Director Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW II, MOTHER’S DAY) is taking another jaunt in the horror genre, this time with a creature feature called THE BARRENS, starring True Blood’s Stephen Moyer and Mia Kirshner. The film, which is taking the DTV route, centers on the myth of the Jersey Devil, a cryptid creature believed by many to inhabit the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Personally, I’m fascinated by cryptozoology and find stories surrounding mythic beings to be intriguing as hell, but the entertainment translations can oftentimes be cheesy and underwhelming. THE BARRENS has promise, as I think Bousman has the potential to deliver a creepy good time.
Head into the pines:
This could go either way, really. The DTV aspect can leave some leery, but with the success of that market in the last few years, the quality is slowly creeping its way into the mix. It used to be just the latest Steven Seagal or Wesley Snipes throwaway action flick hitting the DTV route, but nowadays with first looks, pre-theatrical, etc., the opportunity to see a quality flick that bypassed the theater is a real possibility. I’m hoping THE BARRENS proves me right.
Here’s the synopsis:
It’s known as the Jersey Devil, the winged beast spawned 400 years ago by Satan himself. Some say this creature still inhabits the dense pine forests of southern New Jersey, where Richard Vineyard (Moyer) takes his family for a rustic weekend camping trip. As the Vineyard family ventures further into the woods in search of the perfect campsite, Richard teeters on the edge of sanity. Welcome to a new kind of horror that lives – and kills – in a place called THE BARRENS.
THE BARRENS hits blu-ray and DVD on October 9, 2012.