When was the last time you loved a movie so much that you spent more money renting it over and over than you would have if you had bought two copies? When I first heard of Cabin Fever, I was foaming at the mouth. I had read nothing but praise for it, and was just dying to see what Eli Roth had committed to film. I read all the flack about "...return to 70s" and interviews with Eli about what he was trying to accomplish. I thought, "Thank God, someone has come along with enough love for the genre that he could possibly resurrect from the stream of crap that it has become. All this just made me want to see it even more. When the day finally came, I was there, in the theater waiting with glee, wishing there were some way that I could hit the fast-forward button and skip through the trailers. I was a little nervous. Had I built it up too much? Had I set myself up for a big let down? No and no. "Cabin Fever" was even better than I had anticipated. My (then) girlfriend was repulsed and furious that we hadn't gone to see "Matchstick Men" instead. Me, being the selfish jerk that I am, found myself in the theater again, the very next weekend for a second viewing. I couldn't get enough. I was completely hooked.
Why am I so obsessed with this movie? Well, I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe a shrink could figure it out, but I can tell you what I LOVED about this movie: First would be the characters. I loved every single one of these guys and gals and was with them all the way. For one, they were all REAL, not some cookie-cutter stereotypes that we're so used to seeing. These are real, flawed human beings. Ryder Strong did great as Paul and Joey Kern was very good as Jeff. He's the one that you love to hate. Cerina Vincent was wonderful as Marcy and Jordan Ladd was good as Karen. My personal favorite (aside from Deputy Winston) was Bert, played with great energy by James Debello. Yeah, he's the "comedy relief" and all and he's supposed to be annoying, but I love his carefree attitude and his laugh had me laughing. His squirrel shooting antics were hilarious and I still laugh when I think about the Snickers bar. Many have complained about Deputy Winston (Giuseppe Andrews) showing up midway through the movie and supposedly "wrecking everything". To me, these were some of the comic highlights and he gets most of the best lines in the movie. Just the idea of a party-hard Deputy puts a big smile on my face and his reaction to the truck still gets me. In fact, his reaction to anything odd gets to me.
I love the look of the movie. I guess it's supposed to be Spring, since they're on Spring Break vacation, but to me, it looked like Fall. Whether this is a goof or not, I don't really care. It gave the film a great look. I loved the set-design of the cabin. That cabin is a character in itself. Next time you watch it, pay close attention to the detail.
The pacing: I love it. The first half is relatively tame and plays more like a comedy. You meet the characters, spend time with them as they party and do their thing, and begin to feel sorry for them because you know all is about to be ruined. I especially loved the campfire tale about the bowling alley. Classic indeed. Once things finally kick into gear, the last third moves at a breakneck pace. THAT was great directing and as for the ending, well, (notice how I'm avoiding spoilers for those who haven't seen it) I really hope that Eli gets it in him to do a sequel because I want it to continue.
In short, I love this movie so much it's downright scary. I don't know for sure how many times I've seen it over the last years and there's no telling how many times I'll watch it for years to come. Clichéd as it may sound, this is by a horror fan FOR horror fans. Easily in my top 5. HIGHLY Recommended
Why am I so obsessed with this movie? Well, I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe a shrink could figure it out, but I can tell you what I LOVED about this movie: First would be the characters. I loved every single one of these guys and gals and was with them all the way. For one, they were all REAL, not some cookie-cutter stereotypes that we're so used to seeing. These are real, flawed human beings. Ryder Strong did great as Paul and Joey Kern was very good as Jeff. He's the one that you love to hate. Cerina Vincent was wonderful as Marcy and Jordan Ladd was good as Karen. My personal favorite (aside from Deputy Winston) was Bert, played with great energy by James Debello. Yeah, he's the "comedy relief" and all and he's supposed to be annoying, but I love his carefree attitude and his laugh had me laughing. His squirrel shooting antics were hilarious and I still laugh when I think about the Snickers bar. Many have complained about Deputy Winston (Giuseppe Andrews) showing up midway through the movie and supposedly "wrecking everything". To me, these were some of the comic highlights and he gets most of the best lines in the movie. Just the idea of a party-hard Deputy puts a big smile on my face and his reaction to the truck still gets me. In fact, his reaction to anything odd gets to me.
I love the look of the movie. I guess it's supposed to be Spring, since they're on Spring Break vacation, but to me, it looked like Fall. Whether this is a goof or not, I don't really care. It gave the film a great look. I loved the set-design of the cabin. That cabin is a character in itself. Next time you watch it, pay close attention to the detail.
The pacing: I love it. The first half is relatively tame and plays more like a comedy. You meet the characters, spend time with them as they party and do their thing, and begin to feel sorry for them because you know all is about to be ruined. I especially loved the campfire tale about the bowling alley. Classic indeed. Once things finally kick into gear, the last third moves at a breakneck pace. THAT was great directing and as for the ending, well, (notice how I'm avoiding spoilers for those who haven't seen it) I really hope that Eli gets it in him to do a sequel because I want it to continue.
In short, I love this movie so much it's downright scary. I don't know for sure how many times I've seen it over the last years and there's no telling how many times I'll watch it for years to come. Clichéd as it may sound, this is by a horror fan FOR horror fans. Easily in my top 5. HIGHLY Recommended