By MICHAEL GINGOLD
The mountains have eyes in a movie based on Appalachian lore.
Director Joshua Brucker (MOTHMAN) has announced that his new feature THE WOODMEN is targeting a production start date in June, shooting in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Anna Clary, Dan Grogan, Hunter Nino, Cody Vinson, Bryden DiGennaro, Chiko Mendez, Christopher Kuriata and Bailey Herrington will star, with a cameo appearance by WHAT LURKS BENEATH YouTube channel host Josh Nanocchio. The synopsis: “THE WOODMEN follows three individuals who find themselves in a fight for their lives as they attempt to escape from a clan of feral humans that call the Great Smoky Mountains home. Together, they battle the cunning and elusive adversary that wants nothing more than to protect their land with deadly and savage force.
“Clary will play Dawn Becker, a fitness content creator on a personal, emotionally driven mission into the Great Smoky Mountains. Grogan will play Dr. Scott Laroche, an anthropologist on the hunt for evidence of the existence of feral humans. Nino will play park service ranger Ben Logan, who cautiously agrees to accompany Dr. Scott Laroche on his task.” Vinson, DiGennaro and Mendez will play their attackers.
“THE WOODMEN brings everything I love about found-footage horror,” Brucker says. I’m also extremely fascinated by the idea that our National Parks hold dark secrets, and this idea that feral humans call these parks home is just an absolutely terrifying thought. I have been a huge fan of the strange and unusual. This film is based on the legends and lore of Appalachia and poses a few fringe, interesting questions. It also forces us to take a look at our own lives, how accustomed we’ve grown to the privileges we have living in such an advanced world. What happens when you’re forced to look brutality and savagery directly in the eyes? Those eyes look very much like yours. And what would you do to survive?
“THE WOODMEN will bring tension, suspense and nonstop, in-your-face horror,” he continues. “The cast, the crew, everything about this production has me excited beyond belief. I can’t wait to bring this film to life and hopefully create something that every horror fan can enjoy.”
A Kickstarter campaign for THE WOODMEN will launch in March; you can sign up to be notified of when it goes live at its prelaunch page.
