Guess what? I finally got to see this elusive film! The nicest person I’ve ever come across on the internet was reading my blog and offered to make copies of quite a few things I needed that he had! So….first up: The Raven!
He warned me it was pretty bad. Well, yes. Not even in the “so bad it’s good” kinda way that I like. Actually, the story has potential. A group of computer-savvy 20-somethings go on a murder investigation a year, broadcasting their adventures live on the web. This year it’s off to a remote wooded area where, two years prior, a family had gone missing: writer George Carney, his wife, two kids, and his brother Vincent….Robin! One girl is psychic and through her the story of the family is shown to us in sepia-toned flashbacks. We find out Vincent had been having a long-standing affair with his brother’s wife… and George, upon the realization of this, descends into madness.
Now…that’s the part I understood. Amidst this story, there’s a lot of convoluted, dreamy, confusing sequences that I just could not decipher. Plus, a lot of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” being read. I guess you can sorta make a couple comparisons between this poem and the movie (guy descending into madness, reference to a woman named “Lenore” who had cursed this wooded area centuries ago) but otherwise, I don’t really see why this movie was called “The Raven”. Maybe if I watched it a few more times I’d get it.
When this film wasn’t being confusing, it was being boring with long, drawn out scenes of the computer kids poking around the woods and the cabin, just asking to be killed off. You know, though, these parts make it fit right in with “Flesh and Blood Show” and “Tower of Evil”!
Anyway, my fave part was the glimpse of Robin making out with the wife. Ah, the way she ran her hands through his long hair…..it’s like the ‘70s never left us….
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June 1, 2011 update!
I just stumbled across this site:
http://www.moviola3d.com/movies/legend-of-harrow-woods.php#
It looks like they've re-titled this as "The Legend of Harrow Woods" and are re-releasing it in July of 2011! You're in luck! There's also a trailer for it on YouTube:
It is old footage that lay dormant for years and I was informed by an association for actors that some of the crew and actors are unaware of this release as they have still not been paid. The title changes constantly hence its different title on IMDB in an attempt to release it under their radar. And, rather aptly It is very poor in its very low quality sham of an edit and does not have Christopher Walken`s name onboard. His name has been taken off IMDB by his assistants and he wants nothing to do with a director who releases films unethically.
ReplyDeleteIT IS NOT SIR NORMAN WISDOMS LAST FILM ! It was shot in 2001. Sir NORMAN made another film later on and he was only in this film for less than 1 minute. He was living nearby and the great late man`s representatives want nothing to do with it.