Cabin in the Woods

31 Days of Halloween – Day 21

The Cabin in the Woods (directed by Drew Goddard, 2012) Once in a while, you come across a movie that thinks outside the box. Horror movies seem to go in genre waves. Whatever is in vogue that particular cycle seems to get beaten to death by Hollywood. Found footage was popular for a while. Vampires have their turn. Slashers get a go. Anything that movie producers throw against the wall, and sticks, is the new flavor of the month. The Cabin in the Woods starts off like any ordinary horror, but takes some big swerves of course through out, and the results are one of the most original films of the genre. I will not go into plot details, because if you have not seen the film, I do not want to spoil it. Five friends set off to spend the weekend in a family cabin. Sound familiar? That’s where the familiarity end. Drew Goddard (writer for World War Z and Cloverfield) and Joss Whedon (TV’s Firefly and Marvel’s The Avengers) wrote the story, while Goddard directed. What they have created is a highly entertaining film, which blends horror and comedy, with enough plot twists to keep you engaged from start to finish. The most recognizable faces are Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Bradley Whitford (TV’s Transparent), and the brilliant Richard Jenkins (Step Brothers). The interaction between Whitford and Jenkins is witty and one of the best parts of the film. I was recommended to see this by a friend, and I am glad I took his advice. The Cabin in the Woods is one of my favorites from the last five years. It reminds me of how great I thought the original Evil Dead was when I first saw it. If you want some Halloween scares with substance, watch The Cabin in the Woods. You will not be disappointed.

Recap

• Day 1 – The Conjuring
• Day 2 – You’re Next
• Day 3 – Rob Zombie’s Halloween
• Day 4 – Dog Soldiers
• Day 5 – Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
• Day 6 – Psycho (1960)
• Day 7 – John Carpenter’s The Thing
• Day 8 – The Prowler
• Day 9 – Pet Sematary
• Day 10 – The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Day 11 – Near Dark
• Day 12 – The Lost Boys
• Day 13 – Child’s Play
• Day 14 – Sleepy Hollow
• Day 15 – House of 1,000 Corpses
• Day 16 – The Devil’s Rejects
• Day 17 – Night of the Living Dead
• Day 18 – Dawn of the Dead (’78)
• Day 19 – Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
• Day 20 – Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
• Day 21 – The Cabin In The Woods

T.