Rgirvan44
Posts: 18888
Joined: 10/3/2006
From: Punishment Park
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Remember the advertising campaign for The Matrix way back in 1999 (there are now teenagers alive who weren’t born when that came out. Go ahead and grab a drink, I’ll wait) which had the tagline “No one can tell you what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself”?
Well, that rings true for this years The Cabin in the Woods, from Cloverfield director Drew Goddard and upcoming Avengers director Joss Whedon. And the tagline isn’t the only thing Woods has in common with the Matrix…
As nearly every decent reviewer has pointed out, it is nearly impossible to explain why the movie is as good as it is, without spoiling the surprises that lie in wait for audiences. But take this into account. The movie is nearly two hours long, and just about everything you have seen in the trailer takes place within the first hour and a bit.
Those that have seen the film call it a deconstruction of the horror genre. While this is true, it is never done with the same cynicism which the postmodern Scream had. It doesn’t laugh at genre conventions but rather embraces them, while at the same time subverting them. The script, written by Goddard and Whedon, pays its respects to the horror genre, while at the same time giving audiences a fine mix of comedy and frights. There are some genuinely laugh out loud classic scenes in there.
The young cast of victims are fun and charming. You warm to them quickly. But the movie is stolen by a certain older cast member who may or may not, have been a main character in an American political drama.
When Scream came out, people asked whether it was the end for horror, or more to the point, the type of horror movies which were made in 1980s/early 90s.
But as it turned out, it made barely a dent. Why? Because like a fairground ride, audiences want to be scared, but be scared within the context of a familiar setting. When your film is set in a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere, you have a fair idea what is going to happen.
The Cabin in the Woods feels like a line has been drawn on what has come before, and is almost throwing down a gauntlet and challenging filmmakers to come up with new ideas. While I suspect the film won’t be a huge hit in cinemas (it was sitting unreleased for an age while MGM was in trouble) it will slowly but surely become a cult classic.
If you have any interest in horror, you need to see this. If you have any interest in films which are funny, scary and downright odd at times, you need to see this. Don’t wait till the DVD to become part of the conversation.
So far this year has been a mixed bag. If the rest of the year produces films half as good as The Cabin in the Woods, we will be in luck.
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It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.
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Printable Version
RE: The Cabin In The Woods - 
DVD it is.
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