🦇 THE SPLATTER VORTEX 🦇

A group of young pals set off into the secluded woods for a vacation at a cabin, ala Evil Dead. Rather than Deadites, they encounter a flesh-eating virus, evil hillbillies, rabid dogs, a kung-fu mullet kid, a bunny suit doctor...wait...what the HELL is going on in this damn movie?

Before "Thanksgiving", before "Hostel", before he was bashing in Nazi skulls in "Inglorious Bastards", Eli Roth delivered unto an unsuspecting public "Cabin Fever" in 2002. Let's dig in!

Fast-paced and sporting a brash, bizarre sense of humor, this is an absolutely unapologetic romp in the woods. It's bursting with ideas - so much so that the film almost collapses under its own weight. We're rushed from one crazy scene to the next like some blood-soaked, backwoods funhouse ride. Our protagonists barely have time to settle in to their creepy ass cabin before shit hits the fan!

There's an unsettling, jittery atmosphere throughout. It's an unpredictable film with a palpable energy coursing through its veins. It's infectious, kinda like the virus that ravages the group. There's no explanation for where the virus came from, but it sets in quick and the effects are delightfully disgusting. With their car broken down, no help in sight, and with the local hillbillies and weirdo cops set out to destroy them to contain the virus, things get bleak in a hurry!

I think it's important to take note of the time and place in which "Cabin Fever" was released. Horror was still in an awkward, post-"Scream" phase - the genre lacked direction. As far as the mainstream went, you either had slick, hip "Scream" clones or slick supernatural horror like "The Ring". Horror wasn't allowed to be nasty or confrontational. Eli Roth changed that by crafting a politically incorrect, trashy, gore-soaked love letter to an earlier, simpler time for the genre. Not to say it's an especially important or groundbreaking movie, but it was definitely a breath of fresh air at the time.

References abound! Look, it's a spooky little cabin in the woods like "The Evil Dead"! Oh check that out, he's using songs from "The Last House on the Left"! Hillbilly madness right out of "Deliverance"! A shot straight out of "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"! Part of the fun is pointing out all of the nods to other films. Are they clumsily woven in? Sure! But they're fun nonetheless.

The characters are oddly endearing and it's obvious everyone involved was having a great time, which is always nice to see. There's no real scares to speak of; rather, we get lots of WTF moments that come out nowhere, give you a little tickle, and slap you across the face. Some love that, some hate it. Put me firmly in the former category!

I loved this movie as a kid and I still enjoy it. It's not a must-see, genre-defining classic, but it's a hell of a good time. It's rude, crude, batshit crazy, full of twists and turns, has some excellent gore, and it's got a sucker punch of a darkly funny ending. What's not to like?

Rider Strong is quite sympathetic as the soft-spoken, unlikely hero, Paul. Nicely done! As his ill-fated love interest, Karen, Jordan Ladd is likable and realistic. You gotta dig James DeBello as the lovable asshole Bert, and the ever-reliable Joey Kern turns in a solid performance as Jeff. Cerina Vincent, who plays Marcy, gives strong "final girl" vibes - very nice. Oh, and I gotta mention Giuseppe Andrews as the party-loving, laid back Deputy Winston - dude is hilarious!

Grounded yet stylish, Roth maintains a tight pace throughout. There's no downtime in this flick and I appreciate that approach. I like how some shots linger; for instance, the charred, infected body in the water, leading to a pipe, which we follow as it leads directly to the cabin. There's also some nice use of reverse cinematography and red filters. Then you've got the washed out, contrast-heavy shots illustrating the tales the group tells around the fire. Very cool!

The bulk of the score was put together by Nathan Barr. It's a frantic, string-heavy soundtrack that really gets under your skin (pun intended). It adds a lot to the wild tone of the film. The great Angelo Badalamenti, known for his collaborations with David Lynch, gives us a terrifically playful and mysterious theme for Deputy Winston. It's a treat! As I mentioned earlier, we also get a couple tracks from "The Last House on the Left" sprinkled throughout - always welcome!

Oh yes, this one is heavy on the red, red kroovy. We get geysers of blood vomit, flesh peeling away, the gory aftermath of someone ripped apart by a dog, intestines, a screwdriver in the ear (ouch, damn!), gunshot wounds, blood splashing freely, a chewed off face, and the most disturbing leg shaving scene you could possibly imagine.

"Cabin Fever" is like visions one might have inhaling keyboard duster in the woods after binging "Twin Peaks" and 80s horror flicks while having a severe psoriasis outbreak. It's weird and proud of it, and I can't help but admire its gutso. The characters are likable, the directing and cinematography are tight, it's impossible to tell what's going to happen next, and it's all so charming. It's no masterpiece and it may be a bit unsteady and unfocused like it's got cinematic ADHD, but that's okay because, at the end of the day, it's great fun. I can watch this one anytime (it's a lean 94 minutes so it never overstays its welcome). Check it out!