Cabin Fever... I have NOT become Ebert!!!!

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Remo D
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Cabin Fever... I have NOT become Ebert!!!!

Post by Remo D »

You know, I was seriously contemplating hanging up the hook for a while there...

I was wondering if I'd actually become the critic I always used to blast--the critic that I felt was hopelessly out of touch with horror and its audience.

As we already know, we're re-living the 1970s this year, whether we're talking about new films or films delayed for a few years (H0KC). And there are only so many ways to say "Well, we're in familiar territory from the beginning..."

Take WRONG TURN. I crucified this one, for the plain and simple fact that it bored the screaming yellow hell out of me until it finally made a couple of right moves in the last half-hour of the film. Excruciating characters, ear-bleeding dialogue--one of the year's very worst, as I saw it. And yet, there's a strong fan faction that insists it's really good, strong, 70's tribute stuff.

FREDDY VS. JASON I don't even dare to bother with anymore. I thought it was as stupid as hell, with a very good final showdown--but it's the horror hit of the year, so what do I know?

Gee... have I become Roger Ebert? Am I now the "older" critic that routinely trashes all the great horror stuff that the younger audience loves for reasons I'm incapable of "getting?" They say it's inevitable... you always become the thing... etc.

But here comes CABIN FEVER.

Okay, let's see. What's left for THIS year? COLD CREEK MANOR. UNDERWORLD. CHAINSAW remake. HOUSE OF THE DEAD. Anything else?

Well, if any of those top CABIN FEVER for my "best of the year" pick, I'll have to nominate that film for "best of all time" contention.

Wow. We're back in the 70s, all right... (the freakin' LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT SOUNDTRACK!!! Title song covered by David Hess's SON on the end credits!!!)... so what does this film have that WRONG TURN doesn't?

Try complete and total unpredictability. You REALLY never know exactly what's coming next in this one. Guessing ahead of time who lives, who dies? Perhaps. But you still won't see exactly how it goes down. How could you possibly see Deputy Winston coming? How could you possibly predict "PANCAKES! PANCAKES!??" Don't look to me for details, either.

And how could you NOT cringe at the hardcore splatter and violence this one dishes out? Oh yes, we're back in the 70s, all right. Early 80s, too.

How can I put this? LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT is invoked, but it's not LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. We can recognize THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, but this isn't TCM. And we sure as hell can see THE EVIL DEAD here (two couples and a fifth wheel go to hell in a cabin), but this isn't THE EVIL DEAD. Nor is it Romero's original NOTLD. And yet they're all here in spirit.

CABIN FEVER is outrageous, blood-soaked horror with healthy doses of sick and twisted humor... and it's never, ever boring!

But as to my original question? If I really HAVE become an out-of-touch Roger Ebert for viewers half my age (or younger), then surely this one would have impressed even the big man himself, right?

Nope. One-and-a-half stars.

I rest my case.
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Post by Chris Slack »

Thanks Remo, I'll check it out later this week :)
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Post by FOG »

DUDE!@!!!!!!!

YOU ARE SO RIGHT ON THE MONEY REMO!!!!!

I was expecting total trash, evil dead wannabe bullshit, but Cabin Fever was FUCKING AWESOME!!!!!!!

Oh man, all the other shit that comes out this year won't even come close to how great this movie was. I was cringing and laughing my ass of at the same time throughout the entire movie! (that leg-shaving scene was evil!)

My god, what can you say about this thing other than it is nothing short of a modern masterpiece. Proof that it is still possible to make a really great and original horror movie, and that all other bullshit coming out is still bullshit. Cold Creek Manor?? Gimme a break (though it is the "answer to everything")

I guess what it all comes down is the true BALLS this movie had. It was FUCKED UP. And you really don't know whats gonna happen next, and the gore is sick, and the gals get naked, and the plot and characters and script are all completely OUTRAGEOUS.

Goodness, Caabin Fever, goodness. You were truly the best fucking movie I have seen in a long time.

PANCAKES!! PANCAKES!!!!

Dude, I need to see it again.

Fuck Ebert, this movie is 4 star/oscar deserving GOLD.
Let's ask him, what's the deal?
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Post by Self Destruct »

hmm i wanna go see it really bad !!
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Post by Clark Chaos »

I'm going Tues. after work so I am very excited cuz some real horror fans have told me great things about this one!

Thought maybe it would be an Evil Dead rip off but I heard it isnt even close. :D
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Post by Latte Thunder »

This is good news. Of this weekend, there were three movies I wanted to see. This was one of them, Underworld (which looks like it could suck a lot) and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (which my brother says is mediocre at best). I really had high hopes for Cabin Fever as a lot of the film festival hype about it made it sound like it was a winner.

As for getting older and not getting it... Sometimes I feel that way. I sometimes cruise the Creature Corner forums and a lot of the high praise for the newer horror movies just goes right over my head and all I can wonder is how anyone can like some of the movies that get discussed over there... and don't even get me started on the discussions at the now-defunct horrormovies.com forums.

I'm not a snob, either, I just can't get into the new hollywood horror formula.
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Post by Valgamon »

Remo, you're killin' me.

Admittedly, the first half of Cabin Fever was highly entertaining, and showed loads of promise. But from there on out, it spiraled into a tangled mess, all but crying out for direction. Such wasted potential... luckilly I only had to pay $5 for my ticket.
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Post by Remo D »

What can I say? I thoroughly enjoyed the disorientation--I liked not having any idea what this thing would throw at me next.

You're not alone, of course--I've ready plenty of negative criticism, and not just from Ebert. And I'm sure that if I sat back and truly thought about the film from beginning to end, I could poke a thousand holes in it. But on a gut-reaction level, it just didn't matter. You've got to imagine me sitting through WRONG TURN and reciting the dialogue along with the actors... before they even SAID it. You've got to imagine me sitting through THE ORDER and trying to clear the stuffy air of a movie that was so damn FULL of itself.

Then here comes something that just goes where the road takes it and plays hell with everything it touches. I deliberately avoided the pre-release hype (this is becoming a sterling rule for me) and stepped into it without knowing what to expect. One hour later, I STILL didn't know what to expect. But I laughed at the funny stuff, I cringed at the nasty stuff, and my eyes never quite settled into place after widening at the first strains of the LAST HOUSE soundtrack, for that matter.

Just a great time at the movies for me.
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Cabin Fever? . . . Catch it!

Post by Scott »

I was expecting Cabin Fever to be a complete ripoff of Evil Dead. Boy was I wrong. The film delivers with great FX by Nicotero and Kurtzman. The film has the feel of one of the old 70s horror flicks. Hell, you had to like director Eli Roth's reference to Last House on the Left. Those who've seen the movie will know what I mean. The acting is somewhat cheesy at times, but hey, you don't see a movie like Cabin Fever for the acting. Roth also knows when to throw in the occasional comic relief. From top to bottom, this a film worth checking out.
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Post by Chris Slack »

Just got back from it and enjoyed it quite a bit. My girlfriend had her hand over her face for a good deal of the time so it definitely worked on that level :)
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Post by Griff [Mola] »

Originally posted by Chris
My girlfriend had her hand over her face for a good deal of the time so it definitely worked on that level :)


Yeah, but that's because you had your cock out.

Looking forward to CABIN FEVER hitting down under...
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Post by stypees back »

I cannot believe you guys enjoyed this piece of shit. I was bored out of my skull. I was ready to yank my eye balls out from my sockets for entertainment value. This flick sucked monkey balls. It was so bad...

Explain the pancakes?


SPOILERS AHEAD...


Alright, I saw the influences... The screw driver in the head gag from DAWN OF THE DEAD...The redneck bullshit from LAST HOUSE, the horrible soundtrack, the NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD homage at the end (burning the bodies) even a hint of a few 80's flicks.. but you gotta be die hard into horror to see that.

I really hated this movie...Hell, I hated FREDDY VS. JASON and that one I was really looking forward to. I just don't see it. I'll give props to the acting, that was at least semi decent but other than that, I gotta disagree. Sorry fellas.

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Post by Latte Thunder »

Reusrrecting this old thread because I finally got to see Cabin Fever and I liked it quite a bit. I couldn't agree more with Remo in this instance, it's totally unpredictable. From the beginning of the movie, you couldn't possibly see how it would turn out. It really kept me on my toes.

The humor is also a strange factor. Wildly inappropriate jokes come out of nowhere at the weirdest times. Those who've seen it will back me up on the gag about the rifle in the general store. The entire movie is so bleak, though, then out of nowhere there will be a comic relief moment that is so random that it's jarring.

I whole heartedly approve of this movie. For a new horror flick, it didn't feel tired or familiar in the way that a lot of modern flicks are turning out. There was only one point in the whole movie that I felt they were paying homage and that was in the end, reminded me of Night of the Living Dead... but just barely.

I hope we see more like this. It gives me hope that there are people out there with good ideas and studios willing to back those ideas.

The Badlamente music was bad ass, too.
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Post by MuC »

ive just heard about the so called "finger banging scene"...sparks my interest...:D
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Post by Dr. D »

I dug this movie quite a bit. I wasn't sure what to expect but over all it was done very well...Maybe I'm just spoiled on production these days but it was a refreshing change to see some dry film work....and you gotta love dogs.
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Post by nme666 »

IT... was okay.

i shoulda stuck to my 'RENT IT' guns.

not sure when homage becomes a cover for lack of creativity but that drive to the cabin sequence fell flat. the cabin lookin like the evil dead cabin was fine... the drive to it, tho... WEAK. i think, if you're gonna tribute or borrow or WHATEVER... bring something NEW to it that makes it yours. the evil dead drive-up is so clASSic and cabin fever's just had NO PERSONALITY.

and i didn't find one thing particularly 'hilarious' and NOTHING was 'gory.'

i guess i OWN IT, so i'll have plenty of opportunity to find something 'hilarious' and/or 'gory.'

would've been a decent rent. THAT... is MY fault.
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Post by Chris Slack »

Hey Kurt, if you are disappointed to have purchased it I will take it off your hands if you're willing to give me a discount :)
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Post by nme666 »

Originally posted by Chris
Hey Kurt, if you are disappointed to have purchased it I will take it off your hands if you're willing to give me a discount :)


that was, actually, a thought this morning... offering it up for $20 - what it would cost me to rent ($4)... but i'm gonna give it a chance to grow on me. maybe i missed something.
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Post by Steve Dallas »

Originally posted by nme666
maybe i missed something.


No, you didn't miss anything. It really IS that bad. The "homages" do appear to act as a cover for lack of creativity. And the things like "Pancakes" and the bunny suit just add to the confusion. Even being familiar with most of the references doesn't help add substance to the "Story".
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Post by nme666 »

Originally posted by I_Voyager
Two stars for Cerina Vincent's rack.


WORD x2.

------

add: i just read this and laughed:
from bloody-disgusting.com:
BD: Eli's mom had a bad dream about the leg shaving. His parents came to the set the day they were filming that scene.

ELI ROTH: "…Serena was sitting in the disgusting cold water, it's dirty, she's cold, and we're waiting to shoot the scene. My mother's an artist, My dad's a psychoanalyst, and he said, 'Well, if you notice the ways the disease is revealing itself, reflecting the relationships and the evil feelings coming to the surface, the beautiful white skin and the rot underneath, and everything is rotting, the leaves are falling…' a total psychoanalysis of the whole scene, and my mother the artist said, 'Look at the colors, the shaving cream, and the red leads to the beautiful pink.' And I said, 'I just like the boobs'.
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Post by FOG »

What kind of horror movies do you guys want???

Cause we weren't getting very good ones for a while.

You didnt see any gore? What about scenes where anyone was coughing all over anything, "fingerbang" scene (which was brilliant), "leg shaving" scene (which was brilliant), dog tearing that one girl apart, people blasting brains all over the wall etc.

and I dont use the word brilliant EVER.

But no one even tries anymore. I'm not a fan of homages, but this ones got plenty to make up for them for me. How often do we get to see straight up fucking anymore in a wide release or any of the great TRASH this movie parades.

I guess thats what I like about it. Most movies today are too polished and completely boneless, and it's great to finally see some dirt on the screen. This movie had BALLS.

The cult trash movie Kill Bill wanted to be.
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Post by Kimberly »

A friend of mine sent this to me about the DVD... for those who didn't know about this...

Cabin Fever
On Lions Gate’s release of the horror film 'Cabin Fever' the studio has hidden some interesting Easter Eggs.
The first one is the obligatory trailer potpourri that can be accessed by highlighting the Lions Gate logo on the Main Menu and pressing 'Enter.' The reel is closed out by director Eli Roth coming on screen, congratulating you on finding the Easter Egg.
The DVD also contains a series of interesting menu time-outs that you can find in the 'Scene Selections.' Simply go there from the Main Menu and don’t do anything. Just wait until the menu has looped a few times. Eventually the party-obsessed cop will show up and treat you to a brief clip. Try various of the Scene Selection pages for different clips, and if you pay attention to them you will realize that these clips actually create a small story.
These hidden features have been first reported to us by our readers (Names Snipped)
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Post by Steve Dallas »

Originally posted by FOG
What kind of horror movies do you guys want???

>>>ONES THAT DON'T LOOK LIKE A COLLEGE STUDENT'S FINAL PROJECT

You didnt see any gore? What about scenes where anyone was coughing all over anything,

>>>THE "BLOOD" LOOKED LIKE KOOL-AID.

"fingerbang" scene (which was brilliant)

>>>OVERRATED. IT WAS ALL UNDER THE COVERS AND HER UNDERWEAR STAYED ON.

"leg shaving" scene (which was brilliant)

>>>PREDICTABLE

dog tearing that one girl apart

>>>NOT SHOWN IN DETAIL

How often do we get to see straight up fucking anymore in a wide release

>>>THE ONLY GOOD PART, BUT TOO BRIEF.

I guess thats what I like about it. Most movies today are too polished and completely boneless

>>>FINAL DESTINATION 2, THOUGH LACKING IN SKIN, HAD A MORE PALATABLE PLOT AND BETTER VIOLENCE

This movie had BALLS.

>>>AND BAD ACTING, BAD DIALOGUE, AND LUDICROUS CHARACTERS (the cop, the karate kid) WHICH PEOPLE THINK WERE ENTERTAINING ONLY BECAUSE BY COMPARISON THE OTHER CHARACTERS MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN TREES.

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Post by Griff [Mola] »

Oh, so you've even got a problem with the how the fucking blood looked? Take a walk, little man, and comeback when you've got a shred of objectivity...
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Post by Chris Slack »

I'm wondering if the people who hated this movie never got to go to the drive-in and see any 70's gore flicks. I'f all the horror I grew up on was slasher flicks and teen horro I'd probably hate it myself
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