While this weekend we brought you brief interview from BC, beyond the break you'll find a full-blown feature article for Lionsgate's Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (read BC's review). Bloody Disgusting's Chris Eggertsen hit up the red carpet premiere of the event, which took place this past weekend as part of the Screamfest Horror Film Festival. Below you'll find the skinny that features a whole bunch of interviews and a few pics from the carpet.
'Cabin Fever', Eli Roth’s stomach-churning homage to the exploitation horror films of the ‘70s and ‘80s, surprised industry observers in 2003 when it managed to gross over $30 million worldwide after being shot on a measly $1.5 million budget. At the time, it was a welcome change of pace from the tiresome post-'Scream' era of the late ‘90s/early ‘00s, where the teen characters invariably spouted irony-laden, self-conscious dialogue in films that began to feel less like horror movies than extended episodes of 'Dawson’s Creek'. Where was the grime? Where was the gore? Horror fans were in desperate need of a new direction, and 'Cabin Fever' provided that.
Fast-forward six years. The 'Saw' franchise has long since passed its expiration date (which of course isn’t stopping the producers from churning out the sequels), the 'Hostel' series seems headed for an endless succession of direct-to-DVD follow-ups (minus Eli Roth), Rob Zombie has brought his grungy Red State-aesthetic to two 'Halloween' remakes, and fan boys everywhere got a serious kick in the ass with the one-two shot of 'Grindhouse', Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s brilliant double-feature homage to the exploitation flicks of yore. In other words, horror lovers got, at least in part, the movement they were yearning for, and we have Eli Roth (in large part) to thank for it.
So it’s understandable that fans of Roth (a camp I happen to be a part of) were disappointed when it was announced that he would not direct or be officially involved in any capacity with 'Cabin Fever 2', the follow-up to the film that made his career. Fans have been further discouraged now that the sequel, which completed principal photography in April 2007, has yet to see either a theatrical or DVD release (according to producer Lauren Moews Vilchik there is still no theatrical release planned, and judging by the fact that the street date for the DVD looks to be February of next year, this one doesn’t seem likely to play your local multiplex). Simply put: when it’s 2 ½ years from the end of production and a film still hasn’t seen the light of day, it almost never bodes well for the final product.
To my relief, these fears were assuaged when I discovered during a screening at ScreamFest 2009 in Hollywood that 'Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever', against all odds, did in fact not suck. I mean, alright, it’s not as good as the first film. It doesn’t possess the full-blooded satiric undertones that Eli Roth brought to the original, and it’s rather clunky in spots. But at the same time, it’s also loads better than I expected. In other words: go in with low expectations, and you’ll come out of the experience pleasantly surprised.
After the movie, I had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with stars Noah Segan, Alexi Wasser and Giuseppe Andrews (who had a supporting role in the first movie), as well as with producer Lauren Moews Vilchik. Moews has been with the franchise since the beginning, when she received the script that Eli Roth had been peddling around town for the last six years and was the first person to recognize its potential. All were engaging and friendly, but I was most interested in speaking with Moews, if only because she’d be able to give me insight into the development and subsequent success of the first movie and the span of years during which the sequel had languished in a lengthy period of development. I asked her to take me through the chain of events had transpired between the first installment and its belated follow-up.
"Lions Gate developed [a 'Cabin Fever' sequel] in-house, and then 'Saw' came, and so we were like the ugly step-child", Moews told me. "And they weren’t really set up right to produce these films, and they didn’t have really the manpower to pay attention to [the 'Cabin Fever' sequel] and handle 'Saw' and so that lagged, and then what was developed none of us really liked, so we said ‘Hey, can we pitch you this idea?’, and Randy Pearlstein (the co-writer on the first film) pitched [the ‘prom’ idea]. We loved it. And then Joshua Malkin wrote a version of the script that got it green-lit. And then Josh and Ti [West, the director] took it from there."
I should say here that I found Moews to be amiable and relaxed, without any of the pushiness or faux sincerity so typical of Hollywood film producers. To me, she came off sort of like that cooler, hipper mom that lived down the street when you were a kid, the one who grew herbs in the backyard and read feminist literature on her off-time. I mention this because it’s just this vibe that makes her embrace of the first film, with its almost punk-rock sensibility, seem in hindsight like a no-brainer. It also makes sense, then, that instead of bringing on a studio-safe director-for-hire type, she went with horror auteur Ti West, director of the idiosyncratic films 'The Roost' and 'Trigger Man' and the upcoming 'The House of the Devil', to helm the sequel.
"Ti was suggested to me by Eli, [after] Eli saw 'The Roost'. And I saw it and I thought, well, Ti has very interesting ideas, and when I talked to him about 'Cabin Fever 2', there were certain ideas that were on board with mine and then others that took the ‘80s homage [approach]", Moews said. "[That approach] definitely appealed to me."
Indeed, much like the first 'Cabin Fever', 'Cabin Fever 2' functions as homage to the low-budget horror films of the ‘70s and ‘80s. There’s certainly something refreshing about this approach, considering most of the current crop of watered-down, PG-13 big-studio "horror" movies are more concerned with tapping into the "Youtube/Facebook/Twitter"-obsessed youth demographic and all of their attendant technologies than actually, you know, scaring people.
Of course, simply utilizing a period setting does not a good horror movie make. Thankfully though, West doesn’t cheapen the film by reveling in the kitsch factor of the era. There was never a moment where the movie seemed to be calling attention to its "retro" vibe; whereas a lesser director might have utilized the unsightly ‘80s hairstyles or appalling acid-washed fashions in service of easy, 'Wedding Singer'-style sight gags, West is pretty matter-of-fact about it.
This sense of restraint that was so apparent on screen also seems akin to how West operates on set as well, at least in the way his methods were described to me by the actors I spoke with. Words like "relaxed", "laid-back", and "easy-going" were often used by these cast members to characterize their experience of working with the director.
"It was literally like, I just show up and we just, you know, I just did my thing", said Giuseppe Andrews, who came off in real-life not that far removed from the character of Deputy Winston that he portrays on-screen (who he told me was based on a jewel thief that his father had known and told him stories about as a child). "It was just real fast…I think I might’ve been [on the set] a week, maybe."
Giuseppe’s turn in the sequel, in which his role has been expanded quite a bit from the first film, is a marvel of felicitous casting. He is, quite simply, perfect for the part, and the off-the-cuff style he employed during filming (he wrote most of his own dialogue) works very well on screen.
In fact, the casting all around was pretty solid; a particular stand-out was Noah Segan, who gave a typically good performance as John, a smart, college-bound high school student who harbors a deep-seated love for Cassie, his classmate and childhood friend (played by Alexi Wasser). Unfortunately for him, her on-again, off-again alpha-male boyfriend Marc (played by Marc Senter) represents a rather formidable obstacle to realizing his dreams of sweeping her off her feet. This quintessential teen-movie setup even comes complete with the overweight, nerdy best friend, here played by a Jonah Hill-esque Rusty Kelley. But Segan is definitely the stand-out in this equation, much like he was in 'Deadgirl', his earlier (at least in terms of release date) foray into the horror genre. According to him though, he was initially resistant to the idea of being in the film at all.
"I tried my hardest to be 'not' involved with the film", Segan said. "I kept getting this script sent to me that said 'Cabin Fever 2', and I had never seen the first 'Cabin Fever', and I saw 'Cabin Fever 2' and I thought, well I never saw the first one, and it says ‘2’ on it, so I’m not sure I should even [get involved with it]. And finally, I started getting phone calls from people who I had worked with saying, ‘Oh, you’ll get it man, these people are cool. Lauren, the producer, she’s super cool man, and Ti, the director man, he really gets it, he really knows what it’s all about, just check it out. So I checked it out, you know, finally I opened up the script and I read it and I was like, ‘This is totally awesome’."
Of everyone I spoke with, Segan was perhaps Ti West’s biggest cheerleader, and his affection for not only the project but for the horror genre in general became very apparent during my conversation with him. Unlike the hyperbole trafficked in by so many actors, Segan’s enthusiasm felt very genuine and he clearly has a soft spot in his heart for genre films.
"I’m a big fan of the genre, you know, I’m a fan of a lot of horror stuff, specifically ‘60s and ‘70s kinda grindhouse movies", said Segan. "The first phone call I had with Ti West we talked about Sam Peckinpah, and 'Heathers' and you know, a lot of the same stuff that we were into and we just clicked."
This initial sense of connection shared by the director and his lead actor also parlayed itself into a successful working relationship on set.
"The factor [that distinguishes] a good director is their ability to trust the people who they work with. And in my case, I think that once I was able to prove to Ti that I got it, that I really understood the sort of subversive, ironic comedy and how to maybe make [my character] a little bit interesting or a little bit left-of-center, he let me do my thing."
It’s a quote that echoes Giuseppe’s feelings on working with the director, right down to his "do your thing" approximation of West’s directorial style. Alexi Wasser too gave the impression of a laid-back vibe on set.
"When we were making the film, everything was awesome, everybody got along so great, it was like the best experience of all of our lives, I swear to God", said Wasser. "I had so much fun."
I was rather surprised to find that Wasser, a very tall, thin girl with a short brunette haircut and striking features, was a fan of the horror genre herself (my sense of surprise likely being due to the fact that only seconds before she’d handed me a bumper sticker for her personal blog, the cutesy-sounding IMBOYCRAZY.COM, complete with hot pink lettering).
"I like old school ‘80s or ‘70s horror films, like 'C.H.U.D.', 'Re-Animator', the 'Evil Dead' movies, old school Jamie Lee Curtis 'Halloween' stuff…I love all that stuff", said Wasser. "And I used to collect comic books…I’m a little bit of a nerd, yeah."
One film that 'Cabin Fever 2' seemed to pay homage to, or at least a film that it brought to my mind while watching it, was Brian De Palma’s 'Carrie'. Not only did several shots during the blood-soaked prom scenes feel very similar to that film, Wasser’s character herself gives off a definite Carrie White vibe after she’s been doused in blood during the third act. I asked Wasser if that was the look and feel they were going for when filming those scenes.
"I don’t know if it was intentional that I would end up looking like Carrie, but I did, you know, and the dress, and like just the vibe of the kind of lanky girl covered in blood…maybe Ti West knew he was doing that, but I think it was an accident, but a happy accident."
So how was it being drenched in blood for several days during the 2 ½ month-long shoot?
"It actually singed and ruined my hair", said Wasser. "Getting the blood out of my hair burned it to the point where I did have to cut it off…I changed my hair after this movie because it was so damaged. I didn’t like being covered in blood at night being all sticky, but I did love constantly running. I got in really good shape because all I’m doing in this movie is running, and I loved screaming really loud and I loved [how it] was just so over the top and crazy. It was like, what the hell’s going on here? Pus is coming out of a guy’s privates? Pretty nasty."
Oh yeah, that’s another thing. For those who loved the "ick" factor of the first movie, trust me when I say you’re in good hands with this one. There are several cringe-worthy, early-Peter-Jackson-esque moments (one that particularly sticks out in my mind involves super-glue and a fingernail and that’s all I’m gonna say) that might have made Lucio Fulci himself bust out into peals of maniacal laughter.
So what’s next for all involved? Well, for one, Segan appears to be parlaying his love of horror films into new and exciting projects – one of which, the Chad Ferrin-directed 'Someone’s Knocking At The Door', involves one of his first forays into producing.
"We are doing the festival tour with that right now, and having so much fun with it", said Segan. "It is just super out there, wild, ’70s grindhouse, sex drugs rock ‘n’ roll, fucking and killing and fucking some more and then killing a little bit more after that…it’s very Roger Corman…you know, Russ Meyer, it’s about irony and subversiveness and really putting your tongue in your cheek and trying to take it to the next level."
Sounds great to me. And what about Lauren Moews? Will she continue bringing her decidedly independent streak to bear on the horror genre?
"[Zev Berman, the director of 'Borderland' and I are] doing a really hard sort of horror-thriller called 'Three Shades of Black', inspired by a Hank Williams III song. It’s a western, and it’s pretty damn good I have to say. And so I’m doing that, and I’m working on the Kane trilogy [a project based on the dark fantasy short story collection ‘Death Angel’s Shadow’, written by Karl Edward Wagner]. And I’m very close to [getting the financing in place for it]."
Way awesome. Now, for the real question on everyone’s minds: can we expect a 'Cabin Fever 3'? Without giving anything away, the second film definitely leaves you with the impression that there could be another sequel coming down the pike.
"There’s only one reason to do it", said Moews. "And that’s because Giuseppe and Mark Borchardt [who plays Giuseppe’s cousin Herman in the film] would be in it…so I thought to myself, ‘okay, if we’re gonna have a third, we’ll set it up’…[in the only way] I’d ever wanna do it or ever want it to be done. So let me push it in that direction."
And I’ll just leave it at that (again, I don’t want to give too much away). To find out what direction she’s talking about, you’ll just have to see 'Cabin Fever 2'. Trust me, it’s not bad; just try not to set your expectations unreasonably high. In other words: if you go in expecting a masterpiece, don’t come crying to me for your money back.
I was at that screening and the audience was way into it! It was gory/funny as hell! BEST line: "SASHIMI." I'd see Cabin Fever 3 with Deputy Winston based on that one word.
I know this movie would be better than the lame origin of Roth's creation. It got better reviews as well. Killer cast, they all look awesome! Waiting with baded breath for the sequel, can't wait for CF3!
I dont care what people say, i think eli has some good ideas...sure there not all great but still at least hes not making a sequal to twilight or something of that nature. I know hes not behind this film, but it looks at least watchable.
i will check it out i was pleasently suprised by the first one my wife and i watched it at home after comin across it in blockbuster for a fiver!!!! very good so il give this one a go not expecting much though
Shocktillyoudrop gave this movie 6.5. I call that rather impressive! It fared better than Roth's creation, sry 2 say. I expect this movie to be the hit Fangoria and the above blog says it is.
I want to see this movie, but I saw a video of Ti talking at some convention saying that it is completely different from what he wanted it to be. Pretty much he had it completely finished and the studio didn't like it so they took it from him and changed it. I would like to see this version, but I'm looking forward to a director's cut even more, although that will never happen.
I hate to say it, but this film fails in both the horror and the comedy. It does have some pretty effective gross outs, but who cares if everything else is lame?
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'Cabin Fever', Eli Roth’s stomach-churning homage to the exploitation horror films of the ‘70s and ‘80s, surprised industry observers in 2003 when it managed to gross over $30 million worldwide after being shot on a measly $1.5 million budget. At the time, it was a welcome change of pace from the tiresome post-'Scream' era of the late ‘90s/early ‘00s, where the teen characters invariably spouted irony-laden, self-conscious dialogue in films that began to feel less like horror movies than extended episodes of 'Dawson’s Creek'. Where was the grime? Where was the gore? Horror fans were in desperate need of a new direction, and 'Cabin Fever' provided that.
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