2010s,

The Cabin in the Woods Review or 5 reasons to see The Cabin in the Woods

Saturday, March 10, 2012 Craig Grobler 0 Comments

The Cabin in The WoodsWhat do you get when 5 college friends (a gorgeous slutty girl, a dope smoking fool, a die hard jock that gives it all he’s got, an egghead and a virgin) spend a weekend at a remote cabin? Well if Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon are involved an hour and half of balls out fun.

I know you are visiting to read an insightful deconstruction and analysis of The Cabin in the Woods but it is still a whole month away from being released in the UK and much of the joy of The Cabin in the Woods comes from not knowing where it is going. I suspect by the time you actually get around to seeing the film most of the surprises would have been spoiled - avoid the trailers - so I recommend you try see it as soon as possible. In the meantime here are 5 spoiler free reasons to see The Cabin in the Woods.

The Cabin in The Woods
Image: The Cabin in The Woods

After watching Drew Goddard’s The Cabin in the Woods for the second time. The five predominant thoughts I had swirling around in my head were:

1. Joss Whedon's writing. I’m not a fan of Joss Whedon. Despite his material being an industry of its own I haven’t really watched much of his stuff and the bits I did see ranged from fairly mediocre to offensive – it has subsequently been explained to me that my assumption that some of his material seems to be demeaning to woman is actually unfounded. But these feelings towards Whedon’s work diminished the little promise Avengers Assemble may have had for me.

After seeing The Cabin in the Woods I’m actually really excited about Avengers Assemble again. TV is clearly confining Whedon’s output - the big screen format is where Whedon stuff needs to be shown. If Whedon brings some of the ingenuity on display in The Cabin in the Woods - Avengers Assemble is going to be kick ass.

2. It’s very entertaining. Growing up in the 80s the teenage slasher/horror genre seemed to pass me by completely. I saw most of them and apart from the original My Bloody Valentine that frankly scared the crap out of me, the Johnny come lately A Nightmare on Elm Street was the only one of the genre that really engaged me with it originality and smart update of the genre - for similar reasons the The Cabin in the Woods is very entertaining.

3. Compelling story and direction. The combination of writer Joss Whedon and Director Drew Goddard is a .double threat. Whedon’s clever play on stereotype and cliché story with many genre references will be the thing that everyone talks about but credit must go to Drew Goddard for pulling it all together into such a tight cohesive package. Clean editing and sharp camera work keep the story on track. He builds a palpable dread throughout with his comedic timing punctuating the ominousness.

4. The performances are outstanding across the board far above the expected standard for this type of film. A combination of great acting, clever dialogue and measured camera work keeps the characters intelligent and personable. I have to say that Anna Hutchison’s performance stands out, two scenes in particular she held me captivated one of them whilst Thor was in camera.

5. It’s clever. We are long over due a horror film of this nature - a film that credits both the characters and audience as intelligent that can balance terror with comedy. For too long we had to endure formulaic stabs at the genre. Or re-runs as characters are placed into different scenarios

Even though The Cabin in the Woods is not just for fans, given the material I would expect it to be divisive but you will have a greater appreciation for it if you enjoy a good horror film.

Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. If you think you know this story, think again. From fan favourites Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, a mind blowing horror film that turns the genre inside out.

Produced by Whedon and directed by Goddard from a script by both, the film stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford. Lionsgate presents a Mutant Enemy production.

The Cabin in the Woods will be released on April 13, 2012.

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The Establishing Shot: THE CABIN IN THE WOODS REVIEW OR RATHER HERE ARE 5 SPOILER FREE REASONS TO SEE THE CABIN IN THE WOODS.

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