Artsploitation Films Says Sept. 17 For Hidden In The Woods

Chile, noted for its fine wines, diverse geography, periodic revolutions and devastating earthquakes is the surprising source for one of the most intriguing horror films of the year.   
 

Artsploitation Films, with sales and distribution expertise provided by Kino-Lorber, announced this past week that director Patricio Valladares’ Hidden in the Woods will be making its domestic DVD debut on Sept. 17.

So you think that beautiful women being held captive are the exclusive domain of domestic filmmakers … think again.   Hidden in the Woods is a film that even genre fans are deeply divided about — is it too over the edge?

Apparently based on actual events — if so, there are some sick people out there (think: recent events in Cleveland, Ohio) — some backwoods Chilean drug dealer (played by Daniel Antivilo) keeps his daughters, Anny (Carolina Escobar) and Ana (Siboney Lo) prisoners for his own sexual and punching-bag amusement.   You can see that this isn’t going to be pretty — raping and brutalizing your own children … and sharing them with your drug dealing friends!   Gruesome.

This nastiness could have gone on forever, but the police came calling one day — not to rescue the young women (and a deformed offspring) — but to confront dear old dad and his cohorts over their drug dealing ways.   A shootout and a couple of dead cops later finds dear old dad in jail.  Suddenly, Anny and Ana (dad couldn’t be more original in their names?) are alone in the wilds and have to fend for themselves.

You’ve certainly heard of that expression, “raised by wolves?”   Anny and Ana have their freedom at last, but when his “business” associates come calling (where are the drugs?), they find that fighting for that freedom requires a commitment on their part that can get pretty nasty.   They’ve been brutalized over the years … and now they are both conditioned and prepared to dish out the same.   Heavy stuff!

Hidden in the Woods has so hit a nerve on the international film scene that no less than Michael Biehn will be producing an English-language remake — with Valladares directing —featuring Jeannie Kaspar and Electra Avellan as the sisters, with both Biehn and William Forsythe on board in key roles.   If they stick to the script, this will get monster buzz on all fronts.   2014, the projected release date, can’t come soon enough!

In the meantime, Artsploitation Films has the original.   Make a date for Sept. 17 and be prepared for your skin to crawl and your sensibilities challenged.

To download this week's complete edition of the DVD and Blu-ray Release Report:  DVD & Blu-ray Release Report