I generally have a frustrating time sifting through a lot of the new independent films coming out. Most are trash, some are treasure and a few fall right in between. Anytime I find one that falls in the latter two categories it’s always a plus. Recently I sat up late watching “Dark Woods”, ready to role my eyes at yet another low-budget horror film. However, director/producer Jake Daniels had other plans in store for me. As “Dark Woods” is an homage to all the slasher flicks of the eighties, it has everything you would expect. There’s the obligatory quiet and peaceful campground, which of course has been closed or over 20 years due to a series of unsolved murders. And now there’s a new owner is trying to get the place in shape for re-opening, with the aid of several victims… I mean…counselors. Let’s run down the menu offering from the “Dark Woods” website shall we?

We have “a lonely cook searching for her lost love and lost son....wo young lovers, a jealous friend, a starry-eyed vixen, a free-spirited mistress... and among them, a dark hidden past, waiting to be unleashed...And all the while, someone lurks in the shadows, stalking them at every turn. Which of them will make it through the night, and make it out alive?”

When dealing with independent films, the first things most viewers have to deal with are the budget restrictions and how they affect the overall quality of the film. “Dark Woods” is no exception. Sometimes the lighting isn’t quite right, the dialogue is a little hard to catch, or the acting isn’t really the best, but overall these problems are few and far between and don’t detract from the film itself. When I can, I try to look past these problems and focus more on what the filmmaker was trying to accomplish, and how well he was able to do it with what little he had to work with. It’s here that ‘Dark Woods” succeeds.

Interestingly enough, Daniels originally got involved with the project as an actor, but over time moved into the role of director/producer. And considering he had no prior filmmaking experience, I have to say he created one damn good movie. “Dark Woods” held my interest all the way through, and despite some of the familiar conventions used to produce a “Friday the 13th” type movie; he was actually able to throw in quite a few surprises. Several times, just when I thought I had it all figured out, Daniels took me in another direction altogether.

Being that “Dark Woods” is a slasher film, there was no way to do without the requisite ‘gruesome deaths’ of our characters. This is one of the areas where a low budget can really hurt a film. Either you can’t show the deaths at all, or what you see doesn’t look very good. Here Daniels did a great job of making the deaths, not only imaginative but also fairly realistic.

Currently Daniels is working on getting a distribution deal for the film, and he has been able to get some theatre showings in various parts of the country. Watching “Dark Woods” made me hope I might get the opportunity to see what he could do with a larger budget. If you get a chance to see it in your area, take the time to do so. Check out the official website, Darkwoodsmovie.com, for more information on future showings and to read about Daniels new project, “The Deviants.”

We'll give Dark Woods a B.