THE PLOT THUS FAR
Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
What can I say about “Cabin in the Woods” that other genre geeks haven’t been saying for the last few months? You will have a better experience the less you know; don’t expect a huge twist. The opening scene reveals what’s hinted at in the marketing almost entirely and it’s the backbone of the entire picture, and is an ingenious way of analyzing the horror genre. Other than that, lay back and enjoy the buffet of visual treats, homages and in-jokes that populate the most insightful horror film since Kevin Williamson birthed “Scream” into 1990s cinema.
Writer Joss Whedon and writer/director Drew Goddard have constructed a rather witty, and intelligent screenplay, that does everything within it’s power to keep the conventions of a kids-go-to-the-woods horror movie. We follow five friends as they go to a remote cabin. They meet a desolate garage owner, who has no gas. They begin acting within film- world stereotypes, and horror film images build. However, parallel to this action, we follow two white-collar workers begin their day at a production studio, pushing buttons at a console. These suit and collar workers structure, manipulate, and construct the horror narrative, making sure that every detail adheres to the set conventions.
On the surface, it appears to send up the typical teen horror genre conventions with witty teen-speak and keen self-awareness while keeping the thrills intact. And then on a different level, it seems to critique the modern-day audience’s insatiable appetite for carnage and ritualized violence- while taking jabs at their concomitant thirst for reality-TV. Yet there is really much more than meets the eye, and the last twenty minutes of the film is pure fanboy orgasmic delight, paying homage to every subgenre of cinematic horror.
The Blu-Ray comes with a digital copy and tons of special features. There’s a rather informative audio commentary and some featurettes. However, I wanted more time with the story construction and monster effects. Hell, I want a prequel just dedicated to the countries around the world and their monsters. The A/V Quality is pretty spectacular with a rather impressive 1080p transfer and a reference quality DTS-HD 7.1 master audio track. In the end, this is an incredible movie that is a recommended blind buy to all.
RELEASE DATE: 09/18/2012
