurrect their dead mother. It is based on Russo's 1980 novel of the same name.

<i>Sledgehammer</i> (film) 1983 American film

Sledgehammer is a 1983 independent slasher film written and directed by David A. Prior. The film tells the story of a young boy who murdered his mother and her lover with a sledgehammer. Ten years after the murder and the child's mysterious disappearance, a group of teens stay in the house for a weekend when they are terrorized by the ghost of the little boy.

<i>Against the Wild</i> 2013 Canadian film

Against the Wild is a 2013 Canadian direct-to-video children's film directed by Richard Boddington and starring CJ Adams, Erin Pitt, Natasha Henstridge and Ted Whittall.

<i>Kuntilanak 3</i> 2008 Indonesian horror film

Kuntilanak 3 is an Indonesian horror film directed by Rizal Mantovani. The film is the third in a trilogy, preceded by Kuntilanak and Kuntilanak 2. The film stars Julie Estelle, Imelda Therinne and Laudya Cynthia Bella. The film was released on March 13, 2008.

<i>Twisted Nightmare</i> 1987 film by Paul Hunt

Twisted Nightmare is a 1987 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Paul Hunt and starring Rhonda Gray, Cleve Hall, and Robert Padilla. Its plot follows a group of young people who return to a summer camp they attended in their youth, and are killed off by a hulking killer.

References

  1. ↑ Thrower, Stephen (2007). Nightmare USA: The Untold Story of the Exploitation Independents. London, England: FAB Press. p. 157.
  2. ↑ Albright, Brian (2008). Wild Beyond Belief!: Interviews with Exploitation Filmmakers of the 1960s and 1970s. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 129–30. ISBN   978-0-786-48250-4.
  3. ↑ "Movies: Friday schedule". New York Daily News . New York City, New York. December 9, 1983. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ The Forest (DVD). Code Red. 2006 [1982]. ASIN   B000HC2LQC.
  5. ↑ Jane, Ian (June 26, 2009). "Review: Don't Go in the Woods / The Forest". DVD Talk. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  6. ↑ "The Forest". TV Guide . Retrieved March 19, 2018.Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
  7. ↑ Martin, Todd. "Film Review: The Forest (1982)". HorrorNews.net. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  8. ↑ "THE FOREST". Hysteria Lives.co.uk. Hysteria Lives!. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  9. ↑ Gallman, Brett. "Horror Reviews - Forest, The (1982)". Oh the Horror.com. Brett Gallman. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.