Frank and Rita settle down to discuss Forster |
A ravenous werewolf prepares to pounce on murderous Dana |
Lets start with the Cabin in the Woods. Picture The Truman Show (one of the characters, not so coincidentally, is called Truman) but a whole lot nastier. Five students decide to spend the weekend at a deserted cabin in the woods. Unbeknown to them, an evil organisation is watching their every move. Strange things begin happening. Why have they all begun acting like traditional horror stereotypes? Was it really a good idea to read our scary things in Latin? What horrors lurk deep below the cabin? And will the end of the world be prevented?
Essentially, it's a horror movie about why horror movies exist. Sigourney Weaver's (Alien) appearance at the end is an obvious nod to the horror legacy preceding it. But the great thing is, it's tremendously funny. Richard Jenkins and Bradely Whitford excel as the distinctly humdrum architects of the bloody events that occur. At every turn the horror genre is ridiculed. A creepy garage owner spouts out over-the-top nonsense over speaker phone. The genre's obsession with sex is parodied by Jenkins and Whitford having it in their contract that they must film Jules (Anna Hutchison) bare chested before the zombies can get her. Tequila is passed around as Dana (Kristen Connolly) is brutalised by an evil zombie, showing the detachment we feel at people being ripped to pieces if we view it for our enjoyment. Every cliche in the book is delivered with knowing irony.
It's not all good news though (it rarely is). Apart from Jenkins and Whitford, the acting is nothing special, but it's what you come to expect from horror. Although the comedic elements are delivered with aplomb, there's nowhere near enough moments that instill proper fear. Plus all involved have a strange propensity for suffering grievous body wounds, and then totally forgetting about them. But despite all this, The Cabin in the Woods is something I didn't think, was possible. An intelligent zombie film.
Although perhaps, not quite as intelligent as Willy Russell's screen version of Educating Rita. Having read the play, I'm tempted to say that the movie's better, mainly because we escape from Frank's office and have more than two characters. Michale Caine delivers the goods as Frank, Rita's alcoholic uni tutor. Looking fantastically dishevelled, watching him deliver lines such as "What benefit a man if he gaineth the whole of literature and loseth his soul" before plummeting from the rostrum straight on to a student is a sight to behold. Although I think his dancing at a trendy night club narrowly tops it.
Julie Walters is equally brilliant. At first I found her brashness a little too much, but on second viewing I see it's necessary to show her transformation in to a more well rounded person as the film progresses. She plays the shocking change in Rita's character perfectly. This film is driven by the two lead performances, rather than The Cabin in the Woods which is driven by a clever plot (and zombies). In fact, the plot is perhaps too simple, most of the film consists of Caine and Walters discussing literature. But they do it brilliantly, so don't let that put you off.
The real similarity between these two films is they are both utterly hilarious, but both have deeper meanings beyond Rita's literary misdemeanours and Marty's (Fran Kanz) drug induced conspiracy theories that all turn out to be correct. Educating Rita questions the value of education and shows the many divides in our nation. The Cabin in the Woods questions our perverted love of horror and gore, and at its heart has the moral dilemma of what is acceptable to save the world (most would argue killing college students isn't).
They're both brilliant example of comedy, separated by almost 30 years. Educating Rita is emotionally richer, whereas The Cabin in the Woods is potentially more entertaining. But which is better? I like zombies, but then again I like Shakespeare and Blake. To be honest, it's too close to call. Everyone's a winner!
The Cabin in the Woods: 7/10
Educating Rita: 7/10
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