Blanca Nieves: en el bosque negro

A wealthy man (Sam Neill) remarries years after his first wife dies during childbirth. However, the new wife (Sigourney Weaver) despises her stepchild and the daughter (played by the lovely Monica Keena) is forced to flee into the woods where she befriends seven miners (not dwarfs). Will the stepmother get away with her wickedness? My friend Jason had been suggesting we watch this film for a while and I couldn't bring myself to do it. With the movie being based on Snow White and the silly cover photograph, this just didn't seem like a decent horror film. And I know Sam Neill makes some decent horror appearances, but Sigourney Weaver? Come on! Then when I saw Monica Keena was in it (who I know from "Dawson's Creek" but many horror fans will know her from "Freddy vs. Jason") I couldn't get the DVD in the slot fast enough.

This film comes from director Michael Cohn, whom I've never heard of and I suspect neither have you. And despite his relative obscurity (ten years later and I still haven't seen anything else he's done) he can weave a very well-visualized tale. The man has a knack for the realm of fantasy.

This really is the film's strength. We are treated to a land of fantasy with witches and magic mirrors, but there is no silliness about it. This is not a kid's tale like "Labrynth" or "The Dark Crystal", but something much more adult and terrifying. There is even a scene where -- dare I say it -- we get hints of rape.

All the acting is strong, which should come as no surprise. Keena is great, and Sam Neill really cannot do a bad job acting even if he wanted to as far as I can tell. The effects were fine, the music was alright, and there was a scene where a horse did a back-flip, which was pretty intense. Don't be discouraged like I was about the title, this is a horror film worth seeing and a nice change of pace from the usual modern-day fare.

Trying to rent a "known" horror movie is somewhat of a Herculean task at 7:30 PM on Halloween night, and as such, I was down to the "slim pickins" on the horror shelf at the local video outlet, so I was surprised to see this movie still on the shelf, what with the star power attached to it and attractive video box. I'd never heard of it!

What a surprise to find a genuinely creepy and atmospheric horror story contained within, and a PERFECT movie to watch on Halloween night. The cinematography is sumptuous and lush, especially during the scenes in which the evil Lady is casting spells on Lilliana and her various compatriots. The story itself, though, is a little muddy and hard to follow (not much time is spent on character development, presuming the characters will all be familiar to you in an alternate-Disney-universe sort of way) and thus the film isn't as good as it could be. But all the actors and filmmakers make the best out of what they have, and the result is a genuinely creepy, and at some points disturbing (I challenge anyone to stay calm during the Lady's final confrontation with Lilliana) re-telling of a classic fairy tale. I highly recommend this movie as one to spring on one's friends, unaware ... in the dark.

This version of the what may be the Grimm's most famous fairy tale holds very true to the original story. There have been so many film adaptations of Snow White that, although unique and creative renditions, stray very far from the original. I was impressed with the minor details that they included from the Grimm's version, such as the "hair as black as ebony, skin white as snow, and lips as red as blood" and the fact that the heroine is choked by the apple and not put into a magical sleep (like Sleeping Beauty). The story is dark and ominous, which also holds true to the fairy tale, in contradiction to the popular belief that these stories were light-hearted and innocent (we have Walt Disney to blame for that). They did take some creative license with names, character traits, and certain plot elements, but I didn't find it terribly offensive. It served to make the story more realistic and deep. It kept my attention the whole way through and kept me wondering what was going to happen next despite the fact I knew the story. The thing that makes this movie good is the great attention to detail and the awareness of the material the film makers had. I was impressed. Do not be fooled though. This is not a movie for little children. Do not go into it thinking that, or you will completely miss what makes it so special. I would even suggest reading the actual fairy tale before watching it so you can truly appreciate the small but significant specific aspects the film artists obviously took so much care to preserve.

After seeing this film, I had mixed feelings. I was wondering if I was confused, excited, blown away or a combination of all three. SNOW WHITE: A TALE OF TERROR. A film based somewhat more accurately on the Grimm Brothers classic horror story, you are going to enjoy it no matter what! Sam Neill and Sigourney Weaver were very good in the film. It starts off slow, developing the characters and becoming a nice, little period piece. Until the horror begins...

I apologize, but I cannot remember a single name from the entire film, aside from Snow White, so you will just have to bear with me. I was slightly confused with what I was being given. All I knew, was that I liked it. I like old fashioned Gothic horror stories that go back a couple hundred years to give you a nice tale of terror. The real legend of Snow White is here. The Grimm Brothers' tale has been created in vibrant life and its all here. The apple and all.

All the elements of the snobby rich people, the poor, the forest, the deadness all around and the gothic atmosphere combine to create a genuinely bone-chilling tale. SNOW WHITE: A TALE OF TERROR gets 4/5.

One word of warning, this isn't the Disney film of "Snow White" and it would be wise to think twice before letting the children watch it.

The tensions between "Snow White", here named Lilli Hoffman (Played by Taryn Davis as a child and then by Monica Keener as a teenager) and her step-mother Claudia (Sigourney Weaver) are quite well-drawn. Claudia is not completely unsympathetic and Lilli is not quite as innocent as in some versions of the story. Also the dwarfs are presented as a group of scarred, bitter outlaws.

The film sustains a wonderful medieval atmosphere and has some very good performances, particularly from Sigourney Weaver. However it suffers a lot from an unevenness of tone. It's far too dark and violent for children, but then it's not quite scary enough for adults.

That being said, horror and fantasy fans may find it quite enjoyable.