Cabin In The Woods (2013)

The Cabin in the Woods is not anything close to what I was expecting. It's going to be difficult to review this one without spoilers. I'll try my best.

Even though it has the same cheesy slasher premise, it goes to an interpretative level of artistic expression. There are layers to this that remind me of The Cube series, more specifically Cube Zero (2004); a film that I wrote a thesis about in college interpreting religious symbology in film and a highly recommended watch. ANYWAY, back to The Cabin in the Woods! It melds the entire slasher/horror genre into one story. It's quite crazy and creative.

It's still clearly a scary movie. I would not watch this alone! There isn't much else to say without giving away too much. The acting was unoffensive and Bradley Whitford is good as always. I was quite surprised to find out that Josh Whedon co-wrote the script, but after watching it you can definitely see his hand-print on it.

It's a scary, fun, and entertaining movie.

The Cabin in the Woods trailer:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/

The Purge (2013)

The Purge is a government sanctioned program that involves 12 hours of hell, where everything illegal is legal. It essentially ends up being a murderous rampaging free-for-all; an incredibly scary concept. This is a highly disturbing movie with grotesquely violent parts.

It doesn't waste time with introductions but still has a well development foundation. Everyone is introduced clearly. The rest of the story moves just as fast; too fast at times.

There is no shortage of screaming and jumping. The directing and music coordination make it even worse (or better, depending on how you look at it). The masks and the slow motion shots are brilliantly scary! The director, James DeMonaco, makes the movie so much scarier than the story itself.

DeMonaco doesn't spend too much time focusing on the underlying philosophical debate of the injustice of inequality, but it's very clear and present nonetheless.

Ethan Hawke as James Sandin is pretty...good. ;) Then again, he's just as consistently good as he is consistently underrated. It's hard to recognize how great of an actor he is because he plays his roles that well. His ego does not let him ruin the role. He knows when he needs to be subdued, and really that is when he is at his best. It's hard to explain.

Lena Headey, of Game of Thrones fame, as Mary Sandin is decent. Her character isn't deeply defined. Do not use this film as a testament to her ability. She is much better than this.

Rhys Wakefield as the "Polite Leader" is SO creepy with his band of psychos. 

The main problem with the Sandins is that they are so under prepared. Then again, it might be to portray their naivety. Which they have a lot of! 

A word of advice when watching The Purge, listen to the intro and the credits. It adds great context. In the end, this is a home-invasion story. But what sets it apart from typical home-invasion movies is the propeller that creates the entire scenario.

I would recommend watching this one, but be warned, it's not for the faint of heart. However, if you're going to watch it, make sure to turn all the lights off to get the full effect.

Don't forget, this is an independent film with a small budget even by independent movie standards. Many people are criticizing it as though it isn't; which is only a testament to how great it really is. I suspect the sequel, because there will most definitely be one, will be much better.

The Purge Trailer...

Spoilers and Questions:

Don't trust anyone!

Why don't they have an escape plan?

Why don't they have a panic room? Hello Jodie Foster!

And finally, TAKE THE DAMN GUN! TAKE THE DAMN GUN! WHY AREN'T YOU TAKING THE DAMN GUNS? It's so frustrating.