Happy Family?
by Karl Madsen, Media Editor, Horror
When most people think of horror in the 60’s and 70’s, we think of the films made at the British Hammer Studios. They had a successful run of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Mummy movies, as well as cult classics Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter, Vampire Circus, and Vampire Lovers, driven by the likes of Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Caroline Monroe, Ingrid Pitt and even Raquel Welch in the 1966 classic One Million Years B.C., to name a few. Over the years the studio changed hands and suffered financial woes, but has recently re-entered the horror arena with the release of Wake Wood.
Patrick (Aiden Gillen – Game of Thrones) and Louise (Eve Birthistle – The Children) move to the remote community of Wake Wood after the brutal death of their daughter, Alice (Ella Connolly – debut), at the jaws of a savage dog. But they find out there’s a way to say good-bye to her. All they have to do is follow a couple of teensy weensy rules.
After the death of their daughter, Patrick and Louise move to the town the movie is named for – Wake Wood, and as they are settling into a routine of veterinary practice and taking care of the new home, they are informed by Arthur (Timothy Spall – Harry Potter series) that there may be a way for them to spend three days with their daughter in order to say good-bye properly. But there are rules; first is that she can’t have been gone for more than one year. Second is that she has to be back in the ground in three days, no longer. The third states she cannot go past the township limits. Finally, Patrick and Louise have to stay in Wake Wood, and be there when ever they are called, no questions asked. But, of course, something goes wrong; rules are broken; and penalties must be paid.
The initial description of Wake Wood seemed to be a rip-off of Pet Cemetery, but I was pleasantly surprised at the somewhat unique approach to the subject of reanimation. But this is not a monster movie, nor is it people torturing people. It’s man tampering with the natural order of things, and not following the rules. Of course the rules are the main contributor to the plot, but the locale, a quaint town surrounded by an idyllic countryside that is the home of pagan ceremonies, that lends to the atmosphere of tension and fear, shrouded in tranquility. Oh yeah, reanimated, cute kids creep me out.
Special Features:
Deleted Scenes
Trailer
Karl’s Scores:
Acting – A
Setting – A+
Special Effects – Virtually Non-Existent
Creep Factor – A+
Tension – A
What the Heck Moments – The ending alone is a monumental ‘What the Heck Moment’
Overall – A+
Wake Wood is a great way for Hammer Studios to make their re-entry into the horror scene. It’s a perfect combination of low budget, coupled with good stories and acting. This movie has put the creep back into creepy, the tense into tension, and the fun back into horror. And on Blu-ray the effect is eerily crisp. Pay special attention to the very twisted ending.
ComicsOnline gives Wake Wood 5 raised from the dead stars out of 5.
Pick up your copy of Wake Wood on DVDor Blu-rayfrom Amazon.com.
Keep ComicsOnline.comat the top of your favorites for all the Geek Pop Culture your heart can stand.
