Cabin in the Woods

Drew Goddard's Cabin in the Woods is a cinematic feast for those of us who love horror movies and understand that the tease "don't look in the basement" is an inevitable invitation to do just that. But the wonder of Cabin is that that hackneyed warning leads to a fantastic array of outlandish terror/slasher genre tropes and tricks all in the service of ... well, I'll leave that alone. The story, written by wunderkind Joss Whedon (Buffy, the Vampire Killer and Firefly) and first-time director Goddard, is a bloody moebius strip, twisting in and around itself after introducing the four comely college kids (slut, jock, geek and virgin) and one unrepentant stoner who go off for a weekend in a remote cabin, without Internet or cellphone access. The film is brimming with vitality and smartness and humor and is, not a little bit, inspired.