Watching “Cabin Fever” reminded me of the fun one could have while making a horror film. One could argue that modern horror is too detailed, over-produced, under talented, and quintessentially making the same mold over and over merely for cinema dollars. The argument is tired, but true. Made in 2002, and only grossing about 21 million, this was a small blip on everyone’s radar. Found randomly on DVD one October at my local video store, “Cabin Fever” was a means to merely scare a gathering of friends, or perhaps just gather some laughs. Little did we realize that this was something stronger than just your average teen-horror flick. Director Eli Roth (speaking pre-“Hostel”) knew his horror genre. Being an assistant with David Lynch for many years, he understands that spooky doesn’t mean linear, that blood does come in gallon containers and the more obscure the better. “Cabin Fever” proved that with mediocre dialogue, great horror shots, and the fear of the unknown (which was left unknown throughout the film). He tells us the fears, but not his characters – giving us tension with the horror. While “Hostel” seems too mainstream and less Lynch-ian for my standards, “Cabin Fever” complete with “pancakes”, “Denis”, the box, and the fear of this backwoods community, is that diamond in the rough. This singular film demonstrated the power behind Roth, and his missed opportunity for films to come.
There is no arguing that this is an amateur film. The edits are rough, the story is haphazard, and the characters are bland, but what is impressive is the passion behind the camera. The flux of different genres blended together proves that Roth had done his homework, that he loves horror, and wasn’t afraid of taking chances. He created a horror film without giving us a monster, the choice of a faceless virus wreaking havoc onto a group of unsuspecting teens was bold, but worked perfectly. Fear was created within the unknown, or more importantly, from what we knew but our characters did not. Cliché to the hilt, our leaders in this rag-tag group of C-actors (of which our leader is the boy from “Boy Meets World”) try to break the mold, but nothing spectacular comes of it. This, oddly, works for “Cabin Fever” because the core of the film doesn’t need popular faces, but instead a stark need for bleak realism. As horror watchers, we know that the outcome for those with cliché lines is not positive, so Roth plays with that. He builds non-existent characters to run around screaming, while we scream back. “Go out of the woods” – “Get in the cabin” – “Don’t stare at the naked woman” – “Get help!” are all things not said within the film, but instead in the audience. Roth pulls you in. Instead of being a mere spectator, “Cabin Fever” asks you to be involved.
Two big scenes (amongst many) stand out as reasons to watch this film. Whether you are a horror fan or not, these two speak volumes of what Roth learned from Lynch when working together. The first is Dennis. The child at the store that has a fascination with biting people that sit next to him, who loves pancakes, and equally enjoys karate moves – was one of those moments that proved Roth’s loyalty to the trade. The slow motion karate reminded me of “Twin Peaks” and the music that accompanied added to that feel. The entire station was pulled from a Lynch world, and I would have considered this theft if the two hadn’t worked together. Instead, it felt more like a homage, a brief “thank you” to Roth’s mentor. With that said, the second scene that speaks volumes of Roth’s talent is something that he has carried with him throughout his “Hostel” years. The unknown. Without spoiling anything, when our group of gun-toting locals arrive to the cabin, two have guns while one merely carries a box. When two fall shy of their goals, the other merely attempts to open a box as his form of defense. What was in that box? What could have protected him? This is the unknown makes “Cabin Fever” stand out stronger than others of this genre released at the same time. Sure, it’s small – but the effect and conversation that follows with your peers is sublime.
Again, “Cabin Fever” wasn’t the bee’s knees of horror films, but unlike Roth’s future endeavors it demonstrated his ability to take a small idea and blossom it into true fear. Many will probably not enjoy this film, seeing “Hostel” as his penultimate work, this will seem lackluster – but for those nay-sayers against his torture-porn, this is a throwback to a stronger era of horror moviemaking. One part David Lynch, one part “Wrong Turn”, and one part “The Stand” (that’s a lot of parts) – Roth proves that he can handle a camera, a story, and a crew whilst scaring us, grossing us out, and creating a world within a world.
VIDEO: The film is loose, an amateur outing with quite a bit of ideas that seem under developed and over exposed, but I loved it. It showed talent coupled with intrigue. Roth will forever be remembered to the mass audiences as “Hostel” maker, but for me – “Cabin Fever” ranks as more original and enjoyable.
VISUAL: Simple DVD. The woods and colors seem to blend. The sharpness of some of the scenes isn’t as focused, and it felt grainy at times – but again, this was a first film for Roth. With little money, what can you do? There were some great scenes that were filmed with strong angles and a keen eye for storytelling, but nothing spectacular. Decent transfer that could use a strong upgrade one day.
SOUND: One of the key elements to this film is the sound – and borrowing from Lynch and creating his own voice, Roth does wonders with the music chosen. From the included songs to the background theme, “Cabin Fever” has a distinct sound that makes it feel like you are being chased by a flesh eating virus in the woods.
EXTRAS: This simple disc is packed with stuff. The “Family Friendly” version of the film is hysterical. Roth hams it up for the camera, a la a Disney introduction. The “Chick-O-Vision” is a great inclusion. My personal favorites, “The Rotten Fruits” have three episodes on the disc that will make you laugh hysterically as well as see those dull Veggie Tales in a new light. Then, there is the quintessential behind the scenes footage where we learn about every aspect of this film. Lacking a strong commentary, that would be my only complaint with such strong special features.
Overall, I am not afraid to say that I like “Cabin Fever”. When I first saw it I was impressed by what little I understood and what Roth spoon-fed me. I thought he was a director to watch, and I still think he has quite a bit of potential, but to be remembered merely for “Hostel” just doesn’t cut it. “Cabin Fever” is a great entry into the world of horror, creating genuine scares and following a predesigned structure (not a bad thing for this film) – he uses his own techniques to tell his story. “Cabin Fever” remains a strong entry into the world of horror. If you are new to Roth, I say start here – if you are disappointed with his future work – go back and see this again. You will not be disappointed.
Found in my “Time Out Film Guide 2005”, I would most definitely see this film again. There is talk of a director’s cut out there that I would be eager to see what additions were made to the story. I liked this film, and would easily recommend this to friends and experimental family. Obviously, it is going to get a green mark with blue stars. Bravo on your first film Mr. Roth, I just wish you could have kept this momentum.
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