The following reviews originally ran on Starpulse.com in 2012.
If you saw The Cabin in the Woods several times in theaters like I did, then you also can’t get enough of Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s horror masterpiece. One of the best parts about their intriguing flick is noticing more nods to genre classics and jokes with each viewing.
You should be able to catch anything that you missed last screening and find out all sorts of delicious new factoids when the film arrives on DVD. While you’re waiting for your chance to watch it at home though, Titan Books has released two great ways to get your Cabin fix: The Cabin in the Woods – The Official Movie Novelization and The Cabin in the Woods – The Official Visual Companion.
The Cabin in the Woods – The Official Movie Novelization
The only reason to own Tim Lebbon’s book is to have it as a collector’s item. If you’ve seen the movie already, you’ll basically spend the entire time replaying it in your head as you read it. Plus there are only a few key differences between the novel and the film anyway.
Since you’re reading a book, you get to hear more of each person’s inner monologue. Through these bits, you’re exposed to extra sexual tension between the characters engineered by Lebbon. Instead of being a timid redhead like she is in the movie, Lebbon imagines Dana as a spunky brunette with attitude. Additionally, some of his ideas about monster appearances vary from Goddard and Whedon’s final product. Thankfully though, Lebbon includes funny moments like Marty’s “secret-secret stash” and “Truth, Dare, or Lecture,” which were cut for time in the film.
The Cabin in the Woods – The Official Visual Companion
This gorgeous coffee table book will satisfy your nerdiest desires. A humble foreword by director Drew Goddard and an amusing afterword by co-writer/producer Joss Whedon form the bread in a tasty Cabin sandwich. The ingredients are comprised of a 34-page interview with Goddard and Whedon, statements from the cast about their characters, and the film’s original screenplay. Condiments include lavish production stills, detailed storyboards, large concept art, and commentary from production designer Martin Whist.
I only have a couple of minor complaints about this book. Some of the questions that Abbie Bernstein poses to Goddard and Whedon in their interview are basic and repetitive. The layout for that section is somewhat disjointed as well, with questions and answers being carried over into different columns or pages. Because the book was written before the movie came out, sadly the queries don’t delve too much into specific scenes or characters, but overall the interview is interesting and informative. All of the awesome visual aids make reading the screenplay entertaining, and the intermittent cast statements break it up nicely. The Official Visual Companion is a must-have for true fans of The Cabin in the Woods.
The Cabin in the Woods – The Official Movie Novelization and The Cabin in the Woods – The Official Visual Companion are now available in stores and online at www.titanbooks.com.
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9:14 pm, April 15, 2012| If you haven't already sen this movie, do yoelusrf a huge favor. Avoid all spoilers and go see this as soon as you can. I won't spoil anything here. I'll just say that the mixture of horror and comedy are damn near perfect in this film. The only movie I can think of that I've had as much fun with in the past five years or so that I did with The Cabin In The Woods is Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. One more thing: blood. Tons and tons of it.