While mountain climbing can never make for a relaxing vacation, for the trio of young backpackers in <em>A Lonely Place to Die</em>, the adrenaline rush is harder than anything they had counted on. After discovering a kidnapped Balkan girl buried alive in the forest of the remote Scottish highlands, they find themselves in a swirling whirlpool of bad guys and worse guys and worse guys still. Some of the links in the story don't hold together, but British writer-director Julian Gilbey's wild ride on the rapids is a thrill from end to bloody end. The camera angles are often predatory and the <em>Wicker Man</em>-like scenes amidst a mummers fair add visual excitement. <em>A Lonely Place to Die</em> is out on DVD.
