Lost Woods (US-2010; dir. Nathan and Philip Ellering)
A monster-thriller written and directed by the Ellering Bros. Director of Photography: Lance Kuhns. Cast: Joey Brown, Garrett Vander Leun, Nina Brissey, Phillip Ellering and Nathan Ellering.
A few days ago we talked about the monsters that dwell in swamps. This one is related, at least in terms of a setting that isolates protagonists (and their emotional baggage) in the midst of a natural environment rife with mystery — and something is out there. Whatever emerges from these particular backwoods, what we’ve definitely got here is another excellent independent production made on a small budget with high levels of creativity and enthusiasm.
Synopsis:
Darrin Noland leads a deliberate and careful life, but when his old friends spring a camping trip on him it’s a good time he can’t run from. The escape turns south when Darrin finds out the unsettling news that Warren, someone he has avoided since junior high, is also along for the ride. Darrin attempts to avoid an awkward reunion but horrible events cause him to face his regretful past and face his beast within. (Source)
Currently busy with post-production (which Nathan Ellering describes as “somewhat of a black hole that sucks you in”), the Ellerings are intent on releasing the film this year — very soon in fact. While you wait, check out the trailer and see if you can glean an answer to these questions: Is the creature a straight-on cryptozoological anomaly? A supernatural entity? A monster from the Id? A backwoods Jekyll and Hyde? Ah, that is the question! Looks to me as though it will be fun finding out.
Don’t see enough of the monster? Well, Undead Backbrain has got hold of some exclusive stills that are rather spectacular in that regard. Click on them to look the Beast right in the eye.
And the Beast’s victims/opponents, too:
The Ellering Brothers commented on the film:
Our vision for this film was to go into the woods and shoot a suspense action thriller in true independent fashion. We wanted to create a monster movie in the old-fashioned style of man versus beast set against a spooky backdrop armed with little more than his wits. Our goal was to create a fresh mythology for a creature that audiences have already come to be familiar with. We shot in both Northern and Southern California’s national forests and had quite an adventure doing so. Between broken bones, angry hunters, frigid weather and the occasional equipment malfunction — the cast and crew felt the struggle just as much as the characters did. Our process in writing and shooting this film began with the question “what can we do with next to nothing?” and we pushed everything that we had to get the most production value out of what was available to us.
Earlier Teaser Trailer:
The trailer and teaser are also on Vimeo, if you want to check them out in even higher resolution: http://vimeo.com/8342183 | http://vimeo.com/13168057.
More images are in the Gallery below.
- Sources and links: Nathan Ellering; Official website; Facebook page; Arrow in the Head
- Written by Robert Hood | Research: Avery Guerra
Gallery:
Creature from the Black Lagoon (US-1954; dir. Jack Arnold) and Swamp Thing (US-1982; dir. Wes Craven) to modern low-budget monster flicks such as Frankenfish (US-2004; dir. Mark A.Z. Dippé) and Muckman (US-2010; dir. Brett Piper), the tangled, fecund environment provided by swamplands has been suggestive of monstrosity and secretive biological forms. The fact that such places are often (in fiction anyway) inhabited by homo sapiens best described as inbred does nothing to diminish the Swamp’s association with genetic deviance.
