Deep Cuts Horror Hit List #9 “The Cabin in the Woods”

Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, October the twenty third, and before he was saving the universe as an Avenger, he was appearing in number nine on our Horror hit List countdown. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. We have made it into the top ten. This is number nine, and I'm talking about Thor in particular. And if you're a fan of those movies, you're gonna see something a little different in this one.

You know what.

I absolutely forgot that Chris Hemsworth was in this movie. It'd been a long time since I had seen it. We rewatched it because we loved it and we knew it was going to be on the list, high up on the list, and I was I actually was a gat I was like, oh my god, Chris Hemsworth is in this I forgot.

We are talking, of course, about the Cabin in the Woods, number nine on our list.

Then perfect title, and it's perfect for a couple of reasons we'll get into. It's perfect because this is like when we go places and I see the name of a restaurant is just tacos and.

Tequila, right, you know exactly what you're gonna get.

So this one says Cabin in the woods, and you would think you know what you're gonna get, and because you get something different. Even the title this movie is brilliant.

It's so good.

Yes, it's intentional every step of the way. They want to lead you in a certain direction. They want to make you question and wonder what's actually happening, and then it's kind of like nothing you could.

Ever have guessed. Yes, I would never in a million years with this.

And there's even a surprise performance from one of our favorite actresses in this genre who shows up at the end. I mean, from start to finish, brilliant acting and just clever, clever, clever script writing.

Yeah, so this comes in at number nine on our list. This came out in twenty twelve. I think I have twenty twenty one. Yeah, twenty twelve, twenty twelve, thirty five minutes, sah delicious already. It is a rated R movie. Horror, mystery and thriller is how it is described, and it has got more than one synopsis here, so you could take the.

First one, all right. A group of kids go to a remote cabin in the woods where their fate is unknowingly controlled by technicians as part of a worldwide conspiracy where all horror movie cliches are revealed to be part of an elaborate sacrifice ritual.

Right. They tell a lot there.

See, And I didn't know that going into the movie. I'm glad that I didn't read a synopsis, so maybe we should have said spoiler alert.

No, no, no, this is from the beginning.

This is one they officially put out. But I'm surprised at even reading that. Still can't figure out. You still won't figure out what this movie is about.

No, it's so bizarre.

I'd actually love to talk to the creative mind who came up with it, that's how strange it is.

Another synopsis here, When five college friends arrive at a remote for its cabin for a little vacation, little did they expect the horrors that await them. One by one, the youths fall victim to backwoods zombies. But there is another factor at play. Two scientists are manipulating the ghoulish goings on, but even as the body count rises, there as yet more at work than meets the eye. That's a go.

That's a good one too.

But again, when I watched this for the first time, I saw it once it started streaming. I didn't see it in the theaters, and I didn't really read the synopsis because the title got me the Cabin in the woods. Hello, this is right up my alley. I actually watched this by myself, and I remember being so taken aback at.

What ended up happening. But it was so good and the box office. Wow, I don't know how I missed this in the theaters.

Yeah, it made seventy million dollars worldwide. That's pretty good. I didn't find the production. Uh, there were some estimates out there under twenty million. This was a movie that did well, made forty two million dollars domestically, but a total of seventy million world wide. We mentioned Chris Hemsworth, Jesse Williams, a lot of people. Which doctor show was it?

Jesse Williams is in Oh, I will never be able to come up with I.

Can't come up with that one. Kristin Connelly, Anna hutcheson to young ladies that play the leads who are fantastic? Is it without a doubt? Is Bradley Whitford at the star of this movie?

He has to be. I mean he's among them. I mean he's the most memorable. I didn't forget he was in the movie. Not that Chris Hemsworth is forgettable. Oh yeah, But Bradley Whitford is so brilliant in this movie, and he's so clever and just despicable at the same time. You're laughing with him, but you also are hating him.

But it's chilling to the end.

Yes he is.

He is charming.

His last everything, Yes, yeah, mine in the movie is amazing.

But yes, Bradley wi for a lot of you all know that West Wing fame. He was so the Jordan peele Reson Will Get Out. Yes, he was in that, but he is brilliant in this movie. This was directed by Drew Goddard. Look at this. Rotten Tomato score surprised me.

Ninety two percent. It is that good.

Now the audience score surprises me that it's lower at seventy four percent. Because this was such an enjoyable film. Maybe people felt shook, like they were annoyed that they were getting taken in too many different directions, you know, I.

Think, and we're going to go through the critics here. I think a lot of critics found depth and meaning in a lot of the foolishness. But I think maybe a lot of people looking at this just saw foolishness, weren't trying to look for anything deeper, got it, and more of a meaning. Oh, this is such a good movie. The critic consensus Herobes says, this movie is an astonishing meta feat capable of being funny, strange, and scary frequently all at the same time.

That's fair. Yes, that is totally fair.

And here are some of the critic reviews to give you a taste of what the experts thought of this movie. The Cabin in the Woods is smart, savage fun written by fans for fans.

That is so true.

Playing on the cliches of the genre, the film avoids being a straight out spoof by building to a satisfying, over the top climax, good.

Way to put it, that is not an over statement of any kind. The ending is.

Just you know, in a fireworks display, when you get the finale and it's just like, holy moly, Yeah that's this movie, and you.

Know what's happening. You can't mistake what's happening, and you know this is going to be the end. It's so good. Also another one here, look an instant classic endlessly clever and thrilling, someone else saying the most maniacal monster movie ever created, also saying another is perfectly enjoyable without ever quite feeling like there's anything at stake.

Huh. I hadn't considered that. Yeah, I wasn't. I knew people were going to die.

You weren't that kind of invested, right. I didn't feel like it took much of an emotional journey on this, But I just took a fun ride.

You know, I do They even open this film with a massive cliche in horror movies. You know what, should you never do if you don't want to die in a horror movie?

Should never have sex.

I'm just saying, I just started remembering all the fun cliches that they went after.

But they did them so so well. It was amazing.

One of the most creative and thoroughly entertaining experiences the horror genre has given us in quite some time. That's a very true statement, and this one a surprisingly entertaining effort that works because it strikes a smart balance embracing as well as rejecting viewer expectations and knowledge of the horror genre.

Yes, that's smart. One negative one here from Again, this was ninety two percent from the critics, so it was hard to find a lot of negative ones, with one mentioned here that the director may have intended his film as a post modern discourse on fear, free will, and corporate religion, but instead he serves up a ridiculously campy hodgepodge of horror classics and nihilistic violence. I agree with it all, and I appreciate it fun Okay.

That negative is still a positive in your corner.

Art right. I like that it was ridiculously campy here.

Yes, and this is funny from the audience. Not your usual horror, that's for sure. Yes, great movie.

I expected something close to every other horror film I have seen. I was pleasantly surprised that this was like no other film I had ever seen.

That is so true. It stays with you. You remember this one.

It's a good watch with someone that doesn't have a love for horror movies. It's silly enough to be fun and gory enough to be enjoyed by horror fans.

That's a good line, that is it right there? There's something in there for everybody. Someone here. I didn't love it that much, saying kind of fun, not really my kind of film, but it's good for what it is, very creative and original, that's fair.

Yeah, okay, I mean aha, I'm surprised you did find some of the negative ones.

Mixed feelings about this one. It was a bit stupid, but also funny. Not enough nudity and deaths. Okay, okay, I understand.

I can see who wrote that right now, high school junior exactly how did you know?

Uh?

And this one from an audience member, an interesting concept with very cheesy execution. It is definitely worth the watch, but it wouldn't blow anyone away. That's so funny, fairly honest to.

Me, they didn't realize that the film wasn't actually taking itself that seriously like. It was intentionally campy, It was intentionally silly.

It was intentionally over the top.

If you didn't recognize that, then maybe that's why you didn't enjoy it as much.

That this was all cleverly designed.

Didn't you know from before the opening that the film name even was flashed on screen? There was some stuff happening, some action happening, singing with Bradley Whitford and the guy who plays opposite.

Yeah, oh, I know it from every movie, and I could never tell you his name.

Yes, their opening scene, their se makes you think you're about to watch a horror comedy. They are slapstick, goofy. It's a bizarre They.

Sing, what am I watching?

They seem to be talking about something very serious, but in a casual way, like you would talk about it if you worked at any office in the country. Bradley Whiffer. They said a tone in the movie at the bear beginning that how could you be about to take this seriously?

Exactly? This is what it is? Enjoy Yes, that's kind of what I felt like the beginning was.

So why is this on the list few and in the top ten?

By the way, Yeah, because I've because of what someone actually said, I've never seen another horror movie like this that is so enjoyable. I love that I can laugh and also jump at the same time. Not many movies can pull that off. The acting is incredible. I just I love this movie.

The cabin stuff like, we know what's going on, but it's kind of stood alone in Nailing the Cabin in the wood genre, there's a mystery and kids start dying and what's happening in Running for Our Lives and it's dark and don't go in there. All that stuff was in there, and I appreciate it. But I think the movie for us as horror fans, we have pretty much seen it all. We don't see that much that we

I love that.

Yes, So when we come back, we'll tell you who it's for, who it's not for, what you should pair it with, and a hint for what is going to be our number eight on our Halloween Horror hit List. Continuing our conversation about the Cabin in the Woods are number nine on our Halloween Horror hit List. We absolutely loved this movie because of its wit, its humor, it's horror. It just combined the things we love to do the most, get a little scared and have a lot of laughs.

It wasn't when it was silly.

It was deliberate, So it wasn't it wasn't upsetting to watch.

It was actually cleverly designed.

It was funny. I don't remember right in the blackening and some of them whatever, I can't think of it. The other horror, what we just did. The comedy horror might have been ready or not or what. There's certain things that happen, and you know, that's a comedic line that was delivered. All right, it's supposed to be funny, and they're making jokes. I don't find them making jokes necessarily in this movie, even though there's so much that is funny, like the energy, the banter, the back and

You were laughing fun you know what you were in on it? Yeah, I think that's what it was. They weren't trying to make you laugh. You were just in on it.

There's a voyeuristic element to this.

You were with them and you were kind of appalled and laughing at the same time. I mean, I think that the whole time I was appalled by what they were saying, which was making it funny, because I was in on the conversation.

So I think that's what it was anyway. So who it's for?

We think it's for everybody, because I can't imagine even if you love horror movies, you're gonna love this. And if you don't love horror movies, I think you're gonna love this because it's almost poking fun at horror movies while being a horror movie.

And if nothing else, Chris Hymnsworth is in it.

There's that. There is that too. That's a very good point. Now, who is it not? For people who take it too seriously? You have to recognize this movie. It's not just it's because I don't think it's fair to say it's deliberately campy.

It's more than that.

But I do think that, yes, the few people who he saw didn't like it, and what they wrote it certainly seems like they did take it a little too seriously.

That's that's where I would leave it. And you have to be and maybe you're hear in a bad mood. Maybe you should watch it and put you in a better mood. But you gotta be ready for a ride like this is almost an event film to where oh my goodness, what's about to happen next? So yeah, this is a good time.

Yes, And so I was going to suggest with food and drink pairing that because it is the cabin in the woods, why not go ahead and kind of create that feeling. So I was thinking s'mores, some Irish coffee, maybe some moose crunch popcorn?

What that last?

I knew you were going to ask.

You could google it, but I will tell you I already did, so I could give you the exact definition you. I love moose crunch pop I've never heard of it. Oh my god, like the animal moose crunch popcorn.

Yes, it's like something you eat in a cabin.

Like crunching munch a little bit. Oh, we'll just call it crunching much the coffee stuff with the peanuts in it.

Shoves in the box too, so decadent caramel corn mixed with peanuts, pretzels and drizzled with milk, chocolate.

And peanut butter.

We called it what moose?

What it's moose crunch popcorn.

You kind of take cracker jacks and you like elevate it.

But so it's more than popcorn. It's not just popcorn.

No, it's more than popcorn.

Are there equal parts of the other things.

I don't know. It's just it's mostly popcorn.

So it's dominated by the popfind.

Yes, So I was thinking that that would be fun and a whole cabin motif to watch this movie, and I will say it's funny. I have been caught a couple of times during the over the course of the years when it's been streaming.

All forget.

I'll forget that this is that movie, and I'll say, oh, Cabin in the Woods and just think it's another because there are so many like Last House on the Left.

There are certain.

Movies that have a similar artwork on the graphic and have a similar title, and then I, oh.

It's that movie. I love it.

So I always forget sometimes, so just go for the cabin theme. All right, our next movie, number eight on the list. Do you want to give yes, our listeners a tease?

It will change the way you feel about people smiling at you. How about that? I like that.

This is a great film. We can't wait to share it with you. But thank you so much for listening to us. We will talk to you soon.