Joss Whedon may be the director of The Avengers, due out in a few weeks, but he actually got his summer started this past weekend with the release of The Cabin in the Woods, on which he served as both writer and producer. Cabin may start like every other horror movie out there, but the story unfolds differently than any you’ve ever seen.
Five friends, the stereotypic jock (Chris Hemsworth, Thor), slut (Anna Hutchison, Power Rangers Jungle Fury [I’m sure she’s proud of that one]), scholar (Jesse Williams, Brooklyn’s Finest), pothead (Fran Kranz, Much Ado About Nothing), and virgin (Kristen Connolly, Revolutionary Road), take a trip to an isolated cabin (in the woods!) for a fun-filled weekend of drinking, smoking, and getting frisky. However, a series of events causes them to confront horrors they never expected.
All the while, two laboratory technicians sit in a room filled with control panels, flipping switches, pushing buttons, and taking bets on the nightmare at the cabin which can be seen on the screens which line the room. How these men are involved with the events at the cabin is only the start of the twists and turns that the film takes, leading to a grand finale that keeps your eyes riveted on the screen and your butt on the edge of your seat.
I know, I know. All of that is really general and super vague. But it’s on purpose. Giving any more away would spoil the film. But the fact that the plot of Cabin is so truly inventive and original that I don’t want to give anything away should speak to how unique and engaging the film is. It is really a great effort from Joss Whedon and director/co-writer Drew Goddard (Cloverfield).
Five friends, the stereotypic jock (Chris Hemsworth, Thor), slut (Anna Hutchison, Power Rangers Jungle Fury [I’m sure she’s proud of that one]), scholar (Jesse Williams, Brooklyn’s Finest), pothead (Fran Kranz, Much Ado About Nothing), and virgin (Kristen Connolly, Revolutionary Road), take a trip to an isolated cabin (in the woods!) for a fun-filled weekend of drinking, smoking, and getting frisky. However, a series of events causes them to confront horrors they never expected.
All the while, two laboratory technicians sit in a room filled with control panels, flipping switches, pushing buttons, and taking bets on the nightmare at the cabin which can be seen on the screens which line the room. How these men are involved with the events at the cabin is only the start of the twists and turns that the film takes, leading to a grand finale that keeps your eyes riveted on the screen and your butt on the edge of your seat.
I know, I know. All of that is really general and super vague. But it’s on purpose. Giving any more away would spoil the film. But the fact that the plot of Cabin is so truly inventive and original that I don’t want to give anything away should speak to how unique and engaging the film is. It is really a great effort from Joss Whedon and director/co-writer Drew Goddard (Cloverfield).
Cabin is actually a horror/comedy, a horromedy, if you will. Most of the brilliant humor comes from Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing), the two lab techs, and Fran Kranz, the pothead. The jokes are in-your-face sarcastic, yet subtly clever, and help serve Cabin’s larger intent of providing commentary on the horror genre.
Yep, that’s right. Cabin is a “meta” film, which takes all the traditional themes, characters, and storylines of the horror genre and turn them on their heads. Cabin brings to mind films such as The Evil Dead, Scream, Hatchet, and one of my favorite films, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, all of which take what you know about horror and try to use those expectations to create moments to either scare you or make you laugh.
But more than any of those, the purpose of Cabin is more blurred. Is it a celebration of the genre or a critique making fun of it? To clear things up, Whedon has said that Cabin is a “loving hate letter” to horror movies. Yep, clear as mud.
The poster for the film is perfect, showing the house as a Rubik's cube-like puzzle. That's exactly how Cabin has been constructed, "as a puzzle for horror fans to solve. Which conventions are being toyed with? Which authors and films are being referred to? Is the film itself an act of criticism?" (quote from Roger Ebert).
Either way, Cabin, as a meta commentary, is a unique experience which gives movie buffs and horror fans a lot to think about and enjoy. That being said, if you don’t associate with either of those labels, you may not entirely “get” Cabin or love it quite as much. But I promise you will still be interested and entertained.
The Final Word for movie buffs and horror fans: Go buy a ticket.
The Final Word for more casual viewers: Wait to rent it.
Yep, that’s right. Cabin is a “meta” film, which takes all the traditional themes, characters, and storylines of the horror genre and turn them on their heads. Cabin brings to mind films such as The Evil Dead, Scream, Hatchet, and one of my favorite films, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, all of which take what you know about horror and try to use those expectations to create moments to either scare you or make you laugh.
But more than any of those, the purpose of Cabin is more blurred. Is it a celebration of the genre or a critique making fun of it? To clear things up, Whedon has said that Cabin is a “loving hate letter” to horror movies. Yep, clear as mud.
The poster for the film is perfect, showing the house as a Rubik's cube-like puzzle. That's exactly how Cabin has been constructed, "as a puzzle for horror fans to solve. Which conventions are being toyed with? Which authors and films are being referred to? Is the film itself an act of criticism?" (quote from Roger Ebert).
Either way, Cabin, as a meta commentary, is a unique experience which gives movie buffs and horror fans a lot to think about and enjoy. That being said, if you don’t associate with either of those labels, you may not entirely “get” Cabin or love it quite as much. But I promise you will still be interested and entertained.
The Final Word for movie buffs and horror fans: Go buy a ticket.
The Final Word for more casual viewers: Wait to rent it.
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