The thing that will really boil your noodle when you revisit this film is when you realize that WE, the audience, are the Old Ones. And Sitterson & Hadley are Hollywood. The film is making the statement that, if Hollywood didn’t give us the tropes we crave, we would shut them down.
Ironically, the Secret Organization got the stereotypes entirely wrong and had to force their incorrect view of the sacrifices to fit the roles. They made the Scholar into the Athlete(he was shown to be smart as hell in the intro, giving advice on books) by dumbing him down, then mistook the Athlete for the Scholar(Holden caught the football coming out the window and was also in superb shape). Jules was never the Whore, she was the Fool. She entertained by making a fool of herself and wanted everyone happy. So they dumbed her down with the blonde hair dye to fit the mold. Dana was not the Virgin, as they more than insinuated she was dating a teacher at her college(the corrupted "whore"). Again, they applied their misunderstood ideas of the sacrifices. They "worked with what they had" instead of paying attention beyond surface detail or the work they'd set out to perform. And Marty was the Virgin. So instead of making something new with actual characters that still would've fit the sacrificial stereotypes the organization opted to play it as they'd always done. Much like all the classic horror movies that Cabin is satirizing, the tropes took precedence and in the end, failed.
That's a good point. Technically they could have just made anyone into those stereotypes with the amount of manipulation and tampering they had done before hand.
The fact that they have to force people to fit the very specific stereotypes is depicted as a routine part of the job, not some special fuckup of the ritual we see
No, no, no, no, no. The point is not that they mixed up the stereotypes. The point is that stereotypes make no sense to begin with. No one of the boys is the Athlete or the Scholar; they are both academically successful AND physically adept; and so is Marty, by the way. Jules was definitely not stupid either, and claiming that "she was making fool of herself" - well, first of all, no, she didn't; secondly, even if she did, it would be the same shoehorning the Organization did. We don't know if Marty was a virgin; it's possible, but nothing really indicates that. You CAN'T make them fit, not even one of them.
Genuinely one of the best satires of the last 25 years. Sigourney's character, for example, is simply called "The Director"... as in, the director of this "film" that requires the standard horror movie tropes and cliches and stereotypes in order to keep the Ancient Ones - who are the audience - placated. It's such a brilliant concept, making a great horror movie that's all about how we, as the audience, don't often like horror movies that defy convention, and prefer the cookie cutter stuff that Hollywood churns out. So good, and so damn clever. (I know I'm oversimplifying, but that's the basic gist)
It’s also what horror stories are in some way an ancient ritual to placate the Gods. We don’t sacrifice ..”virgins” to the gods anymore but we still mimic the act. Maybe it’s in our dna.. culture .. etc
Apparently, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard (they worked together previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and on Angel) got together and wrote the screenplay for The Cabin in the Woods in three days.
Tucker & Dale vs Evil has been mentioned as a follow up. I'll add "Happy Death Day" and "Ready or Not" as a couple of other comedy horror films to add to the list.
So, about Marty and him surviving, you guys have the absolute right idea. A common horror trope is that if you don’t see someone die on screen, there is a high probability of them coming back in the movie to “save the day.” This is similar to action movies with villains…if you don’t see them die on screen, they come back to “ruin the day.” When Marty was drug into the grave, they showed blood spit up, but did not show him die. Now, when that happened, notice that the entire ground and facility started shaking? His “death” was the only one in which that happened because the ancient ones (us) knew there was a chance he’d come back to complete that horror trope. It was foreshadowing of him returning later in the movie. It was subtle, but it was intentional and the entire point of the ground shaking…the ancient ones didn’t accept his sacrifice because they knew he was alive, so they rumbled the ground and facility to let them know, but they didn’t catch it…so he was able to come back.
It'll be interesting to come back to this in a couple of years after seeing a bunch of the movies this is taking inspiration from to see how much you missed.
Very true. We probably missed a lot. Would have made a big difference if we watched all the movies the creatures in the boxes were from. Except that machine with the buzzsaw. I have no idea where that is from.
I remember going into this movie not knowing to expect at all. 😂 what a good time this was, really trippy too hahah. You should visit the smoke shops and dispensaries here in Las Vegas, lots of different types of bongs 😂 I saw a coffee cup designed one the other day
This is one of those movies that’s so GOOD I want to recommend it to everyone… and yet, without a sufficient background knowledge of horror films -and all the tropes and history that go with them- then the thrust of the movie is lost on viewers.
I love this film. 😊 I watched it with two of my teenage niece's, years ago. When the elevator scene happened, the youngest of the two threw up her arms and shouted, "Yes!" At the same time, the other declared, "That's awesome!" What a fun, fun film.
Was not expecting horror movies from you guys, even a comedy horror. Fantastic reaction and thanks. Its a relatively modern classic, a really great movie.
I'm trying to get Shyam into Horror....bit by bit....movie by movie. Best to start with comedy horror lol. We're not at the exorcist level of movie yet.
I'd suggest 'Dog Soldiers' as great low budget British comedy horror action (more action than horror, I'd say similar to Aliens but with Werewolves instead)
This isn't an intro to horror movie. This is an advanced horror movie. A lot of the stuff in here is more satisfying if you've seen the movies they're referencing. A better intro to horror movie would be Tucker and Dale vs Evil.
I can't do horror movies, but I did watch this one (through my fingers) when it came out, and I definitely agree the humor and the cutaways to office work helped tone it down. So does watching it via reaction! lol
I knew nothing about the film and after 15 mins was considering turning it off thinking it was another mediocre horror . So i ended up really enjoying it as it surprised me . Fun and interesting movie.
The first one to be cast was Fran Kranz, the stoner. He acted the part so well they just had to have him as the stoner. Then came the problem of casting the athlete. Chris Hemsworth was good BUT Kranz is built like a brick S#@T house. His body puts Hemsworth to shame! He’s extremely hot. So the costume department had to put him in layers of clothes to make him look slouchier and he had to hunch over a lot, all to hide how well built he was. But it was hot and he had to wear all of those clothes. He did another movie called “Blood Sucking Bastards” which is funny. Not as good as this but worth a watch!
"Cleanse them. Cleanse the world of their ignorance and sin. Bathe them in the crimson of... Am I on speakerphone?" As much as I love this movie, I love Tucker And Dale Vs Evil (2010) better. It also lampoons horror movies, while having an important message of not judging a book by its cover and communication is key to avoid conflict. I find it hard to find a moral message in this movie. Fun Fact: The movie's opening was a deliberate attempt by filmmakers Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon to confuse the audience and make them think they walked in to see the wrong movie. High Technology Fact: The thermal coffee mug/bong was a fully functional mug and bong as portrayed in the film, the prototype of which cost $5000 to make. Spartan Workout Fact: During the lake scene, the only student not to jump into the lake is Marty, who remains fully clothed on the dock. This was partially due to Fran Kranz noticeably being in as good, if not better, shape than the other male students. In the commentary for the film, the writers joke that he was "ripped like muscular Jesus" and assert that if Marty were shown being that fit it would ruin the character. This is partly why Marty wears baggier clothes than the other students.
Marty was definitely one of the best characters in this. Yeh it would have spoilt the character if they showed him ripped on screen. The paranoid, conspiracy theorist, pothead wearing baggy clothes works better lol
Nope. I'm trying to "baby-step" Shyam into horror movies. Evil Dead seems like full speed horror 😂. I need the next step up or similar from Cabin in the Woods.
The thing that will really boil your noodle when you revisit this film is when you realize that WE, the audience, are the Old Ones. And Sitterson & Hadley are Hollywood. The film is making the statement that, if Hollywood didn’t give us the tropes we crave, we would shut them down.
The analogy doesn't work for me, but I guess it makes sense.
Ironically, the Secret Organization got the stereotypes entirely wrong and had to force their incorrect view of the sacrifices to fit the roles. They made the Scholar into the Athlete(he was shown to be smart as hell in the intro, giving advice on books) by dumbing him down, then mistook the Athlete for the Scholar(Holden caught the football coming out the window and was also in superb shape).
Jules was never the Whore, she was the Fool. She entertained by making a fool of herself and wanted everyone happy. So they dumbed her down with the blonde hair dye to fit the mold.
Dana was not the Virgin, as they more than insinuated she was dating a teacher at her college(the corrupted "whore"). Again, they applied their misunderstood ideas of the sacrifices. They "worked with what they had" instead of paying attention beyond surface detail or the work they'd set out to perform.
And Marty was the Virgin.
So instead of making something new with actual characters that still would've fit the sacrificial stereotypes the organization opted to play it as they'd always done. Much like all the classic horror movies that Cabin is satirizing, the tropes took precedence and in the end, failed.
That's a good point. Technically they could have just made anyone into those stereotypes with the amount of manipulation and tampering they had done before hand.
The fact that they have to force people to fit the very specific stereotypes is depicted as a routine part of the job, not some special fuckup of the ritual we see
No, no, no, no, no. The point is not that they mixed up the stereotypes. The point is that stereotypes make no sense to begin with. No one of the boys is the Athlete or the Scholar; they are both academically successful AND physically adept; and so is Marty, by the way. Jules was definitely not stupid either, and claiming that "she was making fool of herself" - well, first of all, no, she didn't; secondly, even if she did, it would be the same shoehorning the Organization did. We don't know if Marty was a virgin; it's possible, but nothing really indicates that. You CAN'T make them fit, not even one of them.
"Tucker & Dale vs. Evil" 2010 - black comedy horror
We'll add it to the watchlist 👍
I would give anything to see this for the first time again. This is such a great ride.
Genuinely one of the best satires of the last 25 years. Sigourney's character, for example, is simply called "The Director"... as in, the director of this "film" that requires the standard horror movie tropes and cliches and stereotypes in order to keep the Ancient Ones - who are the audience - placated. It's such a brilliant concept, making a great horror movie that's all about how we, as the audience, don't often like horror movies that defy convention, and prefer the cookie cutter stuff that Hollywood churns out. So good, and so damn clever.
(I know I'm oversimplifying, but that's the basic gist)
🤯 That's a brilliant metaphor.
You nailed it perfectly!!!
It’s also what horror stories are in some way an ancient ritual to placate the Gods. We don’t sacrifice ..”virgins” to the gods anymore but we still mimic the act. Maybe it’s in our dna.. culture .. etc
It’s so gratifying when people really get it. Thanks for this comment!
Apparently, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard (they worked together previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and on Angel) got together and wrote the screenplay for The Cabin in the Woods in three days.
I mean...that's a damn good screenplay for only 3 days worth of work.
Tucker & Dale vs Evil has been mentioned as a follow up. I'll add "Happy Death Day" and "Ready or Not" as a couple of other comedy horror films to add to the list.
We'll add those. I think I saw the trailer for Happy Death Day. Was that the Horror version of Groundhog Day?
@@RamblersInc Yep. More comedy than horror, but it is a fun "Who's the killer?" movie.
@@RamblersInc I second "Ready or Not", it's a masterpiece.
Thirded! Dark but fun.
So, about Marty and him surviving, you guys have the absolute right idea. A common horror trope is that if you don’t see someone die on screen, there is a high probability of them coming back in the movie to “save the day.” This is similar to action movies with villains…if you don’t see them die on screen, they come back to “ruin the day.” When Marty was drug into the grave, they showed blood spit up, but did not show him die. Now, when that happened, notice that the entire ground and facility started shaking? His “death” was the only one in which that happened because the ancient ones (us) knew there was a chance he’d come back to complete that horror trope. It was foreshadowing of him returning later in the movie. It was subtle, but it was intentional and the entire point of the ground shaking…the ancient ones didn’t accept his sacrifice because they knew he was alive, so they rumbled the ground and facility to let them know, but they didn’t catch it…so he was able to come back.
Kind of like when we say out loud "he's not dead !" when a villain dies off screen. Genius.
Can't wait until tucker and Dale vs. Evil
It'll be interesting to come back to this in a couple of years after seeing a bunch of the movies this is taking inspiration from to see how much you missed.
Very true. We probably missed a lot. Would have made a big difference if we watched all the movies the creatures in the boxes were from. Except that machine with the buzzsaw. I have no idea where that is from.
I remember going into this movie not knowing to expect at all. 😂 what a good time this was, really trippy too hahah.
You should visit the smoke shops and dispensaries here in Las Vegas, lots of different types of bongs 😂 I saw a coffee cup designed one the other day
The ingenuity of that was epic. And at the same time, he got his windows down and locked the car 😂
This is one of those movies that’s so GOOD I want to recommend it to everyone… and yet, without a sufficient background knowledge of horror films -and all the tropes and history that go with them- then the thrust of the movie is lost on viewers.
We're probably in that camp 😂. We do need to up our game in horror movie knowledge. We'll get there.
I love this film. 😊
I watched it with two of my teenage niece's, years ago.
When the elevator scene happened, the youngest of the two threw up her arms and shouted, "Yes!"
At the same time, the other declared, "That's awesome!"
What a fun, fun film.
That was such a clever reveal.
Was not expecting horror movies from you guys, even a comedy horror. Fantastic reaction and thanks. Its a relatively modern classic, a really great movie.
I'm trying to get Shyam into Horror....bit by bit....movie by movie. Best to start with comedy horror lol. We're not at the exorcist level of movie yet.
People in this town drive in a very counterintuitive manner… that’s what I have to say.
🤣
The comedy mixed with the drama is so much like Firefly, also a Joss Whedon show. I can't wait until you guys start watching it.
Amazing Movie. Maybe do Tucker & Dale vs. Evil for your next horror comedy.
I'd suggest 'Dog Soldiers' as great low budget British comedy horror action (more action than horror, I'd say similar to Aliens but with Werewolves instead)
Aliens but with werewolves sounds like an epic concept.
I bet you would like Tucker and Dale vs Evil
All of the special infected from the Left 4 Dead games were shown in the containment area.
great reaction, if i may make a suggestion for another really great horror adjacent movie: Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
Absolutely, that's a GREAT movie that, without spoiling it for the guys, fits in right alongside this one.
Agreed!
Added to the list 👍
This isn't an intro to horror movie. This is an advanced horror movie. A lot of the stuff in here is more satisfying if you've seen the movies they're referencing. A better intro to horror movie would be Tucker and Dale vs Evil.
Definitely agree. The concept was so clever.
I’m not a horror movie fan, but this was great.
I can't do horror movies, but I did watch this one (through my fingers) when it came out, and I definitely agree the humor and the cutaways to office work helped tone it down. So does watching it via reaction! lol
😂 Join the club (well...one of us). I'm easing him into the genre.
"the fool" something about Marty says to me " 4.0 GPA since Kindergarten" lol Stoners, more often than not, the smartest in the room
Oh yeh. They really picked the wrong guy to stereotype as the fool 😂
I knew nothing about the film and after 15 mins was considering turning it off thinking it was another mediocre horror . So i ended up really enjoying it as it surprised me . Fun and interesting movie.
Most of the film is full of nods to other horror movies. Sigorney Weaver starred in the best sci-fi horror film ever made, "Alien"
If only they added a xenomorph lol
The first one to be cast was Fran Kranz, the stoner. He acted the part so well they just had to have him as the stoner. Then came the problem of casting the athlete. Chris Hemsworth was good BUT Kranz is built like a brick S#@T house. His body puts Hemsworth to shame! He’s extremely hot. So the costume department had to put him in layers of clothes to make him look slouchier and he had to hunch over a lot, all to hide how well built he was. But it was hot and he had to wear all of those clothes. He did another movie called “Blood Sucking Bastards” which is funny. Not as good as this but worth a watch!
"Cleanse them. Cleanse the world of their ignorance and sin. Bathe them in the crimson of... Am I on speakerphone?"
As much as I love this movie, I love Tucker And Dale Vs Evil (2010) better. It also lampoons horror movies, while having an important message of not judging a book by its cover and communication is key to avoid conflict. I find it hard to find a moral message in this movie.
Fun Fact: The movie's opening was a deliberate attempt by filmmakers Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon to confuse the audience and make them think they walked in to see the wrong movie.
High Technology Fact: The thermal coffee mug/bong was a fully functional mug and bong as portrayed in the film, the prototype of which cost $5000 to make.
Spartan Workout Fact: During the lake scene, the only student not to jump into the lake is Marty, who remains fully clothed on the dock. This was partially due to Fran Kranz noticeably being in as good, if not better, shape than the other male students. In the commentary for the film, the writers joke that he was "ripped like muscular Jesus" and assert that if Marty were shown being that fit it would ruin the character. This is partly why Marty wears baggier clothes than the other students.
Marty was definitely one of the best characters in this. Yeh it would have spoilt the character if they showed him ripped on screen. The paranoid, conspiracy theorist, pothead wearing baggy clothes works better lol
I think that bong is an actual available product now. Someone made it :D
Maybe give “Cloverfield” a try?
We'll add it to our watchlist 👍
Have you reacted to Zombieland?
Not yet, but it might be easier to digest as a horror as I think its a comedy as well ?
@@RamblersIncit's a really good one as a starter horror movie
I love Marty as a character... but me, I'm making that sacrifice. Seems a bit selfish not to.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Did we just let the bad guys win lol ?
Loving the proper, posh accents.
You guys haven't seen Evil Dead.
Nope. I'm trying to "baby-step" Shyam into horror movies. Evil Dead seems like full speed horror 😂. I need the next step up or similar from Cabin in the Woods.
You think that's bad. Wait til you see the sequel.
The WHAT ?
🙂@@RamblersInc
that guy on the right is cgi right
🤣.........yes.
@@RamblersInc jeez i was so drunk...i meant on the left of course.he has beautiful huge eyes like anime characters
His face is way too complicated to be CGI 😂