Cabin Fever Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
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
after college. Then somebody gets sick. Karen's skin starts to bubble and burn as something
grows inside her, tunneling beneath her flesh. As the others try to save her, they look at one
another and realize that any one of them could be next. One by one they turn on each other
and the rest of the town... realizing that the disease is the least of their problems.
Following the 2002 release of Cabin Fever I officially ended my practice of guzzling water from the makeshift taps installed within most campsites. In all my prior wilderness outings, I shrugged off the thought of disease or infestation in the water supply, and placed far too much faith in the filtering capabilities of government run facilities. I'm not usually the paranoid type, but despite the sensational (fictitious) accounts in the film, I can't help but picture a dead body floating in the reservoir that directly feeds the spigot. Naturally, we have no idea what manner of pollution might be trickling downstream in any waterway (a crazy mountain-man urinating into the water, or a dead animal carcass), but at least I find comfort in the water treatment of my comfortable suburban neighborhood. That's not to say a future installment of the series won't ruin that as well, but at least I felt safe in revisiting the original entry in the franchise, knowing my fear would remain contained.
When five college friends descend on a remote cabin in the middle of a rural town, they expect a weeklong escape from the stress of midterms and finals. Settling down during their first afternoon, one couple hops in the sack for an afternoon of sexual escapades, while another pair dons swim gear for their playful stroll to the nearby lake. The remaining member of the entourage is a bumbling jock named Bert (James DeBello), who decides to pass his time shooting squirrels and drinking beer. While chasing one of the elusive creatures, Bert crosses paths with a sickly woodland hermit with a disgusting skin condition. Alarmed by the man's appearance, Bert discharges his rifle in the direction of monstrous sight, and escapes back to the comfort of the cabin. Later that evening, the residents of the cabin are wrapping up a night of campfire mischief to hunker down for the night, when they hear a knock at the door and discover the same diseased man on their doorstep. Bert demonstrates little hesitation in turning him away, but when the man attempts to steal their only means of transportation, all hell breaks loose. Forcing the man from the truck with blunt objects and a gun, the hermit is eventually set on fire and lost to the stillness of the night. The following morning brings a new round of bad omens, as the youngsters discover the truck won't start, and several set off in search of help. The shy couple stays behind (shell-shocked by the events of the prior night), and soon realize the infection has found a new host. Battling against time and desperate for a cure, things are about to get far worse before they get better.
It's hard to believe almost eight years have passed since Eli Roth burst onto the horror scene. Filmed on a modest budget of 1.5 million, Cabin Fever set a new precedence for the shock value of gore. Up until that point, the horror vibe of the 1970's and early 80's had been lost in a sea of jump-tastic clichés that threatened to forever destroy the mayhem of a truly chilling film. Eli Roth didn't necessarily revolutionize the horror genre, but he opened the door for Hollywood's acceptance of a neglected art-form. Within a year we had the gore-drenched Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, which was quickly followed by the first entry in long-running Saw series. Audiences everywhere remained shocked and appalled by the graphic depictions of gore that became prevalent in the years following Cabin Fever, but the origins of the modern gore-fest began with a small labor of love starring a virus as the main antagonist.
Now that I'm revisiting the film after nearly 8 years, I've begun to realize the extent horror cinema has changed since the original theatrical release. Despite slapping this release with an "unrated" designation, there's something surprisingly tame about Cabin Fever. I'd attribute most of the change to the desensitization I've experienced from the likes of Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, Devil's Rejects), or the further work of Eli Roth (Hostel), but it's also worth noting the effect expectations can have on your enjoyment of the film. In my initial viewing, I had no idea I was about to witness so much disgustingly graphic material, allowing the element of surprise to play a huge role in my perceptions. Images from the film kept popping into my head in the days that followed, adding to my feelings of adoration for the unsettling tone of the production. That "squirm in your seat" attribute is still present today, but the shock value has taken a noticeable hit.
Once you remove the gore element of the film, matters take a turn for the worst. I'd never suggest slasher films are the be-all end-all sub-genre, but the incorporation of a spreading virus fails to illicit much fear. At least a psychotic killer with a knife presents a challenge to our theories of escape, and creates the sneaking urge to look over your shoulder. In the case of Cabin Fever, the only chills are generated by the thought of contracting a flesh-eating disease with no known cure. The idea is certainly unsettling, but never something I'd consider frightening.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 17Mbps), Cabin Fever sports an inconsistent transfer, but looks far better than I anticipated. Fine object detail never dips into sub-par territory during well-lit daytime scenes, but the second nightfall descends, we're treated to a noticeable drop in clarity. A veil of film grain still saturates the image during the less detailed shots, leaving the impression the haziness is merely a product of the low-budget source material, though it still affects the proficiency of the presentation. Moving along, the color spectrum demonstrates a push toward yellow and red that becomes more pronounced in the later stages of the film (coinciding with the progressive nature of the subject matter). As a result, the presentation demonstrates a tendency to appear a touch on the drab side, which enhances the dreary nature of the film. Black levels retain adequate depth through the majority of the film, but there are several sequences where contrast exhibits weak shade differentiation, resulting in a loss of shadow detail (such as the campfire scene in the early stages of the film).
If my assessment of the visual presentation sounds underwhelming, let me take this opportunity to make it abundantly clear this is a substantial improvement over the prior DVD release. There are still several issues that plague the high-definition upgrade, but given the budgetary limitations of the source material, they're easy to forgive.
Continuing their trend of delivering a lossless 7.1 audio track on the majority of their catalog titles, Lionsgate delivers an upgrade that certainly isn't worth dying for, but serves up a heaping portion of gore-drenched fun. The proficiency of the audio track never rivals the robust design of an action-oriented production, but if you listen closely to the more subtle effects in the surround mix, you'll develop a newfound appreciation for the film's attention to detail. Examples include the sound of a campfire crackling, dried leaves rustling across the ground, or the distinct high-pitched whine of a creaking door. Those are the elements that make their way into the rear sound stage, while the dialogue and more direct aspects of the mix remain focused on the front region. As a result, most of the film has a tendency to rely a bit too heavily on the front speakers, creating an impression that the sound design isn't fully utilizing every channel. Immersion may not be the track's strong suit, but it makes up for it in other areas. Clarity is exceptional throughout the majority of the film, including moments when you might not want it to remain so crisp (the sound of flesh peeling away is increasingly morbid with lossless compression). Likewise, the volume balance between the dialogue, music, and effects remains entirely appropriate, without too much weight placed on one single element. All in all, this is a value-added audio presentation.
Cabin Fever Family Version (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:13 min): introduced by director Eli Roth, this comedic inclusion pokes fun at what the film would be like if it were made accessible to all audiences.
Director's Shorts: Rotten Fruit (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 18:26): Created by Eli Roth and Noah Belson following the release of Cabin Fever, this collection of five crude episodes present fruit in a whole new light. I'd hate to see what lengths Roth might turn to if he ever lost his creative outlet of filmmaking (perhaps bank robbery, opening a butcher shop, or a spin as a serial killer).
Beneath the Skin: The Making of Cabin Fever (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 28:57 min): Director Eli Roth, the actors, and the film's producers discusses the basis for the story, the development of the script, and the entire creative "on-set" process. Some behind-the-scenes supplements remain fairly superficial, but this one is filled to the brim with interesting subject matter.
Pancakes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:46 min): If you're interested in pure randomness, this is well worth your time. The crazy redneck kid from the film (who yells "pancakes") demonstrates martial arts moves while the song "Gay Bar" plays in the background.
Postcards from Bunyon County (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 2:32 min): the only high definition supplement on the disc, this is basically an image gallery of behind-the-scenes snapshots.
Rounding out the extras, we have a standard definition trailer for Cabin Fever, as well as a feature length audio commentary with Eli Roth, Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, Cerina Vincent, and Joey Kern. This newly recorded commentary track provides a fresh look at the "unrated" version of the film, and presents a nostalgic perspective that wasn't included in the commentary tracks on the original DVD.
Cabin Fever is a polarizing film that takes great pleasure in making audiences squirm. My appreciation for the film has slightly diminished over the years, but if you're looking for a gore-drenched horror production that doesn't take itself too seriously, this disc is a worthy addition to your collection. From a technical standpoint, this Blu-ray release offers a reasonable upgrade in every category except the supplemental materials, and incorporates 4 minutes of edited footage to complete the unrated version (as Eli Roth originally intended). Keep a barf bag handy and pass the popcorn, because things are about to get ugly.
An early announcement to retailers indicates that Lionsgate Home Entertainment will release 'Cabin Fever', the first movie directed by Eli Roth ('Hostel' and 'Hostel Part II'), on Blu-ray on February 16, 2010 (possibly to tie in with the theatrical release of 'Cabin ...
