Book Review: ‘The Cabin in the Woods: The Official Visual Companion’ by Titan Books

So “the secret” has been out for a few weeks now, but I still can’t bring myself to write publicly about the ending of Liongate’s The Cabin in the Woods for fear of ruining some lagger’s future enjoyment.  Despite the rave reviews, I know a bunch of people will wait to see this movie on DVD.  Fools!

“The secret” is not that there is a high-tech control room beneath the Cabin wherein a shadowy organization is controlling the supernatural happenings above.  Anyone who saw the TV commercials already knows that.  “The secret” is why this is happening and who this organization works for.  But those of us who HAVE actually watched the film know that the story itself is just as good as the reveal, with amazing visuals and a literal army of otherworldly beings.

I’ve already seen Cabin twice and still don’t feel like I’ve absorbed every aspect.  The film is chock-full of interesting characters, allusions to other horror films, and truly original situations.  Well, now I can take my time exploring the cabin at my leisure with The Cabin in the Woods: The Official Visual Companion recent released by Titan Books.

Read more about the Visual Companion at FilmSponge.com!

‘The Raven’ Review: John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe? Nevermore!

“$13.50?” I practically shouted at woman behind the ticket counter.  “I thought this was a matinee showing!”

“It is Sir,” she responded somewhat timidly, “but this film is being shown in XD.”

“What the hell is that?  It’s not 3D is it?”

“No Sir, XD means ‘Extreme Digital’.  Also, this film is screening in our IMAX theater.”

“Fine!” I said slamming my cashola down on the counter.

Thankfully, my attitude did change when I got inside.  The seats were huge, made from comfy leather, and reclined ever so slightly.  Then, the coming attractions practically worked me into a froth; previews for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, The Chernobyl Diaries, and The House at the End of the Street all looked fantastic!

Oh yeah, and then I watched this movie called The Raven.  Read my review over at FilmSponge.com!

R-Rated ‘The Raven’ Next Mainstream Horror Hit?

With the astounding success of The Cabin in the Woods (which hit theaters nationwide on Friday), horror fanatics like myself are feeling revitalized.  It’s been some time since a mainstream Hollywood production company (in this case MGM) made such an awesome piece of work.  Could this be the dawning of the next Golden Age of Horror?

Looming on the horizon is Intrepid Pictures’ The Raven, a fictionalized account of the last days of gothic writer Edgar Allan Poe.  Written by Ben Livingston and Hanna Shakespeare, directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta), and starring John Cusack, The Raven arrives in theaters on April 27^th.

See the trailer and read the synopsis over at FilmSponge.com!

Bigfoot No Gentle Giant in ‘The Lost Coast Tapes’

Here we go again…

A documentary film crew seeking to prove or debunk a local legend ends up in a fight for their lives.  Sounds familiar…  First five off the top of my head: The Blair Witch Project, Yellowbrickroad, The Last Exorcism, Atrocious, and The Innkeepers.  I bet you can name 5 more in under 2 minutes.  Go ahead!

So why even bother mentioning The Lost Coast Tapes?  What may perhaps differentiate this film from the near-countless Blair Witch echoes is the legend it tackles: Bigfoot.  This isn’t some obscure myth from some isolated rural town, this is one of the biggest mysteries on earth—a certified global phenomenon that spans centuries and continents.

Like actual purported footage of Bigfoot encounters, the trailer for The Lost Coast Tapes is brief and opened to interpretation.  See for yourself at FilmSponge.com!

With ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ MGM Gets Horror Right

After weeks of relentless promotion, the Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard scribed horror film The Cabin in the Woods finally hit theaters nationwide today.  I have no doubt that the majority who see the film this weekend will agree: It’s been a long time since a mainstream Hollywood studio produced such an awesome piece of work!

For the past couple years, I’ve relied on Indie and foreign films for a truly satisfying horror viewing experience.  Hollywood offerings of late have drifted away from great storytelling in favor of elaborate CGI and 3D effects.  Recent remakes of Fright Night and The Thing offended longtime genre lovers (like Yours Truly).  2012 has gotten off to a rocky start as far as horror is concerned; audiences were mostly underwhelmed by heavily promoted films like The Devil Inside, The Lady in Black, and The Silent House.

Well thank the Gods for The Cabin in the Woods.  Read my review over at FilmSponge.com!

‘The Cabin in the Woods’: Advanced Screening in Berkeley Raises the Roof

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen the commercials for the upcoming Hollywood horror offering The Cabin in the Woods.  With a release date looming just a week away, promotion for this film is hitting a fever pitch.  And fanning the flames of internet buzz is Cabin writer/director himself, Drew Goddard.  Over the past couple of weeks, Goddard (in conjunction with Dread Central) has been taking his film on the road for advanced screenings in cities across the country, and Saucy Josh was lucky enough to catch last night’s show in Berkeley.

I don’t think it’s really fair for me to drop a review at this point, since I’d be referencing points my fellow aficionados haven’t seen, creating a one-way conversation.  And like Goddard himself said, “This film is much easier to talk about AFTER you’ve seen it”.  So while I won’t be discussing particular scenes or characters (yet), I’m happy to report that the media hype seems justified.  To put it mildly, the sold out crowd of fanboys and film geeks was pleased.  You will want to get out and see this film before “the secret” inevitably leaks (because it’s a good secret, and it will leak–but not here!).

Read more over at Film Sponge!

Chloë Moretz to Carry ‘Carrie’?

Last June, when word of MGM’s planned remake of Brian De Palma’s 1975 horror classic Carrie first hit the web, we reported on the swirling speculation as to which hot young actress would be selected for the title role.  Heavy hitters Megan Fox (Jennifer’s Body) and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) were both mentioned as potential candidates.

Deadline reports this afternoon that Chloë Moretz (Kickass, Let Me In) tested for the part over the weekend and “more or less got the job immediately”.

More Carrie conjecture over on Film Sponge!

Interview with ‘Gut’ Filmmaker Elias; Amazing Indie Faces Tough Road

Last October, I stumbled across a trailer for the dark, enigmatic indie horror Gut. I was immediately unsettled and intrigued by what I saw. Happily, my article caught the attention of Gut’s writer/director/producer Elias and, after some email chatter, he graciously sent me an advanced screening DVD. Needless to say I digested the film with great enthusiasm. This lead to further exchanges with Elias, culminating in a 90 minute, spoiler-rich conversation about Gut. But this is not a review of the film, rather the story of a great indie, and the battle it will face as it struggles for recognition in 2012 and beyond.

 

At the time of this interview, Gut had been submitted for inclusion to exactly 100 festivals—and had already been excluded from at least 25 and selected by a whopping Zero. As of this posting, however, the film has officially broken the streak and will be making its world première in April. More details on this soon.

 

Check out the interview with Elias after over at Film Sponge, as well as some new stills…

 

Radcliffe Matures but Can’t Carry ‘The Woman in Black’

You’ve got to give Daniel Radcliffe props for taking his career in a bold new direction.  The star of 8 blockbuster Harry Potter films (who grew up right before our eyes) could have found plenty of work in family friendly, kid-oriented entertainment.  But in The Woman in Black, Radcliff plays an early 20^th Century attorney, Arthur Kipp, a widower who suffers from financial stress and profound depression.  It’s a heavy role, no doubt, and Radcliffe was fully committed to the part.  But it was kind of like watching a really good high school play:  You’re proud of them for pulling it off, but kids just don’t play convincing adults (at least not in the eyes of other adults).  I’m not saying Radcliffe has no future in serious films with adult roles, but in 2012, he’s still a very young man who can’t channel significant real life-experience into the complex Arthur Kipp (specifically lacking in the ability to emote as a father and a widower).  But I’ll give him an A for effort.

From Hammer and Alliance Films, The Woman in Black stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciaran Hinds, Janet McTeer, Sophie Stuckey, and Liz White.

Read my review over at Film Sponge!

Gloomy ‘The Grey’ is Neither Horror Nor Triumph of Human Spirit

There’s a subgenre called Survivalist that often crosses paths with Horror.  The best examples are Alive (in which a group of South American soccer players crash in the Andes and are eventually reduced to cannibalism) and 127 Hours (where a trapped hiker is pushed to unthinkable extremes to beat death).  Ravenous can also be considered Survivalist (based very loosely on the story of the Donner Party).  This is the type of the film The Grey aspires to be (although with no basis in actual events).  A common conclusion to a Survivalist saga reveals otherwise unknown powers of the human Spirit (even if the hero succumbs to an honorable death, as in Sean Penn’s Into The Wild), but The Grey offers no such fulfillment.  While there is nothing inherently wrong with a nihilistic film, The Grey also fails to deliver the thrills and chills it has been promising for months on major Horror websites like Bloody Disgusting and Dread Central.

Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, produced by Open Road, and starring Liam Neeson, Dallas Roberts, James Badge Dale, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo, and Joe Anderson, The Grey opened nationwide on Friday.  The following review WILL CONTAIN NUMEROUS SPOILERS, which I usually try to go easy on.  But this review is not an endorsement of The Grey.  Rather, it’s a warning for those who might plop down $15 actually expecting to see a movie with balls.  Consider yourselves warned.

Read my review over at FilmSponge.com!