CABIN FEVER (2002) & CABIN FEVER 2: SPRING FEVER (2009) Double-Feature Blu-ray
Label: Via Vision Entertainment
Region Code: Region-Free
Special Features:
CABIN FEVER 2: SPRING BREAK (2009)
CABIN FEVER 2 (2009)
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: R
Duration: 97 Minutes 48 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 7.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.40:1)
Director: Eli Roth
Cast: Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, James DeBello, Cerina Vincent, Joey Kern, Arie Verveen, Giuseppe Andrews
In 2002 Eli Roth (Hostel) brought horror fans something they had not seen in a while, that was a proper return to bloody old school, splattery fun with Cabin Fever, a low-budget gory delight about a flesh-eating virus that works it's way through five annoying twenty-somethings who head out to a cabin in the woods to celebrate their recent graduation. While there they make fun of the rural locals who look like background characters from Gummo, get stoned, drink some beers, have sex, and fall victim to a nasty flesh-eating virus that causes them to rot from the inside after an encounter with an infected backwoods hermit.
The gore is delightfully disgusting and holds up pretty dang well 20 years later, we have the unfortunate blood-fingering (which always brings to mind "The Raft" segment of Creepshow 2 for me), a skin-crawling leg shaving scene, the infected vomiting geysers of blood from their mouth, and a dog tearing apart an unfortunate rotter who has been left alone to die in a tool shed. Plus we have a strange kung-fu antics of kid named Dennis who likes to yell "pancakes" a lot and gets a bit bitey, and a dipshit deputy named Winston (Giuseppe Andrews, Detroit Rock City) who adds fun flavor to the millennial splatter-fest. Of note, this is the longer running 98-min unrated director's cut of the film, not the theatrical cut.
- Cabin Fever Family Version with Intro by Eli Roth (1 min)
- Director's Shorts: Rotten Fruit (18 min)
- Beneath the Skin: The Making of Cabin Fever (29 min)
- Pancakes (106 min)
- Postcards from Bunyon County (3 min)
- Audio Commentary with Director Eli Roth and Actors Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, Cerina Vincent, and Joey Kern
- Photo Gallery (3 min)
- Popcorn Taxi: Q&A with Director Eli Roth (36 min)
- Theatrical Trailer (1 min)
Label: Via Vision Entertainment
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: R
Duration: 86 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Ti West
Cast: Noah Segan, Alexi Wasser, Rusty Kelley, Marc Senter, Giuseppe Andrews
In the goofier and even grosser sequel Cabin Fever 2: Spring Break (2009), a film which director by Ti West (Pearl) disowned after the producers ordered reshoots and tinker with, the story continues just days after the end of the first film. It's re-affirmed that the killer flesh-eating virus has made it's way into the water supply and that a local bottling plant has begun distributing contaminated bottled water to the local high school where the students are preparing for the senior prom, unaware they’re about to have a grisly date with death.
The sequel starts off proper with one of the infected characters (Ryder Strong) from the previous film making a slight return before being splattered by a school bus, we also get the return of dipshit Deputy Winston who arrives to investigate the gory scene of the bus accident. At the school we have senior John (Noah Segan, Dead Girl) who is crushing hard on Cassie (Alexi Wasser, The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu), whom he wants to take to the prom, but her violent ex boyfriend Marc (Marc Senter, Starry Eyes) is making his life miserable. Meanwhile John's chunky best pal Alex (Rusty Kelley) is chasing after highschool stripper tart Liz (Regan Deal), who gives him a sloppy BJ in the school bathroom, unaware that the canker sore on her lips that he chooses to ignores is a death sentence.
The sequel is gory, rude, and disgusting, coming off as even more mean-spirited than the first film but darkly funny. While I have no idea what Ti West's original cut was like I must say that I do love the sequel, quite a bit, it really goes for the gore and sleaze-factor and delivers the goods. Eventually a nefarious clean-up team arrives looking to erase the infection at all costs during prom, so we get some fun Carrie-esque sequences once the virus starts infecting the teens and the clean-up team begins eradicating them. The gross-out stuff is super icky, we have a disgruntled janitor pissing bloody urine into the prom punch bowl, canker sore blow-jobs, a mean-spirited sex and death episode in the pool, someone's face obliterated by blunt-force trauma, a sickening puss-riddled infected dick shot, amputation by table saw, and plenty more stomach churning practical effects. I kind of love how mean-spirited it all is, and while it's a bummer that Ti West disowned the final film I think it's still a fun watch with tons of gore, if you like 'em sleazy, bloody and super mean-spirited I think this will bring a smile to your demented mug.
Special Features:
- Gore Reel (3 min)
- Behind the Scenes Featurette (13 min)
- Theatrical Trailer (2 min)
Both films arrives on a region-free 2-disc Blu-ray set from Via Vision Entertainment in 1080p HD widescreen with uncompressed audio and optional English subtitles. This set carries over all the previous extras, at least the North American extras featured on the previous Lionsgate releases that I have in by collection. The set arrives in an oversized keepcase with a wrap and a slipcover featuring the same key art from the first film with logos for both films overlaying that. Of note, I do not believe the sequel has ever had a North American Blu-ray release, so this region-free set should appeal to U.S. fans of the film looking to upgrade the sequel.
Screenshots from the Via Vision Entertainment Region-Free 2-Disc Blu-ray Set:
Cabin Fever (2002)
Cabin Fever 2 (2009)
