It looks like another in an endless series of teen horror flicks, but I've read that it is not. This from the StarTribune's review:
Like the proto-Surrealist creepshow "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," it twists a standard horror saga into something resembling a collaboration between Franz Kafka and Lewis Carroll...I'm open to comments (but not to spoilers).
There is an epic amount of hemoglobin in this film, but it is splatter shed with festive energy, in service of a ferociously clever idea. The film is at once a homage to popcorn hack-and-slash yarns and an IQ 200 critique. It isn't just a "Scream"-style dialogue with the genre; the questions here are intellectually ambitious, almost metaphysical. Why does every culture have its own tradition of scary stories, why do suffering characters give us pleasure, and just how powerful are the inner demons our nightmare scenarios appease?
Really great movie, great surprises. The only thing I will say is that the teen horror aspect of the movie is really the smallest aspect of the movie. Once in a while a movie is made that takes a step in a new direction, and this is one of them.
ReplyDeleteGood - I'm glad to hear that. Tx.
Deleteone of the worst movies i have ever seen.
ReplyDeleteI've long since outgrown the appeal of movies like Halloween or Friday the 13th, but I'm looking forward to seeing this one. The buzz makes it sound like something really special and unique.
ReplyDeletemeh. Maybe I'm TOO much a Whedon fan(while simultaneously not much of a horror fan), I already have a feel for his opinion on the genre. It seems like I've seen it before, just couldn't get in to it.
ReplyDeleteYea, I know. I was baffled by the good reviews. A stupid slasher movie? There's no way anyone could make a good one, a truly original one. But then I saw this movie. The critics were right. It was great. If you have ever seen more than one or two slasher movies in your life, and especially if you think they're silly, you may love this movie. Just go see it.
ReplyDelete-Chuck
Ya have to watch "Tucker and Dale vs. Evil". It is hilarious. A comedic low look at the "other side" of teen horror movies. Not all hillbillies are bad people.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQOZHEYhVtU
It is on Netflix. It even blew the roof off at Sundance last year.
DeleteTucker and Dale was awesome!
DeleteI'm not a huge fan of horror films but this one was amusing and fresh.
ReplyDeleteThe trailer shows you quite a bit if you're paying attention.
ReplyDeleteA hawk flying into a hexagonal grid hovering in mid-air.
A high tech control room.
There are even more details than that which flash by so quickly they can only hint at the truth - this is not simply a teen slasher flick.
Now what that truth is... well you probably aren't guessing correctly. You'll just have to watch the movie.
It's extremely entertaining, definitely worth seeing. I've seen it twice now and enjoyed it both times. Read as little about it as you can (If it's not too late, I'd recommend not even watching the trailer). First and foremost it's a comedy, with earnest, tongue in cheek homages to the best tropes of the teen slasher genre. Joss Whedon can write the crap out of dialogue and Drew Goddard can write the crap out of a good plot. Together, they're awesome.
ReplyDeleteI am by no means a an of slasher films (in fact I don't think I've actually seen one), but am aware of all the cliches. this film does a fantastic job of subverting them and, with an innovative twist, gives them a fresh perspective. I would highly recomend seeing it, but bear in mind that there is a good amount of graphic violence and gore.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I didn't see the trailer before I saw the movie... Loved the movie, but this is the spoileriest trailer ever made!
ReplyDeleteThe Cabin in the Woods is a clever take on horror movies. It's remniscient of "Scream" from the 1990s but is nothing like it. I love the nod given to H.P. Lovecraft's Old Ones at the end (this isn't a spoiler, by the way). It's worth seeing for anyone who wants to view something clever and fresh, not just horror fans.
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