The Cabin in the Woods

[Nepenthe]

Directed by: Drew Goddard

Produced by: Joss Whedon

Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams

Studio: Mutant Enemy Productions

Distributor: Lionsgate

Release date: April 13, 2012

Synopsis:

Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. If you think you know this story, think again. From fan favorites Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes The Cabin in the Woods, a mind blowing horror film that turns the genre inside out. -- © Lionsgate

Tomatometer: 91%

Fresh: 163

Rotten: 17

Consensus:

The Cabin in the Woods is an astonishing meta-feat, capable of being funny, strange, and scary -- frequently all at the same time.

Trailer:

Images:

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See that little Tomatometer score? Yeah; there's a reason it's that high.

What I'll reveal is that this is not another retarded slasher film with dumb teenagers getting offed in the woods. It's been affectionately called a "love-hate letter to horror," playing on all of the stupid tropes of modern horror films that make us rage but giving those tropes proper logic, stretching meta concepts as far as they can go, and throwing in amazing fanboy fodder on top of it, all the while delivering a story that makes perfect sense within its own universe. Also, it is funny as hell.

This is one of the best films you'll see that's out right now, so go see it before all of you Americans waste your money on The Avengers and forget about it this little gem. Or if you have seen it, let's talk about it. Spoiler everything, however. This film is most effective when you don't know anything about it.

[Nintendoga]

I've heard some good things about this movie, like how it's a genre changer and stuff. MIght check it out when I have the chance.

This is one of the best films you'll see that's out right now, so go see it before all of you Americans waste your money on The Avengers and forget about it this little gem.

Oh trust me, I don't think I'm going to waste anything when I go see that.

[KHCast]

I'm gettin this on itunes or something.

[Nepenthe]

Oh trust me, I don't think I'm going to waste anything when I go see that.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Nepenthe

[Carbo]

A true movie aficionado would see both since both of them are reinventing their respective genres massively. Mostly Cabin though since there hasn't been a horror movie in the past decade that's been as innovative, fresh, unique and good at the same time. Kind of hard to discuss the movie though, pretty much everything is spoiler. Even the trailer has them.

Joss Whedon you truly are a man of wonders.

[Octarine]

Saw this on Friday. I wasn't expecting to get much out of it even if it was good since I figured I wasn't enough of a fan of slasher movies to really "get" it, but I was way wrong. The last half-hour or so was what really made me love this movie, but even the more properly slasher-y first two thirds were still a lot of fun to watch, and I don't feel like any of the jokes went over my head or anything. Even if you're only peripherally aware of horror movie tropes, I recommend giving this one a shot.

Seriously, though, that last third. It's rare for a movie to deliver on its premise quite so thoroughly, and even knowing some of what would happen going in I didn't expect them to take it that far. It was goofy and fun, but still managed to be pretty unnerving at points.

It was a great movie, though, for sure. There were some plot holes and inconsistencies and the silliness might be a little too much for some people, but I'd definitely see it again. I was feeling pretty apathetic about The Avengers before I saw Cabin, too, but now I'm really interested.

[Nepenthe]

@ Carbo: True, the trailer has spoilers, but it's edited in such a way that most people won't successfully draw any conclusions about the implications behind the cabin (making it a pretty good trailer). I know my initial thoughts were way off base.

But regardless of all of the secrecy, I wish I could find a clip out there with the schoolgirls in Kyoto defeating the ghost. That scene single-handedly made a laughing stock out of Japanese horror.

Edited April 30, 2012 by Nepenthe

[The Kid]

This movie rocks in so many ways. The characters are funny, likeable, and don't resemble the usual idiot kids that get killed in a movie like Friday the 13th. I won't spoil anything but you won't be disappointed seeing this.

I also wouldn't really classify it as horror, since the main point of the film isn't to try to scare the pants off of you. Anything else I would say delves into spoiler territory. But anyway, SEE THIS NOW!

Edited April 30, 2012 by The Kid

[\gunther]

But regardless of all of the secrecy, I wish I could find a clip out there with the schoolgirls in Kyoto defeating the ghost. That scene single-handedly made a laughing stock out of Japanese horror.

[SuperStingray]

I feel like Cabin in the Woods is going to be a real game changer for the horror genre in the same way Watchmen was for superheroes and Neon Genesis was for anime. People who go into it expecting what it claims to deliver may be disappointed, but those who watch it and realize what it's trying to say will gain a new perspective of the medium.

It's not subtle at all, but it doesn't have to be. It's deliberately choosing to break the system to give you a sense of why modern horror movie's use flawed psychological principles- that they've gone from glimpses of terrifying mental territories to eye candy for sadists.

The third act of the movie, the "outbreak," was the most fucking awesome scene I've watched in ages. But it's also a demonstration of why American horror is dying; I have to respect a movie that can make commentary out of even its most gratuitous scenes.

[Nepenthe]

I'm wondering to what extent Cabin's influence will have on the industry going forward once every mediocre horror movie now in the pipeline falls out of it; ideally, I'm hoping studios start aiming much, much higher. I already had a frustrating relationship with modern slashers going into the film considering the formula requires batshit insane caricatures to even work instead of real characters, but Cabin made such an absolute mockery of the genre, exposed the stupidity in ways that were both literal and figurative while still catering to its story, that I don't even want to watch slasher films anymore. This may just be excessive hype, but I feel that I've been shown how awful modern slashers are so blatantly that it's destroyed any tolerance I had left towards them.

[KHCast]

Essentially i think of this as the Scary movie. But executed well! It gives out the message while being somewhat true to it's genre and being funny at the same time.

[Nepenthe]

^ I'm curious: Have you seen the movie or haven't you? Your first post made it sound like you'd wait for it to release or something.

[KHCast]

^ I'm curious: Have you seen the movie or haven't you? Your first post made it sound like you'd wait for it to release or something.

I'm taking information from what people have said, trailers i've seen and reviews i've read,. That's what i get from whats been said. Hope that makes it more clear. Edited April 30, 2012 by Hedgehogs Boost