PCP on DVD - The Cabin in the Woods

The Cabin in the Woods was a horror movie that I was deeply looking forward to as soon as I heard it was coming out. I usually am not a huge fan of horror, as I find the genre to be derivative and predictable. But then I heard that Joss Whedon was writing and producing a horror film, and that piqued my interest.

The Cabin in the Woods - 2012, rated R.  My rating: 9 out of 10.

As you may know from reading other posts on my blog, I am a huge Whedon fan.  He has yet to make something that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. The Cabin in the Woods continues that streak. It is not your typical horror movie, but at the same time, it kind of is. You'll have to see it to fully understand what I mean by that sentence. But primarily, TCITW is a story of 5 college kids that go into the woods and then bad things happen to them. Standard horror fare really. But the film has a major twist, a very unique vision for that type of film, and it actually dissects all of the tropes of the genre and acts as a social commentary on the horror genre in general. It isn't a mean-spirited commentary, however, but a very smart and winking one. Clearly Whedon is a fan of the horror genre, and the film is filled with shout-outs and references to other horror films. It also reunites Joss with a number of actors from his other works, including Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers), Fran Kranz (Dollhouse), Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse), and Tom Lenk (Buffy, Angel). The film isn't directed by Whedon, he turns those duties over to his co-writer, Cloverfield (as well as Buffyverse) writer Drew Goddard. Goddard does a great job in his directorial debut, and the script the two wrote is just outstanding.

Overall, the film is quite good, and I highly recommend it. It isn't a true horror film, but instead a witty yet still scary takedown of the horror genre. I don't want to say any more on the plot though so as not to spoil it, but if you haven't seen this yet, go pick it up on DVD and have a fun night.