(MOVIE REVIEW) The Cabin in the Woods

What do people think of when you say geek? Is it the traditional acne infested kid with a pocket protector that can speak Klingon? Well that, faithful readers, is a stereotype. Geeks come in all shapes and sizes! They may be in tiny guy that is one missing inhaler away from an ER visit, or they may come wrapped in the package of a ruggedly handsome movie reviewer that has loved all things geek since he was a kid. The rarest of the geek-world are those that are so funny, intelligent, insightful and, dare I say, “popular”, that they almost seem too good to be true. Joss Whedon, writer and producer of The Cabin in the Woods, is the perfect example of the aforementioned alpha-geek.

Storyline: When a group of five friends embark on a weekend long trip to a secluded cabin they have nothing on their minds except being young and partying. Once they reach the cabin they find that not everything is as it seems. Two way mirrors, a basement full of discarded memorabilia (that each person seems to be drawn to), a change in their personalities, and, oh yeah, video surveillance. Not to mention a clan of zombies. The group must find a way to survive this crazy weekend and to find out what other secrets are attached to the cabin….even if it is the last thing that they ever do.

To all of those people that continue to remake movies and rehash old Hollywood staples, PLEASE pay attention to this movie. This film is more original than anything that I have seen in a long time. Possibly since The Matrix. I don’t think that a lot of critics “get” the movie. We have all sat around and watched horror movies and said, “Ugh. Why is this always the same? Why do we see the same old thing with a new cast behind it”? Thanks to this movie, you will never have to question that again.

Worth to admission? As if you can’t tell from my above praise, YES! This movie drips with clever dialog, fantastic acting (especially from Fran Kranz), and some of the coolest movie monsters to ever be on film (even if they are only in the movie for a few minutes). Cabin takes all of the things that we have gotten so bored by in traditional horror movies and flips it. It is easily the most original movie that you have seen this year. Do yourself a favor and go to The Cabin…you don’t even need to bring bug spray.

NOTE: Joss Whedon has created some of my favorite characters on TV, and I have always had faith in him, but this movie gives me hope that his next movie, The Avengers, will be handled with the attention and respect that the characters and fans deserves.

Let me know what you thought of the movie