Category Archives: Lucky McKee

The Woman – Bloody Disgusting Selects

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So far Bloody Disgusting Selects has turned out much the same as After Dark – a mix of independent and foreign horror films that are different but not necessarily good. The Woman is currently available on instant Netflix.

The Woman (2011) – Rated R

“When hunter and backwoods lawyer Chris Cleek (Sean Bridgers) brings home a feral woman (Pollyanna McIntosh) he found lurking in the woods, he locks her in the shed and orders his family to actively participate in her “civilization.” But they take to the task with varying enthusiasm. And the more the Woman resists their attempts to make her human, the farther away the family gets from true humanity.”

First a note: this is based on a Jack Ketchum novel. For those who haven’t read one of his novels or watched his movies, Ketchum is a horror author who specializes in the realistic. His stories do not involve the supernatural, monsters, or aliens. Instead the horror comes from people who have no conscience, murderers, rapists, cannibals, etc.

I have not read any of his books but so far I’ve found his movies to range from unpleasant to very, very unpleasant. I understand this is by design and there is certainly an audience out there who wish to be disturbed by what they are seeing/reading (at least one hopes others are disturbed by these).

The Woman is a sequel (of sorts) to Offspring. Offspring was interesting and disturbing. The subject matter here is just as disturbing. The Woman is Rated R for strong bloody violence, torture, a rape, disturbing behavior, some graphic nudity, and language.

Wow. I’ve enjoyed director and co-writer Lucky McKee’s work before. I’ve enjoyed all three of the movies he has directed. His film May was a very quirky story, The Woods was an offbeat horror movie starring Bruce Campbell, and Red was a good Jack Ketchum adaptation.

The wow was because parts of this movie are just awful and I’m not talking about the subject matter. This film has positively the most amateurish fight scenes, montages, and flashbacks that I have ever seen and a rather poor and haphazard use of music.

Another problem was that the plot didn’t match the character reactions. It was obvious from early on (i.e. not a spoiler) that the husband Chris controlled the family yet their reactions betrayed no fear of him. I’m guessing that Lucky McKee has never actually seen this dynamic in play.

Yet still another problem was that the film plays out EXACTLY like you think it would with the exception of one ridiculous out-of-left-field revelation that comes out of nowhere and has no rational explanation. I can only assume it played better in the book.

That said the acting was just fine. Angela Bettis was particularly good as the mousy wife and Sean Bridgers was particularly creepy as the controlling husband.

I would recommend just staying away from this unpleasant film as things seen cannot be unseen.

If you want to watch a Jack Ketchum movie that is disturbing, suspenseful and still enjoyable, watch the aforementioned Red starring one of my favorite character actors, Brian Cox, in the lead role.

The Woods – Bruce Campbell week

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This is Bruce Campbell week. The Woods is currently available on instant Netflix.

WATCH: The Woods (2005) – Rated R.

“Set in 1965 in the buttoned-up world of an all-girls private boarding school, this horrifying tale features the acting chops of Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson, who appears as the chilly headmistress. Based on the nightmarish visions she has been having since her arrival, new student Heather (Agnes Bruckner) knows that the woods surrounding the school are not normal. And when her classmates begin disappearing, she has no choice but to investigate.”

“We have a certain way of doing things here. And you better find out what that way is or there will be serious consequences.”

I like that Lucky McKee has a distinctive voice in modern horror. I have not seen his first feature, the direct to video All Cheerleaders Die. His second feature May was a wonderfully oddball film inspired by Frankenstein which details the trials of a lonely lady slowly coming unglued.

The Woods is not as good as May, perhaps because it is somewhat more mainstream. Still the David Ross script, being set in an isolated girls school in the 60s, automatically precludes it from real mainstream. I really enjoy the slow burn story it tells.

Bruce Campbell has a rare serious role here and, in spite of the prominent billing, is not in the movie that much. He plays Joe Fasulo, the father of our protagonist Heather.

Agnes Bruckner capably plays our tough girl, Heather. Lauren Birkell shines as wallflower Marcy. Rachel Nichols has fun as the evil schoolgirl Samantha but not as much fun as when she plays the green-skinned Orion cadet on the Star Trek reboot.

Patricia Clarkson steals the show from the young ladies as a wonderfully creepy headmistress.

I love the soundtrack. It features not one, not two, but three Lesley Gore songs – “Young and Foolish”, “You Dont Own Me”, and “He Said Goodbye.” – one of which is done to a nice montage implying schoolgirl lesbianism (no not the titillating exploitative kind – get your mind out of the gutter). My guess is that it would have featured more if there had been a bigger budget.

It turns out that the two things I look for in a horror movie are either a good monster (Alien, Predator, The Host) or a good story (The Sixth Sense, The Descent, Frailty). The Woods has a good story and a lot of good atmosphere. The movie is creepy without being scary (which means I could show it to my wife).

This film is not without faults (the third act is weaker than the first two) but is worth a watch recommendation. I really like a lot of places the story went to and was thankful that it was not a cookie cutter Hollywood movie. I would not want to spoil any of it but I especially liked a scene where Heather pulls back a blanket.

Trivia: The filming of this made M. Night Shyamalan change the name of his film from The Woods to The Village even though this film did not actually get released until two years after The Village.

People Watch: Frequent Lucky McKee star Angela Bettis (May, Sick Girl) is the Voice in the Woods.