‘Fear Cabin: The Last Weekend of Summer’ DVD Review
Stars: Brody Wellmaker, Jennifer Barlow, Jeremy London, Violet Sinclair, Tea Karlsson, Parker Denning | Directed by Brian Krainson
At the time of this review, summer is rapidly coming to an end! Then comes fall. Fall brings Halloween season and that is the perfect time for horror films. Cleopatra Films, producer and distributor of low-budget horror films, have released titles such as The Beast Hand, Silent Bite and What the Waters Left Behind: Scars. Now it is time for the next Cleopatra release, Fear Cabin: The Last Weekend of Summer, which feels like Evil Dead meets Cabin Fever.
Six friends head into the woods for one last summer weekend, envisioning carefree days by a crystal-clear lake and laughter-filled nights around a secluded cabin. Instead, they stumble upon unsettling rituals that awaken malevolent forces hidden beneath creaking floorboards and moonlit shadows. Suddenly, their lighthearted getaway becomes a desperate fight for survival, where demonic presences are determined to keep them there forever.
Fear Cabin has some shortcomings with pacing and the script, but director Brian Krainson takes the limited budget and makes the most of the location of the woods and cabin setting to make a moody, dark and brooding atmosphere. Sometimes atmosphere makes for better horror than the biggest budget and special effects. But there is no denying the film fails to be memorable. Although when you think that this is Brian Krainson’s first feature film, I’ve seen worse first films! He has a good eye for filmmaking and it will be interesting to see what his next film will be and how his career advances. I will be watching!
Fear Cabin: The Last Weekend of Summer has been transferred to DVD in widescreen format. The image quality id is crisp and clean, the audio is clear and there are no digital artefacts or audio anomalies. In addition to a nice transfer, this disc has bonus features as well! Take a look at what is included:
Special Features:
- Slideshow
- Trailer
- Behind the Scenes
- Interview with The Director
I appreciate the addition of the interview with the director, but a director’s audio commentary would have made a great addition. I kind of wished there was more. But that is a minor complaint.
Ultimately, Fear Cabin is an uneven and imperfect horror film, but it has a real throwback feel to the 80s slasher films. So, this Halloween season, if you are looking for a film to enjoy with a bunch of friends, this just might do the trick!
**½ 2.5/5
Fear Cabin: The Last Weekend of Summer is out now on DVD from Cleopatra Films and MVD Visual.
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