An anti-horror horror movie

Rating: 8/10 (1 November 2012)

This film is a horror movie that is poking fun at horror movies and movies in general. So if you're looking for a film that you can cradle a scared lady-friend to, this is not the one.
To anyone who has watched Southpark's Britney Spears episode you will know the parallel that Matt Stone & Trey Parker drew between our modern culture glorifying and then using celebrities up as an ancient sacrifice to the gods to ensure a good harvest. This movie does the same- by creating a reality TV type scenario that the main characters walk into. But it takes it a step further, in showing how the horror movie clichés (joker, jock, slut, nerd and virgin) can be seen as a more elaborate version of this kind of sacrifice ; and horror is the genre that supplies an endless stream of blood to satisfy this ancient need.
But the characters are so much more than clichés- in the movie they actually are noticing how they are falling/being cast into these roles and being less and less human, less and less themselves. That in itself has me tipping my hat to the writers. Joss Whedon you clever beast!
As to it not being pure horror- that's the point of the movie. I was enjoying the commentary that the narrative made while it developed and because i didn't know where it was heading and why things were happening, it kept me on edge and interested to the very end.
At one point I was sitting there thinking - wow this movie must have been so much fun to make! It was definitely fun to watch.