Deep in the Woods
Encyclopedia
Deep in the Woods is a 2000 French horror film directed by Lionel Delplanque. The film is about a troupe of five young actors who are hired to perform at a remote chateau for Baron Axel De Ferson when they find out that a madman is on the loose murdering people.
The film was released in France on June 14, 2000 and won the award for "Best European Fantasy Film" at the 2000 Sitges Film Festival.
to her son, she is killed before his eyes. Later, five young actors including Sophie Jeanne and her four friends are invited to the castle of Axel de Fersen to act in a modernized stage-play of Little Red Riding Hood. They are greeted by the gamekeeper
Stephane, Baron Berléand Fernsen, the owner who uses a wheelchair, and his deaf mute son Nicolas. After dinner, their host retires to bed as the five friends settle in for a night of drinking and dancing but soon find that the Baron has vanished, leaving only a blood stain. The actors return to party which upsets Sophie as she feels their behavior is disrespectful and oblivious to the danger. Sophie wants to leave the strange castle, but the others say that she could too easily get lost in the woods. Her friends are slowly killed one by one: Matilda is stabbed in the shower by a man disguised as a wolf and later Jeanne is killed. The three survivors begin to panic and try to find Stephane who they believe is the killer. When their other friend Wilfried is killed, Sophie accuses Matthew of being the murderer. This upsets Matthew, but the two soon meet up with the wolf: Axel de Fersen. Sophie manages to kill him and flees the castle with both Matthew and Nicolas.
It was released in France on VHS
and DVD
on 2001. The film was released on DVD by Artisan Entertainment
on October 23, 2001. This DVD contained an audio commentary from Brian Yuzna
. A Region 2
DVD was released by Tartan Video on August 26, 2002.
gave the film a rating of four stars out of five, stating that for a debut feature, it was "brilliant". A review in Télérama
gave the film two stars out of five, stating suggesting that the film educed unintentional laughter. Allrovi gave the film three stars out of five, comparing Deep in the Woods to the work of Dario Argento
. The review went on to suggest that the style was so overwhelming that it covered the film's plot holes. Film4
referred to the film as slick and well crafted but "sadly lacks any convincing tension or threatening atmosphere. A prime example of style over content."
The film was released in France on June 14, 2000 and won the award for "Best European Fantasy Film" at the 2000 Sitges Film Festival.
Plot
As a mother reads Little Red Riding HoodLittle Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....
to her son, she is killed before his eyes. Later, five young actors including Sophie Jeanne and her four friends are invited to the castle of Axel de Fersen to act in a modernized stage-play of Little Red Riding Hood. They are greeted by the gamekeeper
Gamekeeper
A gamekeeper is a person who manages an area of countryside to make sure there is enough game for shooting, or fish for angling, and who actively manages areas of woodland, moorland, waterway or farmland for the benefit of game birds, deer, fish and wildlife in general.Typically, a gamekeeper is...
Stephane, Baron Berléand Fernsen, the owner who uses a wheelchair, and his deaf mute son Nicolas. After dinner, their host retires to bed as the five friends settle in for a night of drinking and dancing but soon find that the Baron has vanished, leaving only a blood stain. The actors return to party which upsets Sophie as she feels their behavior is disrespectful and oblivious to the danger. Sophie wants to leave the strange castle, but the others say that she could too easily get lost in the woods. Her friends are slowly killed one by one: Matilda is stabbed in the shower by a man disguised as a wolf and later Jeanne is killed. The three survivors begin to panic and try to find Stephane who they believe is the killer. When their other friend Wilfried is killed, Sophie accuses Matthew of being the murderer. This upsets Matthew, but the two soon meet up with the wolf: Axel de Fersen. Sophie manages to kill him and flees the castle with both Matthew and Nicolas.
Release
Deep in the Woods was released in France on June 14, 2000. The film was shown at the 2000 Sitges Film Festival in Spain. The film won the award for "Best European Fantasy Film" at the festival. The film grossed a total of $145,320 on its United States release.It was released in France on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on 2001. The film was released on DVD by Artisan Entertainment
Artisan Entertainment
Artisan Entertainment Inc. was a privately held independent American movie studio until it was purchased by a Canadian studio, Lionsgate, in 2003. At the time of its acquisition, Artisan had a library of thousands of films developed through acquisition, original production, and production and...
on October 23, 2001. This DVD contained an audio commentary from Brian Yuzna
Brian Yuzna
Brian Yuzna is a director, writer and producer of films.- Life :Yuzna grew up in Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and Panama before moving to the United States in the 1960s.- Career :...
. A Region 2
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
DVD was released by Tartan Video on August 26, 2002.
Reception
The French version of the magazine FHMFHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
gave the film a rating of four stars out of five, stating that for a debut feature, it was "brilliant". A review in Télérama
Télérama
Télérama is a weekly French magazine owned by Le Monde S.A. Its primary contents are television and radio listings, though the magazine also prints film, theatre, music and book reviews, as well as cover stories and feature articles of cultural interest. The name is a contraction of its earlier...
gave the film two stars out of five, stating suggesting that the film educed unintentional laughter. Allrovi gave the film three stars out of five, comparing Deep in the Woods to the work of Dario Argento
Dario Argento
Dario Argento is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies....
. The review went on to suggest that the style was so overwhelming that it covered the film's plot holes. Film4
Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
referred to the film as slick and well crafted but "sadly lacks any convincing tension or threatening atmosphere. A prime example of style over content."
External links
- Official website at Archive.org