Cabin Fever is a giddy splatter film that somehow became one of the darlings of the 2002 Toronto Film Festival. While it doesn't live up to the hype surrounding its release (nobody's gonna utter director Eli Roth's name in the same breath as Sam Raimi just yet), if you're in the right frame of mind, this cheerfully exploitative trash offers some gruesome fun. It also has the presence-of-mind not to take its premise seriously.

Five college kids venture out to an isolated cabin in the woods. They are soon confronted by a local hermit who has contracted some sort of flesh-eating virus. In a panic, the kids accidentally kill him, by setting the man on fire; he runs screaming into the woods, only to plunge into a local reservoir, the cabin's source of water. One-by-one, these kids begin to show signs of the same virus. This virus first shows itself in the form of lesions on the skin; soon the victim starts bleeding out and vomiting blood, until they're a goopy, oozing mess. Though I guess it's a forgone conclusion that the virus is fatal, the audience never truly knows, since every victim is violently killed by others before they have a chance to disintegrate completely. Anyway, these kids begin turning against each other, terrified of contracting the virus. They don't get any help from the decidedly insane hillbilly locals either, who opt to hunt them down in order to prevent the spread of disease. Cabin Fever is about as subtle and restrained as a Jerry Lewis movie; the humor is juvenile, the sex is gratuitous, the splatter factor is high and the script is dumb, dumb, dumb. Director/co-writer Eli Roth borrows liberally from other movies to fashion an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink hodge-podge of gruesome set-pieces, some of which have little or nothing to do with the plot (one character battles the kicking hooves of a deer he just struck with a truck, and a feral kid suddenly leaps up and uses martial arts to attack people for no reason at all). But the movie doesn't aspire to be anything more than mindless entertainment, and on that level, it succeeds. Cabin Fever is also aided by a cast that's certainly talented enough to pull off this goofy premise (Boy Meets World's Rider Strong is probably the most recognizable actor, while James DeBello's comic turn as Burt is the best performance). Much has been made of the film's violence, which is convincing and graphic. While it is undeniably unnerving at times, Cabin Fever isn't quite the blood-dripping-off-the-screen gore fest it's reputed to be, though it certainly earns it's R rating. The movie's ample use of humor helps offset much of the icky stuff, and anyone taking this premise seriously shouldn't be watching anyway; Roth may not quite be ready to usurp Evil Dead-era Sam Raimi's throne, but he certainly knows how to keep an exploitation picture crackling along without wallowing in gore.

The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, but the quality is sometimes a hit-or-miss affair. Perhaps I've been spoiled by the high-quality transfers of many recent discs I've reviewed, but I was surprised by the amount of artifacts present, especially at the start of the film, and the noticeable blemishes during the final act. The picture's also pretty grainy during a cave scene, but according to the director, it's intentional. The sound fares better, though it isn't anything to write home about. It's present in both 5.1 Dolby Digital and 2.0 Dolby Stereo. While the sound is certainly serviceable, there are moments where the dialogue registers a lot lower than the effective and amusing music score or cringe-inducing sound effects.

This is one goofy set of extras, very much a reflection of the quirky personality of both Roth and his film. In fact, I'd say I had more fun with the extras than I did with the movie. There are five (!) feature-length commentaries; two of them feature the filmmakers, and the other three feature the actors (one is by Rider Strong alone because, according to the menu, "he talked so damn much we had to move him to another track"). To get this review finished within a reasonable amount of time, plus the fact I didn't relish the idea of sitting through the same film five more times in a row, I viewed it once more, alternating among the commentaries. What I heard was great, and pretty much every aspect of the movie is discussed in significant detail, with many informative and humorous anecdotes. Also included is a lighthearted 30-minute documentary, "Beneath the Skin," which features a lot more comments by filmmakers and crew, as well as ample behind-the-scenes footage. Fans of Cabin Fever will love it (as will non-fans, I think), and the footage featuring the first dog they originally casted is a riot. In addition are three of Roth's early animated shorts in his "Rotten Fruit" series, which apparently are available on the Internet; obviously influenced by South Park; they may be interesting to watch once, but they aren't particularly funny. What is funny, though, is the "family friendly" version of the movie, with an intro by Roth, which runs about a minute. Also included is a feature titled "Pancakes!", which is home video footage of the feral kid's martial arts skills, set to a hilarious intustrial thrash tune.

Similar Films: 28 Days Later, Deliverance, Evil Dead, Dreamcatcher, Night of the Living Dead, Outbreak Useless trivia: ? Jordan Ladd is the daughter of former Charlie's Angel, Cheryl Ladd ? Cerina Vincent used to be a Power Ranger Summary: For those who are game, Cabin Fever offers some good, low-brow, tongue-in-cheek entertainment, and it's obvious Eli Roth is a talented director. Even if nothing comes of his career (and it's a distinct possibility), this Lions Gate release is an entertaining disc, with special features that reflect the same sense of fun which permeates the movie. Too bad the DVD transfer isn't all that great.