10s Movie Review - The Cabin in the Woods

Director: Drew Goddard
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Connolly, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Jesse Williams, Fran Kranz, Anna Hutchison, Brian White, Amy Acker, Jodelle Ferland, Chelah Horsdal, Tom Lenk, Monique Ganderton, Richard Cetrone, Dan Payne

Description: Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods.

Review: I’m always sceptic when the makers of a movie tell us it’s an unique or innovative film, because they are more often a lie than the truth. I also had that feeling when the makers of “Cabin in the Woods’, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, told us that. The slogan ‘you think you know the story, you think you know the place, think again’ sounds like any other horror movie. But “Cabin in the Woods” is different, because it is not like any other horror movie. It’s probably one of the better ones of the past years.
At first sight, nothing special happens in “Cabin in the Woods”. Five friends go to a cabin to relax and party. It’s nothing that has never been done before. And then there are the characters. Curt ad Jules are the louder characters, Holden and Dana are more serious and the fifth one, Marty, is stoned all the time. Marty has his own view on the world, which makes him the odd one out and a great addition to the otherwise stereotypical characters in horror flicks.
But something more is going on, because as soon as the group arrives at the cabin they are like rats in a trap. When they enter the basement, they bring some evil spirits back to life without even knowing it. From that moment on the movie takes a different turn. When we think the five friends are going into a long and predictable survival for life, it’s something completely unexpected. And it gets very bloody. Although gallons of blood flows, it’s never disgusting. It’s sometimes funny instead of gory.
If you’re a fan of horror movies, and you want something different for a change, “Cabin in the Woods” is definitely that movie for you. Surprisingly good, with humor and twists. I enjoy it every time.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 46: Brooklyn's Finest

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 132 minutes

Year: 2009

Starring: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lili Taylor, Will Patton, Ellen Barkin, Jesse Williams, Logan Marshall-Green

Description: Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths.

Review: Antoine Fuqua showed us the tough reality of cops and the street life in “Training Day”. Ethan Hawke, who was also in “Training Day”, stars in “Brooklyn’s Finest, together with Richard Gere and Don Cheadle. It’s a cop drama, but not standard: violent, without compromise and gritty as hell.

The effective intro sets the mood. The movie opens with criminal Carlo and cop Sal, in a parked car. The conversation isn’t important, but you can conclude that Sal needs money. He breaks the law for that. Then we meet cop Eddie, who wakes up and drinks a glass of whiskey right before he is about to start the last seven days of being a cop. Last we meet undercover cop Tango who, while driving a BMW, enters an apartment in the projects in Brooklyn with some gang members. It appears that a young dealer has just been shot by a cop.

This is the setup to the film and we shift between those three storylines. We follow them for a week and sometimes the stories intertwine. It gives you better insights in all the characters. For instance Sal, who needs to support his five children, and two on the way. Everyday there is the temptation of taking drug money that is found at the scene of the crime. Sal starts to take more risks. Ethan Hawke really impresses in his role. Eddie is set to pass on his experience to some new rookies. Richard Gere plays his role very subtle, he is a broken man. I liked seeing Gere in a role like this. Don Cheadle is undercover detective Tango and probably has the most interesting role. He managed to infiltrate and become friends with local drug lord Caz, played by Wesley Snipes. He is on the point of a break through and a promotion, so he can say goodbye to being an undercover agent. But his connection with Caz make the thin line between good and bad even thinner.

“Brooklyn’s Finest” is an above average cop drama, that doesn’t succeed because of its plot, but because of the strong cast and the anguished atmosphere. It’s an overlooked movie, that deserves more credit.

Rating: 3,5/ 5