We receive quite a lot of short films overall at the site, and it’s always fun seeing what kind of a calling-card filmmakers have on offer: better still is when films channel formative horror and nostalgia along the way, which is the case with She Came From The Woods (2017).
We took a look at the film, and chatted to director Erik Bloomquist.
The film goes like this: it’s a warm summer’s night, and a group of summer camp counsellors are doing what countless young people do in these kinds of situations, aside from flirting and carbonising marshmallow: they’re sitting around a campfire, scaring the bejeezus out of one another with scary stories about alleged nefarious goings-on. For the little gathering in She Came From the Woods (2017), the urban myth of choice is about a nurse, Esther, who was – ahem – ‘relieved of her duties’ because of her oddball behaviour, but is now apparently holed up in THESE VERY WOODS, albeit on the astral plane – until such time as some foolhardy teenagers decide to summon her. Her post-mortem interest in ritual and mutilation gives her a keen interest in getting this kind of invite, and calling up Esther is apparently all too easy…
Uh-oh. That sounds like a horror film waiting to happen.
‘Summer camp’ has never really taken off in the UK, probably because the weather rarely obliges for that long and summer in a tent in Britain is a horror all of its own, but nonetheless we do have our own versions of urban myths and legends, and people always enjoy sharing these ‘friend of a friend’ creepy stories. In my day, it was ‘Bloody Mary’, and I remember as a child daring one another to call her name in front of a mirror – though it turns out she was actually quite shy, and never put in an appearance. Although the build-up to the denouement in She Came From The Woods is surprisingly leisurely for a twelve-minute film, I’m sure it’s not a spoiler to say that the camp counsellors here get more out of Esther than we ever got out of Bloody Mary – although I do feel that what we see is tantalising, rather than a full pay-off, so if this film could in any way be seen as a calling-card for the introduction of this character, then I’d certainly be happy to find out more.
There’s a lot to explore here. With its mix of gore and ritual, splicing a few horror staples together, She Came From the Woods is a fun meld of a whole host of ideas, from witchcraft to bad science to straight-up splatter. If it resembles anything, then for me it would be the Tales From the Crypt comics, with their rising tension balanced against a light-touch script and plenty of gross-out Americana. It’s fun, and it points to a love of the kinds of teen-orientated horror which have been with us for decades now.
So, having seen the film itself, we thought we’d ask a few things…
WP: Firstly, tell us how the idea for the film came about. How long did it take you to get a screenplay together and what was that process like?
Erik Bloomquist: We were very fortunate to have access to this incredible summer camp location that really feels like it transports you back in time. We were really inspired by that location, both logistically and creatively, in terms of plot and tone.
WP: The film seems to be playing with ideas from childhood/teen horrors and pastimes. Would that be correct? What drew you to these ideas?
EB: Carson and I grew up watching Are You Afraid of the Dark? on Nickelodeon, so we like to think of this as almost a grown-up episode of that show. There’s something very exciting about the boundlessness of a legend and a good old fashioned campfire story.
WP: Is the film and its mythos intended to stay a short, or is the story-line one you’d like to revisit at any point in future? I have to say, it feels like it could be expanded into a longer story…
EB: We’re definitely exploring a feature adaptation! The response to the short (throughout the US and internationally) has been really heartening, and we’re pumped about the possibility of exploring the legend with more depth and scope. Our goal, like with the short, is to make something that is both a slow-burn creepy urban legend and a relentless action horror movie.
WP: How enjoyable – or challenging – did you find the experience of getting this film completed?
EB: There’s nothing better than hanging out in the middle of the woods and making a movie with your creative friends. It was an aggressive shooting schedule (the whole film was produced with two overnights), but we all went into the trenches together and made it happen.
WP: Finally, horror goes through various waves and trends like any other genre – but in your opinion, how do you rate the quality of the horror cinema we have been getting over the past five years or so? And what impact, if any, has this had on you as a filmmaker?
EB: I think we’ve gotten some real gems in the last few years. One of my favorites is It Follows. It so elegantly captures a very specific and effective tone that feels more like a nightmare than anything I’ve ever seen. The purposeful anachronisms, dreamy cinematography, and amazing score all contribute to this awesome experience.
WP: Thank you very much for your time, and good luck!
Look out for She Came From the Woods on the festival circuit over the coming year. For more information on the film, keep up with Erik on Twitter: @ErikCBloomquist.