Entry 4: RE: "Cabin" - Chill Out.

Posted by: Chad Van Alstin

Settle down, Brad. There's no reason to be that upset over a film that doesn't present itself as anything more than mere entertainment. I don't see there being a buildup to anything beyond a promise that Cabin in the Woods will be a really strange movie -- and that promise was kept, even if I didn't always like it.

With a film like this, the fact that I laughed isn't enough to earn it a perfect rating, but it counts for something. This isn't on the same level as films like Scream or Drag Me To Hell, both of which are done with a sophisticated level of filmmaking not seen here.

This isn't to say that Cabin is poorly made -- that wouldn't be a fair statement. I just think that Cabin went for some cheap laughs, and other films in the genre take a much darker approach. Black comedy is present in Cabin in the Woods, but certainly not to the degree of the Evil Dead or Scream series.

I suppose your point about classifying this as "horror" is correct, but I don't think that's really important. I'm not a huge fan of genre classifications in general, and I use the 'horror-comedy' label only to set a point of reference. 

A film like Army of Darkness doesn't contain any scares, but most people will still classify it as a horror film. This is probably largely due to the supernatural subject matter. I follow suit only to give a point of reference, though I agree that most people won't find Cabin in the Woods to evoke any emotions normally associated with horror. Unless of course they are really made uneasy by gore, since Cabin has a ton of that.

Entry 2: RE: "Cabin" - We're all on the same side.

Posted by: Chad Van Alstin

I think you and I agree more thank you think, Brad. I'm just more willing to interpret my laughter as meaning I was entertained by the film -- I think you should do the same. Look, this is far from a perfect movie, but I really had enough fun to justify my 3 Star rating.

It's true that I love horror-comedy films. I am a huge fan of the Evil Dead series, and I think Cabin in the Woods has some of that charm. So, yes, I praise the film for its finer moments, but I do take issue with the total anarchy in the second half.

Your criticism of the final act is correct; I just didn't find it funny either. I think we are in agreement there.  The humor started moving in a direction more befitting of an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The laughs certainly slowed down for me when the gore and clever dialogue was replaced with  "dude, that's so random" stoner laughs.

For me the moment where I felt the movie really went downhill was the sequence where we find the characters riding in a magic elevator, heading to the HQ of their puppet masters. This sequence, and the scenes that follow, are what I was referring to when I said that I felt the writers wrote themselves into a corner.

What the hell was all of that about? It's after the elevator ride that all the random chaos started happening. It just feels like they had no idea how to tie the stories together, and really didn't have a clue how to end the film. It was all rather unnecessary and annoying.

So, let me be clear: my praise of the film comes packaged with complaints. There's a whole lot wrong with Cabin, but I still had fun while the good times lasted. I can't recall another movie this year that had me laughing in the theater.

My rating reflects my level of enjoyment -- I had fun watching this movie.
                        

Chad's Take: "The Cabin in the Woods" - 3 Stars

The tagline to The Cabin in the Woods implies a level of deception: “You think you know the story.” I can honestly say that this film did not meet my expectations, though I did really enjoy it. It’s true that the story of teenagers isolated in a woodland setting, only to picked off by evil beasties, isn’t exactly a new idea for the horror genre. Luckily, the film doesn’t follow any formula very closely.

There have been several recent releases in the horror-comedy genre, most of which are satirical representations of classic horror formulas. When I arrived at the theater I expected to see a parody film along the lines of Drag Me to Hell or Wes Craven’s Scream. While it’s true that I was treated to some bloody laughs, Cabin in the Woods is not done in the same vein as the films listed above.

I think it is fair to classify Cabin as a horror-comedy offshoot, but saying that doesn’t describe the unique approach fully. It’s really hard to describe Cabin in the Woods, but I think that’s exactly what the filmmakers were going for.

So, what’s it about? Well, it’s really hard to say. The narrative features a story riddled with conspiracy and murder, all of which is presented in an extremely light-hearted tone. On the surface it seems like this is all adding up to a shocking “twist” of an ending. Without spoiling anything, I can promise you that this isn’t the case.