Whedonesque Mobile : Comments on 16822 : Into the Woods again

Mary Parent. She who was trying to get Goners made over at Universal when she was there, yes (in addition, obviously, to getting Serenity made)? That would seem like a good sign not just for now, but for the future, no?

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2008-07-09 05:47 ]

theonetruebix | July 09, 08:46 CET

I'm not 100 percent what greenlit means? I'm not up-to-date on those fancified Hollywood terms. Does it mean it will actually be made or something else altogether? Also, does Mary Parent rock or what?

crazygolfa | July 09, 08:49 CET

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenlit

"To greenlight a project, in the context of the movie and TV businesses, is to formally approve production finance, thereby allowing the project to move forward from the development phase to pre-production and, barring disasters, principal photography."

theonetruebix | July 09, 08:52 CET

So it's going to be made. Shiny! :)

crazygolfa | July 09, 08:54 CET

I figure greenlit comes from traffic signal colors, but I also like to think of it as signifying the bright green glow of all that freshly-approved production money.

QuoterGal | July 09, 09:06 CET

Another thing of greatness to add to a very long list!

*runs off yaying*

ETA: BTW, I thought this might be a perfect time to remind you all that I love each and every one of you. :) Feel the love that is me!

[ edited by korkster on 2008-07-09 06:09 ]

korkster | July 09, 09:06 CET

Words fail, so I'm resorting to happy syllables -- whooh-hooh!

ETA: At last a producer worthy of the name . . . producer. Because he actually produces. I shall stick to syllables. Yay!

[ edited by Pointy on 2008-07-09 06:09 ]

Pointy | July 09, 09:08 CET

This is good news. I'm not personally a big enough horror fan to be really excited about the premise (which is all we know about it, right?). But Mary Parent still buying Joss stuff is just generally good news. Goners could happen. Anything could.

In other Hollywood news, the AFTRA deal passed. This is probably not good.

dreamlogic | July 09, 09:16 CET

Kisses to Mary Parent. And congrats all around, especially Drew on his directorial debut. Exciting.

onthedrift | July 09, 09:16 CET

Wow, this is really good news!

m'cookies actual | July 09, 09:18 CET

Neato!

Dizzy | July 09, 09:22 CET

Mary! Mary! She's our...er, ma'am! If she can't do it... Well , who cares? SHE can!!! :-D

OzLady | July 09, 09:36 CET

Best news since "Dollhouse." Amazing year for Whedon fans. Congrats Joss, you more than deserve all of this.

patxshand | July 09, 09:39 CET

Mary Parent, an exec with taste. Congrats to Joss and Drew and to MGM who will hopefully make a ridiculous amount of money off of a non-torture porn horror movie. Good for them all!

TamaraC | July 09, 09:43 CET

This reminds me a little of Joss' thoughts on "Captivity" and torture porn in general as a perversion of the horror genre. It will be interesting to see what he considers the antidote since I certainly share his distaste for those types of films.

streetartist | July 09, 09:52 CET

Well, he once said it was the "horror movie to end all horror movies... literally". Maybe it's about a bunch of people who make torture porn going into the woods and having the crap scared out of them. ;)

theonetruebix | July 09, 09:56 CET

While I am ridiculously excited, I do have one question... was Goners greenlit, as well, or did Universal just buy the script and have Joss attached to direct? I'm not entirely clear on that.

Seriously, though, very excited. And I think my question was actually answered in this Hollywood Reporter article. Mary Parent seems very, very enthused about this project! And apparently it's Project #1? Fall start date? Could 2009 be my best year ever? Depending on how November's election goes, I'm gonna have to go with "Yeah."

[ edited by Knuckleball on 2008-07-09 07:11 ]

Knuckleball | July 09, 10:09 CET

Goners never was greenlit. They kept giving Joss script notes.

theonetruebix | July 09, 10:10 CET

Thanks for the clarification! Makes me much happier.

Knuckleball | July 09, 10:14 CET

Frankly, I wish to see what Joss could do to a remake of Red Dawn. I know it wouldn't happen, but it would be awesome.

crazygolfa | July 09, 10:16 CET

Although that HR article does refer to Goners as having been bought by Universal. Do they still own it, or by this time has it reverted back to Joss?

theonetruebix | July 09, 10:20 CET

What I find interesting in the THR article (besides the obvious) is that Mary IS the producer on Goners -- I know her production company itself is independent, but I would've thought her MGM gig would conflict with her doing any actual producing for Universal.

cabri | July 09, 10:21 CET

Great news. I love everything Drew Goddard does, so it's neat to hear that he's also directing this.

dollrific | July 09, 10:23 CET

A fall start? Right when Dollhouse is in full production? Guy's gonna kill himself.

shambleau | July 09, 10:31 CET

Greenlit sounds great. Go Joss, go Drew!

brown_h | July 09, 10:36 CET

Oh my goodness. 2009 is going to be the best year in the history of entertainment.

Interesting that the article doesn't mention Serenity, especially since it even lists some of Joss's feature credits... it seems like Mary Parent's involvement would make Serenity an obvious credit. Oh well.

Jobo | July 09, 11:01 CET

The HR article mentions Serenity, however.

theonetruebix | July 09, 11:02 CET

Those very close to me will know for various reasons I've known about this one for a while. And kept my mouth shut. Go me!

Looking forward to it. (And yes, Gonerians, Mary was also to exec prod Goners...)

Anyway, not to sideline Joss and Drew or anything - but a Darren Aronofsky rebuild of Robocop? I'm so queuing already. Right here at my desk.

gossi | July 09, 11:21 CET

(And yes, Gonerians, Mary was also to exec prod Goners...)

We knew that part. The mystery bit is the HR article saying she "is" the producer on it.

theonetruebix | July 09, 11:23 CET

Well, she is. It's possible it could happen. It's one of the reasons I put the Goners website back up the other day.

We'll see, anyway. In the mean time, I'm going to be at Comic-Con bix! The universe shall explode.

gossi | July 09, 11:27 CET

Well, make sure you put the universe back together again before Thursday night, we have a Goners meetup to attend!

cabri | July 09, 11:30 CET

What on earth are we going to do at a Goners meetup?

Hey, I'm dressing as Mia. She's hot. (Lord, do I hope she's over 17 right now).

gossi | July 09, 11:32 CET

This is fantastic news! Although I was kind of hoping Joss would direct, but obviously he CAN'T. He's going to have a hard enough time producing the thing, with Buffy Season 8 and Dollhouse both also screaming for his attention.

Drew is still great though, so I'm as excited as ever.

Racoon Boy | July 09, 11:37 CET

So it's a thriller now? I thought it was going to be a horror comedy.

Simon | July 09, 11:37 CET

What on earth are we going to do at a Goners meetup?

Eat and drink. I guess what my confusion was over was this: How can she be a producer on a script at Universal if she's a honcho at MGM now?

theonetruebix | July 09, 11:37 CET

I personally remain a bit split about this...

PROS: A Whedonesque project greenlit. Movie. Horror. A passionate producer behind it in Mary Parent.

CONS: Seriously, is it horror with bits of comedy and/or levity here and there or is it a full-blown, campy horror/comedy? If it proves to be more of the latter than former, it'll respectfully be not for me.

Also, although I'm thrilled Drew is getting due recognition and finally breaking into the directing side of things, I am still somewhat disappointed that Joss isn't going to be behind the helm on it. I really want to see him getting into film as much as he is getting back into TV.

Still, congrats to the Goddard and Jossir on the good news!

P.S.
Having been somewhat disappointed with "Cloverfield" (which Drew wrote, of course), I have my fingers crossed that this will hopefully prove different for me. Oh, and to Simon: the terms "horror" and "thriller" are more or less interchangeable in this business, especially in the trades.

[ edited by J Linc on 2008-07-09 08:42 ]

[ edited by J Linc on 2008-07-09 08:44 ]

J Linc | July 09, 11:41 CET

Cabiners? Cabinees? What do you call fans of Cabins? Dollhouse got the Mannequins but CiTW is a whole different kettle of fish.

Simon | July 09, 11:41 CET

My confusion is the same as b!X's. On the other hand, does Universal have an expiration date to move forward? Or can Mary buy the script for MGM?

cabri | July 09, 11:44 CET

Mannequins?

theonetruebix | July 09, 11:47 CET

Even though I'm not a fan of horror movies, it's Joss and Drew so I'll be there. Yay! for Mary.

I guess what my confusion was over was this: How can she be a producer on a script at Universal if she's a honcho at MGM now?

That is confusing me, too, b!x

What on earth are we going to do at a Goners meetup?

Eat and drink.

And talk - and eat and drink and talk!

samatwitch | July 09, 11:51 CET

Also, was it explode or implode? I can't remember. But I suppose that just adds to the dramatic tension.

theonetruebix | July 09, 11:53 CET

Great news!

Congrats to Joss and Drew.

I too wish that Joss could be the one behind the camera, but I'm too grateful for Dollhouse, Buffy S8, and Angel: After the Fall to be ungrateful about Drew helming it. ;-)

UnpluggedCrazy | July 09, 11:53 CET

Whoo! And Hoo!

Great to see that after a couple of frustrating years for Joss everything is coming together. We have to get back to the days of him having three shows on TV at the same time. Come on Joss, think of another two shows!

zz9 | July 09, 12:44 CET

Come on Joss, think of another two shows!

Well, if we're making more work for the world's laziest workaholic, I put in a request for Sugarshock: The Animated Series.

theonetruebix | July 09, 12:48 CET

I'm very interested to see what sort of film Goddard directs, I wonder how much of an input Joss will have in it... I'm also very intrigued by the premise, I mean, horror films have been done every way imaginable by now, just to come up with something original is an achievement in itself. I just hope it isn't a parody, with a name like "Cabin in the Woods" I'd usually worry...

Also, Mary Parent is awesome. It'd be cool if there'd be some way to thank her for being so awesome.

MattK | July 09, 13:23 CET

I never thought I'd say this, but... Hail Mary!

Oh, and congrats to Joss and Drew and good luck to director Drew, who is tall and kind of good looking.
I'm looking forward to this quite a bit, spite not being a big horror fan generally. Cloverfield was enjoyable, and Joss and Drew are clever, so that's enough to get me quite excited. Very interested to see how it turns out.

GreatMuppetyOdin | July 09, 13:35 CET

... I put in a request for Sugarshock: The Animated Series.

Then i'd like a L'Lihdra spin-off in that case. Also peace on Earth.

WooooT ! Fabulous news. OK, in an ideal world maybe Joss directing would be the icing on the gravy cake (it's a thing, honest) but to me, DG directing means a) a big opportunity for him and b) that it might happen sooner rather than later since Mr Drew Goddard esq. presumably isn't also running a network TV show and so has more of that bendy-wendy, timey-wimey stuff.

(the impression I get is maybe a sort of 'Scream' idea where it works as a horror film while also commenting on horror films. Might be miles off of course but the title does make you think it's either a straight-forward parody or something like the "ur-trapped-in-a-cabin movie")

... but I also like to think of it as signifying the bright green glow of all that freshly-approved production money.

Yep, in Europe we call it "rainbow-lit" for just this reason.

Hey, I'm dressing as Mia. She's hot. (Lord, do I hope she's over 17 right now).

Or you could just be in The Netherlands when you think it.

Saje | July 09, 13:35 CET

It's strange that when I posted this news yesterday linking to the empireonline.com article that it got deleted. I'm glad to see that it is being allowed to be posted now though :-)

StevieB | July 09, 13:59 CET

It's strange that when I posted this news yesterday linking to the empireonline.com article that it got deleted

The Empire Online article got all its info from an MTV feature which had already been posted at Whedonesque. So that's why your article was deleted.

Simon | July 09, 14:03 CET

Ah, gotcha, cheers ;-)

StevieB | July 09, 14:14 CET

I'm a bit surprised as to how many WHEDONesquers on here aren't horror genre fans... I mean, two of Joss' biggest works to date involved vampires, demons, ghosts and almost any combo of things that go bumpy in the nighty-night.

Granted, both "Buffy" and "Angel" mixed almost every kind of genre in their respectful blenders but, still, horror played a center role in both even if neither show was overtly scary most of the time (a fact the Whedon has commented on a few times in the past, needless to say regarding how he kind of forgot to make the show(s) actually frightening most of the time).

[ edited by J Linc on 2008-07-09 11:19 ]

J Linc | July 09, 14:19 CET

I think it's wonderful that Joss and Drew could greenlight a project based on a song in Evil Dead the Musical. "Cabin in the woods (oooh) A cabin in the woods (yeah)"

I'm hoping it's horror with humour, not some goofy campy thing. I'm still not convinced about Dr. Horrible, but maybe when I see it...

redeem147 | July 09, 14:48 CET

I'm a bit surprised as to how many WHEDONesquers on here aren't horror genre fans...

I think you kind of give the answer in your comment J Linc. Buffy and Angel used horror tropes but neither were actually horrifying/horrific (i.e. they weren't particularly scary or gory) so it makes sense for them to appeal to people that aren't into horror. If they're horror at all then they're very much horror-lite.

(in the same way they - or BtVS at least - used sci-fi tropes without actually being sci-fi IMO)

Personally I like horror movies but watching the initial promos for Buffy back when it aired over here, it was the humour that appealed to me most.

Saje | July 09, 14:56 CET

Hey, I'm dressing as Mia. She's hot. (Lord, do I hope she's over 17 right now).

Planning on having hot sex with yourself?

Cabiners? Cabinees? What do you call fans of Cabins? Dollhouse got the Mannequins but CiTW is a whole different kettle of fish.

Cabinettes?

Nebula1400 | July 09, 15:04 CET

Cabin in the Woods fans = (happy) Campers!

OzLady | July 09, 15:47 CET

Termites? *ducks*

This is great news. Not a horror fan, either, but I'll see anything Joss puts together.

palehorse | July 09, 15:57 CET

I'm not a horror fan either. I've never understood it. I don't understand how being scared could be considered fun. Besides, horror flicks rarely scare me, they just make me feel depressed. That said, I am still curious about this movie though. With Joss involved in it, it has to be something different.

What originally appealed to me in Buffy was definitely the humour. So what if there were a few vampires or monsters? They spiced things up but didn't kill the mood (no pun intended). Besides, some of them were quite good looking...

Valerie | July 09, 16:04 CET

Congrats, guys, I'm sure it'll be amazing. Can't wait.

Samwel Roberts | July 09, 16:08 CET

I don't understand how being scared could be considered fun.

Being scared isn't, feeling scared can be. It's the difference between being on a roller-coaster and actually hurtling out of control down a track at 110 mph ;).

(that said, neither feeling nor being disgusted appeal to me which is why I don't dig so-called "torture porn" - though to be clear, each to their own, certainly not saying there's anything wrong with those that do)

Saje | July 09, 16:19 CET

Being/feeling anything out of your day-to-day experience is part of that loose amalgamation of stuff we call "being entertained". You might not normally say "today I want to know what its like to be a teenaged vampire slayer who has to kill a vamp that she loves", but you probably loved that when it happened. Congrats to Drew and Joss on another project I can't wait for and cheers again to Mary Parent for her good taste and for putting her money (or someone's, at least ;)) where her mouth is. In any case, her rep is on the line and her rep is telling me "I support good, quality stuff, regardless of whether it makes zillions or just makes its production costs back."

zeitgeist | July 09, 16:44 CET

Wait- I've got it! WOODIES! :-D

OzLady | July 09, 16:46 CET

"Got Wood ?"

Saje | July 09, 16:49 CET

Being scared isn't, feeling scared can be.

Yeah, I do understand the difference. Maybe it wasn't the best choice of words on my part. I do enjoy the thrill of a roller coaster as long as the cart stays on the track. But I just don't enjoy watching slaughter (not that all horror movies are that) on film - even if I know it's not real. I just find it pointless - or then I've just seen really bad examples. But there are people who love that kind of stuff and there are even people who don't like BTVS (sacrilege!). But yes, each to their own. :)

Valerie | July 09, 16:55 CET

Ouh, this could be added to the 'wood' entry over at wikipedia :p.

Also: yay! Here's hoping it'll be horror-lite (i.e.: not so much with the gore). Being excited about a horror movie feels all wrong, for me, somehow.

Or you could just be in The Netherlands when you think it.

I think you have to be 18 here nowadays ;).

GVH | July 09, 17:11 CET

Wait a minute, you're saying the internet lied to me GVH ? I'd better start looking for another religion ;).

(not that gossi would need to move for that, it's 16 here too - though without the "4 year gap" exception that takes it to 12 under some circumstances in the Netherlands. You are a liberal lot ;)

And yep, "horror" like every other genre, means different things to different people. To some if there's no gore then it's not horror it's "psychological suspense", others might call e.g. 'The Others' a horror film, yet others might call "Pan's Labyrinth" horror, to some it's "dark fantasy" etc.

Saje | July 09, 17:29 CET

Yay! I greatly dislike what is usually called horror nowadays, but I do actually like the genre a lot when it's done well. I'm excited to know a Goddard/Whedon horror film is in the works.

ETA: Woodsies?

[ edited by Sunfire on 2008-07-09 14:43 ]

Sunfire | July 09, 17:43 CET

Exactly, Saje. I guess there are different levels (or types) to horror like in every genre. I for one loved movies like "The Others" and "The Village". I haven't thought of them as horror movies but I have to admit it, I enjoyed of the suspense... That and humour works for me, some others need the gore - which in turn turns me off.

[ edited by Valerie on 2008-07-09 14:48 ]

Valerie | July 09, 17:47 CET

I'm another who does not like horror. I liked BtVS in spite of the genre.

Since Joss disliked the camping-up of BtVS the movie, I would not assume that will be his direction on this movie. It is supposed to be different though, so maybe the cabin itself will be the victim and it will be told from its point of view. Yeah, that sounds right. I amaze myself sometimes. ;-)

newcj | July 09, 18:19 CET

I wonder if we'll get more info at Comic Con about this during one of Joss's panels.

Buffyfantic | July 09, 18:29 CET

Well, make sure you put the universe back together again before Thursday night, we have a Goners meetup to attend!

Pictures, pretty please?

m'cookies actual | July 09, 18:53 CET

newcj, I'm not sure the camp wouldn't be present. He disliked the campiness of the BtVS movie because it was entirely different than what he intended for the script. But if he himself set off to do some camp, by all means, bring on Camp Whedon!

I'm excited for this...I love horror films, though the lack of really intelligent thrillers/horrors have left me disappointed lately. I also hate torture films and prefer more mystery oriented horror films. But whatever this is, I'll see because it's Joss and I don't think films truly under his direction can necessarily fail. Maybe monetarily, but not artistically.

CaffeinatedSquint | July 09, 18:56 CET

I'm a bit surprised as to how many WHEDONesquers on here aren't horror genre fans...

I only like horror when there's a Slayer on hand to beat the monsters into pulp, if necessary. This limits my options.

ManEnoughToAdmitIt | July 09, 19:16 CET

Cabin in the Woods fans = (happy) Campers!
OzLady | July 09, 12:47 CET

Thank you, OzLady, for pointing this out. To me, this was obvious since Simon posted his question about 60 comments ago! Ah, I miss camping...

I am highly looking forward to this. I'm not sure what to expect, but that's usual of horror/thriller films. I enjoy the oldies (Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Firestarter, Killer Clowns from Outer Space, Scare), especially when I'm tired and alone. The new ones (Grudge, Saw, New TCM) overload my senses and I can't get comfortable enough to watch the film. Saw 1 was alright (I enjoyed the mystery solving), but the others got rid of my focus to the point where it's just unpleasant.

With Joss, I think he'll treat it more like the oldies than the newbies. Even if he doesn't, I'm very interested to see his take on the horror movie to end all horror movies.

For my fellow Campers out there, I do wonder if news will be leaked at Joss Whedon's panel. So far on the CC list, there hasn't been mention of it or an opportunity to have its own. The ones going to CC, are we going to meet up like the Browncoats are doing? One big Whedon mosh-pit?

Cuz, that would be awesome!

korkster | July 09, 19:31 CET

What, no listing for Cabin in the Woods yet on the .org site? Slackers! I tease because I love!

Genia | July 09, 19:36 CET

Do people camp in cabins?

Simon | July 09, 19:42 CET

Not really. That's cheating.

Sunfire | July 09, 19:50 CET

Wait a minute, you're saying the internet lied to me GVH ? I'd better start looking for another religion ;).

Wait, now I'm starting to doubt my previous statement, Saje. I know the age for something was raised a few years back. Maybe it was just the age for being allowed to feature in porn and the such (I know, because I had a friend who worked parttime in a video rental shop and complained he had to clean out a large section of their adult collection which had suddenly become illegal, heh ;)).

And yep, "horror" like every other genre, means different things to different people.

Yeah. I think the natural consensus on what constitutes 'horror' even changes from medium to medium. A horror novel translated to a movie might suddenly be labeled a thriller, for instance. Some people even extend the label of 'horror' so far that classical, semi-gothic novels fall under the genre. I always enjoy genre-label-discussions, even though they tend to go nowhere at all :)

GVH | July 09, 19:52 CET

I think we're the Trees in said Woods. Always waiting, watching...

Cabinettes made me laugh too.

hacksaway | July 09, 19:59 CET

Do people camp in cabins?

It's camping for the lazy.

[ edited by jcs on 2008-07-09 17:01 ]

jcs | July 09, 20:01 CET

Maybe only adding to the confusion, 'cause I certainly don't know anything, but how is Goners still at Universal at all? Is there still some kind of deal, even though they didn't buy it?

For the fan nickname, I like "Woodsies." It sounds like "Newsies."

dreamlogic | July 09, 20:01 CET

I don't generally go to see stuff described as horror or thrillers - my mind can generate horrors a'plenty on its own, as well as retain them overlong, and it took me years to flush the images from Silence of the Lambs outta my brain pan.

I was looking forward most especially to Goners, but I know I'll like anything Joss and Drew do together, especially horror to end all horrors - which sounds to me like it'll mess with the genre itself.

Goners meetup at ComicCon - we'll talk and talk and talk. because that is what we do. I'm not saying we won't eat and drink, because we will, but there will be the talking.

korkster, I hear that the SoCal BC table is a pretty good place to find fellow Whedonesquers...)

ETA: dreamlogic, I think Universal bought the Goners script - my understanding is that they've been giving notes on re-writes, and the production has not yet been greenlit.

[ edited by QuoterGal on 2008-07-09 17:07 ]

QuoterGal | July 09, 20:04 CET

What about Teddy Bears? Cause we're sure of a big surprise if we go down to the woods.

Simon | July 09, 20:07 CET

Simon, please don't motivate the furries.

theonetruebix | July 09, 20:10 CET

We're a broad church.

Simon | July 09, 20:11 CET

I too am a little surprised that there aren't more horror fans around here, but then again I don't know why; my best friend is a ginormous Buffy fan who doesn't enjoy watching horror movies. Guess I never really thought about it.

I love a good horror movie, but unfortunately there are very few of them anymore. The torture porn trend has overtaken everything else, which is a shame, as those movies are exploitative garbage. To be fair, I've only seen the first Saw, but it was awful enough that I've avoided any other similar films.

And the good horror movies that there are, like Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, get extremely limited distribution and no mainstream attention! Again, not that something like this should surprise me.

UnpluggedCrazy | July 09, 20:12 CET

Yeah, it may be the Browncoat table, but a most of us are fans of a lot of other stuff. In fact, we are still trying to get Dr. Horrible promo items or merch, Felicia Day and the Guild will be there, and so on. Considering the charity this year, KNTR, we are also trying to get various authors to appear at our table. In fact, I'm pretty sure Nancy Holder (Buffy and Angel novels) will be back for her third year signing at the table.

We'll have the tentative schedule posted on the CABC site soon.

danregal | July 09, 20:14 CET

"Beneath the trees, where nobody sees..."

*shivers*

Okay, thoroughly creeped out now, even though I first read b!X's "furries" as "furies."

QuoterGal | July 09, 20:16 CET

Do people camp in cabins?

It's camping for the lazy.

[ edited by jcs on 2008-07-09 17:01 ]
jcs | July 09, 17:01 CET

It goes perfectly with Joss' "lazy workaholic" theme!

But seriously, I wouldn't consider cabin camping as lazy as RV camping. I mean, why even make the trip if you're going to bring your TV with you? It baffles. Cabin camping at least has a reputation of being the place where hard core activies go down (white water rafting, cave diving) and people are too tired at the end of the day to worry about a tent.

Personally, I've only done tents, but I also lived on flat land. It would be nice to try a cabin with a fire over-looking the mountains next to a lake. :-)

Goners meetup at ComicCon - we'll talk and talk and talk. because that is what we do. I'm not saying we won't eat and drink, because we will, but there will be the talking.

I think talking will over-take the eating and drinking, QG. Because of my activity here yesterday, I forgot to eat. :)

Simon, please don't motivate the furries.
theonetruebix | July 09, 17:10 CET

That's a different type of horror. *claws out eyes*

[ edited by korkster on 2008-07-09 17:22 ]

korkster | July 09, 20:19 CET

Cabin camping is a contradiction in terms, you don't "camp" in a cabin you "stay" there ;).

(if there're trees I prefer a hammock and tarp but i've stayed in cabins too, never thought I was camping though. Anymore than I did the last time I was at the Hilton ;)

Simon, please don't motivate the furries.

Like they need it. In fact one of the phrases among many that i'd use to describe furries is "self-motivated".

Saje | July 09, 20:27 CET

That certainly describes Agent Brand.

[ edited by Pointy on 2008-07-09 17:31 ]

Pointy | July 09, 20:31 CET

Hey! I resent the implication that those of us who need electricity and flushing toilets and a blow dryer and Internet access in a cabin are somehow NOT camping. You guys are... are... CABINISTS! ;-)

OzLady | July 09, 20:43 CET

Jumping over a bajillion posts, mostly skimmed to say it may be horror, but it's horror done by Joss, which makes it it's own hybrid genre. I have no doubts that it will be seen as groundbreaking.

Nebula1400 | July 09, 21:25 CET

genre: ~~horror~~ well maybe ~~action~~ or kinda ~~scifi~~ let's try ~~fantasy~~ really it's Whedon/Goddard/awesome.

Sunfire | July 09, 21:35 CET

This is great news!

Ameer | July 09, 21:55 CET

Of Goners and Cabin in the Woods, I had thought that it would've been Goners that would've been the first to be made, but I'm silly like that. It's great news that one of them's being made though.

Maybe this movie'll be able to get my anti-Whedon brother to warm up to his awesomeness, if only a little bit. From what I gather, it's got some horror in there, and my brother's an ultra horror buff.

Supersymmetrical | July 09, 22:25 CET

The fan moniker has gotta be Hermits (I'm not talking about the cookie - which is a change...), cause you know cabins in the woods are pretty much what hermits are all about.
(As a recovering hermit myself I know this, just the mere mention of Cabin in the Woods leaves me all tingly. ;)

onthedrift | July 09, 23:07 CET

I didn't used to watch horror. Then I started buying DVDs with Whedonverse actors in them :) I'm practically an expert now.

redeem147 | July 09, 23:12 CET

OK, first post ever on Whedonesque. Woo! and Hoo!

To remind anyone who may have forgotten, Joss has described Cabin in the Woods as "the horror movie to end all horror movies." It will not be typical horror, but I do not expect any campy stuff either. On the other hand, can you imagine a Joss script that isn't genre-busting and subversive in every way he can work into it?

'Nuff said from me on this. Suffice to say, that I'm eagerly awaiting my chance to drop some ducats at the Sunnydale Cinema to see this one.

My only concern, at this point, is that Joss is not going to have enough time to do everything that he has going already. So, Joss my buddy, pace yourself! Miles to go before you sleep, and all that.

PaulfromSunnydale | July 09, 23:16 CET

the horror movie to end all horror movies

In fact, the full quote was that it would be "the horror movie to end all horror movies... literally". It has always been that last word that I couldn't figure out, but it's got to be a clue.

theonetruebix | July 09, 23:26 CET

Unabombers?

zaphod | July 09, 23:47 CET

Ah. Somehow they're going to incorporate a virus that will spread throughout movieland and destroy all horror movies. Yay! Good riddance to the torture porn subgenre! But how will we save Don't Look in the Basement?

cabri | July 10, 00:10 CET

So this has nothing to do with anything really, but every time I see the "Cabin in the Woods" title...I hear "Cabin in the Woods", one of the songs from Evil Dead - the Muscial (which was awesome, by the way) then my brain goes "Yeah, but Joss is doing Dr. Horrible" and I think of a singing NPH and then I giggle about him in Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.

This is how I think people, pity me.

Charmuse | July 10, 01:05 CET

Another great thing to look forward to!

Effulgent | July 10, 01:39 CET

I wonder what sort of characters are in the script. $20 down on at least one strong female. :P

Anyway, it'll be exciting to see who will be casted.

MP | July 10, 03:09 CET

That certainly describes Agent Brand.

I just went to a scary visual place with people dressing up like beast and... well, y'know. I mean, the concept of furries alone is scary enough, but the concept of well-known blue-haired comic book superheroes as an object for sexual fantasies scares me. Not that I want to be fur-ist, of course, don't get me wrong.

(one wonders how a thread about a new penned-and-produced-by-Joss movie could stray to comments on furries and age of consent...)

GVH | July 10, 03:39 CET

The fan moniker has gotta be Hermits (I'm not talking about the cookie - which is a change...), cause you know cabins in the woods are pretty much what hermits are all about.
(As a recovering hermit myself I know this, just the mere mention of Cabin in the Woods leaves me all tingly. ;)
onthedrift | July 09, 20:07 CET

Alright, onthedrift, I'll give you that. I'd be willing to toss out ~~Campers~~ for Hermits. Hermits do like to lurch in trees and stare at things intently... And, if anyone is going to "end all" of anything, it'll definitely be hermit unabombers and hermit computer small pox virus attacks.

Speaking of Hermit and blue furries, (I agree with you, GVH, that is a scary place to go) I didn't think the Cookie Monster had a name. Am I right? And that does explain a lot about Agent Brand, come to think of it.

(one wonders how a thread about a new penned-and-produced-by-Joss movie could stray to comments on furries and age of consent...)

Of course, I've always believed that conversations always circle around two things: food and sex. And this thread has swirled loosely around those two ideas. Good for the human race (and blue monsters/super heroes).

korkster | July 10, 04:00 CET

Yay! for this news. I always assumed it would be a proper horror film, not campy or spoofy, but no doubt incorporating humour, because Joss is always there with the funny (and the heart-breaking, and the thrilling, and the surprising...). But I'll be happy to wait and see.

I too would have preferred Goners as that sounded intriguing (and was 100% Joss), but I'm more than happy to take whatever Jossy goodness I'm offered. When this script was first announced, I'd trusted Drew Goddard too, from his previous work with Joss. I have to say, though, I thought the script of Cloverfield was pretty poor. But hopefully with the two of them having written this together, it will be significantly better. I do hope Joss has enough time to get involved in any polishes and re-writes which come up as it's being made, is all I'm saying.

Kiddo | July 10, 04:05 CET

Very nice to see "Cabin" greenlit.

I love horror movies but I don't care for films such as "Friday the 13th".

I also love a well-done parody of horror. One of my favorite movies is "Return of the Living Dead".

menomegirl | July 10, 06:11 CET

By the way, if anyone, like me, was wondering what this meant, from the Variety article: "Logline's being kept under wraps" -- it turns out that a logline is (according to Wikipedia) "is a brief summary of a television program or movie, often providing both a synopsis of the program's plot, and an emotional 'hook' to stimulate interest."

theonetruebix | July 10, 06:48 CET

"the horror movie to end all horror movies... literally".

All I can say to this is, "hmmm." This might be one horror movie I will want to watch... seeing as it's apparently going to be the last one. ;)

What the heck can he mean by "literally"?? Anyone want to guess?

NYPinTA | July 10, 07:30 CET

What the heck can he mean by "literally"?? Anyone want to guess?

I already did.

theonetruebix | July 10, 07:36 CET

Heh. I like that.

NYPinTA | July 10, 07:37 CET

b!X - thanks for the logline definition, that's about what I figured (but was being too lazy to check).

(one wonders how a thread about a new penned-and-produced-by-Joss movie could stray to comments on furries and age of consent...)

Your user number is 3201, you've been here long enough to know what happens sometimes in these threads :)

zeitgeist | July 10, 07:41 CET

Then I've been here long enough not only to know what happens but to have forgotten what happens.

theonetruebix | July 10, 07:54 CET

I've been here long enough to be able to skim over thread titles in a hurry...

...but short enough to totally miss this the first time around.

Go Joss and Drew- it never rains, it pours, huh?

missb | July 10, 08:06 CET

b!X - then remembered, then forgotten again, lost your keys, found your keys, etc. ;).

zeitgeist | July 10, 08:22 CET

So far I like "Cabinistas" the best.
"Hermits" already means something. If you say, "I'm a hermit," people will just think you want to be left alone.
If you say, "I'm a Cabinette," they might think you said, "I'm a cabinet."
If you say, "I'm a camper," they'll think you're a Boy Scout or a Winnebago.
But "cabinista"? All they can say is "What's that?" (and hope it's not a scary political group).

jcs | July 10, 08:40 CET

JCS- do you know what the Spanish translation for 'cabinista' is?

cabinista-
projectionist, one who operates a movie projector, one who displays films or pictures onto large screens

Which for some reason I find most amusing!

missb | July 10, 08:53 CET

A "horror movie to end all horror movies ... literally." Well, my totally unspoiled guess -- and please forgive me if I turn out to be right -- is it's about a bunch of teens/college students who go to a cabin in the woods (per the title) to make a horror movie and unleash a spirit that kills them and then goes after anybody else making a horror movie. I like horror movies, so I hope this doesn't end all the rest, but I'm especially happy to see one being made by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard.

Shapenew | July 10, 10:20 CET

Saje - I wouldn't go quite that far in calling both "Buffy" and "Angel" horror-lite... and, again, Joss has admitted in the past that the one thing he forgot to do was make the show(s) more scary-centric. So, it wasn't like it was an intentional thing on his or anyone else's part.

GVH - I couldn't disagree more and personally hope that "Cabin in the Woods" turns out to be the complete antidote to anything resembling "horror-lite." Also, I always get a bit annoyed when certain people for some reason(s) automatically assume that when someone is talking about horror, they are talking about gore. Horror does not equal gore (like any genre, it's about so many things...) and there are plenty of thrillers, actioners, dramas and even comedies that have buckets upon buckets of vicera splattering across the frame. Hardcore bloodshed is not a genre-specific factor to say the absolute least.

Kiddo - Glad to hear I'm not the only fan on this site who was disappointed by "Cloverfield."

UnpluggedCrazy (among a few others) - Glad to see I'm not the sole genre devotee of WHEDONesque!

Why am I such a fan of horror? Well, among other things, the darker side of reality and the human condition has proven to be more times than not more engrossing and/or life-affecting than the other. Don't get me wrong, I am a complete lover and fan of almost every genre but for some reason horror has always been of particular interest for this yet-another-aspiring newbie scribe/thespian (another reason being it seems actually decent or better horror is more difficult to achieve and come by than most other genres...).

Side Note: Mary-McAwesome Parent, please buy back "Goners" from Universal, bring it to the new MGM and greenlight the Jossir!

[ edited by J Linc on 2008-07-10 08:46 ]

J Linc | July 10, 11:44 CET

... I wouldn't go quite that far in calling both "Buffy" and "Angel" horror-lite... and, again, Joss has admitted in the past that the one thing he forgot to do was make the show(s) more scary-centric. So, it wasn't like it was an intentional thing on his or anyone else's part.

Just to be clear J Linc, I don't mean "horror-lite" as a criticism, just a description. If they're horror at all (which is at least debatable IMO) both shows - but BtVS especially - were less scary/horrific than any other horror film or TV show i've ever seen, hence "horror-lite". But as mentioned, neither show was really about scares and/or gore, they worked perfectly well without either.

Re: Joss "forgetting", could be wrong but that sounds like one of those things said tongue in cheek which are then sometimes maybe taken literally. And of course it was intentional (possibly a conscious choice, possibly partly because of what's broadcastable on US network TV) - the shows didn't get written by accident after all ;).

What the heck can he mean by "literally"?? Anyone want to guess?

Well if I had to guess, i'd guess he means "not literally" ;).

(I think that's more a writer/interviewee "literally" than a big geeky pedantic idjet - *waves hello* ;) - "literally". It's literally but with poetic licence ;)

Saje | July 10, 13:03 CET

Saje - Actually, I believe Joss was being serious; over the course of the show(s) the inherent horror aspects got sort of pushed to the wayside as others ultimately got more attention or consideration. Not that it ultimately took away that much from either show, but Joss can make a mistake or slight misstep now and again (call it blasphemy if you wish, but despite appearances he is indeed human...).

On "Buffy" at least, episodes like "Hush" and "Conversations with Dead People" certainly push hard on the horror button and in the process remind those who consider the series not a part of the genre to remember otherwise.

No one can divorce the fact that even if it fails (unintentionally or on purpose) to be fear-inducing or chills-abiding, anything that centers around a group of people fending off a rogue's gallery of both classic and original demonic staples of terror (on top of a GAPING HELLMOUTH, no less) has a bit of the fright genre in its DNA besides anything else.

[ edited by J Linc on 2008-07-10 11:52 ]

J Linc | July 10, 14:51 CET

Hey! I resent the implication that those of us who need electricity and flushing toilets and a blow dryer and Internet access in a cabin are somehow NOT camping. You guys are... are... CABINISTS! ;-)
OzLady | July 09, 17:43 CET

I am so right there with you, Ozlady Well actually, so part of the way with you. I could definitely do without the blow dryer and internet access because .... hey, nature experience and all.
But just because you aren't willing to do without a toilet and electricity (hello, hot shower), after a day of hiking or whatever, doesn't mean you aren't on a camping trip.

Oh ..... and YAY!!! Joss and Drew. :=)

Shey | July 10, 15:35 CET

But just because you aren't willing to do without a toilet and electricity (hello, hot shower), after a day of hiking or whatever, doesn't mean you aren't on a camping trip.

True, it's the fact that you're not camping that means you aren't on a camping trip ;-).

... has a bit of the fright genre in its DNA besides anything else.

In its DNA yes, also sci-fi, teen drama, high-school drama etc. I have my Dad's genes in my DNA, i'm not my Dad though ;).

It's wherever you draw the line though of course and in BtVS' case since it was a hodge-podge of different genres it's gonna be nigh impossible to pin it down I reckon. Does it have elements of the horror genre ? Sure, Joss said from the start that part of the aim of Buffy (the show and character) was to subvert the idea of the "blond girl as helpless victim" that's a staple of horror films/stories. To me though, just as there're several episodes that use major sci-fi tropes BtVS isn't sci-fi and it's the same for horror - you can see a genre in a story's ancestry without it defining that story. Given that the aim of most episodes wasn't the same as horror (i.e. to scare the viewer) i'd say it's a grey area. YMMV though and vive that ;).

... the inherent horror aspects got sort of pushed to the wayside as others ultimately got more attention or consideration.

Yep, completely agree with this but to me that's not a mistake - though he can surely make them, i'm not one of those "Joss can do no wrong" apologists, he's just a guy, same as me (OK, maybe a bit better than me ;) - just that that's not what the show turned out to be i.e whatever his initial intentions horror isn't the direction the show took and he chose not to force it down that route unnaturally. Which, as we both agree, is fine - if that's not what it was, that's not what it was, it was still brilliant TV.

Saje | July 10, 15:42 CET

GVH - I couldn't disagree more and personally hope that "Cabin in the Woods" turns out to be the complete antidote to anything resembling "horror-lite."

Well, this would depend on one's definition of the term "horror-lite", J Linc, which is why, to avoid confusion, I said in that same message that in this particular case, for me, that would be a horror film devoid of much of the blood & gore aspects often associated with horror movies. And yes - like I said elsewhere in the thread, I know blood & gore are not a defining feature of the genre (although they often go alongside horror, just like - say - robots or spaceships often appear in Sci-Fi).

No one can divorce the fact that even if it fails (unintentionally or on purpose) to be fear-inducing or chills-abiding, anything that centers around a group of people fending off a rogue's gallery of both classic and original demonic staples of terror (on top of a GAPING HELLMOUTH, no less) has a bit of the fright genre in its DNA besides anything else.

To define a genre is a hard thing to do and I can certainly see why some would classify Buffy as belonging to the horror tradition, because it contains many allusions to classical horror stereotypes and creatures. I think, however, the basic drama and comedy are - for me - much more defining for the kind of series Buffy is, than the genre elements (I like talking about "genre", because it kind of encompasses all science fiction, fantasy and horror without having to place it in one container) which are much more of a surface element or means to get to the drama, unlike some more pure genre stories, where the whole point is to convey scares, launch fantastical ideas or create some exciting escapism. So, yes, Buffy is certainly 'genre', but it's also a huge melting pot of lots of genres in which - for me - the drama and comedy are more defining than the fantastical.

But if I'd have to combine all Buffy's genre elements into one single sub-genre, I'd call it an "urban fantasy", I think. But then again, I've run across people who say that genre doesn't exist and all urban fantasy is actually horror, so there you have it.

ETA:

Your user number is 3201, you've been here long enough to know what happens sometimes in these threads :)

Heh, I guess you've got me there, zeitgeist ;)

[ edited by GVH on 2008-07-10 13:03 ]

GVH | July 10, 16:02 CET

I've stayed in a lot of 'cabins in the wood' and none of them had electricity or a hot shower (ie no running water at all). So were we camping? Because we didn't think we really were: it was a compromise reach by my Mother (who enjoyed camping) and my Father (who spent two years in a tent during WWII and swore he would never sleep in one again). And why is this the topic under discussion?

It is true that horror stories are WAY more interesting when you are away from home, far from civilization, deep in the woods....

embers | July 10, 18:58 CET

And why is this the topic under discussion?

OK, i'm not really supposed to say this so you didn't hear it from me BUT an alien armada is approaching and the one thing that can save mankind is knowing the precise definition of "camping". Weird, right ? That's aliens for you.

(it's definitely a continuum but personally i'd say that if you're in a permanent dwelling and, more, you're benefiting from its permanence - things like electricity, showers, cookers, proper beds etc. - then you're not camping. If, say, you stayed in a cabin that had no furniture you didn't carry in, no electricity, no phone, no running hot and cold water etc. then it's greyer. If I go hiking every day for a week but each night I return to my house - or anyone else's or a hotel room - then i'm not camping. Likewise, if I stay in a furnished cabin with most of the facilities of my house and go hiking every day for a week, i'm also not camping)

Saje | July 10, 19:54 CET

I believe the topic of what defines camping is under discussion because people were trying to determine what fans of this movie should be called, and things that were not actually related to being in a cabin kept coming up.

No, being in a cabin is not camping. Sorry.

theonetruebix | July 10, 20:13 CET

OK, i'm not really supposed to say this so you didn't hear it from me BUT an alien armada is approaching and the one thing that can save mankind is knowing the precise definition of "camping". Weird, right ? That's aliens for you.

Yes, yes, so what else is new, but why are we discussing it HERE? This is Whedonesque. Did the aliens mention they were fans of Joss? Did we somehow find out that they have asked that Buffy be the one to explain camping to them. Unless you can show me a direct connection I just don't think this is appropriate.

Oh...uh...and I'm all for horror-lite. I don't like scary things and don't like blood and guts in any genre.

BTW "genre" simply means a category or type so using genre to mean a specific group of genres is like using "ethnic" to mean non-white when it does not mean that at all. Show business types may do both those things, but it does not make it right.

and staying in a cabin is not camping

newcj | July 10, 20:17 CET

BTW "genre" simply means a category or type so using genre to mean a specific group of genres is like using "ethnic" to mean non-white when it does not mean that at all. Show business types may do both those things, but it does not make it right.

Yep. It's wrong and confusing, but sometimes it's so convenient (the incorrect use of the word 'genre', that is :))

Indeed. Cabin != camping

GVH | July 10, 20:29 CET

Possibly we'll need more plot information to come up with a good fan name. No one could have come up with Browncoats based on "Firefly" and "space western." When did enough information come out for that name to be adopted? When the first episodes aired, or did Mutant Enemy leak enough information beforehand for that association to stick among the diehards?

Sunfire | July 10, 20:36 CET

Did the aliens mention they were fans of Joss?

There is intelligent life out there ;)!

zeitgeist | July 10, 20:40 CET

Indeed. Cabin != camping

I live in an old log house that sometimes people refer to as a cabin, does that also qualify as camping? Huh? HUH?

newcj | July 10, 20:50 CET

Ah, my little programming joke got lost there I think, newcj. In some (all?) programming languages "! = " stands for 'is not equal to'. So I think we're agreeing ;)

GVH | July 10, 21:09 CET

Since this is about to drop off the front page - when Goners went down the tubes at 'versal, I published a blog entry which got Whedonesqued.

Which finished with: "And if MGM want to make original movies with a guy who loves cinema.... Don't call me, I'm an idiot: call Joss. He's in the phone book under 'Has vision, wants screen'. And likely 'Very tired'."

I win at life.

gossi | July 10, 21:11 CET

That and MGM want Joss for the next Bond movie.

Simon | July 10, 21:37 CET

Yay, gossi.

Whether or not you can call it camping while in a cabin probably depends on the condition of the cabin. If it's insulated with double hung windows, has indoor plumbing and hot water, internet connection and a big screen TV, then... can I come over? And no, that's not camping. But if the cabin has no windows, the plumbing is out back and doesn't actually have any pipes, and the shower is a communial one a half mile away that you damn well better wear your shoes into, then yes, that's camping. Your cabin is just a really sturdy tent. (And it might even leak worse then most tents, too.)

Also, I've been a few situations that while I was sleeping in a tent in my sleeping bag, it didn't really feel like camping, seeing as I was surrounded by 300,000 plus people in their tents too. Or "camping" in the back yard as a kid. Is it camping if you can see your house? I don't think so.

NYPinTA | July 10, 21:44 CET

"That and MGM want Joss for the next Bond movie. "

What? What's this now? Really??

NYPinTA | July 10, 21:45 CET

It's a pet theory of mind backed up by absolutely no evidence. MGM are thinking outside of the box for their Bond franchise and I think Joss would be an excellent choice.

Simon | July 10, 21:48 CET

Bad Simon :p. Lies should be constricted to the Comic-Con threads, you're confusing your members ;)

ETA: yikes, you're fast, Simon. Also: "confusing your members" suddenly sounds very, very wrong :p

[ edited by GVH on 2008-07-10 18:50 ]

GVH | July 10, 21:49 CET

I do not want Joss wasting his time on non-Joss projects that will take years of his time. That said, it is his life and career and if he decides to listen to Simon's advice, so be it. ;-)

Ah, my little programming joke got lost there I think, newcj. In some (all?) programming languages "! = " stands for 'is not equal to'. So I think we're agreeing ;)
GVH | July 10, 18:09 CET

Oh, computer language stuff. Well alright then. As long as you agree with me, all is forgiven. ;-)

if the cabin has no windows, the plumbing is out back and doesn't actually have any pipes, and the shower is a communial one a half mile away that you damn well better wear your shoes into, then yes, that's camping. Your cabin is just a really sturdy tent.

So you took the tour when my house was on the market too, huh? ;-)

newcj | July 10, 22:36 CET

I would like for Joss to stay as far away from 007 as possible.

I've never liked those movies.

UnpluggedCrazy | July 11, 00:12 CET

Strange news site out of Malaysia mysteriously calls the movie a "remake" and an "update of the classic thriller". Heh.

theonetruebix | July 11, 10:26 CET

There's no way they can recapture the magic that was the original Cabin in the Woods.

Sunfire | July 11, 18:45 CET

Strange news site out of Malaysia mysteriously calls the movie a "remake" and an "update of the classic thriller". Heh.
theonetruebix | July 11, 07:26 CE

I'm guessing that anyone who's ever been to Malaysia would understand. ;-)
Not an insult to the country, which is as exotic and gorgeous a place as exists on the earth, just an observation about how things get lost in translation, and not just literally.

Shey | July 11, 19:21 CET

*sneaks in to post another Cabin in the Woods article in this thread.*

Sorry to interrupt the camping meditation and the lies about the 007 franchise and the mysterious Malaysian article, but I wanted to put this UPI "Cabin" story and this somewhat duplicative MarketWatch story in the thread, mostly because they contain very similar Joss quotes about his goofiness over the script:

"I'm goofy with the love for this script, and with Drew at the helm and Mary at the ... other part of the helm ... it'll be great! Mary has been a terrific collaborator and mentor, and for her to respond so passionately -- and decisively -- to our project means a great deal. The new MGM is the perfect place for Drew to do the kind of work I know he can do except for when I'm subtly sabotaging him because I'm jealous of his talent and height."

Um... Yay! Camping! You know, In the Woods! In Malaysia!

As you were...

*sneaks back out again.*

QuoterGal | July 11, 23:30 CET

Yeah those quotes are both just lifted from the press release from MGM.

theonetruebix | July 11, 23:47 CET

Thanks, b!X - I'd missed that. I'd much rather have the original source...

QuoterGal | July 11, 23:49 CET

It took me awhile to come across it. I had, in fact, both the Marketwatch and the UPI versions on my Cabin site before finding the press release itself.

theonetruebix | July 11, 23:53 CET

You need to log in to be able to post comments.
About membership.

« Older Scott Allie dispels rumour about S... | Denver 2007 CSTS funds submitted t... Newer »

July 09 2008