Monday 22 October 2012

Cabin in the Woods

Partial synopsis (explanation as to why only partial, after the synopsis):
A group of 5 college kids (A Jock, his slightly dippy girlfriend, her book-smart "good-girl" freind, a stoner, and the Jock's friend who's new to the area) go off to a remote cabin in the woods for a weekend of partying and hanging out. After ignoring the thinly veiled warnings of a creepy old local they meet at the near-abandoned gas station, they arrive to find the cabin is run down and spooky, but they stay anyway.
Bad things happen.
Sound familiar? It should!
Think you know the story? You don't!

As all 7 of regular readers (thanks guys) know; this year, I have been running a pretty strict "no spoilers" policy. Once again, I am faced with the same problem that I had 2 days ago with The Descent.

There's a part of the movie I have to at least mention; it could reasonably be described as being the point of the movie; it's even kind-of hinted in the trailer, and certainly on the movie's website... But I honestly think you're better off not knowing.

It's odd that it feels like so much of a spoiler; we first encounter this plot element in the 2nd scene of the film;usually I don't consider anything from the first reel (which is to say about the first 15-20 mins) to be a spoiler... but here I really think it is.

Not to mention that this one has been out awhile and was pretty high-profile, so if you don't already know, it's probably because you aren't interested...

That said, just to be safe,  I'm once again going to going to employ invisitext; any time you see an orange box like this one here, highlight it to read what it hides.

If you choose not to highlight, you'll get a 'lite' version of the review, if you do highlight, you'll get what would, with any other movie, constitute a spoiler free review, but one that says more than I would have wanted to have known going in.

CAUTION: INVISITEXT DOES NOT WORK ON MOBILE DEVICES - IF YOU ARE READING THIS ON A MOBILE DEVICE YOU WILL SEE THE FULL VERSION.

For best results though, stop reading now. Right now. Go watch this movie cold! I read one review that said simply "Cabin in the woods is great, if anyone tries to tell you any more than that, punch them in the face. Then go watch Cabin in the Woods!"

Still Here? <Sigh>, fine. I did try to warn you...

Full(er) synopsis:

A group of 5 college kids (A Jock, his slightly dippy girlfriend, her book-smart "good girl" freind, a stoner, and the Jock's friend who's new to the area) go off to a remote cabin in the woods for a weekend of partying and hanging out. After ignoring the thinly veiled warnings of a creepy old local they meet at the near-abandoned gas station, they arrive to find the cabin is run down and spooky, but they stay anyway.
Meanwhile, in a massive office complex, people seem to be pulling the strings... affecting our team of kids, and the area around the cabin... But why?


First of all, let me just say that the script is by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Toy Story), so we know the dialogue is going to snap before we even set off; and he doesn't let us down.

It means that some of his old faithful plot elements will come into play; feminism, of course, gets its usual token mention, but what really comes through is the banality of evil. and it means that we know the film will be funny, without being a comedy.

It also means that we can expect some of his favorite actors to show up.. and again, we'd be right: Fran Kranz (Dollhouse's Topher Brink) shows up as the stoner in the group (Seemingly auditioning for the part of Shaggy in an upcoming Scooby Doo Sequel) and  Amy Acker (Angel's Winifred "Fred" Burkle) and Tom Lenk (Buffy's Andrew Wells) playing... well, I didn't catch their new names, but pretty much Fred and Andrew... I'd like to think this is part of the whole "setting up expectations" thing that the movie has going on; sadly I suspect that the truth has more to do with the range of the actors.

Have you ever noticed that in these films the group of kids are always a group that would never hang-out together in real-life? Why is the school Jock going on holiday with the class nerd? Well in this move, we are given a reason! it makes sense that this seemingly disparate group are all friends! Except the Stoner... there is No Way that this group would include a dude who drives while smoking from a comically large bong! We're even given a reason that the kids all seem to us to be stereotypes... EXCEPT THE GOD-DAMN STONER! he, it seems, just is a walking, talking, weed smokin' stereotype. Poor form Mr. Whedon! 

The Science types are interesting, and of course, are the point of the film, they are what sets it apart from all those other "A bunch of kids go on holiday in the middle of nowhere and get picked off by some great or small evil" movies, and their introduction to the film, while seeming abrupt, as actually deftly handled, with their actual purpose being so naturally revealed that even what is (on paper) an absolutely stupid ending somehow seems perfectly acceptable!

You'll notice I've got all the way through this review without even mentioning the evil that the kids face at the cabin... that's because, while they are potentially quite cool, and would probably really shine in any other "Kids as cannon fodder" movie,  this story is so unique, that they are almost incidental! You'll see what I mean.

I honestly think that all horror fans will appreciate this movie, even if they don't like it. While it's not the home-run film of the decade that some have painted it as, it references (albeit indirectly) so many different movies, from so many horror sub-genres and even manages to fill plotholes and WTF moments from about every horror movie ever(or at least ones from the late 70's to mid 90's), that you have to kind-of-love it.




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