The Cabin in the Woods: Special Edition (JB HiFi Exclusive) (Blu-ray) (2011) |
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The Cabin in the Woods: Special Edition (JB HiFi Exclusive) (Blu-ray) (2011) |
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| BUY IT |
| General | Extras | ||
| Category | Horror / Thriller |
Main Menu Audio & Animation Trailer-Piranha 3D(D), Seeking A Friend, Lockout Audio Commentary-Writer/Director Drew Goddard and Writer/Producer Joss Whedon Featurette-Behind The Scenes-We Are Not Who We Are: Making The Cabin In The Woods Featurette-An Army Of Nightmares: Makeup & Animatronic Effects Featurette-Primal Terror: Visual Effects Interviews-Cast-Marty's Stash Featurette-Hi, My Name Is Joss and I'll Be Your Guide Interviews-Crew-Wonder-Con Q&A |
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| Rating |
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| Year Of Production | 2011 | ||
| Running Time | 95:00 | ||
| RSDL / Flipper | Dual Layered | Cast & Crew | |
| Start Up | Ads Then Menu | ||
| Region Coding | 4 | Directed By | Drew Goddard |
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Studio
Distributor |
 Roadshow Home Entertainment |
Starring |
Kristen Connolly Chris Hemsworth Anna Hutchison Fran Kranz Jesse Williams Richard Jenkins |
| Case | Standard Blu-ray | ||
| RPI | $49.95 | Music | David Julyan |
| Video | Audio | ||
| Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None |
English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 (4608Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) |
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| Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 2.40:1 | ||
| 16x9 Enhancement |
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| Video Format | 1080p | ||
| Original Aspect Ratio | 2.40:1 | Miscellaneous | |
| Jacket Pictures | No | ||
| Subtitles | English | Smoking | Yes |
| Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
| Action In or After Credits | No | ||
"You think you know the story."
The Cabin In The Woods is no run-of-the-mill slasher movie where the good-looking cast invariably put themselves in recognisably dangerous situations, where the girls flash a bit of flesh, and where the cast are murdered sequentially - in gruesome detail. To say much more than that is too much of a spoiler, but the opening scenes where we see Sitterson (Richard Jenkins) and Hadley (Bradley Whitford), who appear to be technicians in an industrial facility, gives a bit of a clue that this is no ordinary horror movie.
After the introductory scenes at the unexplained facility we meet our presumed victims - the athletic Curt (Chris Hemsworth), his sexy girlfriend Jules (Anna Hutchison), Curt's introverted friend Holden (Jesse Williams), the semi-virginal Dana (Kristen Connolly) and stoner Marty (Fran Kranz). The five-some are saddling up and heading for a weekend in the country, staying at a cabin recently purchased by Curt's cousin. On the way they encounter the obligatorily sinister hillbilly Mordecai (Tim De Zarn), who provides a bit of an inkling that things are not going to end well. On arrival at the cabin the group are surprised to find that it is much nicer than they imagined, and although there are some strange decorations and artefacts they settle down to enjoy themselves. As the night falls, and after a few drinks and joints, the party starts to gain steam with a game of truth or dare. Needless to say events start to take a turn for the worse when the group are enticed into the basement and they start exploring. From this point on the mayhem starts and the questions become: will they survive, who is out to get them, and why is all this happening?
The Cabin In The Woods is not meant to be your traditional slasher horror movie. Drew Goddard, who directed and co-wrote the script, and Joss Whedon, who produced and also co-wrote, have fashioned a tribute to slasher movies that not only has you jumping out of your chair in shock, but laughing out loud at some of the plot developments. The banter between Sitterson and Hadley is an unlikely highlight, and the cuts between science fiction, horror, and comedy are handled seamlessly. The five friends in the cabin are more than just gore fodder, with each having a particular role to play. The actors here do an excellent job, with Kranz in particular outstanding in a role which could have become a Cheech and Chong parody. His frequent one-liners are delivered impeccably, and are well worth remembering for later use. The impossibly sexy Hutchison also provides a highlight with a scene involving her and a mounted wolf's head. You'll know what I mean when you see it. All in all The Cabin In The Woods is huge fun, with the action moving frenetically all over the place, and the closing sequences too impossible to describe. You'll end up trying to identify all the movie and video game references - but there are just too many to list. The conclusion might leave you gasping and wondering "what the hell has just happened", in a satisfying sort of way.
The Cabin In The Woods is presented in a 2.40:1 aspect 1080p AVC mpeg-4 encoded Blu-ray disc. For much of the time this presentation is of a very high standard especially in the outdoor and well lit indoor scenes. Unfortunately though, much of the action takes place in the dark and outdoor night time scenes, and it is during these times that the definition becomes quite murky, so much so that I often found it hard to see what was going on. There are also a few minor compression flaws such as aliasing in the opening credits and digital noise in the basement scenes. Apart from this however the image is clean and smooth, with skin tones reproduced accurately and the colours overall rich and clean. The crispness of the set detail, including the various artefacts in close-up, is beautifully presented. If it wasn't for the indistinct and crushed blacks this video would have been rated as excellent.
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The default DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is crisp and clear with the dialogue always easy to understand and never overshadowed by the noise and surrounding clamour during the action scenes. The surround channels are used effectively although perhaps not as much as you might expect. The LFE track on the other hand is constantly in use and at times becomes quite thunderous, especially during the closing climax. At times I could feel the air pressure physically pulsating in the room. This soundtrack delivers the expected shocks at the right moments, and you won't be disappointed with the way it was all mixed together.
This audio track is excellent.
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The menu featured looping audio with animated background.
Delivered at first play before the opening menu.
Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Drew Goddard and Writer/Producer Joss Whedon. The pair is obviously enthusiastic about their creation here, and provides a lot of insight about the background of devising and making the film. Some nice insights and the two commentators are obviously having a lot of fun. Well worth a listen
HD video and DTS-HD master audio 2.0. This feature includes interviews with Goddard and Whedon with behind-the-scenes footage and some interesting background detail. The two describe the conception and writing process, the selection of the location and the difficulty of filming in what were adverse weather conditions. This featurette also features a number of small interviews with cast and extras.
HD video and DTS-HD master audio 2.0. Provides insights on how the impressive visual effects were put together and how difficult they were to produce from conception to screen.
HD video and DTS-HD master audio 2.0. As Goddard explains "if we can do it without visual effects then we're going to do it that way". This featurette shows how the team used puppetry and animatronics to complement the digital effects.
HD video and Dolby Digital 2.0. Marty (Fran Kranz) describes his pot smoking and associated paraphernalia.
HD video and Dolby Digital 2.0. Whedon giving a guided tour of the cabin.
HD video and Dolby Digital 2.0. Goddard and Whedon being interviewed at a movie convention by a writer for the LA Times.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The Cabin In The Woods is available in Region A with a 7.1 DTS-HD master audio track which sets it apart from this 5.1 offering. There is also the addition of a picture in picture mode which some might find appealing. This makes the Region A pressing more attractive for those whose player is Region A compatible.
The Cabin In The Woods is a fabulous movie which is not as scary as you might anticipate, but is overall a wonderful homage to the horror genre. The production is excellent, the dialogue is intelligent and witty, and the roles are well acted. There is also a bit of a moral tale behind the movie - one in which this increasingly voyeuristic society should take notice of. This is one movie which can stand repeat viewings just to catch the bits you missed earlier. Highly recommended.
The video quality is very good.
The audio quality is excellent.
Extras are excellent.
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| Review Equipment | |
| DVD | Denon DVD-3910 and Panasonic BD-35, using HDMI output |
| Display | Panasonic TH-58PZ850A. Calibrated with Digital Video Essentials (PAL). This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 1080p. |
| Audio Decoder | Built in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Digital Video Essentials (PAL). |
| Amplification | denon AVR-4311 pre-out to Elektra Theatron 7 channel amp |
| Speakers | B&W LCR600 centre and 603s3 mains, Niles in ceiling surrounds, SVS PC-Ultra Sub, Definitive Technology Supercube II Sub |