Wake Wood

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What a pleasant surprise! This film was pretty much flawless overall. Honestly... I do not know WHAT the hell some of these other 'disappointed' people are talking about or how they could possibly be so inexplicably jaded or dense or whatever, but this was a fine film, at least to a U.S. fellow like me. I mean, with the deluge of absolute crap which is considered Horror that we have to wade through and endure nowadays?! 1. The mood and atmosphere of this movie were damn near perfect. 2. Neither the acting nor the dialog were overdone or mind-numbingly stupid like they frequently are in many modern Horror films. I felt that the parents' reactions and what they said, although yes kind of dumb at times, still within the parameters of what I would find believable and it never took me out of the film at all. 3. The story was CLASSIC Hammer! I mean, classic! Do you realize how almost totally impossible it is to pull off a retro concept like this now-a-days and make it not only completely believable, but tense, gripping, and not to mention also quite scary? Just check out the cinematic Doo Doo like the 'New & "Improved"' 'WICKER MAN'. Uh huh... This film here had a couple of scenes where I think I actually both p!$$ed my pants and died at the same time! (I did get better...) Not only that, and not giving anything away, even the way they ended the movie was excellent in that it didn't cop out in the usual way most modern Horror films do; in my lowly and wretched opinion, it was done perfectly! It left you with just the right mix of Good / Bad. I certainly hope with all my tiny little evil heart that this is what the new HAMMER is all about; I would have not thought it possible to recapture the old HAMMER mood the way this story did. I am extremely amazed and quite honestly very impressed! I'll tell you one thing, I will NEVER look at a windmill the same way again...

I love that our beloved Hammer horror movies are well enough remembered that people are trying to make stylish, classy and inexpensive movies like this. Hammer also made comedies (hint, hint). This one turned out very good. Well written, with the first hour devoted to setting up and exploring a good variety of tastefully presented horrors. Good acting, good staging and camera work, good story-telling. Seems these two people are in a state of distraction due to grief over the horrible death of their little girl. They up and move to a little farming community where things are a bit odd. They are invited to gain some closure by resurrecting their child ... for three days. That is all. Must obey the rules and do everything correctly or extremely dangerous unspecified results will happen. They go ahead anyway. How on Earth the folk of this village ever learned this supernatural trick would make a story in itself, and we are fortunately invited to imagine it for ourselves as the expected flashback/exposition stuff never comes. None of these people really know what they are playing with in true folkloric tradition, any more than we do. This charming family time soon becomes a violent supernatural nightmare for a half hour of more typical horror fun. In the end we get a non-resolution bordering on madness. Nurturing family values get a bit twisted, so this movie is not for everyone. Once in a while I see something I would have done differently, like a lady giving up blood for a weird ceremony by having her veterinarian husband cut open the palm of her hand. Why the palm? Couldn't he have done that better? Never mind. A movie this good will be noted for it's few imperfections. Great Halloween gift for certain people.

Given the 18 certificate and obvious premise, you should pretty much know what you're in for here. Like Hammer films of not-so-old, there are sequences depicting death, birth, copious afterbirth, life... and then more death. This director loves his montage, and the large animal husbandry goings-on present a grisly opportunity to foreshadow Tim Spall getting his pagan country squire on later in. Fans of The Wicker Man should enjoy all of the various references about, as well as some Hitchcock, Don't Look Now and a little Nothing But the Night. Gillen's really in his element, given fans of Carcetti in The Wire do not go in typecasting him and miss the couple chemistry on screen with the excellent Eva Birthistle. The plot is nothing too unusual in terms of genre, but of course it is the small variations and execution that draw interest. And in those terms, this has several fun moments where expectations are declined or exceeded in a fun manner. As a Hammer film, it is very promising - especially after Let Me In and The Resident. The cinematography is not quite as good as the latter and it is only a step or two more original. The score sounds a bit too inspired by Tubular Bells, just like that of The Resident - despite these being different composers. But the direction is much more reliable, the editing more in rhythm with horrific reveals, and the writing much better in comparison. *******************SPOILER*AHEAD******************** Overall, moving in the right direction, although still not hitting in all departments. The effects are fairly modest but generously sanguine and over-miked in the boneyard, although there is some less than fortunate CGI when graphic violence involves the child actor - understandably so, for the most part. After an '09 premiere, this has gone straight from cinemas to DVD in the UK and I would hope that it does as well as it deserves. It's not a trip back in time for Hammer fans, a wholly original reinvention or a pandering homage - but a solid effort where it counts the most.

I won't spoil the ending and I don't think there is anything in here, that won't have been discussed in the general summary of the film. Still if you don't want to know anything about the movie, steer clear of this. You've been warned. Having said that, the summary line is pretty clear. As was the movie itself. Witchery and a nod to Stephen King included. And while you know this cannot be a good decision and even if you haven't heard of the Pet Cemetery, you will see where this is going. Unfortunately there is nothing new here. On the contrary, you get a few (obvious non-actors), that take quite a bit out of the movie. Don't get me wrong the main characters are portrayed by good actors, but even they can't really save this.

Wake Wood is a little rough around the edges, as if maybe a 95 minute movie has been edited down to the current 86 minutes and wears its influences pretty straight-on (Don't Look Now, The Wicker Man, The Omen). It also introduces its central idea a little too early for it to be completely convincing: however it's still a really good film for all that. For one thing, the film is well-directed and acted, with good performances from the leads and some effective recurring imagery and themes. Animals, and the animal instinct in particular, are a strong motif. Dogs, horses and cattle all suffer a sort of casual brutality in this movie, but they inflict it, too. Wake Wood has a quiet, disturbing edge, and refuses to go into adrenalin mode even when things get gory ( and they certainly do!). Maybe that's why I liked it so much. I won't go into the story - very few people will have seen the movie at the time of writing and I don't want to spoil things; but I think Wake Wood may be heading for cult status. Who would have thought those boring wind farms could be so ominous? There are quite a few unexplained happenings and plot points - how did the ritual develop? Why is the daughter so strong? The Gremlins-style rules of the resurrections are a little puzzling; but one should never analyse the logic of a horror film too much, particularly one as good as this. Different from Let Me In (and the old Hammer) but still a compelling and disturbing movie. Its limited cinema release is ridiculous considering its quality, which places it near the top of the tree of modern horror releases. More, please Hammer.

A dark and twisted story told in a dark and twisted way. The subject matter concerning a ritual which can return people from the dead may be rather unpleasant to watch but it is cleverly woven into a tapestry which deals with the darker needs of our human condition and the consequences playing with them can bring. And the thing about this horror story is that the ritual is probably the least unpleasant thing to happen. The bereaved couple, convincingly played by Aidan Gillen as Patrick and Eva Birthistle as Louise, seize the chance to bring back their daughter from the dead, but there are serious repercussions in store. The acting is top notch and the cinematography beautifully judged. If you like a good horror yarn then see it but be prepared for a lot of twists.