I am just going to come right out and say it. 2012 has been a shit year for horror films. Seriously folks! There is a reason for the lack of horror movie reviews on the site and more book reviews. Well, one of the reasons at least. I have seen a number of horror films this year that just didn’t make the cut. If I were to write reviews for them all, I would basically just be repeating myself from review to review. The Cabin in the Woods however is worth the time to write a review for. I caught this one in theaters a few weeks after it was released. The hype was positive and so were the box office numbers. It also was a major plus that the men behind the cameras have a good track record when it comes to film in general. It made the film even more enticing. The original storyline also had a lot to do with it also.
Warning: Slight Spoilers Ahead!
The Cabin in the Woods starts off like an everyday teen horror film, you have your stereotypical college kids that seem to grace every horror picture. Your basic lineup of main characters includes the virgin, the blonde bimbo, the jock, the smart guy and the stoner. The plot may also sound very familiar, five kids going camping in a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere, the only way in and out of the place is though a tunnel that goes though a mountain side. (Yeah! Sound a lot like Evil Dead.) However little do our characters know that they are part of a simulated and controlled situation in which a government agency has placed them inside a dome where the government agents control the environment and have cubed cages full of mystical creatures, monsters, ghosts and psycho killers at their disposal in helping them please a higher power in a sick game of sacrifice and horror. They are also competing with other countries to see who can hold the perfect record of keeping their killing environment contained and not letting things get out of control.
I know I gave a lot of the plot away in my description of the film above, however don’t be upset if you didn’t heed my spoiler warning and read it anyway. The plot gives itself away in the first twenty minutes. However, don’t let the fact that the story is predicable be the downside to this film. The film is actually very well written with a great script, original storyline that do borrow some ideas from other horror films, but keeps a fresh plotline. The Cabin in the Woods is a film that has a lot to offer in terms of monsters and mystical creatures. The majority of the films visual effects are practical and the film was made with as little CGI as possible. We are getting a big budget horror film with tons of make-up effect and only CGI where it is needed. The set design is top notch and even the acting is not half bad.
The Blu-ray disc has some great special features all of which I actually did check out for once. You get great audio commentary with Writer/Director Drew Goddard and Writer/Producer Joss Whendon (He also directed The Avengers). The disc also has some great behind the scenes featurettes such as We Are Not Who We Are: Making The Cabin in the Woods, An Army of Nightmares: Make-up and Animatronic Effects and Primal Terror: The Visual Effects of The Cabin in the Woods. There is also a feature titled The Secret Secret Stash, where one of the actors talks about some of the special props his character uses and Josh Whendon takes you on a tour of the Cabin set. There is also the Wondercon Q&A, as well as the Bonusview mode where you can watch the film as the filmmakers talk about the making of the movie. The Blu-ray disc also comes with a digital copy with the Ultraviolet feature.
As of right now, September 10th 2012, The Cabin in the Woods is my number one horror film of 2012. I haven’t had this much fun watching a horror film since I watched Rob Zombies House of a 1000 Corpses the third time around. (Didn’t care for it the first two times then it grew on me.) I love how this film incorporated a basic horror movie plot, added a ton of monsters from our darkest nightmares, gave it a B-movie twist on a big budget all while developing the storyline in a crazy out of this world original way. The Cabin in the Woods is a fun filled; blood soaked classic horror film that is sure to hit cult status in the years to come. I highly recommend this film
– Horror Bob
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- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
