La cabaña

I saw Cabin by the Lake and loved it. Then I saw Return and it was a total let down. That was one movie that they should have left it with only one. If you want a good movie with a good sequel, I suggest renting Buried Alive and Buried 2. I actually like the second one of those better.

I thought the original Cabin by the Lake was pretty good for a TV movie; it was easy enough to get into the characters, and Judd Nelson played a psychopath very well. The change in the sequel that I liked the best was the strange interaction between Stanley and Alison, as the circumstances surrounding it make their mind games with each other seem more sensible than those between Stanley and Mallory in the original.

However, there is one little thing that nags at me throughout the whole movie: how in the world could someone on the set of a Hollywood movie not have recognized Stanley's face from somewhere? The extent of his disguise is a pair of glasses! Other than that annoyance, I was not disappointed by this sequel.

I truly love Cabin By the Lake, and Judd Nelson's character, Stanley, is great, watching the first film,I almost became sympathetic with his situation, which is evedence of truely great writing. The Return to Cabin by the Lake has a great plot basis, but is poorly done. I am giving all due credit to Mr. Nelson, he did a great job on the acting...for what was givin to him. I can only think that this film was intentially directed badly as a joke. But what really bothers me about the film is how every other minute the camera would change to a hi-8. I believe the director only did this because of Quentin Tarantino's commentary of Pulp Fiction, when he said that recording with a hi-8 is a great cinimetogrophy trick for "campy" horror films. As in the first film, this was left open for a sequel, I hope on the next one, they take a higher road.

Well, even for a Made-for-TV movie, this was just junk! Judd Nelson reprises his role as demented Stanley Caldwell; Badly! This just goes to show that sequels suck, for the most part. Ridiculous, absurd and trite. The plot offered nothing new, or original. The whole, Movie about the events from the first film, thing was just inane, and has been done to death. The killings were formulaic and dull. The beginning sequence with the first female victim. Come on; Who leaves a potted "fake" plant like that on a boat. In a pot that, looked to wieght a hundred pounds. And, what did it crawl its way up to that lady. That is what they made it appear. Then the cocaine addict. COCAINE DOESN'T MAKE YOU GIDDY!!! IT IS A DOWNER! That guy acted, overacted, like he was on laughing gas, instead. Overall a very disappointing effort, and of course a useless, open-ended ending that will hopefully not breed another Cabin by the Lake. What would they call it: The Return of the Return of the Cabin by the Lake! Or "Hell, you apparently liked the first and the 2nd, so let's do it again"

0 out of 10

What a great bad movie! In this sequel to the story where a screenwriter enacts his own murderous screenplay (as he's writing it in the same mountain town where pre-production for the film is already going on), the now presumably dead and posthumously legendary writer-killer sneaks back on the set of the now-in-production movie (in 3 different clever disguises) and ever-so ironically discusses himself with everyone. Got it? The writing is sometimes fairly good, especially in the second half. The premise is interesting and despite loads of silliness, it's kinda kooky and fun. Judd Nelson just doesn't disturb me enough, though. I keep thinking of New Jack City and The Breakfast Club. Not to mention that damn Brooke Shields sitcom. However, one of the finest assets in the film is an incredibly overacted Brian Krause. Last time I saw him, he was the monster-hunk in Stephen King's "Sleepwalkers." That was around ten years ago, and it looks about 20. He plays the stereotypically abusive, ego-ridden, and sleazy director of the new picture who claims he was good friends with the killer/writer. Naturally Judd Nelson disabuses him of that notion.

Krause is pure B-movie dynamite. He acts like a starving bum eats..with incredible gusto and absolutely no attention to the results.

Of more amusement yet is the wacky directing and cinematography. The director like to emulate Oliver Stone in the worst possible way.switching film stock all over the place. I'm no film student, but I know 8mm film and hand -held video camera results when I see them. So a lot of the crucial scenes look like they were filmed in part by the camera crew from COPS. And it's totally inappropriate to the 'scary' feel. There is a scene that has got to be Sam Raimi homage, with the camera spiraling up from Judd Nelson's face after he wakes up. At least he got that right. So check this out on USA. I was lucky (?) enough to catch the first one for the 1rst time the night before, so of course I just had to watch this premiere. And what a super experience it was.