Back WoodsBackwoods is coming to DVD in the USA on June 23, 2009. That’s the latest news that IMDb has for the film. Some will have heard of it, most perhaps will not, as it is a somewhat less known horror film. The film is described as a ‘fight-for-your-life’ thriller in which a group of 8 coworkers go on a weekend team-work session that involves paintball. Of course, once they reach the boonies, all is not as it should be, and the horror begins from there. Many will see the Haylie Duff billing and the typical Severance style set-up and automatically dismiss it offhand. They will point out that it is produced by RHI, whose track-record on amazing horror is dubious, at least to most. Directed by Marty Weiss, the film on the surface is just what it seems, a typical horror film being used by a less than successful pop-star sibling to try and advance their career regardless of the quality. Those who think that, however, would be selling this film short, and here’s why.

Despite the obvious set-up of a backwoods area, a group of unwitting paint-ball fans, and a couple obvious soon-to-be heroes who are righteous and socially awkward respectively, the film manages to avoid treading ground that would denote a bastardization of films that are similar to it. It is not similar to the films who actually fall in a similar pattern. Instead the film manages to craft a much more clever line from the obvious set up to the finale, with some intersting pacing and character development and change, and a focus on story and chemistry rather than the obvious blood and gore you could happily get in horror films. It is far more evocative of an inside look into the Phelps clan or the philosophical glance at excessive Theism rather than being a simple-minded comical slasher. And for that, it gets a lot of credit. So come June, even though it is a Haylie Duff film, perhaps it would be worth stretching the extra few bucks and picking this up.

How do I know this? Simple, I’m in Japan. We already released it on DVD and I got my copy. Sure, it’s called “Naked: Survival Game” over here, but this is the land where Army of Darkness is called “Ghost Guts III: Captain Supermarket”. You learn to work around titles. And to anticipate, no, there isn’t much nakedness really, nor is there much of a game being played. But it still was worth the watch. Imagine that, a horror movie that didn’t need to be sold with nudity. A revelation.

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