Archive for the ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ Category
Halfway through 2012 – here is my top list
I woke up a morning and realized that we’re halfway through 2012. I know – it’s crazy! How did that happen? To me the year has all but started.
So what do you make of 2012 so far? I thought 2011 was a very good year for movies; the question is – will 2012 match it? Possibly. I made my personal top list of the year so far, covering my top 20 movies. I think there are quite a few gems here and there are a couple of movies in the pipeline that I have high hopes for.
But before we start I want to get one thing out of the way:
Yes, this list includes some movies that you might think belong on a 2011 list, depending on which country you live in. I’ve decided to make my top lists from my personal perspective, following when the movies became accessible in a theatre for me. Many films don’t open inSwedenuntil several months after their theatrical release in US orUK. This was the case with several of the Oscar nominees, which didn’t arrive here until late spring.
Also keep in mind that my appreciation for a movie usually changes over time. Some films that I didn’t immediately embrace have grown; other movies that I liked at first have turned pale as time has passed. When it’s time to make the full-year-list of 2012, some of those movies may very well have changed positions, depending on my mood of the day. I’m notoriously inconsistent.
And that’s the end of the disclaimer section. Let’s move on to the list!
1. We Need to Talk about Kevin
The events in this film have been dealt with before in movies, but not from this point of view, I’d dare say. Tilda Swinton was excellent as the mother of the troubled kid Kevin. The cinematography and particularly the usage of colours are etched into my memory.
2. Take Shelter
The storm is coming. Or is it? Do the things that take place on screen really happen or are they hallucinations of a mentally ill person? Some people had doubts about the interpretation. I didn’t. But what we can agree about is that it’s a fantastic little movie, with a brilliant performance by Michael Shannon.
3. Tyrannosaur
A man beats his own dog until it dies. Then he cries over losing his best friend – the dog. This is the start of Tyrannosaur and it’s almost unbearable to watch. From there it goes worse. But provided you can stand watching it, this is a remarkably well played and gripping piece of drama, providing at least some glimpses of hope in all the misery there is.
4.Moonrise Kingdom
After three rather depressing movies I wanted to break up this list with something more lighthearted, bringing a bit of hope and happiness into the world. I can’t think of a worthier candidate than Moonrise Kingdom.
5. Prometheus
Prometheus got a bit of a beating due to some ridiculously high set expectations after the successful marketing. It’s no Alien, but despite its flaws I enjoyed it immensely. I got to explore strange new worlds, I saw truly alien aliens, I watched big things blow up in a big way and I gave my imagination a good tickle. That’s all I the sci-fi geek inside me asks for.
6. The Artist
I watched The Artist several months after everyone else, so at the point where I got to it they hype and the backlash were both over with since long. It was a love letter to the world of movies, surprisingly fun and entertaining, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
7. Bullhead
This is another dark film that is tough to watch due to some very intense and violent heavy scenes, on par with Tyrannosaur. Take caution before you watch this if you’re the sensitive kind.
8. A Royal Affair
This Danish costume drama took me by surprise. It’s well acted, well designed, well plotted, high class craftsmanship in every aspect. Highly recommended unless you really can’t stand costume dramas.
9. Chronicle
Chronicle? A found footage movie about youngsters with superpowers? Are you kidding me; how can you put this over serious movies including several Oscar candidates? I can because this debut film out of nowhere charmed me completely with its fresh take on genre that I’m usually not overly excited about.
10. The Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods breaking into the top 10 might have to do with that it’s one of the most recent films I watched, so I still have it fresh in memory. Regardless, I had fun watching this, and “fun” is nothing to sneer at. So I’ll bring it into my top 10 to inject yet a bit more of entertainment, giving a break to all the gloomy films I usually watch.
11-20 (Unranked, alphabetic order):
The Avengers
I could never have imagined I’d enjoy a superhero movie this much. I blame Joss Whedon.
Carnage
People throwing up on the screen is rarely fun to watch, but seeing Kate Winslet doing it over a bunch of exclusive art catalogues was priceless.
The Descendants
From my review: “There’s always something soothing about watching millionaires struggling with their lives, ending up eating comfort ice cream out of the box in front of the TV. Deep down we’re all the same – fragile, messed up and uncertain about where our journey will take us. It’s like hitchhiking. Life will take you into places you didn’t plan. You just need to learn to cope.”
Coriolanus
Ralph Fiennes breathes new life into a less popular Shakespeare play. The original lines and the modern setting mix unexpectedly well.
Hugo
Martin Scorsese lets his inner film geek out in full freedom. I can’t imagine anyone else who would have been allowed to make a film celebrating film restoration and Georges Méliès. But he could afford it and as the film lover I am I loved it.
The Kid with a Bike
This was my first encounter with the Dardenne brothers and I hope it won’t be the last.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Sometimes when I go to a theatre all I want is a quick ride with a big budget action movie offering spectacular action and decent actors. This was exactly this and it served me well.
The Muppets
There wasn’t a single kid in the theatre when I watched The Muppets, and I’m not even sure of how funny it is for a child who didn’t grow up with those puppets. I did though and I had a blast. As I said in the review: “On the outside I was a frustrated office worker with a Monday Blues. But hidden inside there was a singing and smiling muppet.”
Tomboy
I wish this film didn’t need to be done. I wish everyone could be allowed to be themselves, using any kind of gender identity they wanted to without being questioned. Sadly enough we’re not there yet. And this film should be shown and talked about at school.
50/50
Cancer and humour doesn’t sound as if it mixes well. But in this film it did.
A couple of mentionings
There are several movies that didn’t make the cut this time, but which very well can end up somehwere on the top list by the end of the year. As I said initially: my ratings change from day to day. The current runner-ups are Warhorse, Elena, Wuthering Heights and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
I won’t talk much about bad movies, mostly because I’ve seen so few of them. So far this year there have only been two movies I’ve given a 1/5 star rating. Interesting enough they represent two extremes on a scale of artfulness. On one end we have Rock of Ages, which had an abundance of cheese but no soul. On the other end there’s Alps, which no doubt had higher artistic ambitions, but felt equally heartless, empty and boring.
So, which are your ups and downs so far this year? Which films are you pretty certain will remain on the list when it’s time to narrow down the top 10 of 2012?
A victory for the fans or a PR stunt?
It was close to that The Cabin in the Woods never came up in a theatre in Sweden.
Or was it?
The story is that the distribution company had decided that the market for this film was too small in Sweden and planned for a release straight to DVD in the autumn.
This infuriated the local Joss Whedon fans, who immediately started a campaign in social media to make them change their minds. And apparently this paid off. It didn’t take too long before the film opened in a limited release at a couple of theatres, which after a few weeks was expanded to include smaller cities like mine.
Having dipped my toes in PR myself I’m suspicious. Could it be that all of this is just a clever marketing campaign? Was it a stunt to increase the interest and willingness in the fan base to spread the word? After all, shortage of supply is one of the most effective and commonly used tricks when you want to increase the demand for a product.
Or perhaps I’m overly cynical? Maybe I owe it to the wheadonists that they made this movie available also in this remote part of the world?
Regardless of which, I’m glad that I finally got the chance to see it.
More comedy than horror
This post will be short since I don’t want to say too much about it. As you probably know already, it’s one of those spoiler sensitive movies that get better the less you know about them on beforehand. I’ve spent months fighting to remain unknowing about the content of the film and I don’t want to spoil it for someone else who lives in a region still waiting for it to come out.
The question is what I can say without saying anything.
Well, one thing is that I’m not on board with how the film is labeled at IMDb. They call it horror and thriller, and it is, but perhaps even more than this I’d call it a comedy.
As I’ve said before I’m a bit of a squishy, but in this case my hands rested safely in my knee instead of popping up covering my face, and as we left the theatre I was giggling and not the slightest worried about the possibility that I’d have nightmares about it.
I wouldn’t call the effects bad or anything, but the entire idea is so over-the-top that it never gets truly scare or uncomfortable.
It should also be said also that the film is teaming with references to other horror movies. I recognized a few, but the majority went passed me. However I wouldn’t advise anyone against watching it just because you’re not a horror fan. It’s enjoyable anyone, at least if you like me are a fan of Buffy the Vampire slayer. This reminded me of some of the meatier episodes, with the combination of thriller and comedy. The difference is of course that with a running time of 1,5 hours and a lot of action, you can’t afford to spend much time on giving depth to the characters on screen. But that’s no big loss in this type of movie. You know what kind of a ride you’re in for.
It’s about having fun. And so I did.
The Cabin in the Woods (Drew Goddard, US, 2012) My rating: 4/5
The Velvet Café 