When "Blair Witch" broke big, it's makers named 70's movies like "The Legend of Boggy Creek" among their influences. "Rituals" had to be another influence!!! Not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but boy is it a trashy hoot! My favorite scene? Our protagonists cross a river shoeless (after their footwear's been swiped by an unseen stalker in the woods), unaware the river's bottom has been rigged with bear traps!!! An old friend recommended it to me, it scared the hell out of him on late night TV as a kid. I was lucky enough to find the uncut Canadian version in a bargain bin... Hal Holbrook gives an intense, convincing performance (especially towards the climax) in an otherwise very awkwardly made, awkwardly acted "Deliverance" rip-off. These "awkward" qualities actually enhance the film's creepy atmosphere, much like another old trash favorite of mine, "Don't Look in the Basement." I agree 100% with the other posters here - get this movie UNCUT onto DVD ASAP SVP!!!!
Review of Rituals
