Treeview – ‘The Cabin in the Woods’

It's been a while since I've been inspired enough to dust off the old "Treeview" feature, but 'The Cabin the Woods' was the film that got the job done -- click through for the "killer" review.

It hasn't been easy being a fan of horror films these past few years. After reboots of horror's most iconic killers (Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger) failed to blow away audiences or bring in record-breaking profits, found-footage films -- like the 'Paranormal Activity' films and the critically dumped-on 'The Devil Inside' for example -- have dominated the big screen due to their minuscule budgets. Big profits are great for the studios, but what about the true genre fans that get screwed out of a quality experience by the whole "cheaper is better" policy?

Television has become the new place for horror fans, with great shows like 'American Horror Story' and 'The Walking Dead' bringing great story-telling and gore to the small screen. Honestly, I had all but given up on hopes that Hollywood would attempt to revitalize the genre until I was blown away by 'The Cabin in the Woods' this weekend.

This cleverly crafted, incredibly fun film plays with the oldest horror premise in the book -- archetypical young adults head to a remote cabin in the woods. Drinking, sex, and grisly murders ensue. 'Buffy' alum Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard give viewers an incredibly satisfying and unexpected thrill ride using the genre's biggest cliches -- similar to what Wes Craven did with his first 'Scream' film.

Unfortunately, not much can be said about the film's latter portion without ruining the experience, so based on what is shown in the trailer -- Possible Spoilers Ahead -- what I can tell you is that four stereotypical young people head to "The Cabin in the Woods." From the very opening of the film, it becomes clear that there are men in a control room somewhere monitoring their situation. The real fun in the film comes from the what, why and how of the entire situation.

While I don't really want to tell you any more about the movie, I will say that this thing has one of the most fun and satisfying third acts I've seen in theaters in years -- especially during a horror film. All Hell breaks loose towards the end and -- as a movie-goer -- there usually is an event that's teased at but you always say "They're not going to go there," even though you want them to. Where most films don't go there, 'Cabin' goes there and then some.

As a film-lover overall, I would say, "'The Cabin in the Woods' is a must-see. It's fun, original, unpredictable -- everything a great movie-going experience should be." As a horror enthusiast, I have to say, "Get up and go see it right now!" Not only does 'Cabin' offer a fresh and exciting take on a tired premise, it also pays homage to the genre with some clever nods to 'Hellraiser,' 'The Evil Dead,' and more while simultaneously giving you everything you want to see and more."

After seeing the trailer for this movie months ago, I predicted that the film could ressurect the horror genre as a whole. I believe it lives up to that statement -- hopefully Hollywood will too, guess we'll have to wait and see if word of mouth will keep it's numbers moving up. Somehow the film only brought in $14.8 million, placing it third behind 'The Three Stooges' (really people?) and 'The Hunger Games.'

Final Verdict: 'The Cabin in the Woods' provides what is sure to be one of the funnest movie-going experiences you've had in years while keeping you guessing the whole way. By the way, I forgot to mention how great the actors were -- just go see it already. A

'The Cabin in the Woods' Official Trailer