Summary
The lone survivor of the original Deep Dark Woods massacre is awaiting trial for the murders in a poorly-run insane asylum (but then, aren't they all?). He insists that the real killer was a cheerfully psychopathic forest ranger, and to help him prove it, his court-appointed psychologist arranges for a little camping trip to the Deep Dark Woods, accompanied by assorted cops, lawyers, and civil servants, all of whom promptly wander off to be picked off one by one. It's at least 30 minutes too long and had zero budget, but it's got a certain goofy charm, and I did enjoy the ranger's manic line delivery and the progressively sillier deaths.
Warning! Spoilers ahead!
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Barbara's Rant
Had none of those people ever been camping before? Those woods were neither dark nor deep. In fact, they were positively sylvan. Also, any camping spot you can drive to, however bad the road, isn't deep in the woods. Of course, I don't even want to think about the bitching and moaning that would have gone on if that bunch had to backpack somewhere. It does make me wonder how the police failed to find it, since it's relatively accessible and the psychologist apparently goes hiking there regularly. Perhaps they received the same training as the law enforcement in Seven Blood-Stained Orchids and TCM 2.
Aside from the insufficient darkness of the woods (which is really not their fault, I'm sure that's the darkest wood available in the greater Cleveland metro area), I could have done with a little more ranger and a lot less talking. I realize that it's cheaper to film people awkwardly flirting than it is to film an ex-Marine being beaten with a hammer, but come on, I can only take so much of the lawyer making sexist jokes before I get impatient for him to get killed already. Bring on the ranger! You have to like a killer who coordinates his outfits with his weapons and kills people with lawn darts. In fact, I think I'm going to capitalize his name and make him into The Ranger, deranged superhero, bringing the justice of the forest to citizens everywhere!
Ahem. Sorry about that. I got a little over-excited. You can see why I was disappointed when (giving away the big secret here) the institutionalized lone survivor turned out to be the real killer. Don't give me The Ranger and then tell me you were just kidding. It's not nice to tease.
BARBARA MAY
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