Search - Timber Falls on DVD

Trailing far behind the Greats...................2 1/2 stars

C. Lockwood | Western, NY | 06/14/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Timberfalls has all of the elements of good horror . Beautiful young woman, that you get to see partly naked, check. Handsome strong hero, check. Crazy twisted family, check. Ugly, mutated villian, check. Quite a bit of blood, with some torture, check. Nothing about this film is original, however it did deliver what it set out to. I myself was never bored, but also not blown away by anything that happened. The plot was pretty good, even though you can guess as to what is gonna happen next. The acting is convincing, but noone will get nominated for a academy award. The blood and torture scenes were very well done, those being my favorite parts of the movie.

Mike and Sheryl set out to go camping in the mountains, while hiking they stop for alittle foreplay, when getting stopped by three redneck guys that just want to have a little fun harrassing the young pair. After warning the two to be careful what they do in woods, that everyone is watching, the young couple set out to complete their hike. Setting up camp near a lake, the next morning Sheryl goes for a swim in the nearby lake, only to be kidnapped. Waking up Mike realizes his girlfriend is missing. He embarks on a terrifying quest to save her. The young man soon finds a very bizzare family that will stop at nothing to get what they want.

As for the ending you see it coming a mile away. Nothing in the film was too shocking or over the top. On a more positive note, it is a descent B movie to watch and has some good gore moments."

A pleasant surprise

Horror Buff | Hickory, NC | 06/01/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a solid 3 1/2 stars, one of the better direct to video releases you'll find in the genre. The camerawork is above par, the acting is believable, and the story is generally cohesive and well told, not to mention quickly paced. The theme is not particularly new, as a couple looks to escape the city for a camping getaway in the beautiful backwoods. The misplaced pair are part of the classic liberal urbanites clashing with the ultra conservative and extreme fundamentalists of rural Appalachia.

What strikes you first is this couple is given every indication that this trip is not a good idea. They are warned on two occasions to avoid the path they will take, and are harrassed near the point of being raped by locals in the woods, but that does not deter them from finding the most isolated locale possible to pitch a tent. This alone is enough to lose a star. When the woman turns up missing the next morning, the boyfriend frantically searches for her, leading us to a couple who are desparate for a child but unable to conceive. Their solution: find a verile couple to have one for them. And they have a deviously warped biblical view of the world to justify this. Truly their characters are devious enough, but we are given a brother who is, of course, deformed and mentally deranged, and the violent one in the family. He is really an afterthought in the movie, but he exists to perform some of the more grisly scenes that are effectively carried out over the latter half of the film.

You'll find plenty here that you have seen before, but there is enough of a twist to the typical backwoods theme to keep it fresh. The film is brutal at times - beginning with the very first scene - and there are a few scenes that do make you grit your teeth. Overall, it's a satisfying flick and a worthwhile addition to the genre, if not your collection."

Wrong Turn Derivative

Jason | Backwater, Alabama | 10/14/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"An attractive, young, virile couple (Mike and Sheryl) go hiking in the wilderness. They ignore the park ranger's trail advice (fools) and they meet a simple yet helpful woman named Ida. Ida provides details about hiking trails, and inquires about the couple's piety. Naturally, she recommends the most dangerous and most picturesque of the trails: Timber Falls.

Along Timber Falls the couple decide to have sex in the woods. (Morons) Naturally, they run into a stereotypical group of hillbillies who speak with thick drawls and don't got no learnin'. During the exchange, Sheryl sees Mike's pistol, and convinces him to throw away the bullets. (Imbecile) Then they camp, get drunk, and copulate. The next morning she bathes solo in the lake. (Idiot) Mike follows it up by losing his Boy Scout merit badge for "Not Stepping in Bear Traps". (Jackass) The rest plays out exactly as you would expect it to: hillbilly, darkness, deformity, religion, formaldehyde jars, torture, candles, whips, and assorted edged weapons. Although, the warped family provides an interesting Children of the Corn warped sense of religion twist.

There are some positives, however. There are some very interesting filming techniques, close-ups, and clever use of lighting and angles. I felt at times that the visual concepts were ingenious. Not the typical choppy filming techniques of today that leave too much to the imagination and cause vertigo. The action was intense and believable - especially the torture. And despite the fact that Hellen Keller could have yelled out what was next, the movie is enjoyable in a horror/comedy combination.

Conversely, a good majority of this movie is just lazy. It's in West Virginia - aren't they all in West Virginia? It's the classic city-slickers versus rednecks. (I loved the "Popeye with deformities" angle) It borrows from the torture-porn genre that seems in vogue, or at least until desiccated by the Saw series. There are even two "girl trips while running from a villain" scenes. One eventually runs to a waterfall/cliff, a literal dead-end - plagiarized from Kiss the Girls. As a matter of fact, the movie appears to have borrowed the set from Kiss the Girls, even the underground tunnel system.

Overall it's just average. Neither bored nor excited, I didn't care what happened to the blatantly dumb couple. The main characters inability to elicit empathy made me almost root for the hillbillies. It's good enough to rent...if you haven't tired of Wrong Turn 1 or 2."

A little tired, but...

M. Blevins | Here, VA | 08/18/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I enjoyed this one. I've seen some losers recently, but this one delivered for the most part. Tired old plot, perhaps, but on par (I thought) with the heavyweights in the genre. The obsessive wannabe holy parents spin is an interesting one, and gives the whole tale a different angle from what I've seen.

Also, I don't mean to ruin it (but everyone will know it's coming) the `punishment' handed to the punishers will have you standing in applause.

But, the ending... A gripping, brutal, suspenseful nail biter with a hero and heroine you actually give a **** about can be flawed in one easy step: in the last two seconds, just give it a standard PG-13 finale shock and you can toss it up on the shelf with the rest...

Incidentally, anyone in the middle of a West Virginian forest who asks "what congregation y'all with?" probably won't be happy with your answer...
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