Macabre Monday: Cabin Fever Patient Zero

Cabin Fever: Patient Zero, part three of the Cabin Fever series, lured me in with high hopes of another gruesome take on a flesh-eating virus gone wild.

I will say this over and over again: sequels, remakes, etc. are almost never up to par with the original. And this is a classic example.

For those of you who have never seen Eli Roth's Cabin Fever, you're truly missing out--unless you have a pretty weak stomach. (And would like to shave your legs without thinking of them being shredded in the process...)

Like I've said before on my blog, as much as I love horror, any movie that takes horror and manages to sneak in comedy just takes the cake for me (think Evil Dead). Eli Roth manages to accomplish just that with Cabin Fever, and Cabin Fever 2 is a whole lotta funny as well. So when I began watching Patient Zero, the third installment, I was surprised at how serious it was. There were a few moments when I started nodding off. That's never a good sign.

The special effects are pretty amazing though--when used. From a bloody skin-pulling cat-fight you won't forget to a few downright terrifying close-ups, you'll definitely be grimacing.

...And itching. The film does a good job of showing the symptoms of the flesh-eating virus advance, and your skin starts to crawl as the actors begin to develop hives, pustules, and start scratching at their skin non-stop.

Also, "patient zero" just so happens to be Samwise Gamgee. That was really the only fun part of the movie...

The big reveal at the end fell rather flat, but I liked the way it ended.

So, is it worth seeking out the third movie if you've seen the first two? I'd say no. There was actually no jump scares, no real psychological scares, and to be honest, I didn't come away from the movie scared of a flesh-eating virus hidden away somewhere, just waiting to chomp down on my bare leg and start a global pandemic. It actually wasn't even as gory as it could have been.

I would say, however, to definitely pick up the very first Cabin Fever (with Rider Strong from Boy Meets World).

Overall, what I did come away with?
1. Seriously, when something is "off the map," I don't know, maybe it's just not a good place for a vacation. (e.g. The Descent).
2. Stop having sex/making out with infected people! If your significant other looks like a toad with all those bumps, really, why would the first thing on your mind be to do the dirty?
3. If there is a weird, abandoned-looking military/government building out in the middle of nowhere, DO NOT GO IN IT.