User Reviews

This represents my first (and most likely last) 'review' but I just felt obligated to offer my perspective. I applaud independent cinema the majority of the time as it completely shames nearly all of the god-awful bile gurgling forth from HollyWeird for decades (which we, The Unwashed Masses, wouldn't realize judging by the annual LoveFest that is the Oscars celebrating continuing mediocrity).

This monstrosity is World Class Champion wrong on every possible level. I love intentional 'camp' (john waters, roger corman, paul bartel, et al) but the acting in this – or glaring lack thereof – set a new-low benchmark, by all involved.

I can't really elaborate upon the other negative reviews of this film because it's all been covered. Incredibly irritating and amateurish 'music' throughout (sounds like a chimpanzee set loose in a studio…or anything off America's Idle), appalling acting, pitiful script, etc. I understand and enjoy an appropriate and well-executed 'slow, building pace' in a movie but in this particular instance it would be more aptly described as 'comatose'. It limps along for nearly TWO excruciating hours and then just unceremoniously ends, without any hint of plot-resolution. This should be shown full volume on an endless loop at the Guantanamo Bay facility.

What I find to be the most offensive aspect about movies such as this are the outrageously-salutary reviews submitted in this forum (and other review sites). In my painful experience the more a film is touted as 'the most phenomenal cinematic event since Gone With The Wind' or whatever tripe, the more I get that sneaking suspicion it's going to be indescribably bad (like the truly nauseating 'Adventures of Power', the repulsive 'The Expendables', 'Ink', etc – check out their shameful over-the-top reviews on here). This is blatant dishonesty. Didn't Sony and other major studios get in serious trouble not long ago for disseminating absurdly-positive reviews/blurbs for movies by fictitious critics/publications? Now the same misleading tactics have proliferated all over the internet to the peril of deceived viewers such as myself. Run far far away from this train wreck. If you're desperate for something to watch, I would recommend real-time wind erosion over this mess. Or maybe an increasingly incomprehensible rant from Charlie Sheen.

I was most intrigued to watch 'Wake The Witch' because out of all the films we've reviewed here at the Drive-In, nary a one has been directed by a woman; so believe me when I say I was keen to see a female's take on the horror genre and if the director, Dorothy Booraem, could successfully break the mold of a male dominated profession. Did she succeed? I'm happy to report an affirmative on that count. Booraem delivers a film that is intelligent and intriguing - terrifically utilizing the limited locations of central Nebraska and using them to her advantage – yet crafting a tale that is offbeat just as much as it is suspenseful (I was reminded of stories by Joyce Carol Oates, which is a good thing!) While a comparison to Oates is high praise, this is not to say that it was a perfect film. While I was sufficiently impressed by most of the cast – with Stefanie Tapio, Karis Yanike, and Martin Kenna standing out – there were a few supporting cast members who were hit and miss with their deliveries. I also thought the same about the music in the film. Whenever something evil was afoot the low bass notes of the synthesizer were adequately chilling, but throughout the rest of the film the score seemed much too bland – sounding more like a Disney Channel movie-of-the-week than anything. I think a darker, fuller score would have helped sell the sinister happenings more effectively for this reviewer. Likewise, the sound quality was suspect – with some muddy dialog and soft conversations often lost in the mix. I'm also not a fan of the 'leather-jacketed-detective' character (see my review for 'The Hagstone Demon' for more on this guy). While the events of the story may have dictated such a character's presence, his cliché dialog took me out of the film more than once – although I must admit I did dig on the weird way he was portrayed (was he privy to the curse?) What I appreciated about Dorothy Booream's film is this: she invested in her characters, taking the time to fully flesh most of them out, which in turn made their fates much more compelling. Now, with that being said - the main drawback about investing in your characters is that the film tends to run a little long. Taking into account the few flaws I mentioned above, what this film really needed was a more discerning eye in the editing booth. I honestly think this film could have been trimmed down by a good twenty minutes or so, cutting away the fat from scenes that draw out with unnecessary exposition and trivial plot points (such as the one involving the cheating boyfriend) that do nothing to further the narrative. It's a credit to star Stefanie Tapio that she is able to carry a nearly two-hour movie while being in every scene. I think 'Wake the Witch' was an above average indie horror flick that had some really effective atmosphere – and more than a few genuinely spooky moments. You'll love the hoodie creatures in the woods (their crawling, herky-jerky movements were stellar!), and the creepy basement scenes were on the money. The urban legend story, even though it's as old as the hills (think: what would happen if the Blair Witch followed you home?) is effective and the midwest locale keeps the picture grounded in reality – although I have to confess that the ending seemed over-the-top. Unfortunately, the sub-par special effects and fake cobwebs didn't completely sell what was supposed to be a mind-bending Lovecraft-ian scene for me, making the pay-off for the hour-and-a-half build-up seem rather disappointing (although, in keeping with genre comparisons, the classic John Carpenter 'downer ending' was a gutsy call by Booraen that was definitely the correct way to end the film – if only the 'crack in the wall' netherworld was done more convincingly. I would have downplayed that scene using a 'less-is-more' approach, and used a real wall with a real hole in it – with nothing to be seen on the other side but blackness; leaving the fate of a certain sibling to the viewer's imagination (but hey - you know what opinions are like…) When the final chain is yanked, I found 'Wake the Witch' to be a unique independent horror film that was crafted with enthusiasm and dedication from its cast and crew – and that passion by those involved definitely comes through on the screen. Yes, it has its flaws, but the film possesses just enough heart and strange macguffins to keep you watching until the macabre finale. Now let's wake up this son of a witch!

Since the dawn of cinema, certain movies have proved themselves to be masterpieces, worthy not only of repeated viewing, but of the highest praise from all who watch. Sadly, Wake the Witch falls nowhere near this category. In fact, to locate it in the same zip code; neigh, the same hemisphere as that type of distinction would be a gross injustice. To truly understand the depth of the worthlessness of this movie requires one to not only sit through the entire mind-numbing 114 minutes of wasted film, but to also attempt to pay attention for that span of time. Such a task proves impossible for even the most enthusiastic of terrible-movie-enthusiasts.

It is one thing for a movie to not reveal its main plot for over an hour. It's an entirely other thing to do so when that plot is pointless, convoluted, and the hour-plus of waiting contains no action. Not only that, but to subject the audience to the added torture of watching the the female lead enter forests, get chased by zombie Abercrombie models, creep through houses, and get hit on by a borderline pedophile time after time after time is simply criminal. The one redeeming quality of this movie is that viewers in Lincoln could recognize some of the filming locations- small comfort, though, considering that if one tried to explain what plot points happened at these locations there would really be no answer besides "I don't know." That this movie is the worst I may ever see is a given, and to say that it is a waste of time is an understatement. Jesus Christ himself would be hard pressed to love anything about this movie other than the fact that it ends.

To sum it up concisely, Wake the Witch sucks.

WAKE THE WITCH is another criminally boring independent horror film shot in the woods. The story is about a witch being burnt in the past and a group of friends in the wood deciding it would be a good idea to mess about with her grave. Everything that happens here is entirely routine, as predictable as you'd imagine. The acting is as wooden as it gets and every detraction you can imagine is present.

The movie starts out slow and builds slow. Stefanie Tapio (lone movie credit) plays a credible Deb Allen. The story centers around her, her family problems, boyfriend problems and desire to be a photographer. I thought her acting skills were quite good, however the rest of the cast and much of the dialogue left something to be desired. This low budget movie suffered from bad camera angles, such as showing us the back of someone's head while they are talking, or the facial closeup of Deb's mom (Barbara Elias) while she is having breakfast.

While taking pictures of her 2 girlfriends (Karis Yanike and Rachel Lien) in the woods, the girls uncover a buried chain, which according to local legend was used to hang a witch. The girls play a game called, "Wake the Witch" so they can ask the witch questions about their boyfriends. Afterwards, strange events slowly start to happen.

The ending of the film was unexpected. The picture spent too much time focusing on Deb Allen instead of leaving clues for the twist. The movie is more of a mystery than a horror film. Good low budget effort that can be improved upon.

Parental Guide: F-bomb, no sex, no nudity.

Holy God, this is one terrible film. In all due respect to those of you who have written positive reviews, you're wrong. The pace is mind-bogglingly slow. The acting is abysmal. Normally in a low budget flick with bad acting, there is some eye candy on the screen, but the casting director clearly thought that bland-faced, flat-chested, and fat was the way to go with the lead. And those are the good points. Bad things happen in the woods. HINT: Stay out of the woods, dummy. But if your friends have disappeared, sometimes you have to go into the woods. And then come out unscathed. And back and forth and back and forth. I don't want to spoil the ending. I want to encourage you not to even start the film. But if you do make it to the end, you'll find yourself thinking "WTF have I done to myself? Why, Lord, why did you make me sit through an hour and 52 minutes of this horse crap?" And I'm being nice.

Clearly made on a shoestring budget, at nearly two hours much of the interest in the fabled witch in the woods wears thin - which is a shame, because this film has its heart in the right place.

Stefanie Tapio plays Deb, an appealing young photographer who occasionally exhibits a callous nature. Although she looks about 12 years old, she and her friends are presented as a variant on the usual 'rock chick' – their exploits are accompanied by high school grunge music, and they spend a fair amount of time discussing the merits, or otherwise, of 'boys.' But they are an otherwise unaffected bunch, and worlds away from the usual manicured prom brats we often get in stories like this. The acting is occasionally ropey but competent for an independent film. What lets things down though is the sluggish, drawn-out plot. The first half in particular drags and it is a pity some judicial pruning didn't cut the running time down by about half an hour.

Things become rather more interesting when friend Karen (Karis Yanike) appears to get kidnapped by a spooky bunch of hooded figures in the woodlands. No-one else seems remotely bothered about her disappearance. Added to that, after a mysterious illness sweeps over Deb's family, she teams up with brother Mark's friend Brent (Jeremy Gillmore) to try and make sense of this blurred mystery.

The small town gradually cut off from normality due to this spreading sickness is effectively, and economically, conveyed. The low budget allows the blossoming curse to project an intimate, sticky, dirty sense of horror. The finale is unspectacular but surprisingly creepy. Lovecraftian, even. Whilst effective, it is a pity it didn't end more conclusively. After staying with Debs for so long– Director and writer Dorothy Booraem (this film marks debuts both for her and Tapio) clearly put a lot of work into every scene, and she was determined to use it all – it would have been more satisfying had the denouement not been so opaque.