Post by Mark T. Locker.
I know it’s summer and scary movies aren’t what people usually think about until the pumpkins grow. But, I watch movies so infrequently that I have to report on what I’ve seen. And I watched The Cabin in the Woods the other night. In bed. This is not your typical horror movie, but it builds on those archetypes found in all the typical horror movies. In classic Joss Whedon fashion, he plays on those stereotypes in an entertaining and self-conscious manner.
As in most slasher movies, five friends, each of whom fits nicely into a stereotype: jock; nerd; virtuous girl; not-so-virtuous girl; comic relief, head out to a creepy old cabin in the woods to party for the weekend.
What they don’t know is that they are entering a curated horror movie, in which all their moves are being watched and buttons are being pushed to gently nudge them to certain actions. When they stop for gas at the run-down gas station, the creepy old attendant warns them of the old cabin. Classic horror movie stuff. He is a hired part of the whole experiment, and is referred to as the “harbinger”.
It’s an interesting take on the classic slasher/zombie horror flick. It’s bloody, but also funny, and also a little scary. If you watch this one in bed, I hope your dreams are better than mine were!