Amongst the slightly
insane plethora of dud horror movies, there are some real gems. Some of those I have already commented on;
think ‘Trick ‘r Treat’, ‘Event Horizon’ and the original ‘Evil Dead’. I do love an unsuspecting decent horror
flick; with so many terrible ones out there these days, they are a rare
find. Even more so than a really good
horror flick do I love a funny
one. That immaculate merging of my two
greatest loves – horror and hilarity – is what I love most about many of the
flicks I worship. And one of those
movies, much to the dismay of many, is Eli Roth’s ‘Cabin Fever’.
Once again, another
movie treads that oh-so-familiar territory of hormone-driven teenagers heading
out to that notorious isolated cabin for sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Ok, maybe the rock ‘n’ roll is a little ‘80s,
but you know what I mean. ‘Cabin Fever’
follows the specific stereotypes of these teenagers: we have the sex-crazed
couple Jeff and Marcy (who are, of course, gorgeous by appearance and slighty
assy in personality); there’s the wholesome guy Paul who is in love with his
beautiful friend Karen, and the token stoner guy Bert who says f**k a lot. They
travel to the cabin on their college break, ready to party and what not. On their travels they meet some interesting
hillbillies including a lovely little blonde, Children of the Corn-type kid
named Dennis who has an curious affinity for pancakes. I won’t say any more.
When they reach the
cabin, which is in surprisingly good nick, they relax and unwind with a cheeky
dip in the lake (Paul and Karen), a round in the bedroom (Jeff and Marcy) and
squirrel shooting (Bert). Unfortunately,
things take a turn for the worst when Bert accidentally shoots a man who seems
to be rotting. After the man attempts to
approach him, Bert shoots him again and runs back to the cabin. The events of the day are followed by a night
of drinking around the bonfire. This is
where the film takes a different turn – ordinarily, we are succumbed to
watching supernatural forces take over the characters one by one. Not ‘Cabin Fever’. Unbeknownst to the group, the man Bert shot
is ridden with a crazy flesh-eating virus that has affected the entire lake. The group panics when the man asks for help
and he decides to take their car.
However, bloody vomiting ensues and the car is covered in the disgusting
mess. When the man exits the car, the
group set him on fire. As you do.
I am not going to
continue with too much more plot synopsis; obviously, with the virus infecting
the car, the group are going to be affected by it. The setting may seem formulaic but the
incidents that occur throughout the film are pure gold. You would never imagine a film about a gory
flesh-eating disease would be funny, but by golly is it ever. There are some amazing characters in this
film too; Deputy Winston is classic and director Eli Roth makes an appearance
as local college student Grim during the bonfire scene. The music sets the tone and very quickly the
film escalates to the unexpected. You
think that you know how it will all pan out; I guarantee that you are wrong. If you are a fan of the amazing ‘Detroit Rock
City’ then take note: you will spot some familiar faces in Bert (played by
James DeBello) and Deputy Winston (Giuseppe Andrews).
‘Cabin Fever’ is one
of my absolute favourites for a number of reasons: the intense gore, the
original story, the classic characters and the ridiculous humour. This is a
perfect movie for those not particularly into ‘scary’ films; you’ll laugh,
you’ll be completely grossed out and you’ll relish the ending. See it, enjoy it and let me know what you
think.
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