So my analysis of The Cabin in the Woods is taking longer than I expected, mostly because I keep getting distracted by how awesome the movie is. One thing I couldn't help making was this, a list of all the possible monsters which could have terrorized the poor occupants of the cabin (in the woods). So while you wait for me to stop being distracted, enjoy this compilation. (Also please note if you're using Google Chrome then adding Hover Zoom will help you fully enjoy this article - don't worry it's free.)
EDIT: My analysis of the movie is finished and can be found here.
EDIT2: Someone put some of the images on imgur here, so check it that out if you like.
The Cabin In The Woods Bestiary
These are in the order seen on the betting board behind Richard Jenkins
Werewolf, bet on by Finance. Pretty generic monster.
Alien Beast, bet on by Bio Med. Some sources claim a much more direct reference to the Alien movies than this picture indicates, but it's rather difficult to find a good picture of this thing. EDIT: Nevermind here are some great pictures.
Mutants, bet on by Demolition. First of many zombie-related monsters. Not quite sure if there's an exact referent here but 28 Days Later & 28 Weeks Later feature zombies vomiting blood.
Wraiths, not bet on by anyone. Pretty cool looking but not the scariest of the monsters so I understand the lack of confidence.
Zombies, bet on by Chem Dept. As Richard Jenkins informs us, similar to but technically different from Zombie Redneck Torture Family. There are a lot of zombie-related categories which makes me think Joss Whedon really likes his zombie movies.
Reptilius, not bet on by anyone. Which is strange because this is a pretty awesome and unique (more so than zombies at least) monster. Sorry the picture's not very good.
Clowns, bet on by Electric. Obvious but tasteful reference to It.
Witches, bet on by Operations. Pretty generic witches except that they seem to be able to fly without broomsticks. Much more interesting is the fact that a Left 4 Dead witch makes a cameo in the movie.
Sexy Witches, bet on by Archives. I can't find a picture (and neither can IMDb, so I think I'm safe), so my guess is that this is just on the board as a joke. Poor people over at Archives didn't get the memo.
Demons, not bet on by anyone. That picture is what The Cabin in the Woods wiki credits as the demons, but they look a whole lot like the Mutants to me. Somewhat more convincingly, Michael Tresca of examiner.com argues that this is closer to what the crew likely had in mind.
Hell Lord, bet on by Sitterson (aka Richard Jenkins). Fairly obvious reference to Pinhead of Hellraiser fame.
Angry Molesting Tree (or this awesome gif), bet on by Wranglers. First of two probable references to Evil Dead, and a likely suspect for my money were I to bet (second choice after Twins).
Giant Snake (rear view for size), bet on by Internal Logistics. Possibly a reference to this snake also created by Joss Whedon. That's two hints, now you get 10 points if you know what it's from.
Deadites, bet on by Story Dept. Can't find a picture, so maybe necessary for the nod to Evil Dead but impossible to really do justice. Love that Story Dept put their money here since the story (of Cabin in the Woods itself) is heavily indebted to the film.
Kevin, not bet on by anyone. Easily the most mysterious of the monsters (director Drew Goddard refuses to talk about him), my favorite theory is that it's a reference to Sin City.
Mummy, bet on by Psychology. Necessary but generic inclusion. Perhaps interesting to consider why the Psychology department put their money here.
The Bride, bet on by Digital Analysis. IMDb pointed me to an urban legend about the phantom bride of 13 Curves Road, but could also simply be a reference to the popular Halloween costume.
The Scarecrow Folk (also, their masks), bet on by Data Archives. Not a lot of screen time but pretty cool looking.
Snowman, bet on by Communications. Not seen in the movie, but probably a reference to Jack Frost.
Dragonbat, not bet on by anyone. Yep, you read that right. Nobody bet on the freaking Dragonbat. It better be nearly impossible for the cabin occupants to activate this monster or a whole lot of people need to reconsider their bets/be fired.
Vampires (also), bet on by Distribution. The Nosferatu (as opposed to Robert Pattinson) variety for obvious reasons.
Dismemberment Goblins (they're only seen in the background so that's the best I can do), not bet on by anyone. A fan favorite resulting is some sweet fan-made art. Also, concept art.
Sugarplum Fairy (aka Ballerina Dentata), not bet on by anyone. Another surprising betless monster. Awesome original creation.
Merman, bet on, of course, by Hadley. Quite a unique take on merfolk, creatures who are normally beautiful, elegant or graceful. Poor Hadley.
The Reanimated, bet on by Administration. Yup, more zombies. Pretty awesome ones though.
Unicorn, bet on by Engineering. Coincidentally one of the many reasons to see the movie.
The Huron, bet on by R + D. Apparently a reference to myths created by colonists about Native American scalpers. Pretty cool inclusion.
Sasquatch/Wendingo/Yeti, not bet on by anyone. Insert some joke about finally seeing him or fuzzy photography or something.
Dolls, bet on by Kitchen Staff. Not this kind but this kind.
The Doctors (also), bet on by Accounting. Creepy idea and apparently a reference to House on Haunted Hill.
Zombie Redneck Torture Family (before & after), bet on by Maintenance & Ronald the Intern. If you've seen the movie then you've seen enough of this particular monster, as they are the ones actually chosen. Lucky Ron the Intern.
Jack O' Lantern, bet on by Security. Barely makes an appearance in the movie, which is a missed opportunity if you ask me.
Giant, bet on by Zoology. Brief appearance; generic monster.
Twins, not bet on by anyone. My first choice for betting on right above the Angry Molesting Tree. If you don't get what movie this is referencing we probably can't be friends.
So, there you go. A complete list of the monsters on Richard Jenkins's board. Wish there had been some sort of reference to Freddie of A Nightmare on Elm Street, but you can't win 'em all. There are more monsters in the film than just this list (like the Left 4 Dead monsters), so check out IMDb's FAQ for more info.
It should be pointed out that the Giant Snake pic referenced from Buffy, is not a giant snake. That's the Mayor after he ascends to full demon form.
ReplyDeleteBut they do refer to the mayor turning into a "Giant Snake" in Buffy many times even though it is just a demon form. And Glory also summons a Giant Snake to find where the key is in season 5.
DeleteI did know what that snake was immediately. That's one of the few Buffy episodes I remember rather well. At their graduation, no less.
DeleteTHANK YOU!!
DeleteRight after the dragonbat scene there is a scene where in the background you see a blackhaired girl which just stands in front of a lying soldier and that guy tries to crawl away. Shortly after there is another scene where you can see that solder crawling further away and she still stands just in front of him. Not sure why but this freaked me out the most. However I think she may be a reference to the F.E.A.R pc game series.
ReplyDeleteOr The Ring.
DeleteI prefer the Ring interpretation of this scene, but the FEAR reference wouldn't be completely out of the blue in a movie that makes reference to Left 4 Dead.
DeleteThe demon picture (http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/0c/f1/0cf1c990c4dad3476a9c259d334428c9.jpg) is from Magic the Gathering. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah this was pointed out to me on reddit, and I'm super grateful you both (maybe you're the same person?) pointed it out because I was informed that it was concept art from the movie people. I was skeptical at the time, but didn't know how to chase it up, and I'm so glad to finally have my suspicions confirmed.
DeleteSeems obvious that the molesting tree is reference to Poltergeist.
ReplyDeleteMy take on Psychology betting on the Mummy is that it's a joke about Freud's Oedipus complex.
ReplyDeleteThis is so awesome thank you so much I absolutely love this reading!
DeleteOedipus was a Greek figure, and the greeks didn't mummify bodies when they buried them like other cultures.
DeleteAnd there was only one instance of mummification in the Czech Republic, where Freud was born. But while there was some evidence of deliberate mummification, most of the dryness and traditional look was due to the conditions of the crypt they were buried in.
cool theory though.
I don't understand? The point is that with Freud everything is tied back to the relationship with the mother, and mother = mommy = mummy. It's a pun, not a historical reference.
DeleteI thought the Angry Molesting Tree was a reference to the Redneck Tree from Something Positive:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.somethingpositive.net/sp05042002.shtml
Giant snake is Thoth-Amon from Conan universe (but was called Thulsa Doom in the movie.
ReplyDeleteDragonbat could be from "Graveyard Shift."
ReplyDeleteThe L4D creatures that make an appearance were due to planned Cabin in the Woods add-on for the game that got scrapped.
ReplyDeleteI find it quite odd that Sasquatch/Wendigo/Yeti is one monster (or set of monsters, possibly) given that they are actually quite different from one another, and that each is reasonably specific to a certain geographical area. Not especially relevant, but something I thought was interesting. Great article, by the way.
ReplyDeleteRight under the Left 4 Dead is the Tank.
ReplyDelete
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