Plot
College is finally over and five friends escape to a remote log cabin in the woods to enjoy some last days of decadence before entering the working world. Merriment and good times sour when a delirious stranger covered in bloody sores crashes their party. Shots are fired and the lunatic flees into the woods, but it’s too late for our five friends: contact was already made. Soon one member of the circle gets ill and her skin starts to bubble and burn as a trail of oozing sores ravages her flesh. The group’s compassion quickly turns to repulsion and terror as their friend deteriorates before their eyes. To protect themselves from further infection, they lock her in a shed. After watching the disease corrode her body, fear of contagion sets in and the companions turn on one another, realizing that any one of them could have it. Crawl into a dark spot and surrender to the sickness, because hope of recovery is miles away.
Analysis
Had I been told that this movie was a student film maker’s class project, all would have been explained. Several elements were taken directly from horror classics. (SPOILER WARNING) The final survivor being shot to death can be found in the original 'Night of the Living Dead', while the contaminated water being shipped to an unknowing public is a homage/rip-off of the 'Food of the Gods' (SPOILER END). There are several others not worth mentioning and this is what I expect from students, the incorporation of memorable scenes into their own work. Sadly, this was not a student’s project although the production values could mislead you. The dialogue was wooden. The casting hit and miss, mostly miss. The plot had several holes and left unanswered questions which threaten the viewer with the possibility of a sequel.
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Rating (out of 5)
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Action
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If your idea of action is tear-assing around the woods then Cabin Fever is action-packed.
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Tension
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Most of the tense moments come off as comical. Initially this seemed intentional but as the movie progresses this does not appear to be the case.
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Violence/
Gore
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Definitely gory. The lesions look disturbing and watching one of the female characters inadvertently shave the flesh off her legs is enjoyably repulsive. If you must watch this movie on DVD, then watch this scene again and feel your skin crawl.
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Bare Flesh
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There’s some skin but there are better ways to catch a glimpse of a gorgeous body than this movie.
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Plot
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What plot?
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Verdict
Someday I’ll be lying on my death bed and I’ll wish that I had not wasted time watching Cabin Fever. You’ll never get that time back. I wish I could sue my video store for leading me to believe that what I was renting could be considered “entertainment.”
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Facts, figures and boobs
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The original killer dog in "Cabin Fever" was so old and tired that all of its scenes had to be re-shot with a new dog. With no time or money to find a replacement, the producers cast a real police attack dog that was so vicious and unpredictable that no actors could appear with it on camera. The crew would hide behind trucks during its scenes, and cameras were operated by remote control.
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Joey Kern was rushed to the hospital four separate times for different eye injuries.
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Sound mixer John Neff survived the real flesh-eating bacterium, which he contracted in a hospital during minor surgery. It took 13 days of non-stop intensive care medical attention to save his life. Neff maintains the make-up in the film is 100% accurate.
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4.
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Lion's Gate Films bought the movie for an undisclosed sum in the "high seven figures", with an eight figure commitment to prints and advertising. It is the most money Lion's Gate has ever spent acquiring a motion picture up to 2002.
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Movie Pictures
(Click picture to enlarge)
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