THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

I have often said that the reason we tend to fall asleep on horror movies is because every idea has already been exhausted.

We don't even jump because we've already seen every possible way a person can get splattered in both 2D and 3D. The only thing that would make horror flicks more interesting is if the killers jumped out the screen and actually slaughtered a few audience members. True 3D!

Yes there have been some films that push the edge by adding very imaginable gore. "The Human Centipede", for all its disgusting concept, was at least original. It turned everyone's stomach with the idea that a person's mouth could be surgically attached to another persons ass using the digestive/ingestion tracts of both.

In 2011, "Tucker and Dale vs Evil" took the horror cliches and added a comical slant with the victims accidentally killing themselves. Lots of blood, lots of splatter... no real murder. Cute.

Now comes Drew Goddard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame [as it were] with an interesting and entertaining slant on horror. "The Cabin in the Woods" steals from everyone and results in a Frankenstein of a film; lots of parts for a nifty monster.

Without giving away too much, the set-up is the usual. A group of kids including Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Connolly head out to the abandoned family cabin in the deep woods to have a party of casual sex. he's the hunk male and she the hot, slutty girl.

They are accompanied by a geek, a pothead, a cute but mostly untouched girlfriend and an intellectual.

Little do they know they are being watched by a couple of guys in lab coats named Sitterson (Richard Jenkins) and Hadley (Bradley Whitford). It's not clear at first, but it seems they are in control of aspect of this particular part of the woods.

It is very reminiscent of "The Truman Show" or even "The Hunger Games".

Suddenly crazed red-neck zombies start attacking the kids. Uh, yeah you did not misread this part. Suddenly, this is like "Night of the Living Dead" meets "Tucker and Dale vs Evil".

But what are these scientist guys up to? Are they getting their jollies but setting the red-neck zombies on the kids? Just when you think you have the answer we get a bit of "Westworld" tossed in with a final 30 minutes of bloody mayhem.

With his experience with Buffy, Goddard has created a surprisingly entertaining and unpredictable horror film that shows at least some creativity while stealing traditional concepts.

"The Cabin In The Woods" is a nice mixture of horror and comedy and everything in between. There is enough blood to keep horror fans happy and a big enough surprise to keep thrill fans hopping in their seats. -- GEOFF BURTON

GEOFF BURTON

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