The Cabin In The Woods

"I just think it would've been cooler with a merman."
If you read my Juan of the Dead review, then you probably not only have an idea of how much I love horror films but also how much I thrive for originality and creativity in the genre. Something unique is so hard to come by anymore. It's as if Hollywood is afraid of taking risks. They'd rather remake something well-known to try and capitalize on a well-known name or franchise than go forward with something completely fresh and new because it might bomb. It makes sense on one hand, but for somebody who sees one hundred films a year or more it becomes kind of tiresome. You begin to make the most with what you have in front of you. If only a horror film could come along and be clever, original, pay homage, and offer something new for horror. That's exactly what you get with The Cabin in the Woods.

Curt (Chris Hemsworth) plans on taking his girlfriend Jules (Anna Hutchison) and his friends to his cousin's cabin. There's the new recruit to the football team Holden (Jesse...

Turning Horror Movie Cliches Into A Twisty Post-Modern Game: Beware Of Spoilers And Enjoy
With geek god Joss Whedon (creator of TV's Buffy and Firefly among other fan favorites) on board, it's fair to say that the expectations for "The Cabin in the Woods" were quite high for enthusiasts of the horror genre. Here he shares a writing credit with the film's director Drew Goddard and the result is one of the year's more entertaining experiments. I truly think that this is a film that will suffer due to those that are willing to discuss too many of the plot points in advance, so I'll be brief in my actual descriptions. I will say this, though, the less you know about the movie--the more fun you can have. In my opinion, even the advertising campaign and trailers hint at too much. You know from the start that this isn't your typical fright fest. Instead, what is served plays up and skewers every horror movie cliche imaginable. It is both hip and witty, as well as smarter than it has any right to be. It twists movie conventions around in clever new ways and makes something that...

Turning Horror Movie Cliches Into A Twisty Post-Modern Game: Beware Of Spoilers And Enjoy
With geek god Joss Whedon (creator of TV's Buffy and Firefly among other fan favorites) on board, it's fair to say that the expectations for "The Cabin in the Woods" were quite high for enthusiasts of the horror genre. Here he shares a writing credit with the film's director Drew Goddard and the result is one of the year's more entertaining experiments. I truly think that this is a film that will suffer due to those that are willing to discuss too many of the plot points in advance, so I'll be brief in my actual descriptions. I will say this, though, the less you know about the movie--the more fun you can have. In my opinion, even the advertising campaign and trailers hint at too much. You know from the start that this isn't your typical fright fest. Instead, what is served plays up and skewers every horror movie cliche imaginable. It is both hip and witty, as well as smarter than it has any right to be. It twists movie conventions around in clever new ways and makes something that...

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