The Cabin in the Woods [DVD] [2012]

If you’ve ever watched a horror movie, you’ve seen characters headed for their doom after making an obvious mistake and asked yourself, ‘how could they be so stupid?’ What if your job depended on that very stupidity? Better yet, what if the world as we knew it depended on that stupidity? Five college students, Dana (played by Kristen Connolly), Curt (played by Thor himself Chris Hemsworth), Jules (played by Anna Hutchison), Marty (played by Fran Kranz) and Holden (played by Grey’s Anatomy’s Jesse Williams) are all packed and ready for some much needed rest and relaxation in a remote cabin in the woods (I know, the title was no help in predicting that). Separately, two men in a corporate facility whose nature is not fully explained are gearing up for a series of operations taking place worldwide and one happening domestically that determines the future of their employment. While en route to their secluded cabin, our college students stop for gas and are more than moderately spooked by the station attendant who tells them that tragedies have befallen more than one of the previous owners. Still they press on and the attendant, Mordecai (played by Tim de Zarn) relays that to the two men in the corporate facility (played by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford) while they laugh at the man’s ghoulish demeanor which he maintains long after the collegians depart. There’s a good deal more to this story, but to reveal any more would give away too much. What I can tell you is that I enjoyed this movie immensely. The relatively unknown cast members serve their purpose and the more accomplished professionals, namely Whitford, Jenkins, and a largely unseen Sigourney Weaver add an entirely different dimension to a film that might otherwise be cookie-cutter from its inception. If you enjoy horror or enjoy a good parody, you will enjoy The Cabin the Woods.

If you think this is a straight horror, you're wrong. DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A FILM FOR KIDS OR YOUNG TEENS. There is a lot of swearing, some nudity, and lots of gore (but not over-the-top shock value gore, so it's all cool). I love this movie. It's one of the truest to form horror-comedy's out there. A lot of films in this niche genre have a hard time balancing both genres without compromising the integrity of either one. Usually these horror-coms weigh more in one category by parodying common tropes or exaggerating cliche's (blah blah, insert smart words). This doesn't do that. This film knows what it is try and doesn't too hard. It's clever, funny and scary-ish. Nearly equally. I would hope any fan of horror would appreciate this movie to be a refreshing and unique take on the genre. Even if you don't like horror, this is still an awesome movie to check out if just to know why the heck people like it so much. OR, you may just be a Joss Whedon hater and are over hearing fan-boys rave about his God-like creations. In which case, you'll want to hate it but I think it'll win you over. If you're fan-boy and haven't seen this film, what are you waiting for? It's awesome!

Sometimes a film comes along with an idea so obvious, yet so genius, that we the audience have to ask ourselves, "how did know one think of this before?" Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon are able to craft quite possibly one of the most beautifully meta-horror films to ever be released, and any fan of the horror genre will simply be in awe of the scope of this movie. Sometimes a genre of film needs to step back, take a look at itself and just laugh, and this is exactly what Cabin in the Woods does for the audience. It bears mentioning that there are a few plot holes towards the end of this film, yet the screenplay as a whole is solid enough to forgive these mistakes. A must-see for any self-proclaimed horror fan!

ok i bought this movie because of joss whedon 'as it turns out i am a huge fan of his work..but it's obvious he didn't direct this film someone named drew goddard did and it shows... nothing feels right about this movie to me and i don't know what people are thinking when they say there is comedy in it all this is is a confusing gorefest which i found to be very off putting and the pay off in the end is just depressing and hopeless i just regret that now that it's been opened i can't return it. i know i'll be getting alot of negative comments but this is my honest opinion and i'm entitled to it twice on sundays/. in the future i'll be avoiding drew goddard directed films like the plague...still a whedon fan but this has got to be the worst thing he's ever been involved in for more reasons than i feel like typing out.. i don't recomed this to anyone. there are too many other good ones out there than to waste your money with this nonesense. btw serenity and firefly are both ten million times better than this messed up cluster you know what...

The Cabin in the Woods is not that great. When I first watched this movie, I was underwhelmed. The movie doesn't sound anything original. It didn't feel like I'm watching the movie, it felt like I'm watching some other movies like Evil Dead. I don't care about the cast. Chris Hemsworth, I like him better in Thor and The Avengers. Sigourney Weaver, she's better in other movies like Ghostbusters, Alien and even Avatar. When the part where a unicorn shows up, I'm like "Really? A unicorn?". It always stuck me as being out of place. I don't know why the unicorn has to be in it. That part is pointless and unnecessary. This movie is not meant to be taken seriously. Like I said, it's not that great. It's not the best nor the worst in my opinion. When you watch it, you probably won't feel like you're watching the same movie. I feel like it's a bit much with that many creatures in the movie including werewolves, zombies, giant snakes and bat creatures. All I can say is that it's just a standard horror movie.

Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon managed to create a paradox via "The Cabin in the Woods": somehow, they both reinvented the modern horror movie and annihilated just about the entire genre in one (densely packed and highly entertaining) fell swoop. And we're all the better for it. This is one of the best balancing acts I've ever seen in a deconstructionist film of any kind, as the film incorporates the slasher movie, supernatural happenings, Lovecraftian horror, zombie attacks, and...mundane office-drone boredom (?) in an immensely satisfying experience that creates something unique even as it comments on what it's all about. As for the elements I listed - clearly, one of those things doesn't belong, but you'll have to look elsewhere if you're curious about how it all runs together, 'cause I'm sure as hell not gonna tell you (my advice: just watch the movie, and don't view a single preview beforehand if you haven't yet been spoiled).

As soon as I saw Joss Whedon's name in the opening credits, I knew something was up. The creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly is the writer of The Cabin in the Woods, and it definitely shows. It starts out with the horror cliche of a group of teenagers going out to a remote cabin in the woods (ding!) and it almost seems like a bad rip-off of every horror movie ever until it completely flips the tables on you. I don't want to spoil how amazing this movie is, but I would strongly recommend going into it knowing as little as possible for the best experience. As a horror fan, it's hilarious to see how the movie pokes fun at all of the cliches of the genre, and I can honestly say it is one of the most refreshingly fun movies I've seen in a long time. Don't pass this one up.

First off, don't expect this to be a horror movie. Yes, it has some horror elements, but it's actually more of a sci-fi/comedy flick. There are a few jump scares, but nothing which would actually frighten an adult. Think of it more along the lines of the film 'Serenity.' A good sci-fi movie with a lot of comedic dialogue, some tragedy and a few startles. 'Cabin' does start pretty slow, but the climax of the film made it worth the wait for me and actually made me appreciate the entirety of the film once I re-watched it. Give it a chance and go into it with an open mind.