Soft for Digging

This film, that received an incognito release back in 2001, isn't actually as good as it's minor cult following would suggest. That's not to say that it isn't good, however; it's refreshing to see something a little different and although the film is flawed, it does succeed for that reason. The story follows a reclusive man that lives in the woods and witnesses a murder while searching for his cat. The film doesn't have any dialogue, and is told in chapters. This makes the film different from the outset as it leaves the audience with only their own thoughts as to what's going and nothing is ever really explained. Other films, such as the worst film ever made; The Blair Witch Project, have tried similar ways of developing a plot and most have failed. This one doesn't really succeed, but it's probably the best example I've seen yet.

The film is almost completely set in the woods, and there aren't many people other than our central character shown on screen. This gives the film an intense feeling of loneliness and isolation, which is always unsettling. The film also seems to have taken some influence from true cult classic 'The Evil Dead' in the way it is shot. The way that the camera moves through the woods is reminiscent of the 'Raimi-cam' that was introduced in said movie. In spite of having no dialogue, and moving relatively slowly; Soft for Digging never becomes boring and the scenes where we are allowed to brood with the main character are kept alive by what the audience thinks as we see him trying to continue with his life. The film features some very unnerving nightmare sequences, which are the movie's best moments and also come as something as a surprise in a movie of this nature. Nothing, however, can prepare you for the ending, which is as ambiguous as it is disgraceful and I almost guarantee that it will shock, repulse and surprise you.

There's not really enough of this film, and what there is isn't really good enough to call it 'good' without lying. However, this is an impressive first feature from director J.T. Petty and I look forward to seeing better things from him in the future.

This is an excellent film and one should not be put off by its strangeness. There is genuine skill in manufacture of this work. It manages to be intrigiung, funny and frightening at various times. Work with it for the first few minutes and you won't be disappointed

In these days of inane films for the masses, it's refreshing to see a tale told such as 'Soft for Digging'. Take what might come out of Hollywood, but cut the unnecessary dialog, cut the shallow score, rely on some good honest camera work and acting, and get the audience to sit back and enjoy the tale.

Not to spoil this; but the story opens with a recluse, an old man, who while searching for his cat witnesses something that haunts him thereafter. The story is simple but is told well and is totally convincing.

You may love it, you may hate it, but I challenge anyone to watch this for the first time and to know what might come next. Despite being a fan of horror movies for over 20 years, there are at least two places in this film that blindsided me completely and had me all but jumping out of my chair. Wonderful.

Refreshing in its simplicity, though not a classic, but does what it set out to do exceptionally well.

Billed as a horror film and in the end proves to be so but for most of its running time this is a rather disconcerting film about an elderly gentleman who lives alone in the woods. He sees something disturbing whilst searching for his cat and then has his dreams disturbed by the imagery and tries to solve the mystery. The woods are bleak and shot with hand held camera giving creepy and atmospheric tone to proceedings. Proceedings are, however, a little slow and the pacing is not helped by chapter headings, every now and again. In a film without dialogue, of course, there is little option but to use headings, if only to give the audience some notion of where we are going. Not that anyone will guess though!

A student film made at NYU for $6,000., SOFT FOR DIGGING is more intelligent, more creative and considerably scarier than any half-dozen recent Hollywood horror extravaganzas. Careful attention to camera angles, moody lighting and cold, bleak landscapes combine to tell a slow and quiet but thoroughly involving supernatural tale with an uncommonly real feel. There's almost no dialogue in the gloomy story of Virgil, an old man who lives alone in a cabin in the middle of the chilliest looking woods you've ever seen. Following his "very bad cat" into the colorless, deathly forest one day, the old man witnesses the murder of a child by a mysterious young man. Police searches for the little girl's body turn up nothing, but Virgil is haunted by nightmare visions that eventually lead him to the horrible secret of the brutal killing. In spite of the lack of dialogue (or maybe because of it), you'll feel like you're right there with the solemn old hermit, experiencing his growing fear and confusion during his lonely quest to make some sense of the crime. The cleverly paced film breaks up its long, quiet stretches with sudden bursts of hallucinatory visual shocks. The horror imagery is conveyed via techniques that you've seen fumbled embarrassingly in any number of big-budget horror movies, but SOFT FOR DIGGING director J. T. Petty knows how to use them to their most nightmarish effect. After several surprises, the story ends with a cruel, sick joke that manages to work perfectly with everything that's come before if you're willing to give it a little thought. An intelligent and well-crafted chiller that stands as a reminder of how much can be achieved, even on a next-to-nothing budget, when storytelling and mood are given prominence over special effects and bloodshed. Teenaged video game junkies with the attention span of goldfish might not have sufficient concentration skills to follow this one, but it comes heartily recommended to more mature viewers. It wasn't officially released until 2005.