Cabin in the Woods to play at NZ Film Festival

By Daniel Rutledge

Following a fan petition to stop it from going direct to DVD, acclaimed horror movie The Cabin in the Woods will play at this year's New Zealand Film Festival.

The film is produced by Joss Whedon (The Avengers) and stars Kiwi Anna Hutchison (Go Girls, Underbelly) along with Australian Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers). It is described as very clever, entertaining and genre-bending.

Following a limited release in North America which brought in a box office total of US$38 million, Australasian distributors Roadshow Films announced recently it would be released direct to DVD here. Many fans expressed unhappiness over this decision and an online petition was created.

Programmer of the Incredibly Strange section of the New Zealand Film Festival Ant Timpson announced the Cabin in the Woods screenings today and says he hopes the film's success here sends a message.

This is the last stand for Kiwi horror fans to unite against the industry perception that horror doesnt work in this country, says Timpson.

If we cant even fill a few festival screenings with Cabin in the Woods, were sending a clear message to the distributors that they were right, we were wrong and horror is dead.

The Cabin in the Woods premiered at Austins SXSW festival earlier this year and garnered critical acclaim.

It's one of the best genre efforts I have seen in a decade, writes Devin Faraci at badassdigest.com.

It completely revitalised my love for horror movies while also being fresh and funny and fun and bloody. If you don't like this film reconsider your feelings about the horror genre. You may not actually be a fan.

Read more here:
Cabin in the Woods to play at NZ Film Festival