The film, distributed by the independent Lions Gate Films, stars virtually no name actors in a surprisingly original take on a very tired, old formula. Reverting to the 1980’s cookie-cutter horror flicks, including the venerable Friday the 13th series, Cabin Fever puts a group of teenagers in a cabin, in the woods, with a remote chance of reaching civilization, should anything happen. The horror staples of doing drugs, drinking, and having sex all present a death kiss to our protagonists. Highlighting the cast, as the only recognizable face, is Rider Strong, best known for his role on the ABC sitcom “Boy Meets World,” which, after hearing about the featured programming on Bravo, could be a unique name for an adult video. But I digress.
While the trailers and promotional material show Cabin Fever in the same vein as 28 Days Later where, in this case, a flesh eating virus debilitates its victims, causing them to vomit virus infected blood all over the place. But it is the psychological aspect of the film that the trailers aren’t able to show, and this is where Eli Roth’s script finds its voice.
Life time friends turn on life time friends with the first indication that they have the virus. Everyone becomes so paranoid about getting sick, and if they have the virus that the biggest enemies are also your biggest friends, much akin to the psychological appeal of 28 Days Later and the basic human needs that take over.
Cabin Fever, written and directed by Eli Roth, does suffer through a few problems, such as the whole “crazed dog” subplot that keeps our campers from going outside. Rather than just shooting the animal they proceed to scare it away again and again, only to have it keep coming back as if the guys were wearing Bacon Bits Aftershave. Still these few shortcomings don’t detract from the overall experience enough to warrant a lower score.
One of the most refreshing parts of Cabin Fever is the humor. The jokes in the film rival anything seen in last week’s Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. Also returning is the gratuitous nudity for the sake of having gratuitous nudity, something sorely missing from modern horror films. And for all the horny guys out there who don’t want to see a repeat of the eye-burning horror that was Jason Goes to Hell, you can be safely assured that all the nudity comes from Cerina Vincent, best known for her role as Areola in Not Another Teen Movie.
Whether you are a fan of the classic horror genre, horror/comedy genre pioneered by Evil Dead II, or a good psychological thriller, Cabin Fever will serve all purposes. You will laugh, you will cringe, you will think, and while doing all this you will have a good time.