Monday, April 23, 2012

The Cabin in the Woods


Director: Drew Goddard
Stars: Thor, the hottie from Grey's and a few others
 
Sunday blues got ya down?  Are you regretting last night’s kegger?  (Do kids still do those?)  Sad that the work week starts in less than 24 hours?  Well I have a plan for you: the MGL.  No, not GTL but MGL…Movie, Gym, Laundry.  Yes, you should still include laundry but definitely skip the tanning.  You have some options with the order of things.  You could do GML but then you’re going to the M all sweaty and gross from the G, however…sweaty and gross means less people would be inclined to sit near you in a theater.  If you’re doing the M with a friend or loved one then I highly recommend doing the G later. 
 

Here’s how you choose your M.  If you’re mourning the fact that Monday is closer than you think and you want to wallow, then go for the sappy drama.  Crying can be cathartic.  If having a 'case of the Mondays' makes you all punchy, find out where Expendables 2 (or really any Jason Statham flick) is playing.  But the best kind of M for absolutely any mood is a well-done horror.  Especially great are well-done horror movies that are also FUNNY!  These are rare but when they happen it is a joyous event indeed.  One such event occurred for me yesterday.  I have been waiting to see The Cabin in the Woods because I am a dyed-in-the-wool Whedonite.  I even liked Dollhouse.  So I was thrilled when the movie was being made and followed the production as best I could.  I was less thrilled when it was shelved due to ickyness over at MGM.  I was happy again when there was a release date on the books.  I was less happy when I realized I wasn’t going to be able to see it opening weekend.  

I read the reviews of Cabin (something I don’t normally do for a film I’m excited about) that were popping up after it premiered at SXSW.  Across the board folks said it was good as everyone wanted it to be.  My expectations shot up.  Guess what?  They were right.  I’m not going to get into the plot because you really need to experience it spoiler-free.  But for those of you Buffy fans out there I will say that this was like a super-charged episode of Buffy.  There is a big bad (or bads in this case) and lots of Whedonesque humor.  But because it’s an R-rated film we also got some saucy language, drug use, boobies, and a shirtless Jesse Williams (thanks!)  It followed the traditional horror formula right down to the casting of the slutty chick, the jock, the stoner, the smart kid and the virgin.  But then they turned that cast into an actual plot device.  Speaking of the cast, it was nice to see a couple of Whedon regulars (Amy Acker, Tom Lenk [Andrew!], and a ton of newbies. 

A great thing about Cabin is the discussion that happens outside of the main group but I can’t get into that without getting spoilery.  Just know that it got deep and slightly philosophical but then jumped out in time before it got too self-aware. The directing from Drew Goddard was very good and the script moved along at a decent pace. 

So after the M it’s time to hit the G.  Make sure you have some Missy Elliot to get you going.  “We Run This” is perfect for early in your cardio routine.  Losing steam?  Oddly, Dee Lite’s “Groove is in the Heart” is perfect to get you through those last few minutes.  Oh and don’t forget the L is in the dryer.

Tracy saw The Lucky One this weekend!  Don’t you want to know what she thought?  Head on over to her review at Examiner.com.


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