Actor Vincent D’Onofrio screened his directorial debut movie, a slasher musical called Don’t Go in the Woods during the closing weekend of the 2010 Sarasota Film Festival April 16 and 17 in Sarasota, Fla. Following each screening, D’Onofrio answered audience questions regarding the horror film.
Synopsis of Don’t Go in the Woods
An indie rock band of five young men heads into the woods for a weekend of creative inspiration away from modern distractions. New songs are sung and written but female groupies crash the creative jam session causing distraction. In traditional slasher movie style, characters begin disappearing and are violently killed by a crazed murderer. Unlike a traditional horror film, Don't Go in the Woods is a musical with scenes of characters singing while being murdered. The film oozes with thrills and a dark sense of humor complemented by a solid rock soundtrack. The end's twist left filmgoers asking, "Who was the murderer?"
What’s Next for Don’t Go in the Woods
Vincent D’Onofrio is confident the horror flick will be distributed in movie theaters. He told the audience following Saturday's screening, he has "Made a deal with Jason Blum who put out Paranormal Activity…he really liked it and thinks he can get it out there."
Don't Go in the Woods is geared for the 18 to twentysomething crowd although many Sarasota Film Festival attendees said they were at least twice the target demographic and enjoyed the movie. D’Onofrio said this was the first film festival to screen the horror film screened it for 200 Florida State University students a few weeks ago and the audience "went berserk."
The Making of Don't Go in the Woods
The movie was filmed in 13 days, produced for $100,000 and shot on D'Onofrio’s property in New York State. He told the audience he and directors Sam Bisbee and Joe Vinciguerra had just completed writing the next movie he will direct, Johnny and Me. The idea for Don’t Go in the Woods came to D'Onofrio while waiting to find financing to film the new movie. He and his wife were driving through his woods and said to her, "We should make a horror musical."
During dinner with Bisbee, Vinciguerra and their wives, D'Onofrio brought up the concept and the idea advanced with Brisbee writing the movie’s music and lyrics. D'Onofrio is optimistic the movie's rock soundtrack will be available once the film is distributed.
As for the film’s cast, D'Onofrio was not concerned whether they could act, "but whether they could sing," he told the audience. "I made sure they all trusted me enough because I told them I would guide them through and they could trust me with their performances."
All cast members were aspiring actors including Cassandra Walker who has a significant role in the slasher musical and attended the Sarasota Film Festival screenings. The band in the movie is "The Dirty Dirty" and no longer together. D'Onofrio found the group through his nephew.
When asked about preparing for the scene as a viciously attacked victim in the movie, Walker said she prepared by "Living in the moment," and described the experience as "pretty rad how everything happened and pretty crazy. There wasn’t much acting to go into it."
The Statement Don't Go in the Woods is Making
A member of the audience asked about the film's meaning and inquired if there was statement being made about rock and roll dying at the hands of corporate destruction of music, Vincent D'Onofrio replied, "I love that." The audience laughed.
The same audience member asked where he was going with that and D'Onofrio said, "I'm not gonna tell ya. I won't say. I think that you [D'Onofrio] make ‘em and it’s for you to come up with s--t like that. It’s awesome.”
Jennifer Huber - A 20-year veteran of the tourism industry, Jennifer's career path began during college when she followed the hiking path in Yellowstone ...
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