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.
21 Reviews
Reasonable Premise, Poor and Flawed Execution
claudio_carvalho22 June 2007
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
"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
A REAL Review
jb23911 June 2007
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.
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.
Adventurous Flick with a Stupid Title...
terrible25 December 2008
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.
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.
Thrives on cheap scares then gets tired and falls over
khunia14 June 2007
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.
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.
A Haunting Film
mart-4510 October 2007
Haunted Forest is a very decent low budget indie programmer. It sure doesn't tell one a story that one hasn't heard before, nor does it have much of a point as you look back on it, but it has some very redeeming moments of horror, overall beautiful picture (something you don't usually expect from a cheapie), good music, decent FX and largely a likable cast. There are a few characters who don't contribute to the storyline much and leave the viewer wonder why they were added in the first place. But obviously the mission of such a film is to scare the viewer, and if some new visual scares are introduced to the sturdy row of old school horror handbook, I can only applaud. Yes, some moments were rather innovative and redeem the shortcomings of the film.
It's also the first indie film I've seen, which employs the Japanese invention, the "Ringu-Girl" - meaning the pale barefooted girl with long black hair combed in front of her face, something that all the viewers raved about some 6-7 years ago, who then crossed into the mainstream horror but the inclusion of whom nowadays has acquired something of a camp value. The idea of that creature in an American forest can seem bizarre, but the makers have actually put her to good use.
So have no hesitation to sit through this film. Instead of a usual gore fest and body count you get a rather poetic rendition of an old Indian legend with credible characters and moody atmosphere.
It's also the first indie film I've seen, which employs the Japanese invention, the "Ringu-Girl" - meaning the pale barefooted girl with long black hair combed in front of her face, something that all the viewers raved about some 6-7 years ago, who then crossed into the mainstream horror but the inclusion of whom nowadays has acquired something of a camp value. The idea of that creature in an American forest can seem bizarre, but the makers have actually put her to good use.
So have no hesitation to sit through this film. Instead of a usual gore fest and body count you get a rather poetic rendition of an old Indian legend with credible characters and moody atmosphere.
A Low budget Grudge in a forest
chrichtonsworld28 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
There are a lot of scares in "Haunted Forest"! But that is all there is! There are no murders or cruel crimes committed or anything! Characters are grabbed and for us to find out what happened to them! The plot is real simple! I think too simple! It never gets really exciting except at the end,but then it's too late! The real killer is the cast! (If the dog and a tree are the best actors around then you know what to expect!) The actors are real bad! I don't know if it was scripted,but these characters really do stupid things! For the most part they just barely react to events! They are walking around and seem to forget that they have to make us believe that things are happening! The visual effects are quite good! But I can imagine that some will have issues with the appearance of "the ghost"! Not that it isn't creepy! It sure is! But it was an exact copy of the ghost from "The Grudge" I love "The Grudge" film series! And I can't get enough of the long haired woman! But somehow it didn't feel right in this movie! Couldn't they at least make up a new ghost or monster! The climax (very cool sequence) and the ending make up for a lot of flaws! But overall this isn't a movie I would recommend!
Not sure why the negativity - semi-original idea done OK
Sabalon3 April 2008
The reviews would make you think this is Ishtar or something. It is not a bad movie overall. The premise is a modification of classic ghost revenge stories. Like the plot, some of the shots and styles are heavily copied from your standard J-Horror yurie/onryo stories. The acting is so-so. It seems to come and go at various parts of the movie. The storyline requires you to somewhat pay attention and doesn't always resolve every plot point. This seems to be re-occurring reason for low ratings of many Asian horror films, which could explain some of the low ratings.
If you go in with an open mind, you will probably get a few jumps here and there, an original addition to classic stories, and a lot of pretty views of the forest where it was filmed. It's no Poltergeist, but it isn't Showgirls either!
If you go in with an open mind, you will probably get a few jumps here and there, an original addition to classic stories, and a lot of pretty views of the forest where it was filmed. It's no Poltergeist, but it isn't Showgirls either!
Starts Good... just it...
estevaosoares23 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
**Maybe Spoiler**
Wow man, thats that kind of movie that o starts and get excited about. A promising start, a plot that is interesting, some interesting act at the beginning... but hey, don't get yourself enjoying yet. This movie could be very, very scary and hypnotic but instead, the movie lost itself on the half way and never find the way home. When I finished watching this and saw my girlfriend's face, well, needless to say, crap movie at all. A freak bad ending, boring story about a tale of an Tree that was in some level, connected to the family. Sevy Di Cione really tried to get into it but the hole story didn't help him. Kiralle Hayashi saved the "Horror" category of this movie, her appearances was scary most of the time and she has that look, that side look that makes you really think about if your alone or not in the room. I can't say much of this movie anymore, when it try to connect past/future in real life and kind of strange connection by dream/reality well, thats where it messed every thing up.
But, I always think that movie is moment, maybe you like it. Give it try.
Wow man, thats that kind of movie that o starts and get excited about. A promising start, a plot that is interesting, some interesting act at the beginning... but hey, don't get yourself enjoying yet. This movie could be very, very scary and hypnotic but instead, the movie lost itself on the half way and never find the way home. When I finished watching this and saw my girlfriend's face, well, needless to say, crap movie at all. A freak bad ending, boring story about a tale of an Tree that was in some level, connected to the family. Sevy Di Cione really tried to get into it but the hole story didn't help him. Kiralle Hayashi saved the "Horror" category of this movie, her appearances was scary most of the time and she has that look, that side look that makes you really think about if your alone or not in the room. I can't say much of this movie anymore, when it try to connect past/future in real life and kind of strange connection by dream/reality well, thats where it messed every thing up.
But, I always think that movie is moment, maybe you like it. Give it try.
Deadwood
sol-kay7 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILER ALERT*** Mind blowing movie in that by watching it you feel as if your tripping out on acid like those watching, and at the same time getting high, the many drug culture film-like "Easy Rider" & "The Last Movie"-of the late 1960's and early 70's.
The movie "Haunted Forest" has to do with this 120 year old Indian curse involving the beautiful Indian maiden Satinka. It was Satinka who together with her boyfriend- The tribes Medicine Man's son- who were attacked by a bunch of white settlers and left to die when they, in clearing the land for grazing for their cattle, set the woods on fire. Unknown to everyone at the time Satinka survived by hiding in a tree trunk. She also sold her soul to the devil, or the "Tree", that made her a permanent part, or fixture, of the forest.
We soon find out that the forest has its secrets very early in the movie in it swallowing up victim #1 when he got too close to the evil "Tree". With victim #1's camera being the only thing found the film, after it was developed, shows this strange and spooky looking "Tree" that the victim, among other things, photographed! That "Tree" looks exactly like the drawing that Sean's full Native American Indian grandfather had illustrated in his journal that he left to Sean after his death! It's when Sean together with his two friends Jason & Flip take a trip inside the forest to find if the "Tree" is real or not is when things start to get a bit weird and disturbing! In that we in the audience, as well as Sean & Co, start to lose our grip on reality as well as time & space!
The vengeful "Tree" has been sucking up anyone who entered the forest over the last 100 years and, after planting them deep in the earth, have them replace the trees that were destroyed in the forest fire that was set by the white settlers.
We also have two girl campers Jennifer & Kiyomi who also end up getting lost in the forest and later, at lest in Kiyomi case, becoming victims of the killer "Tree". The most unusual member of the cast is the crazed and fanatical Roy who's out to find the "Tree" and thus, by chopping it into firewood, free his soul that it had robbed him of. It seems as if Roy has been running around in the forest, looking for the "Tree", for over 100 years since he's a dead ringer for one of the settlers who set the forest on fire!
***SPOILER ALERT**** It soon becomes evident that Sean has a far closer relationship with the "Tree" and the person whom it represents, Satinka, then he ever thought possible. It's for that reason alone that he was drawn into the haunted forest to fulfill a promise made some 100 years ago by Sitinka herself! A promise that Sean was soon to realize had to be kept because he was the person, who at the time it was made, more then willingly went along with it!
The movie "Haunted Forest" has to do with this 120 year old Indian curse involving the beautiful Indian maiden Satinka. It was Satinka who together with her boyfriend- The tribes Medicine Man's son- who were attacked by a bunch of white settlers and left to die when they, in clearing the land for grazing for their cattle, set the woods on fire. Unknown to everyone at the time Satinka survived by hiding in a tree trunk. She also sold her soul to the devil, or the "Tree", that made her a permanent part, or fixture, of the forest.
We soon find out that the forest has its secrets very early in the movie in it swallowing up victim #1 when he got too close to the evil "Tree". With victim #1's camera being the only thing found the film, after it was developed, shows this strange and spooky looking "Tree" that the victim, among other things, photographed! That "Tree" looks exactly like the drawing that Sean's full Native American Indian grandfather had illustrated in his journal that he left to Sean after his death! It's when Sean together with his two friends Jason & Flip take a trip inside the forest to find if the "Tree" is real or not is when things start to get a bit weird and disturbing! In that we in the audience, as well as Sean & Co, start to lose our grip on reality as well as time & space!
The vengeful "Tree" has been sucking up anyone who entered the forest over the last 100 years and, after planting them deep in the earth, have them replace the trees that were destroyed in the forest fire that was set by the white settlers.
We also have two girl campers Jennifer & Kiyomi who also end up getting lost in the forest and later, at lest in Kiyomi case, becoming victims of the killer "Tree". The most unusual member of the cast is the crazed and fanatical Roy who's out to find the "Tree" and thus, by chopping it into firewood, free his soul that it had robbed him of. It seems as if Roy has been running around in the forest, looking for the "Tree", for over 100 years since he's a dead ringer for one of the settlers who set the forest on fire!
***SPOILER ALERT**** It soon becomes evident that Sean has a far closer relationship with the "Tree" and the person whom it represents, Satinka, then he ever thought possible. It's for that reason alone that he was drawn into the haunted forest to fulfill a promise made some 100 years ago by Sitinka herself! A promise that Sean was soon to realize had to be kept because he was the person, who at the time it was made, more then willingly went along with it!
A Nitemare In The Daytime -- In This Case That's Good
fadba31 January 2009
You've got to be pretty good to make a movie that can be scary in a beautiful forest on a sunny day with blue skies, but that's pretty much what Haunted Forest accomplishes with an interesting story, decent visual effects and an exceptionally good musical score. The small cast is up to the task, and the three main characters are very believable. There is a minimal amount of gore, and the sense of isolation contributes to a film which becomes more and more claustrophobic as it progresses. While providing more suspense, tension and fantasy than actual horror-- (although some decent effects), this film is definitely worth a look.
Poor
jfgibson738 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Poorly cast, uninteresting location, amateur storytelling.
This is one of those movies that crams in all the back story just as it is getting to the resolution.
You can imagine the writers scrambling to think up an explanation for their ghost.
Not original, unsatisfactory payoff, and some scenes with a waterfall that I guess takes takes you to a separate section of the forest that is otherwise inaccessible.
I will say that the special effects surprised me, in as much as they seemed much more accomplished than any other aspect of the movie.
I like B-movies, exploitation, horror, and trash, but I wasn't into this.
The ghost was supposed to be Native American but looked totally Asian.
The picked very uninteresting woods to film in.
This is one of those movies that crams in all the back story just as it is getting to the resolution.
You can imagine the writers scrambling to think up an explanation for their ghost.
Not original, unsatisfactory payoff, and some scenes with a waterfall that I guess takes takes you to a separate section of the forest that is otherwise inaccessible.
I will say that the special effects surprised me, in as much as they seemed much more accomplished than any other aspect of the movie.
I like B-movies, exploitation, horror, and trash, but I wasn't into this.
The ghost was supposed to be Native American but looked totally Asian.
The picked very uninteresting woods to film in.
I did it for us.
lastliberal7 March 2009
If a tree sucks you up in a haunted forest, would there be a reason to watch it? There really wasn't much to appreciate from this film.
Three friends go into a forest in search of a haunted tree that one of the groups grandfather had written about. Forests are scary by themselves, but you never really felt that in the film. Even the moments that were supposed to be scary, weren't.
The actors were very forgettable, and the pace was as slow as a tree growing.
IT just didn't deliver. It just seemed to be so many leaves in search of a tree.
Three friends go into a forest in search of a haunted tree that one of the groups grandfather had written about. Forests are scary by themselves, but you never really felt that in the film. Even the moments that were supposed to be scary, weren't.
The actors were very forgettable, and the pace was as slow as a tree growing.
IT just didn't deliver. It just seemed to be so many leaves in search of a tree.
Horrorible Movie
sanyog-chaudhry17 September 2007
God! I am a big time fan of Horror movies, i get the thrill and excitement when i watch them. But, let me assure you this movie comes with no such package. It bores you to death.
Based on some thought process, which is crazy to say the least, this movie revolves around a ghostly forest which has seen sufferings of a girl some 200 years ago. Who suddenly decides "Its my time, folks"! and she kills...
An American, an Englishman, and a stoner head into the forest in search of a hidden burial ground (just wait for the punch line). Sean, the American, has his grandfather's leather-bound journal, which details the horrific reign of Satinka, a malicious tree ghost with sharpened twigs for fingers who haunts the forest. Using the journal and the final photographs of a vanished tourist, the trio are intent on locating Satinka's haunted tree and the sacred burial ground that lies beneath. A couple of female botany students wander into the plot, apparently to keep things interesting.
It turns out Satinka was an American Indian who was killed by some crazy white boys intent on driving out all the Injuns. She exacts her revenge by stabbing victims with wood slivers, thus marking them, and then sucking them into the ground. Despite Satinka's Native American heritage, she looks and moves like pretty much every Asian ghost you've seen in J-horror movies (and their American remakes) since The Eye, black hair hanging in her face, dark eyes, crawling in stutters and jerks across the forest floor, with the sound of snapped twigs accompanying her arrival.
Please avoid watching it and wasting time.
Based on some thought process, which is crazy to say the least, this movie revolves around a ghostly forest which has seen sufferings of a girl some 200 years ago. Who suddenly decides "Its my time, folks"! and she kills...
An American, an Englishman, and a stoner head into the forest in search of a hidden burial ground (just wait for the punch line). Sean, the American, has his grandfather's leather-bound journal, which details the horrific reign of Satinka, a malicious tree ghost with sharpened twigs for fingers who haunts the forest. Using the journal and the final photographs of a vanished tourist, the trio are intent on locating Satinka's haunted tree and the sacred burial ground that lies beneath. A couple of female botany students wander into the plot, apparently to keep things interesting.
It turns out Satinka was an American Indian who was killed by some crazy white boys intent on driving out all the Injuns. She exacts her revenge by stabbing victims with wood slivers, thus marking them, and then sucking them into the ground. Despite Satinka's Native American heritage, she looks and moves like pretty much every Asian ghost you've seen in J-horror movies (and their American remakes) since The Eye, black hair hanging in her face, dark eyes, crawling in stutters and jerks across the forest floor, with the sound of snapped twigs accompanying her arrival.
Please avoid watching it and wasting time.
Rather flawed, but still wholly intriguing
kannibalcorpsegrinder15 November 2012
Attempting to find a mythical tree reportedly cursed by an Indian shaman his grandfather found years ago, a man and his friends encounter the legendary ghost roaming the forested grounds where it's located and try to get away from the murderous spirit.
This turned out to be quite an enjoyable if flawed entry. One of the best parts to this is that it manages to make a clichéd notion, the black-haired ghost-girl, scary again by melding the concept with avenging Native American spirit of the land, so it comes out of the ground, trees or just thin air with remnants of the environment stuck to it, creating an even more threatening visual even though it really does get creepy without the branches, moss and twigs sticking out of it. As well, the introduction of the Indian folklore, which hasn't been explored a lot in normal horror films, really gets some work here and it's quite enjoyable being exposed so unusual fare as it is here since it gets quite good at times, especially the finale which is incredibly well-done for what it accomplishes, both in terms of visual impact as well as action with several really enjoyable scenes thrown in. That said, there's some flaws here in the fact that this one takes quite a while to get going, really meandering around with the group of friends without much in the way of giving them anything interesting to do. As well, the inclusion of the hunter/trapper storyline could've been dropped without incident as he tends to take time away from the ghost and doesn't offer much, but otherwise this was a fine entry.
Rated R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence and drug use.
This turned out to be quite an enjoyable if flawed entry. One of the best parts to this is that it manages to make a clichéd notion, the black-haired ghost-girl, scary again by melding the concept with avenging Native American spirit of the land, so it comes out of the ground, trees or just thin air with remnants of the environment stuck to it, creating an even more threatening visual even though it really does get creepy without the branches, moss and twigs sticking out of it. As well, the introduction of the Indian folklore, which hasn't been explored a lot in normal horror films, really gets some work here and it's quite enjoyable being exposed so unusual fare as it is here since it gets quite good at times, especially the finale which is incredibly well-done for what it accomplishes, both in terms of visual impact as well as action with several really enjoyable scenes thrown in. That said, there's some flaws here in the fact that this one takes quite a while to get going, really meandering around with the group of friends without much in the way of giving them anything interesting to do. As well, the inclusion of the hunter/trapper storyline could've been dropped without incident as he tends to take time away from the ghost and doesn't offer much, but otherwise this was a fine entry.
Rated R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence and drug use.
Horror movie that could have gone more than that.
AshokePrabha28 June 2008
I saw this movie recently. It seemed to be a typical scream-scare horror movie. But the underlying meaning could have meant something else if crafted with more nuances.
The story is about a Forrest which is haunted by a tree that hunts humans for a reason. A group of students came in search of such a legendary tree. One among them was the guy who has intentions to find it out though nobody knows about it's whereabouts. And what happens in their search is the story.
The special effects and other cheap scares are there in the movie. The director also uses the cut-in-the-middle of a scene tactics to increase the anxiety of the audience about what happened. The flash back story has to be more effective and could have been even lengthier to tell the tale of green peace. But the director slightly touches over it "the arrogance of man in killing trees".
If we see it in reality our human life is bound into trees. If there are not enough trees in this world to reduce the co2 the humans pollute in various ways, then the world is like a hell. We already see the global warming effects all over the world. The arctic and Antarctic zones are no more cold. The ice at the poles started melting and filling the ocean all over the world raising the sea levels. That is another cause for all these cyclones, climate changes, season changes. Even coastal cities would submerge into water in 50-100 years. Basically, the root cause is as we humans tend to live a planned life and we break the natural life cycle which was there for millions of years. Anybody who could have read this paragraph would have been horrified ? I bet not.
But watching this movie does scare you to some extent. And if you are able to correlate how human treats trees and what if the trees start to flare back at humans, then you could be scared morally. Becos we humans have no ethics towards non-human beings. But if things turned around? The last but one shot of the film at the end will show an empty wide open space where at one end the Forrest will be there and at the other end there will be a bull-dozer that destroys trees. The humans by destroying the Forrest, make the space empty and they 'go towards' that trend(the characters walking towards the bull-dozer direction). The trees on the other hand give them life by 'embedding them' inside like an pregnant mother. This is a correlation of the opposite natures where the loving mom becomes a monster.
Keep this in mind and start watching this movie. Probably you could realize the horror in trees killing humans ( which is the reverse of humans killing trees). If the film was able to contrast this difference strikingly then it would have been a never-before told moral-horror classic story.
The story is about a Forrest which is haunted by a tree that hunts humans for a reason. A group of students came in search of such a legendary tree. One among them was the guy who has intentions to find it out though nobody knows about it's whereabouts. And what happens in their search is the story.
The special effects and other cheap scares are there in the movie. The director also uses the cut-in-the-middle of a scene tactics to increase the anxiety of the audience about what happened. The flash back story has to be more effective and could have been even lengthier to tell the tale of green peace. But the director slightly touches over it "the arrogance of man in killing trees".
If we see it in reality our human life is bound into trees. If there are not enough trees in this world to reduce the co2 the humans pollute in various ways, then the world is like a hell. We already see the global warming effects all over the world. The arctic and Antarctic zones are no more cold. The ice at the poles started melting and filling the ocean all over the world raising the sea levels. That is another cause for all these cyclones, climate changes, season changes. Even coastal cities would submerge into water in 50-100 years. Basically, the root cause is as we humans tend to live a planned life and we break the natural life cycle which was there for millions of years. Anybody who could have read this paragraph would have been horrified ? I bet not.
But watching this movie does scare you to some extent. And if you are able to correlate how human treats trees and what if the trees start to flare back at humans, then you could be scared morally. Becos we humans have no ethics towards non-human beings. But if things turned around? The last but one shot of the film at the end will show an empty wide open space where at one end the Forrest will be there and at the other end there will be a bull-dozer that destroys trees. The humans by destroying the Forrest, make the space empty and they 'go towards' that trend(the characters walking towards the bull-dozer direction). The trees on the other hand give them life by 'embedding them' inside like an pregnant mother. This is a correlation of the opposite natures where the loving mom becomes a monster.
Keep this in mind and start watching this movie. Probably you could realize the horror in trees killing humans ( which is the reverse of humans killing trees). If the film was able to contrast this difference strikingly then it would have been a never-before told moral-horror classic story.
Can't complain...
tiago-jorge-b23 November 2007
This is basically a failed attempt to make a horror movie... it doesn't really start too well, and from then on, it's pretty much downhill too. The casting is nothing special, not to good or too bad, but the actor's performances are hideous! You start by thinking It'll have a decent plot, but soon you'll realize you were VERY, VERY WRONG! The story is set in the forest, what seems to be interesting and creative, but the lack of action and the movie's slow-passed rhythm screw the few decent things in this movie. Those things are the scary scenes. You'll jump out of your seat at least two or three times, and that is what matters in a horror movie. Overall: It is a decent movie for it's type.
I also jumped out of my seat a few times!
reeves200213 July 2007
I thought at first after seeing the cover of the DVD that it was gonna be yet another B horror movie put out by Mapple.With them it can be really bad or really good.I ended up liking it.I really like indie movies and this one definitely comes across like one.I liked the acting in this movie.Everyone came across really real and believable.The effects were pretty good and the thrills! I jumped out of my seat and didn't see it coming.The audio wasn't that great though.I had to turn the volume up high just to hear the conversations.Or maybe it was done like that on purpose so that when the scary parts happen they are so loud that it scares the living sh*t out of you.Either way it was effective.At times the story didn't make a lot of sense and there were definitely insufficiencies.I would have preferred Satinka played by an actual Native American actress instead of a Japanese actress.Or someone who could at least pass as being native Indian, not Asian looking.But it is a fun,creepy little movie guaranteed to scare you or at least make you jump.
Scary tree girl
chelano8 October 2011
This film had a lot of problems. But there was one good thing about it. That would be Kiralee Hayashi. She plays Satinka who is the ghost. Not just any ghost. A fricken creepy ghost. But the rest of the movie interrupted the scariness of the film. The bad acting was part of it. I mean why cast someone who cannot speak English and have them try to speak it? You would see Satinka and it would be stop go motion creepy and then right after; bad acting from the rest of the cast. The story line makes sense, but is in pieces. So much was left out. They just wanted to focus on the scary parts. But like I said before, they were ruined by the rest of the movie. If they would of just focused on the character Satinka and got a better cast or at least cut down the bad dialog, this movie could of been more scary.
I jumped out my seat! (more than once!)
amywade10 February 2007
This movie took me on a ride! It is breathtaking and beautiful as much as it is SHOCKING and HORRIFYING. The acting is FANTASTIC- all of the characters are likable and REAL, totally engaging to watch. Sevy Di Cione is AWESOME. He is a natural. Visually, the movie is hypnotizing- I felt like I was RIGHT THERE, in the forest, with them... the camera takes you into the picture... it is eerie and irresistible and totally frightening. Great SPECIAL EFFECTS, SOUND, and the MUSIC is ENCHANTING... Mauro Borelli knows how to captivate an audience! It was one of SCARIEST movies I have ever seen- felt like I ran a marathon when it was over! (also had to check my pulse a few times during the film, no kidding) LOVED it, thank you, AW
Scariest indie film I've seen in a while
shelletc25 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this movie was very well-done. I saw it screened at the Oxford International Film Festival and absolutely loved it. I saw several people jump throughout the movie and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Sevy DiCione (the male lead) came in-person to screen the film and was a really nice guy. The mythology behind the movie was pretty interesting. I also thought they did a good job building tension with how the victims get "marked" by the ghost. The scene in the car where the ghost attacks also was pretty well-made. The ghost looks pretty creepy. I wouldn't want to get very close to those nails! I can't wait for the DVD release and plan on getting it asap!
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