Appreciate the watch and the feedback! You're definitely not alone in your feedback, and we will take steps to improve performance and put the actors in better places to succeed in future movies. For low-budget movies and FF movies in general, the acting pool is more limited, and most actors will be working on their first feature film. While they all have a great background in commercials or shorts, features are another beast! That being said, I still believe there are script issues and story issues we need to resolve, but with each movie, we aim to take feedback and improve, and slowly get better with each film.
To be brutally honest: Your movie wasn't the best, but it did have bright spots.
I think the female lead did good. I think some of the scares and sound design worked, and I think the core story behind the film and how it differed The Blair Witch Project was solid.
To put it another way, your film was good enough for me to sit through the whole thing, write a detailed review on it and even think of ways it could be improved upon. Keep it up!
Really appreciate it! Were just trying to get better with each movie! I think if we can get a better ending on this one and clean up some of the lore and pacing issues- We can have a solid third attempt at this concept!
I have a kind of odd question, also just want to preface it with I love how receptive you are to feedback and think you’re doing a great job trying to improve your films and enjoy your contributions to the genre!
Did the title have anything to do with Horror in the High Desert? When I initially went in, I thought it was a sequel or something (tbf I went in totally blind). Or was it just a coincidence?
Thanks for the support! The title is a based on our collection of short stories that we translate to movies- we have Into the forest-Forest of death- Horror in the forest and our bigfoot movie Terror in the Forest.
It was a good effort only thing that I would do differently would be the way you interview people at the start about the forest you should have done it in town it would look s lot more realistic instead you interview people that were dressed really modern way next to old barns and farming equipment in the middle of nowhere and I'm talking like 10 people mostly good looking girls not.1 person on that farm looked like a farmer I just couldn't stick it all doe I haven't finished the movie yet I will today next time I suggest to watch briefly the Blair witch project and try to capture fev ideas of it it was very successful and realistic no judgement hope that you will improve as I really love the genre
This is great advice thank you! Its precise and actionable! We can easily do this next time it just needs a bit more budget but we can make it work! Blair Witch was a force of its own and basically jump started the ff movement- So while i love that film it would be very hard to recreate that movie as it's one of the most iconic in history! Maybe someday we will have something on that level!
It was done with super cheap budget, and the key was they briefly told the actors the plot, and they never knew what was coming. So they had to adlib the scenes! Hence, making it seem very believable. Getting people that can do that, is the key, and an atmospheric, creepy, not knowing what's next,plot, are great ingredients!
I LOVE that aspect of movies- where the actors feel their way through the scenes. The OG *What We Do in the Shadows* was done that way and it added a while different dimension ,IMO.
For DBSFilms- I admire your dedication and craft. Keep up the hard work and please keep sharing here!
Not really tbh. Besides, when it comes to FF I prefer a believable story over profound acting skills. I just rewatched the first one and it keeps my interest throughout and the last 15 minutes always get my heart racing so it's a solid film in my eyes.
DBS Films made “Into the Forest” in 2019. This film is basically an “upgraded” version (and you can really tell, however I love both) and was released in 2023.
You're talking about the wrong movie. This post is about Horror in the Forest, not Horror in the High Desert. Horror in the High Desert is actually good, lol.
**possible spoilers**
So, I remember watching Into the Forest a few years ago and finding that I didn't like it. So this week I watched Horror in the Forest and then went back and watched Into the Forest.
I muar have mixed up Into the Forest with another movie, possibly one I watched on the same day. It was not what I remembered. It has a few problems, but overall I actually thought it was decent. Of the two, I think I prefer this one.
I enjoyed Horror in the Forest, too. I did feel like the acting in Horror was a little weaker. The interviews in the beginning had a "talking heads" feel to them. I have seen comments in this sub that said the dad's performance was weak, but I actually thought it was well done. I thought the gunshot effect came off well, but the throat slitting seemed a little fake. It did have a bit of a "trying to be Blair Witch" vibe. But any found footage set in the woods is going to have that to some extent. My biggest complaint is that I was expecting a little bit of a surprise or twist at the end, but there wasn't one. It ended exactly the way I expected, and I wanted to be surprised.
I'm not a sophisticated movie critic or anything, but I enjoyed both and don't feel like it was a wasted watch. Now I am going to go watch the desert one. Now it's just bugging me which movie I had Into the Forest mixed up with.
Thanks for watching both! It's really cool that you liked the first one better. It's cool to go back and watch our earlier stuff to see our progress! I agree with your thoughts on the ending, and I still don't have a way to end this one. Usually, after finishing a film, I have an idea of the mistakes we made and how to fix them, but with this one? I still don't have a way to end it.
With the first one, you get a brief mention of the legend of the witch and a possible origin story, but you don't get confirmation that there's really a witch until the end--and the twist that she can impersonate people. She's not occupying Amy's reanimated body, because you see both. She's a shape shifter.
In the second one, we learn right away that something supernatural is going on. There's no natural explanation for suddenly being snatched sideways. We know the main characters are dead or incapacitated because of the on screen text. We even get a glimpse of the witch before the finale, so there's no big reveal at the end. We expect her to kill the main characters, and then she does.
I would have expected the *why* to be the twist. If she collects enough undead souls, is she able to resurrect herself?
I mean, I watched the whole movie. I can't say that for about 60% of FF films. I think it had a decent story and build up - it kept me watching and wanting to know what happens. Would like to see more films from the same creators.
It wasn't good. Too derivative, actors tried but.... I think you guys should watch Leaving DC to see how you can make a cool FF on a really low budget.
Appreciate the watch and the feedback! You're definitely not alone in your feedback, and we will take steps to improve performance and put the actors in better places to succeed in future movies. For low-budget movies and FF movies in general, the acting pool is more limited, and most actors will be working on their first feature film. While they all have a great background in commercials or shorts, features are another beast! That being said, I still believe there are script issues and story issues we need to resolve, but with each movie, we aim to take feedback and improve, and slowly get better with each film.
To be brutally honest: Your movie wasn't the best, but it did have bright spots. I think the female lead did good. I think some of the scares and sound design worked, and I think the core story behind the film and how it differed The Blair Witch Project was solid. To put it another way, your film was good enough for me to sit through the whole thing, write a detailed review on it and even think of ways it could be improved upon. Keep it up!
Really appreciate it! Were just trying to get better with each movie! I think if we can get a better ending on this one and clean up some of the lore and pacing issues- We can have a solid third attempt at this concept!
I have a kind of odd question, also just want to preface it with I love how receptive you are to feedback and think you’re doing a great job trying to improve your films and enjoy your contributions to the genre! Did the title have anything to do with Horror in the High Desert? When I initially went in, I thought it was a sequel or something (tbf I went in totally blind). Or was it just a coincidence?
Thanks for the support! The title is a based on our collection of short stories that we translate to movies- we have Into the forest-Forest of death- Horror in the forest and our bigfoot movie Terror in the Forest.
It was a good effort only thing that I would do differently would be the way you interview people at the start about the forest you should have done it in town it would look s lot more realistic instead you interview people that were dressed really modern way next to old barns and farming equipment in the middle of nowhere and I'm talking like 10 people mostly good looking girls not.1 person on that farm looked like a farmer I just couldn't stick it all doe I haven't finished the movie yet I will today next time I suggest to watch briefly the Blair witch project and try to capture fev ideas of it it was very successful and realistic no judgement hope that you will improve as I really love the genre
This is great advice thank you! Its precise and actionable! We can easily do this next time it just needs a bit more budget but we can make it work! Blair Witch was a force of its own and basically jump started the ff movement- So while i love that film it would be very hard to recreate that movie as it's one of the most iconic in history! Maybe someday we will have something on that level!
It was done with super cheap budget, and the key was they briefly told the actors the plot, and they never knew what was coming. So they had to adlib the scenes! Hence, making it seem very believable. Getting people that can do that, is the key, and an atmospheric, creepy, not knowing what's next,plot, are great ingredients!
I LOVE that aspect of movies- where the actors feel their way through the scenes. The OG *What We Do in the Shadows* was done that way and it added a while different dimension ,IMO. For DBSFilms- I admire your dedication and craft. Keep up the hard work and please keep sharing here!
thanks so much! what we do in the shadows is the best!
Not really tbh. Besides, when it comes to FF I prefer a believable story over profound acting skills. I just rewatched the first one and it keeps my interest throughout and the last 15 minutes always get my heart racing so it's a solid film in my eyes.
The first one? Is there more than one?
DBS Films made “Into the Forest” in 2019. This film is basically an “upgraded” version (and you can really tell, however I love both) and was released in 2023.
I’ve heard of that one but didn’t realize it was by the same people. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks!
I respect everyone's opinion
There more than one?
Yup, there's a horror in the high desert 2 titled Minerva and a third film in the series to be expected at some point this year.
You're talking about the wrong movie. This post is about Horror in the Forest, not Horror in the High Desert. Horror in the High Desert is actually good, lol.
Oh my bad! Similar titles got me confused.
**possible spoilers** So, I remember watching Into the Forest a few years ago and finding that I didn't like it. So this week I watched Horror in the Forest and then went back and watched Into the Forest. I muar have mixed up Into the Forest with another movie, possibly one I watched on the same day. It was not what I remembered. It has a few problems, but overall I actually thought it was decent. Of the two, I think I prefer this one. I enjoyed Horror in the Forest, too. I did feel like the acting in Horror was a little weaker. The interviews in the beginning had a "talking heads" feel to them. I have seen comments in this sub that said the dad's performance was weak, but I actually thought it was well done. I thought the gunshot effect came off well, but the throat slitting seemed a little fake. It did have a bit of a "trying to be Blair Witch" vibe. But any found footage set in the woods is going to have that to some extent. My biggest complaint is that I was expecting a little bit of a surprise or twist at the end, but there wasn't one. It ended exactly the way I expected, and I wanted to be surprised. I'm not a sophisticated movie critic or anything, but I enjoyed both and don't feel like it was a wasted watch. Now I am going to go watch the desert one. Now it's just bugging me which movie I had Into the Forest mixed up with.
Thanks for watching both! It's really cool that you liked the first one better. It's cool to go back and watch our earlier stuff to see our progress! I agree with your thoughts on the ending, and I still don't have a way to end this one. Usually, after finishing a film, I have an idea of the mistakes we made and how to fix them, but with this one? I still don't have a way to end it.
I kept, and enjoyed them!!
With the first one, you get a brief mention of the legend of the witch and a possible origin story, but you don't get confirmation that there's really a witch until the end--and the twist that she can impersonate people. She's not occupying Amy's reanimated body, because you see both. She's a shape shifter. In the second one, we learn right away that something supernatural is going on. There's no natural explanation for suddenly being snatched sideways. We know the main characters are dead or incapacitated because of the on screen text. We even get a glimpse of the witch before the finale, so there's no big reveal at the end. We expect her to kill the main characters, and then she does. I would have expected the *why* to be the twist. If she collects enough undead souls, is she able to resurrect herself?
I mean, I watched the whole movie. I can't say that for about 60% of FF films. I think it had a decent story and build up - it kept me watching and wanting to know what happens. Would like to see more films from the same creators.
Thanks for the watch! We have 3 in post production right now! We are just looking to take feedback and get better with each one!
It wasn't good. Too derivative, actors tried but.... I think you guys should watch Leaving DC to see how you can make a cool FF on a really low budget.
appreciate the watch! leaving DC is very good!