New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

It is hard to remember a film kept more “hush hush” than this week’s monster mash, The Cabin in the Woods. With plenty of hidden surprises and twists, the only way to describe the movie without spoiling it is: five collegiate friends (notably including a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth) vacation to a secluded cabin in the woods for a night of laughs and screams. A fine balancing act between humor and horror, Cabin outshines most scary flicks and even some comedies, with a sharp edge and shine (no dust has settled on this film sitting on the shelf since 2009 due to MGM’s bankruptcy).

Written by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and the upcoming The Avengers) and Drew Goddard (frequent collaborator with Whedon), but directed by only the latter, The Cabin in the Woods is a surprisingly fun jaunt that escalates into a cameo-driven finish that will get any horror fan’s heart pumping.

Cabin stars Kristen Connolly and Fran Kranz (Dollhouse) offered some insight into their long-delayed film during a roundtable interview. The scariest thing about Cabin for Kranz was the possibility of not being a part of it. “I felt such a strong connection and ownership to the role which is rare, but as an actor, when that happens and you really believe that you are the right person for this role, it is difficult,” said the actor on fearing he wouldn’t get the part of stoner Marty, “I knew if I didn’t get it, it would haunt me for the rest of my life.”

On auditioning for the role

Fran Kranz: I auditioned for this like any other movie, which was weird, because I was working on [Whedon’s TV show] Dollhouse. … I saw the names of the people involved and it was bizarre, because Joss had never really mentioned me getting an audition. There was a day on the Dollhouse set when Drew [Goddard] came to talk to Joss … about potential shooting locations, potential lakes and cabins and woods, and one of them was the original Friday the 13th, Camp Crystal Lake. I started geeking out, because I am a big fan of those movies. “Ahh, you have got to film it there! That’s so cool!” Later on, Joss told me that he had Drew come to set to meet me, because they had already been thinking about me for the role. So I really just happened to luck out and come over and make an impression and show that I loved horror films. But I auditioned just like for anything else. It was bizarre, because I would go to work every day and see Joss and be like, “I just auditioned for the movie, what’s going on?” (Laughs.) It was the elephant in the room.

At one point we were having lunch and [Dollhouse star] Eliza Dushku was asking Joss how the movie was coming and he said, “We’re putting together a pretty second-rate cast.”

Kristen Connolly: That was mean.

Continued:       1       2       3