Inside Quaker Steak & Lube. (Taken with instagram)
“The Cabin in the Woods” is Worth the Trip
So I’m going to review another film that’s been out for a while: Liongate’s “The Cabin in the Woods.” But unlike the last movie I reviewed, “The Hunger Games”—also released by Lionsgate—the Joss Whedon produced horror film “Cabin in the Woods” hasn’t shattered any sales records, which is unfortunate because it is just as amazing in its own way.
I had extremely high expectations for “The Cabin in the Woods” going in, mainly because I am a huge fan of Whedon’s past television shows, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” and “Dollhouse.” Also, Whedon co-wrote “Cabin” with Drew Goddard, who wrote for “Buffy” and “Angel.” On top of that, I spent years anticipating the film’s release since first hearing about it in late 2009. (It was supposed to be released in February 2010, but was delayed because of financial problems at MGM, the film’s original distributor.) I can easily say “The Cabin in the Woods” surpassed my expectations and left me in complete awe. I’ll even go as far as calling “The Cabin in the Woods” a must see for horror fans, especially those that appreciate what was done with the genre in the 80s and 90s. This includes cliché situations and stereotypical characters like the dumb blonde who often falls while running from the killer, the macho jock and the innocent, chaste “final girl” character who is usually the lone survivor. In true Whedon style, the film manages to both poke fun at and subvert these stereotypes at the same time.
It’s probably best to go the film with as little information about the premise as possible, other than that it’s about five college kids who go for a weekend getaway to the very secluded locale referenced in the title. That plot may sound reminiscent of slasher film classics, like the much beloved (at least by me) “Friday the 13th” series, in which a mindless killer picks off partying teens one by one. But there is much more to “The Cabin in the Woods.” Unfortunately, incessant commercials spoiled the main aspect of the movie that sets it apart from those fondly remembered films from decades past. So I can at least talk about that much since I won’t be spoiling anything that the television ads haven’t already. However, if you want to go into this movie completely blind, you should probably stop reading here. So the five friends—Dana, Jules, Curt, Marty, and Holden—are being monitored by technicians from some apparent scientific corporation through strategically placed surveillance cameras in the cabin. Some covert military looking guys spy on them even before they leave for their ill-fated adventure. The fact that the college students are being watched and somewhat toyed with by the technicians is kind of similar to “The Hunger Games” and some of the ideas that movie brings up, except in “Cabin in the Woods” the kids don’t know they’re being watched.
The movie does have other surprised that aren’t ruined by commercials, including why the corporation is performing their horror games. The movie hints at the corporation’s endgame a few times earlier on and, while not completely original, it gives a very creative concept the both pokes fun at and explains certain horror film character stereotypes. “The Cabin in the Woods” also has a climactic scene that shouldn’t be missed. At this point it’s probably too last to catch the film in the theaters but it should definitely at least be seen on DVD/Blu-ray. I can’t speak for all horror fans but I think most would agree “The Cabin in the Woods” is one hell of a movie!
“The Walking Dead”: Not Your Father’s Zombie Game
Lee fighting off a walker. Image credit: PlayStation.com
If you have ever read those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, imagine one with terrifying zombies and great character development. But instead of a book it’s an interactive game that brings the characters to life on your screen. That’s “The Walking Dead” video game in nutshell.
Developed by TellTale Games, “The Walking Dead” is based on the popular comic book series of the same name by Image Comics. The downloadable game is split into five episodes; the first, ‘A New Day,’ was released last week on the PlayStation Network, Xbox LIVE Arcade, PC and Mac.
The game is set in the same continuity as the comic series, with the events considered a canonical prequel to Rick Grimes’ adventure. It follows a new character, escaped convict Lee Everett, and ‘A New Day’ features appearances by well known characters from the comic, including Glenn and Hershel Greene. Because the game is not based on the television series, viewers that haven’t read the comics might not recognize Hershel, who differs somewhat in appearance and personality than how he is portrayed in the series. Glenn, however, is similar enough (Asian guy with a baseball cap.) Hopefully more faces from the comic will be seen in future episodes.
“The Walking Dead” isn’t the traditional survival horror game I expected when I first heard it announced. Like the comic and television series, the game is more about the character’s interactions than fighting off zombies. The game is also about slowly unfolding the mystery of Lee’s past and whether he is a good guy or not. So rather than being reminiscent of games like “Resident Evil,” it is more in the interactive movie genre like the critically acclaimed “Heavy Rain.” But “The Walking Dead” feels even more like an interactive movie—or maybe an interactive show in this case—because the graphics look more animated than realistic. This is meant to be reminiscent of the art in the comics and mixes well with the game’s more story focused game play.
Like with “Heavy Rain,” the player’s choices in “The Walking Dead” affect how events unfold and how other characters act towards Lee. At certain points you can decide whether to be honest or lie when asked questions or what actions to take when a zombie finally gets around to attacking someone. Attempt to save one person and you’ll make an ally, support someone’s plan of action over another person’s and you might make an enemy. The game gives you only about 30 seconds or so to make decisions so much like real life (unless you stop and restart) your path can be dictated by split second decisions.
The other games are supposed to be released over the next few months so time will tell exactly how different choices affect the course of the game overall. But this type of gameplay definitely increases the replay value. I’m already wondering how things might be different if I had Lee be more honest here or dishonest there, so I can definitely seeing myself playing this game again a few times.
Despite the heavy focus on story, the game does have its share of startling and chilling zombie attacks, where split second timing is really of the utmost importance. Although the controls are fairly simple, I fumbled a little the first few times I had to fight off a zombie because I wasn’t always sure what I was supposed to do. Certain buttons have different uses in action scenes versus scenes in which you explore rooms or interact with other characters. The game has general instructions that are accessed in the main menu, but they don’t explain what each button does for each scenario. However, it won’t take long before you will be punching, kicking and bludgeoning zombies like a pro.
“The Walking Dead, ‘A New Day,’ costs $4.99 in the PlayStation Store and 400 points in the Xbox Live Marketplace. A “Season Pass” is available for $19.99 in the PlayStation store that includes the first episode, pre-purchase of the additional four episodes and an exclusive PlayStation 3 premium theme. A Season Pass for the five episodes of the PC or Mac versions can be purchased for $24.99.
