In the Deep Woods

Back to back, from one decent TV thriller ('Through the Eyes of a Killer') to somewhat another. Yeah somewhat. I'm kind of lukewarm on it. 'In the Deep Woods' had the ingredients for a tight, relentless and interesting thriller, but director Charles Correll's sinuously pedestrian handling and Robert Nathan and Robert Rosenblum's material (adapted from Nicholas Conde's novel) piles on the red herrings and all too convenient developments. By being a knotty plot, it keeps you off balance and never strikes me as predictable. It's just hard to believe some incidents, as some things that occur just had me thinking "Oh, why?". Everything seems to move at a snail's pace, but you stay with it because you want to know how it'll pan out. There's a few effective suspenseful sequences and a very dreary tone streaming through it, but there's just too many generic and replicate patterns. Its well shot, edited and leanly scored. This would be Anthony Perkins last role, and it's a blank performance (just think of his failing condition), but his stable presence eventually wins out. The perky Patricia Arquette is suitably fine in the heroine role. As for Will Patton, he looks lost at sea with his character.

This is an interesting serial killer movie with an excellent cast - Anthony Perkins, Rosanna Arquette, and one of my favorites, Will Patton.

It's nicely directed with an even pace. It keeps you guessing until the end as to who the serial killer really is, then it comes together. The acting from both the main cast and the supporting cast is very good. There are no serious plot holes, it all makes sense in the end. The psychological profile of the serial killer is realistic.

I see some harsh reviews, but there is really nothing wrong with this movie. I recommend it for anyone who likes crime mystery films. It deserves a better rating.

How sad and tragic that this terrible movie should be Anthony Perkins' last performance on screen. His body of work was so good in the early days, even prior to PSYCHO. He is wasted in this by appearing in and out of the movie as a stranger you're not quite sure what he is. The men fare better than the women in this. Christopher Rydell, son of director Mark Rydell (ON GOLDEN POND)he gives an interesting performance. D W Moffett (AN EARLY FROST) also is on deck as the boy friend. We never do know what ever happens to him. He sort of disappears along the way. In fact this is most confusing and changes course every few minutes. No need to figure it out. It's pretty predictable. Only salvation is watching the men mentioned earlier in this review. They are always worth watching. Then there's the leading lady, played by Rosanna Arquette. She screams good. But that's about all. Not a fan of hers, she plays the role as I said going around pouting and screaming. Don't wast your pennies on this one.

I don't watch 90s movies often, i'm more of an 80s and 70s kind of gal myself, but this was a nice change of pace. Rosanne Arquette is gorgeous and so perfectly 90s, and Anthony Perkins is amazing as always. Not bad for a TV movie but extremely formulaic in the way that Tobe Hooper's Toolbox Murders was. And enjoyable in the same way that one was too. There are a lot of plot holes however, and it's very melodramatic. The stupid argument with the boyfriend just made me livid with how unrealistic and petty it was. A good thing was the outfits. But is that really to their credit? They just dressed like they were from 1992. They were. It's only enjoyable in retrospect. Another thing was the soundtrack- at times. It wasn't great all the way through but at times it surpassed the general mediocrity. For a TV movie though, surprisingly not bad. Overall fun to watch.

Rosanna Arquette finds herself in the thick of a serial killer investigation, when one of her friends turns up a victim. This not always believable murder investigation turns up one suspect after another, all of which are rather tenuous in the motive and logic department. "In the Deep Woods" seems like it was written to try for some record in the number of "red herrings" that could be stuffed into the rather shallow story. Rosanna Arquette and Anthony Perkins do what they can with some very slight material, and everyone else is quite forgettable., More than a few plot holes develop along the way to what seems like a forced conclusion. - MERK