'Boy Meets Virus' on DVD

Not for the squeamish or faint-hearted, Cabin Fever aims to be a throwback to the horror films of the '70s and '80s where intense gore and strong sexual content dominate over plot. The director, Eli Roth, is proud of this and packs the movie with reference after reference of presumably his favorite horror movies. \nThe basic plot is five college students have a week-long, post-finals retreat in a secluded cabin in the woods. A mysterious homeless guy shows up and gives them all a flesh-eating virus. One by one the partiers get the virus and face a slow, gruesome death. The setup is great -- a real throwback that's refreshing after the computer-generated horror of the past few years. The sole problem is that Roth tries to cram too much into the movie, switching from gut wrenching horror to absurdist comedy. Classic horror movies have always had a sense of humor, but if taken too far, too bluntly, it can detract from the scarier aspects of the film. The cast has a C-league charm as headlined by Boy Meets World veteran Rider Strong, and also includes Jordan Ladd and James DeBello. They take on their cookie cutter roles well and don't make it a cliché-fest. \nThe DVD comes packed with extras including five commentary tracks, a behind-the-scenes documentary, a chick-friendly cut of the film (with white gloves popping up, censoring the gory parts) and a family friendly version of the film (lasting about 30 seconds). Fever isn't for everyone, but horror movie fans will certainly appreciate the winks and nods the filmmakers give them. Part horror/virus/comedy movie, Cabin Fever's main fault is that it loses focus on being scary, which is too bad because it really was frightening.