Terror Films Releasing Combines Horror & Hilarity With “ANOTHER CABIN IN THE WOODS MOVIE" (REVIEW)
Laughter and terror, what an odd and morbid combination. Horror and comedy are a great blend because both genres evoke intense emotional responses in ways they can’t do alone, sometimes more often through unexpected or exaggerated situations (depending on the storyline or the narrative). This combination creates a unique experience for horror fans where tensions with our main characters build-up, only to be broken by humor. All while making the scares more effective and the relief more satisfying to the audience members watching on the edge of their seats. This horror-comedy sub-genre is highly commended because it offers an equally enjoyable balance, allowing viewers to enjoy fright without being overwhelmed. While also appreciating the wit and satire often aimed at horror conventions and tropes, horror comedies are well worth the mainstream following that they have.
Recently we here at Macabre Daily took a road trip to the woods to prepare for some laughs with Terror Film Releasing’s newly acquired horror comedy “Another Cabin in the Woods Movie”. This movie comes to us from the producer of the “Hell House LLC” producer Joe Bandelli, who happens to be the writer/director and also has a role in the movie. This tongue-in-cheek spoof stars Nicole Pacent, Clea Alsip, Duane Cooper, Matthew Wise, Alyson McKenzie Wells, Jackie Byrne, and Ralph Cashen. It is also written by Nick Landa and Matthew Wise. The synopsis for this movie is as follows:
“A wedding party full of horror-savvy characters find themselves trapped in yet another cabin in the woods, where they are forced to navigate a maze of murder, mystery, and red herrings”
Writer/Director Joe Bandelli shared his thoughts in a recent press from Terror Films Releasing:
“This film was written as a horror/comedy with the intention to playfully poke fun at the cabin-in-the-woods sub-genre. I was heavily inspired by Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers in the “Pink Panther” films, and ZAZ classics like “Airplane” and “The Naked Gun” franchise, because I’ve always loved stories where the cast plays everything as straight as can be, while chaos erupts everywhere around them. Our incredible cast and crew brought so much dedication and fun to the project, and I’m thrilled to share this story, hopefully reminding everyone that it’s okay to laugh at ourselves every now and again.”
Bandelli’s love of horror and comedy truly shines with “Another Cabin in the Woods” with its quick-witted and hilariously subtle comedy, all while providing a terrifying story for our hilarious, as well as horrified main characters try to conquer the killer that might be closer than they think. He also shows his immense skills as a director with the establishing shots, beautiful framing of his main characters, framing of the great scenery the movie takes place in, and the morbid close-up kill shots that roll out on the screen. These aren’t just your typical horror movie kills, as they are gruesome but also fueled by hilarious puns (so much that they are a blink and miss it, which you are not going to want to).
“Another Cabin in the Woods Movie” does what some of the great hybrid horror movies have done before in that the horror and comedy work well together. There is no overlap with how many jokes are in the story and it never goes against the horror elements at play. Some horror comedies have done this before, but the way that “Another Cabin in the Woods Movie” does it with the random punchlines makes it that much more enjoyable. One of the best things about the comedy that stands out in this movie is how every radio mocks the main characters and their inevitable doom. It is hilarious in that these meta 4th-wall-breaking moments go unacknowledged by the characters, therefore making them completely ambiguous to the obvious warning signs, making for a continuously enjoyable punchline throughout the entire movie.
Utilizing twists and turns, with the red herrings of the potential killer, the sub-plot of the friend who recently decides to show up after months of being away making us wonder if there is a hidden agenda, and the gruff widowed groundskeeper with an oddly devilish voice who is a bit too involved with the wedding party. There is also an unexpected ending that will make you want to rewatch the movie just to see what breadcrumbs you missed along the way. “Another Cabin in the Woods Movie” also doesn’t skip out on the gore with axe mutilation, a beheading, a bloody shower death, and an arrow death that may just churn your stomach.
“Another Cabin in the Woods Movie” has a stellar cast continuously not missing a beat with their performances of switching between being funny and being terrified with ease. They do this very well simply by not overdoing either the humor or the horror. This can be credited not only for the performances of each of the cast members, but the great directing/writing from Joe Bandelli, who makes sure each scene is smoothly operated by giving his actors range to do what they do best. Not only does Bandelli flawlessly direct the actors, but he uses the space of the gorgeous Pennsylvania woods as a canvas to perfectly paint the foundation of yet another cabin in the woods movie (hence the title). The location itself adds an extra dose of a relaxing but terrifying evening atmosphere that amps up the cinematography.
Overall “Another Cabin in the Woods Movie” is a movie that stimulates both the horror fan and comedy fan splendidly. It has a creative story that stands on its own and doesn’t take the usual approach that spoofs do with relying too much on the source material by using its witty dialogue to show that it deserves to be on everyone’s top 5 list for must-watch horror comedies.
“Another Cabin in the Woods” from Terror Films Releasing will premier across multiple platforms on November 8th including Tubi TV, Chilling, Scare Network TV, Creepy Popcorn, Watch Movies Now, and many more. For more in-depth horror movie reviews and all things spooky, stay tuned to Macabre Daily!
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