‘The Cabin in the Woods’. Genre-bending genius from Whedon and Goddard. 

What an incredible surprise. The horror genre, its conventions and archetypes are maintained and honoured, but there are so many more layers to this! This is a spoof, a homage, and then something completely different. The tone maintained is perfect, sliding easily from horror and suspense to self-referential comedy, while never selling short its characters and emotional stakes.

I really can’t talk about what happens, because it would completely ruin half the fun you’ll have with this, but believe me, you WILL have fun. A LOT of fun. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had as much fun in a movie. And, I don’t know how, but I’m pretty sure the audience at the packed Paramount Theater had way more fun than me, and added so much to the atmosphere; rapturous, deserved applause throughout. 

Whedon and Goddard spoke of how they wrote this over basically three days, and as much as I’m [and millions of writers are] completely jealous and annoyed by this, I believe it. This is a product of love, passion, and two dudes writing what they know about, with no boundaries.

There are so many mind-blowing, geekgasmic, laugh-out-loud, incredulous scenes! I cannot wait to see Harry Knowles’ expletive, adjective-filled review, because he’ll no doubt describe this a lot more eloquently, and entertainingly than I.

Three words. Thermos. Bong. Lightsaber.

Oh, three more words. A timeliness masterpiece. Joss says so himself.

SXSW Film could not have opened in a better way. Janet Pierson, thank you for the inspired selection.

Go watch it!