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| Frame from Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight (2020) |
Happy new year! For me New Year’s Eve is always about changes and
setting new goals. Well, for starters, I thought I’d change the way my posts
work in Cinema Head Cheese. You’ll
still be getting one post per month by yours truly, but whereas both my columns
were bi-monthly, for 2022 you’ll get A
Binge too Far posts on the 1st of January, February, April, May,
July, August, October, November, and you’ll get Static Age posts on the 1st of March, June, September,
and December. In other words, for every two A
Binge too Far posts, you’ll get one Static
Age post. I decided upon this new arrangement in order for Static Age to grow a bit bigger and
include more content each time (I’m thinking more than 1,500 words per post),
while of course A Binge too Far will
remain pretty much the same, with a couple of reviews crammed in each post. Got
it?
Nobody Sleeps in the... (2020)
Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight (2020)
Directed by Bartosz M. Kowalski (his second feature) this Netflix
original from Poland, is about a group of internet-addicted teenagers (aren’t
they all?) that join a reform camp in the woods of the aforementioned country
in order to take some time offline; but it looks that someone or something is
taking them off – period – in the most gruesome of ways.
Featuring an original concept (as it becomes apparent from the film’s
premise) that is also quite convenient (mobile phones in horror films have been
a problem since the device’s inception), this does not manage to stay away from
the slasher tropes and quickly ends up being formulaic. The villain owes a lot
to the Hatchet film series (2006 –
present) and the tone is mostly reminiscent of the Wrong Turn franchise (2003 – present).
However, by aiming for an old school approach – the special effects are
awesome in all their practical glory – and employing inventive kills, this is a
winner. Special mention should be given to Radzimir Debski’s score, which would
not be out of place in any 1960s Italian exploitation, and it could in fact
have been composed by Riz Ortolani.
Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight 2 (2021)
Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight 2 (2021)
Following the events of the first film, this sequel helmed by returning
director Bartosz M. Kowalski (who also penned the screenplay with Mirella
Zaradkiewicz) leaves aside the original’s teenage-centric sensibilities and
opts for a love story involving monsters.
Featuring wilder practical special effects and set-pieces, this loses
steam with its enhanced comedy elements (apparently Poland is a country in
which it is still relevant to make jokes about the connection between
prostitution and HIV, or small dicks and swastikas). Elsewhere the Abbott and
Costello approach fails miserably, making the end result seem tired, lifeless,
and too self-conscious for its own good. However, it is still visceral enough
to guarantee for an at least interesting visual experience, while some of its
references are interesting [signaling Maniac
Cop (1988) is always welcome].
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