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chapter11 [ 8.5 ]
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I expected more scares, naturally, but whatever; what "Cabin in the Woods" lacks in heart-clutching terror, it basically makes up for by being really damn cool. It's an ambitious thing to attempt - and that's pretty much all i can say spoiler-free - but there's just so much to take in here that i assume repeat viewings are handsomely rewarded. What i can say is that it's an exceptionally performed movie - actors in both locations are particularly adept at their jobs, none moreso than lab-coated puppeteers Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford, both responsible for some of the movie's deepest guffaws - and that it's a glorious attempt at indulging the longtime horror fan's every whim. The movie never loses sight of its sense of fun, but there are moments in this bitch that are completely jaw-dropping; the buckets-of-blood holy-fuckballs climax is so deliriously, gloriously bonkers that I rewound immediately. I needed to see that, all of that, one more time. Kudos due all around - this one's a winner.
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DokBrowne [ 9.5 ]
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Holy crap I loved this movie. Wasn't expecting to quite so much; been a big fan of Joss Whedon for years, but it's cooled over time ("Buffy" and "Angel" sagged towards the end and his writing style can be too glib), so this is a big re-up on my admiration for the guy. It's a terrifically creative meta-horror movie on its own, but even better for those familiar with his career. Not only is it peppered with actors known primarily for work in his shows (Amy Acker, Fran Kranz, Tom Lenk) and relies on his recognizably snarky dialogue style AND penchant for escalating, capriciously timed plot twists, but also it uses the "Buffy" template of thumbing through pop culture's rolodex of horror iconography to both deconstruct horror movie tropes, ask the viewer what it really wants from these films and how we've shaped them over time, and comment on aspects of the human condition (in this case free will, mostly, but also voyeurism and fear). Plus it's directed/co-written by Buffy/Angel vet Drew Goddard. A real in-house production for Whedon.
And refreshingly, you don't really know where it's headed even with the twists arriving from the very beginning. It's rare that a movie keeps you guessing this long, rarer still that it's both true to its vision until the very end and yet perfectly accessible all the while (the ending doesn't compromise yet manages to hold the balanced tone just right, and even without the suspense of figuring out the bigger picture it's still a great ride), and rarest of all that it's both freaky and fun. I don't personally require both scares and laughs from my horror comedy like a lot of people (I'm happy with a light-hearted tone in most cases), but props to this movie anyway for having a down-to-earth, personable POV convincingly mixed with some terrifying and disturbing imagery here and there. Things go badly but there's always levity.
Even though the movie is built deliberately atop ancient cliches, it's a wildly inventive script, especially around the climax (repeat viewings will be mandatory to catch all the different details in some of those shots), and very craftily-paced. The only hint of a complaint I'd offer (and it's only after-the-fact, really) is that once we know what's going on why, there's never an explanation for why the scenario went down in the specific style that it did (sorry, can't really articulate that better without spoilers). Whatever.
Finally, the movie has a wonderful look. The special effects are fully convincing (impressive since it wasn't a big budget) and the art direction and cinematography land just right, in-between sufficient polish and midnight movie grime. I want to see it again just to inhabit its archetypal horror-classic aesthetic
Bravo, really.
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| Weighted Rating | : 7.0 |
| No. Ratings | : 6 | |
| No. Reviews | : 4 | |
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