Rituals

Just caught this one on T.V. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. The low budget works in its favor. It really gives this movie a realistic feel. Excellent, naturalistic performances by Holbrook, Robin Gammell and (actor-producer) Lawrence Dane, as a bunch of rather ordinary guys caught in extraordinary circumstances. I particularly liked the fact that the killer's motivations are suggested, but never fully explained. The setting and cinematography, particularly during the night scenes, are pretty creepy. All in all, if you're a fan of subtle, realistic, quality horror, check this one out. Kind of surprised Ebert gave this a thumbs down. Seems like his kind of flick.

Note: First make-up credit for FX wiz Carl Fullerton (Friday the 13th parts 2 and 3)

Hal Holbrook stars as one of five friends(all doctors) who are taking their usual outdoor vacation, only this year they fly into a secluded wilderness, where their rest is disrupted by a sinister and unseen figure who first steal their boots, then escalates things with terror then murder...

Well directed by Peter Carter in real Canadian locations, this film creates an effective atmosphere of suspense and fear, aided by a capable cast that really involve you in their plight, leading to a harrowing climax.

Best to see this on the restored DVD, which has the best picture quality possible, since the original negative was damaged, which makes the ending quite(literally) too dark. Otherwise, this is much more than just a "Deliverance" rip-off, which isn't a fair description.

Haunting final scene is memorable.

Long before THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT took the crown of 'lost-in-the-woods-and-stalked-by-evil' movies, there was this poorly distributed low budget gem which deserves reevaluation, and should be seen by any serious horror/thriller enthusiast.

A buddy group of medical field professionals trek into the solitude of the forest for a relaxing fishing trip. On their first day out, their boots mysteriously turn up missing, marking the inception of a tense and distressing game played against an unseen evil adversary. One by one, the men meet grisly fates, and a scattering of vague clues which may reveal the reason behind it all are left to be pondered.

Quite good of its type, and deserving of mention in the same breath as DELIVERANCE and SOUTHERN COMFORT.

7/10.

Hal Holbrook and four other doctors take their yearly vacation off in the deepest woods for uninterrupted fishing and camping. Once there strange occurrences begin to happen. All their boots are stolen. A deer is slaughtered and strung up with a snake crawling down its leg like a caduces. Someone is out there and someone knows these guys are doctors. Well, differing personalities and breaking points get the better of the men. Doctors begin to die...usually through no fault but their own in the beginning. Later the few survivors are hunted and (some) killed prior to reaching the film's resolution. This film is a little diamond in the rough of bad, pointless horror films of the seventies. It has some truly inspired moments of terror. It also has some truly disturbing moments. The deer scene is one such scene, and another scene is where a head of a previous killed doc is mounted on a pole ala Macbeth to greet the surviving doctors after their sleep. The image is horrifying as is the realization that the lives of the living could have been had at any moment by the hunter. Director Peter Carter is good at keeping the pace of the film moving and tight. The editing is the biggest problem as needless cuts and cutaways seem to be all over the place. They may be cuts made for the video distribution way back on the Embassy label. What really separates this film from a mindless slasher film is the heavy use of characterization throughout the film. We just don't see nameless doctors killed, but they are real people with real problems. Each character can be described in more than just appearance. Holbrook gives a very credible performance as a man who has a strong ethical base. Lawrence Dane does a likewise job as a man with a low breaking point. All the acting was very credible. The ending of the film is somewhat slapdash and some things just dont fit perfectly, but budgetary constraints appear to have been at fault for this little Canadian production. Despite, as an earlier reviewer noted, Siskel and Ebert giving it two thumbs down, I enthusiastically recommend the film as an entertaining suspenseful horror film.

This is a powerful,surreal and frightening film. Like Deliverance, It's mostly about the very thin veneer of civilization. Shot in a cinema verite style, the brutality and horror seems almost documentary like, unlike Deliverance where there are practically signposts saying "meaning" per 24 frames, this film allows the horror and absurdity of itself unfold itself slyly around the edge of the frame.( consider the brilliant satire of having the surgeons chant "take him apart! take him apart!" as they dance around the campfire. And the eerie shot of the forest dwelling killer standing on top of the hill, a shadow against the sun.) Wheras Deliverance was all about northern white guilt, the doctors in this film have something to be guilty about. I think "Deliverance" is great but this film reveals it's limitations, it's lack of guts, and it's prettifying of nature. Ultimately this is a superior film.