1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- The Masque of the Red Death

#434- The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Starring: Vincent Price, Hazel Court, Jane Asher
Directed by: Roger Corman


Plot Summary: Prince Prospero visits a village and is angrily confronted by two hungry peasants and sentences them to death. Their lives are begged to be spared by the virtuous Francesca, for these two men are Lodovico, her father and Gino, her lover. Whilst making a decision, Prospero discovers that the village could be infected by the deadly plague known as the Red Death. He orders the village to be burned down and takes Francesca, Gino, and Lodovico to his castle. Despite the recent events, Prospero plans to have a grand masquerade ball, where he has instructed no one can wear the color red. During her time in the castle, Francesca discovers a room and something truly shocking, that Prince Prospero and his mistress Juliana are involved in satanic rituals.


Happy Halloween! I hope everyone has spent their day adorning a costume that is either haunting or hilarious, has enjoyed buckets filled with their favorite candies, and has had the opportunity to binge watch as many horror films as they can muster. But, I hope you have room for one more. With so many options to do for a Halloween review, I decided to go for a triple dose of terror. The Masque of the Red Death is a film starring horror icon Vincent Price, directed by famed horror director Roger Corman, and based on a short story by the legendary Edgar Allen Poe. With a combination like that, of course the film is going to be worth a watch for all horror fans, but there are some things about it that may surprise you.

Horror icon Vincent Price stars as Prince Prospero. It's easy to see why Price was a titan of terror back in the day. His voice is just so powerful and unique. I always knew that Vincent Price had one of those legendary screen voices and hearing it in a horror film on Halloween gives me chills with how well it works. It's hard to describe but there's something so sinister about how Price's voice that it belongs in a horror film. So it's quite possible that Price could go down as the voice of fear for an entire generation. Prospero is definitely a fascinating character to follow because he does so many detestable things, but is still full of charisma and charm thanks to Price's star power.

Roger Corman certainly knew how to keep an audience captivated visually. Each scene in this picture looks like a work of art. The sets and costumes are so lavish, that they give instant credibility to Prospero's royal position and give off such a vibrant and elegant tone to the scenes. Even the opening scenes of the plague-filled village have so much detail in authenticity that it's extremely easy to immerse yourself in the surroundings. With a lot of the plot focused on the masquerade ball, the ball needed to have a grand scale in order for there to be a proper payoff, and the film does not disappoint. It's certainly one of the grandest balls I've ever seen on film (I meant a DANCE, get your mind out of the gutter.)

The Masque of the Red Death is based on a short story by Edgar Allen Poe, but you might find trouble comparing the film to the story. Most of Poe's stories are short in length, so one wonders how Corman would be able to turn it into a feature length film. Here's the simple answer: add to it. All you have to do is go to a movie theater and see an advertisement for a film starring Vincent Price and based on Poe's work and you're immediately sold. Then the film begins, and it takes you somewhere entirely different. Only until the very end do you encounter a narrative that resembles Poe's story, the rest is stuff added on and some of it resembles Poe's other story Hop Frog. I'm certain that the film's inclusion of devil worship probably shocked and surprised a lot of people, but that's where this film has significance. You go into it expecting something simple, and you are given something much more complex that compels you to go through the film until the very end.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

With an ending I dare not spoil, The Masque of the Red Death proves that there is much more to the horror genre than monsters and serial killers. Vincent Price and Roger Corman do an excellent job of adding to the folklore established by Edgar Allen Poe and bring forth a chilling tale that all horror fans should see at least once. So take this time, as Halloween is coming to a close, to watch the film and have one last haunting image fill your dreams (or nightmares) on this evening (cue the evil laughter from the end of Thriller...as voiced by Vincent Price).

The Masque of the Red Death and movie images are copyrighted by American International Pictures

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Paranormal Activity

#1095- Paranormal Activity (2007)
Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs
Directed by: Oren Peli


Plot Summary: Katie and Micah move into a new house together in San Diego. Katie believes that an evil spirit is following her, so Micah sets up a camera to record any supernatural forces while they sleep. The two seek a psychic and are advised to contact a specialist and to not taunt the spirit. Micah avoids both pieces of advice by begging Katie to not call the specialist and by using a Ouija board to communicate with the spirit. As each night passes, the paranormal occurrences become more intense, as they discover that the spirit is out to torment Katie. As the days continue, tempers between Katie and Micah grow stronger, as Katie does not think Micah is not taking the situation seriously and she becomes increasingly frustrated at his constant need to follow her around with the camera.


When I saw that Paranormal Activity was on the list, I couldn't believe it. I remember when the film first came out and everyone was talking about it. The film was so low key that you had to go online and demand your movie theater show it. Everyone was saying how scary it was, but I knew exactly what kind of film it was just by looking at the trailer: a film dependent on jump scares that honestly didn't look that effective. Yet it made a lot of money, produced so many sequels and prequels, and can nowadays be labelled as a modern horror classic so I decided to watch it a few years back and I found out I was 100% CORRECT about it. I'm still baffled over how a film like this could be so popular to where they actually felt it deserved to be called a movie someone should watch before they die, but regardless, let's see if we can find anything redeeming about it.

The main (and basically only) characters of Paranormal Activity are Katie and Micah, played by Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat. Majority of the plot focuses on their relationship and how the presence of a supernatural being affects it and it is ABSOLUTELY PAINFUL AND BORING TO WATCH! I had to try and rewatch this film a number of times because their babbling kept putting me to sleep. Katie might come off as annoying and whiny, but it's only because Micah is a complete douchebag who undermines what she says. The point is that it's a bad combination that results in two protagonists that are beyond obnoxious to follow.

The film's bread and butter for producing fright within the audience is through the use of jump scares. Since most modern horror films rely on jump scares, it's nothing original. Not much else to say on that except that they should find more creative ways to scare people than with creaking floorboards and sheets that move.

I will give the film the smallest amount of credit in that it brought relevance back to the found footage subgenre of horror that hasn't been seen since The Blair Witch Project. For my own experience, the found footage hurt my eyes and gave me a headache. I love a film with good cinematography that does not feature the shaky cam, and whenever Micah is walking with the camera it's nothing but shaky cam. And when the camera is stationary while they sleep, you can barely see what's supposed to be scary because of how far back it is, but for some reason so many people liked it to the point where it's now a subgenre again. Since then, a handful of films have tried to copy the formula of Paranormal Activity (including its sequels and prequels) and all I gotta say is that I haven't seen them, but I hope they have more excitement than this overhyped mess.


Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Paranormal Activity is remembered for two things: the jump scares (like most modern horror films) and revitalizing the found footage horror film. Other than that, there is very little substance and the film DRAGS. I can't even fathom how this is the current popular horror franchise and I don't think it is worth your time unless you're an absolute die-hard horror fan, in which case, rent it once.

Paranormal Activity and movie images are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Horror of Dracula

#353 - Horror of Dracula (1958)
Starring: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Michael Gough
Directed by: Terence Fisher


Plot Summary: Jonathan Harker arrives at the castle of Count Dracula to become his new librarian. Once he makes himself at home, his true motivations are revealed: that he is a vampire hunter sent to kill Dracula. Harker succeeds in killing one of Dracula's brides, but fails to kill Dracula and is turned into one of his minions. When Dr. Van Helsing arrives looking for Harker, he finds him lying in a coffin as a vampire. He stakes Harker through the heart and returns to deliver the news to his fiancee Lucy, her brother Arthur, and his wife Mina. Unknown to Dr. Van Helsing, Dracula has targeted Lucy as a revenge plot to replace the bride that Jonathan took from him.


In the world of modern horror, it's very common to run across remakes and reboots. Every famous horror franchise has been remade, rebooted, or given an endless number of ridiculous sequels. We've seen it with iconic monster films, '80s slasher films, and all types of possession and exorcism films, but it all had to start somewhere. In many ways, Hammer Horror films were the first commercially successful horror films to reboot characters that were at one point synonymous within their own franchises. Hammer Films specialized in adding color, blood, and sexuality to films that were based on the classic Universal Monster films, including Frankenstein, The Mummy, and Dracula. Hammer Films also liked recycling actors in many projects, including Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. While they had already starred in The Curse of Frankenstein, it was Horror of Dracula where both of these iconic horror actors had a chance to shine, deliver memorable performances, and distance itself from the iconic film starring Bela Lugosi.

Christopher Lee stars as one of the most iconic figures in horror history, Count Dracula. Initially, Dracula isn't scary when we first see him. The most he has is a somewhat icy demeanor, but is still very polite. However, all it takes for him is to have some blood on his fangs and his eyes open wide to become absolutely terrifying. I think another effective element of Lee's portrayal is that he barely speaks. How do you distance yourself from legendary Dracula voice made famous by Bela Lugosi? Simple, you keep your Dracula menacing by having him say as little as possible, and it's VERY effective.

The real MVP of the movie should be Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing. Cushing brings a lot of depth and quirks to Van Helsing that really works in the character's favor. I love little instances of him listening to his own research, taking notes, serving as a medical doctor and a psychiatrist throughout the film because they really boost Van Helsing's established brilliance. The man of science becomes a man of action whenever he feels hot on Dracula's trail, to the point where this lanky genius becomes a legitimate tough guy that is able to contend in a battle with the world's most legendary vampire. Cushing is able to play Van Helsing as both a doctor and a hunter and roles them into one truly awesome character.

Perhaps the most negative factor of how good Lee and Cushing are is that they make a lot of the supporting performances inferior. There are really only two side characters I'm invested in. The first is Jonathan Harker, played by John Van Eyssen, because we follow him as the main protagonist for the first part of the film (before Van Helsing is introduced). The second is Arthur, played by Michael Gough, who assists Van Helsing in stopping Dracula. The biggest significance in Gough's performance is the knowledge that he would be best known as Alfred in the original Batman movie franchise of the '80s and '90s (another iconic "bat man"). Other than Jonathan and Arthur, many of the other characters are bland and forgettable.

Hammer horror films had a much different tone in its films than the Universal Monster films and it shows. For starters, they were in color, had a strong amount of blood for the time, and had overly sexualized female characters. If anything, Horror of Dracula serves as the gateway for more modern retellings of classic horror icons (which is both a good and bad thing depending on the horror remakes). I truly believe that the ongoing legacy of horror remakes can be attributed to this film thanks to its use of suspense in atmosphere, its updated content, and the best depiction of the epic rivalry between Dracula and Van Helsing as played by two titans of terror in Lee and Cushing.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A lot of the content in Horror of Dracula can nowadays seem tame, but in 1958, it was very cutting edge, shocking, and influential to modern horror films. I'd recommend this film to all horror fans to see at least once for the different interpretation of an on-screen Dracula film, and for the iconic performances from Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

Horror of Dracula and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Candyman

#888- Candyman (1992)
Starring: Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley
Directed by: Bernard Rose


Plot Summary: Graduate student Helen Lyle is conducting research for a thesis on urban legends when she stumbles across numerous reports of a local legend known as the Candyman. The legend tells of a man with a hook for a hand who appears when someone says his name five times in front of a mirror, and he kills the person who summons him. Convinced that he's only a myth, Helen jokingly attempts to summon the Candyman in her mirror and then continues on with her research. Trying to find connections to the Candyman tale, Helen points her attention to the Cabrini-Green housing projects, where she stumbles upon rituals and shrines for the Candyman. After trying to prove to so many people that Candyman is just a legend, the Candyman appears to Helen and tells her he must prove his existence.


Of all the horror subgenres, my absolute favorite is the slasher film. There are the classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Halloween, and Scream that are well-received in pop culture and stand atop the horror icons. But then there are some of the goofier slasher movies, like Leprechaun, Child's Pay, and our movie of the day: Candyman, that have achieved cult followings among horror fans. I will say I was very surprised to see a film like this on here, and not the original Friday the 13th (admittedly, the first Friday film didn't have Jason Voorhies as the killer), so I wanted to see what was so special about Candyman to make the list.

The main protagonist of the film is Helen Lyle, played by Virginia Madsen. Helen's not the most engaging of horror heroines, but she's not completely useless. She's a grad student doing research on urban legends, but honestly, her methods and motivations for investigation violate a lot of logistics and she ends up putting herself and those around her in danger because of it. Half the movie involves her proving Candyman is real, and the second half is her proving that she is not an insane serial killer. I honestly feel like some of the unlikeable qualities of Helen are made through Virginia Madsen's portrayal. She doesn't have a lot of depth and range in a lot of what's going on. Maybe if someone like Sigourney Weaver or Linda Hamilton was playing Helen, she could have a tougher quality to her, but I guess the best thing Madsen can do is play a victim role in Helen.

The iconic role of Candyman is played by Tony Todd (whom modern horror fans might know as the Mortician in the Final Destination franchise) and he is absolutely creepy. It's a combination of his voice and the way he appears out of nowhere. Add a hook for a hand, the power to fly, a fascination for theatrics and bees, and the fact that no one except Helen can see him and you have the makings of a memorable horror villain. Even more effective is the concept that Candyman becomes more empathetic as more of his motivations come to light. Even if he's doing these diabolical things, we understand why and can actually feel sorry for him.

By the end of this film, I wasn't sure if I was watching a slasher film or a psychological thriller. While it has the body count and gore of a slasher flick, Candyman also contains a lot of mystery and questions of morality and mentality that you would find in a psych thriller. I absolutely found the concept of the psychology of urban legends fascinating, but I'm not sure that makes the film deserving to be on the list. Nor do I find the studying of Candyman's cult all that frightening either. The only scene of horror that absolutely work is when Candyman gives Helen a kiss that is full of bumblebees. It's definitely gruesome to imagine and the effects still hold up very well.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I'm not sure if it's because of the Candyman's reputation as an iconic slasher villain, but I was expecting a bit more out of Candyman. It's definitely a different type of horror film than I imagined, and for that, I say it's at least worth a weekend rental if you like scary movies.

Candyman and movie images are copyrighted by TriStar Pictures

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- The Thing

#715- The Thing (1982)
Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David
Directed by: John Carpenter


Plot Summary: In the Antarctic, a Norwegian helicopter chases an Alaskan Malamute to an American research station. After the Americans save the dog, they kennel him with the rest of their dogs. But this is no regular dog, as it begins to transform into something not of this world. After running some tests, the American researchers deduce that the creature can make perfect duplicates of living organisms they come in contact with. Led by their helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady, the team has to figure out which of their men are human and which are duplicates of this alien creature. Time is also not on their side, as they need to figure it out before their rescue team shows up and possibly transports one of these "things" to further assimilate the rest of the world.


If you're a director like John Carpenter and you've changed the world of horror and cinema with Halloween, what comes next? Well, Carpenter experimented with different concepts, but many of his releases in the '80s were not financial successes and have since become cult classics. One of his most popular films from this era is The Thing. Quick question for all horror fans: Do you remember the film that they are watching on the TV in Halloween? It's actually the 1951 film The Thing from Another World, which The Thing is technically a remake of. Both films were inspired by the science fiction story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr., so it's just interesting to note the influence this story had on Carpenter in his early work. It then becomes very fitting to why this film stands out as one of Carpenter's best.

The Thing stars Kurt Russell as R.J. MacReady. A frequent collaborator with John Carpenter in films like Escape from New York and Big Trouble in Little China, Russell has that great '80s action hero persona in this film as well. Sure, he's no Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone, but you could still imagine him putting up a challenge in a fight. He's a realistic action hero like Bruce Willis in Die Hard and is the type of horror film protagonist that you can get behind and root for. I'd say MacReady was actually a prototype for many iconic horror protagonists. He was doing the same actions as Ellen Ripley in the Aliens (specifically this film in the franchise) and Dutch Schaefer in Predator and he was doing them about 4 or 5 years prior. Not to mention, MacReady comes up with the ingenious idea that if anything suspicious comes in his way to BURN IT ALIVE!

Throughout the film, the audience can trust MacReady, but that's about it. The rest of the characters can all be labelled "suspicious" since they aren't the protagonist. There are many great examples of suspicious supporting characters and plot points. When the doctors suggest a blood test to see who is not a duplicate, the blood they have stocked is destroyed. When many of the characters show resistance and question MacReady, they are instantly questioned about being human or not. The best character to challenge MacReady is Childs, played by Keith David. Known for his contributions to voice overs (such as Goliath in Gargoyles and Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog), David was also a frequent actor used in a handful of Carpenter's films and is used as a great foil for MacReady. There are moments where Childs has a hot temper and other times where he's a cool customer, but at the end of the day the one thing that stays constant is that they do not see eye to eye.

One of the elements that add to the horror is the environment of placing all of our characters in the Antarctic. These men all face a threat that is attacking them on a continent with little to no civilization. It keeps the plot and characters confined into a very small spot to the point where it almost feels like they are locked in an area with this creature. Not to mention the fact that in terms of production budget, the less they spend on creating elaborate effects, the more money they can spend in other areas as well, such as the special effects.

When creating the creature, referred to as a "thing," the filmmakers never give us a specific appearance of the alien so we know what to expect. Instead, the aliens can make a perfect duplicate of those it comes in contact with. That means anyone can be one of those "things," and you don't really get to see who is until they begin transforming into some of the nastiest and scariest creatures you can imagine. The transformations themselves look very organic and non-staged, and also feature some of the best creature effects I've ever seen. With today's films dominated by CGI, it's a shame that we no longer have too many filmmakers eager to utilize practical effects. I'm more partial to what can be man-made than what can be created through a computer. There's just that personal quality in the practical effects that makes them look more realistic to me. If an idea can be made a reality through existing resources, there's an added illusion in fear that it could be real.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The fear in The Thing comes from a combination of the confined environment and the amazing special effects. A film like this would hold up against any modern day horror film that relies on CGI and jump scares. This film will legitimately freak you out, and I recommend it for any horror fan's collection.

The Thing and movie images are copyrighted by Universal Pictures

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Young Frankenstein

#608- Young Frankenstein (1974)
Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman
Directed by: Mel Brooks


Plot Summary: Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, grandson of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein, has just inherited his great-grandfather's estate in Transylvania. Frederick travels to inspect the property and is introduced to his hunchbacked servant Igor, his personal assistant Inga, and the mysterious housekeeper Frau Blucher. Though he has strayed away from his family's "legacy," Frederick becomes more intrigued by his grandfather's work, to the point where he wonders if he could perform the experiment correctly and re-animate the dead. The experiment proves to be a success, but thanks to a mishap with the brain chosen for the operation, the creation escapes the laboratory and wanders freely with an abnormal brain, and Frederick must get him back to the laboratory before it is revealed to the townsfolk that he is following in his grandfather's footsteps.


After spending over a year and reviewing 99 films, the time has come for a monumental post on this blog: my 100th movie review. Naturally, choosing a film worthy enough is difficult, even more so when it happens to fall during my Horror Movie month. At the end of the day, there was one film I found could live up to the hype of the 100th film I've discussed here: Young Frankenstein. Simply put, Young Frankenstein is the funniest film I have ever seen. The timing is perfect, the jokes work tremendously, the characters are all memorable, and it's one of my most quoted films. Not only that, it accurately pays tribute and mocks many of the elements of the classic Universal Monster movies.

Gene Wilder, one of my favorite actors of all-time, plays Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (though he pronounces it like Fronkensteen). Just look at the amount of emotion, expression, and delivery that Wilder exhibits in this film and you'll see why he's one of my absolute favorites. Somewhat playing the "straight man" to the comedy, his reactions to the ridiculous nature of his fellow characters is amazing and he can crack a good joke or two either through a punchline or through slapstick. Then there are moments where he can be very serious and darn near psychotic. The scene where he's creating the monster is very chilling as you can feel how desperate Frederick is to bring his creation to life.

One of the supporting characters that steal the show is Igor, played by Marty Feldman. Again, Feldman is the kind of actor who has a wide arrangement of comedic talent through both slapstick and punchlines. I'm also a fan of how he's able to break the fourth wall. His best bits are with Frederick (which he jokingly pronounces Froderick), and when Wilder and Feldman are able to work off one another, I'm always extremely entertained. They're the kind of duo that, being a stage actor, I would love to do a scene or two with one of my friends to see if we could have that level of timing and delivery.

Of course, a Frankenstein film would not be complete without the Monster, played by Peter Boyle. Personally, I recognize Boyle more as Frank Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond, and while he doesn't have Frank's rude vocabulary, the Monster does provide a lot of comedy in the form of expressions and reaction. One of the best scenes is the scene with the blind man, played by a young Gene Hackman, because it is a textbook example of how slapstick is supposed to work. Another comedic legend in the cast is Kenneth Mars as Inspector Kemp. Kemp's running gags include his thick accent and his prosthetic arm.

One issue I have with women in comedies is that I don't think a lot of their jokes work. Thankfully, Young Frankenstein has THREE outstanding and hilarious female performances. The first is Inga, played by Teri Garr, who is a sweet, but naive laboratory assistant that fits right in with Frederick and Igor (majority of the scenes revolve around this trio). The next is Madeline Kahn as Elizabeth, Frederick's self-absorbed, uptight fiancée, who offers a lot of humor in the fact that we have no idea why Frederick loves her, and if she even loves him back. Later in the film, she has a scene with the Monster I won't spoil because it's a scene that capitalizes on all of Elizabeth's established character traits and uses one very HUGE detail about the Monster to completely change her character. The final, and in my opinion, best female character in the film is Frau Blucher, played by the hilariously talented Cloris Leachman. Her cold demeanor, mysterious connection to the Frederick's grandfather, and a particularly hilarious running gag I won't spoil all make Frau just a fun character to see on-screen.

Along with the characters, Young Frankenstein is one of the only comedies I've seen where all the jokes worked. One thing that helps is that the narrative, from beginning to end, basically retells the story of the Boris Karloff Frankenstein film with tons of jokes to parody it inserted throughout. There's so many times where it breaks early conventions of how comedies should look and feel because of how grand and elaborate the sets are to re-create the iconic look of Frankenstein. Not to mention, Igor's "walk this way" joke (one of the best in the film) inspired the title of one of Aerosmith's biggest hits (I'm completely serious about that). The film holds a lasting legacy that should be appreciated by fans of both horror and comedy, in the same distinction that films like Ghostbusters, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Shaun of the Dead hold with moviegoers.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Films like Young Frankenstein remind me why Mel Brooks is one of my favorite filmmakers. It combines all the elements of Frankenstein that I love and adds charm and whit to create one of the greatest comedies in history. It's definitely worth owning in everyone's collection and just celebrated a 40th anniversary so go check it out immediately.

Young Frankenstein and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- The Cabin in the Woods

#1147- The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison
Directed by: Drew Goddard


Plot Summary: Five friends take a weekend vacation to a deserted cabin in the woods. When they get there, a few of the teenagers begin to notice that some of the behavioral traits of their friends are changing and that the cabin has some sketchy qualities, including a really creepy cellar that is full of mysterious objects and artifacts. After returning from the cellar, the teenagers are stalked and attacked by the Buckners, a redneck family of zombies ready to torture whoever is in their way. Their horror only begins with the Buckners, as they slowly become aware that someone else is watching and planning all that is happening to them.


It's that time of the year again, my favorite time of the year. That's right, it's October: the one month of the year where I can watch as many horror films as I'd like and no one can judge me. October and horror movies also play a significant role in the blog, since it was the introduction of my new review format one year ago (WOW!). Last year, I tried to keep things in chronological order, but this year I thought I would scatter the decades, eras, and genres around the month to offer more of a variety of horror. To start, let's look at a modern satire of horror: The Cabin in the Woods. Let's list the qualities that made me want to see this film. 1. It stars Thor. 2. It stars a former Power Ranger. 3. It is written by the man that brought us The Avengers, Firefly, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. SIGN. ME. UP. On top of that, the film plays out as a satire of the genre and looks at the stereotypical characters of a horror film (think of it as a horror version of The Breakfast Club). With all those elements on the table, let's see why so many people have considered The Cabin in the Woods a modern horror classic.

Like most horror films (that's the point of the joke), the film follows five teenagers on a weekend vacation to a cabin in the woods. Our main heroine is Dana, played by Kristen Connolly. Dana, the "virgin" (in air quotes for more than one reason), isn't too much of a gripping main character, but she does play the horror movie victim role well, and she's a harmless character who maintains the same traits throughout the film, so she has consistency. The most enjoyable character to follow is Marty, played by Fran Kranz. Marty is the "fool," thanks to his quirky behavior and multiple discussions and uses of marijuana. Ironically, his stash of marijuana actually gives him a sound mind in all of the strange behavior in the cabin, and his one-liners are absolutely hilarious.

The other teenagers actually start off as fully functional and mature characters, and fall into their stereotypes once they get to the cabin. Holden, played by Jesse Williams, is a well-rounded, intelligent, good looking piece of eye-candy to take Dana's mind off of her failed relationship with a professor (GROSS). He's defined as the "scholar," which is basically a nice way of saying "geek," but I never got that impression with Holden if it wasn't for the fact that he wore glasses. If anything, Marty, the POT SMOKER, seemed to be a bigger voice of logic and reason than Holden was. Jules, played by Anna Hutchison (whom I know as the yellow ranger on Power Rangers Jungle Fury) is characterized as the "whore," but again, only becomes one when she gets to the cabin. Pre-cabin trip, Jules is very intelligent and a good friend to Dana, but when she loses her inhibitions at the cabin, it's her time to go (the "whore" must go first apparently). Finally, there's Curt, played by Chris Hemsworth (THOR WOO-HOO!!!!). Curt, the "athlete," is actually one of the most intelligent members in the group, including a scene where he gives Dana insightful advice on a textbook to read, but he quickly becomes a meat-headed jock. Still, it's cool to see Thor outside of Asgard for a change and he hooks up with a Power Ranger (make whatever fan fiction out of that that you'd like).

Without giving away a MAJOR plot detail, some of my favorite scenes in the film come from the characters of Gary and Steve, played by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford. These guys operate as the eyes and ears of what happens at the cabin and it is fairly entertaining to see the amount of fun and enjoyment they have at the expense of the teenagers. From discussing their personal lives while all of this is going on, to taking bets on what will happen, to shouting obscenities at little Asian schoolgirls (gotta love Gary), these two guys who technically count as "bad guys" are really funny and enjoyable characters that almost steal the show.

The Cabin in the Woods joins Scream as a modern satire of the classic horror movie stereotypes we have come to know and love. The film is so self-aware of itself, that it's actually enjoyable when those stereotypes take place. Thanks to the plot, they cleverly throw the clichés at us in rapid succession with meta comedy and an ending that is REALLY OUT THERE. By the time you get to the last 30 minutes, the film has changed into something completely different and the filmmakers know it and are having tons of fun with it. There's so much of the plot that I don't dare spoil for you because it's so ridiculous and over the top that I'll let you watch it on your own to enjoy. With the exception of the jump scares and some of the creature designs, I wouldn't label the film "scary," but I will say it is a lot of fun.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In an industry where so many horror films are similar, there's The Cabin in the Woods, a film that takes what is so similar to all other horror films and makes something completely different and memorable out of it. I strongly encourage all fans of horror and Joss Whedon (even if he's "just the writer") to add this one to their collection.

The Cabin in the Woods and movie images are copyrighted by Lionsgate