By MICHAEL GINGOLD
Venture into the scary backwoods from the safety of your home.
Doc Side Media’s CREATURE OF THE PINES will world-premiere as a virtual screening Friday, April 10 at 7 p.m. CDT as part of this year’s Panic Fest. Written and directed by Chris Ruppert and Tyler Transue, it stars Greg Poppa, Eric Melaragni, Austin Greene, Kelly Warren, Ian Anderson, Ruppert and Transue. The synopsis: “The New Jersey Pine Barrens have long been a hotbed of folklore, whispered sightings, and unexplained disappearances. For the team at Doc Side Media, it was just another job: investigate the myths, interview the locals, and capture the atmospheric dread of the American wilderness. The film consists of the crew’s recovered footage, interviews, B-roll, and frantic handheld recordings, chronicling their descent into terror. Initially grounded and professional, the atmosphere shifts as the crew realizes they are not alone. There are no soundstages and no studio lighting; only the oppressive darkness of the real forest. As the crew is stalked by an unseen force, CREATURE OF THE PINES blurs the line between documentary and nightmare, leaving the audience to witness their harrowing final hours.”
