Cabin Fever (2003) Movie Information:

Cabin Fever (2003) Directed by: Eli Roth Cabin Fever (2003) Written by: Randy Pearlstein, Eli Roth Cabin Fever (2003) Cast: Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, Joey Kern, Cerina Vincent, James Debello, Arie Verveen, Giuseppe Andrews, Christy Ward, Michael Harding, Julie Childress

Cabin Fever (2003) U.S. Distributor: Lions Gate Films Cabin Fever (2003) U.K. Distributor: Redbus Film Distribution

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Cabin Fever (2003) Synopsis:

As a last hurrah after college, friends Jeff, Karen, Paul, Marcy and Bert embark on a vacation deep into the mountains. With the top down and the music up, they drive to a remote cabin to enjoy their last days of decadence before entering the working world. Then somebody gets sick. Karen's skin starts to bubble and burn as something grows inside her, tunneling beneath her flesh. The group is so repulsed, shocked and sickened watching their friend deteriorate before their eyes; they lock her in a shed to avoid infection. As they debate about how to save her, they look at one another and realize that any one of them could also have it. What soon began as a struggle against the disease turns into a battle against friends, as the fear of contagion drives them to turn on each other. The kids confront the terror of having to kill anyone who comes near them, even if it's their closest friend. The survivors have to find help before they're all killed by the virus, or by the local lynch mob out to destroy anyone who may have come in contact with it.

Cabin Fever (2003) Movie Review:

What do you do when someone in pain begs for your help?
“Please, I need a doctor!”
Human instinct kicks in and you more than likely assist.
What do you do if that person crying for help appears to be disintegrating before your eyes, a mass of blood clots and decomposing flesh?
In their final moments of pain and terror, they crave human compassion and edge closer to their only hope of salvation…
Repelled, you back off. Flee, and tell them to “get the fuck away” from you.
You can’t help, ‘cos your gut fear of agony and death overwhelms the pity. No matter if the person is your closest friend or lover.

Don’t be misled by the premise though, this movie is laced with outrageous mischief.
It is unashamedly influenced by the schlocky thrill-fests of the late Seventies and early Eighties…”Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, “Last House on the Left”, “Evil Dead” et al.
Movies where handsome college meatheads and glamour-puss girlies in “Daisy Dukes”, with pert breasts (the close-ups leave you in no doubt!) take road trips through Hicks-ville…and stop off somewhere ‘harmless’ for a night of unexpected debauchery and disembowelment to a bluegrass, banjo soundtrack.
The only difference is that the main threat to their mortality is not slack-jawed locals with a penchant for fashioning clothes from their skin – it’s the flesh-munching virus in the woods.

That’s Cabin Fever.

Cabin Fever is shot predominately with a soft, dew - kissed lens. The sun shimmers on the lake and the wind blows gently through the grass and then night falls.
To it’s credit, “night”, the most over-utilised horror tool of them all, is not relied upon for upping the creepy.
Oh no, the director wants to make the flesh-crawling moments as stark and repulsive as possible – here the sun glistens on the puddles of blood and mangled bodies too.
Although their problems begin of an evening, some of the finest gory moments occur at the most unexpected times. Others, well, in hindsight they seem to have been set up to arrive at a predetermined ‘ick’ point, but so what, who cares!
Of course they are, it’s a horror movie and that’s how they function.
In its genre, (screwball horror) it stands out as the best example recently produced and is, at the core, playing on your inherent fears but with just the right smattering of humour, to make horror truly scary again.
And after the ridiculous dirge that was “Freddy vs Jason” turned our childhood bogeymen into clowns we need something new to be scared of, damn it!

Some highbrow critics will snobbishly chastise this movie Simon Cowell style - “it’s derivative”, “it makes no sense” “the acting has more than a whiff of ham” “it relies on gore” “it’s stereotypical and stupid”. Well “ra ra” to them.

It’s entertaining as hell. Ample time is spent on the set – up, the funky musical score kicks ass, the weirdo stoners and locals who emerge from nowhere are a fun highlight, it has a kooky, retro feel and it will probably disgust and scare the shit out of you in equal measures. And you may laugh uneasily at the sick – ass, screwed up ending.
Here’s hoping you do!

Don’t go to watch this film expecting a “Seven” or “Silence of the Lambs”, but if you liked “Texas” and its ilk, you’ll get a big kick from Cabin Fever.

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Cabin Fever (2003) review written by: Terresa Gaffney