A group of friends is out for a peaceful and relaxing weekend at remote cabin. But when one of them accidentally desecrates an Aboriginal burial ground he is possessed by an angry spirit and the serenity of their hideaway quickly gives way to horror.
Within the Woods represents Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell's first shot at a real movie. One will quickly note a number of similarities between the plot of this film and that of Evil Dead, which they would produce just a few years later and which would become a famous horror classic. Even some of the scenes are re-created again in Evil Dead.
Of course there are some differences as well, like the source of the possession. "Indian" burial ground must not have flown at the time of Evil Dead's production. Also we see Bruce Campbell's character become a violent demon whereas in the films that followed, he remained the hero who ultimately came out relatively unscathed.
Within the Woods comes in at only about 32 minutes. It's quality is grainy at best, it's budget was small, and it lacks most of the wonderful special effects of Evil Dead. But all this aside, Within the Wood remains an effective and entertaining horror film. One can already see the greatness of Sam Raimi's work overcome the difficult conditions that were presented in the creation of this film. Many more fantastic projects that he probably never dreamed of were waiting in his future. This little known, difficult to come by, part of the otherwise well known Evil Dead franchise is well worth seeking out and viewing.
4 rickety patio swings out of 5
Unrated: contains violence and frightening scenes.
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