There were a lot of reasons I wanted to see Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, the follow-up to 2002’s Cabin Fever, directed by Eli Roth.  The first viewing of the original was a bit of a disappointment for me, but subsequent viewings have been kind to the movie, and I think it has become one of the more interesting debuts from a director.  Also, this sequel is directed by Ti West, who is responsible for The House of the Devil, one of the best films of last year.  I love, love, love that movie.  So, sequel to a movie I respect, directed by a director who knows how to put together a horror film.  So far, so good.  

Cabin Fever 2 opens where the previous film ends, with Paul (Rider Strong) jacked up by the flesh eating virus, wandering into a rural highway where he is subsequently reduced to goo by a passing school bus.  The frame freezes on the explosion of the body as the bus makes contact, shifting into a crudely animated title sequence that tells us all we need to know.  The virus is lurking in the water, which is, in turn, bottled and distributed to a nearby high school just before the school’s prom.

The prom sets the stage for best friends John (Noah Segan) and Alex (Rusty Kelley), with Alex’s tryst in a bathroom stall roping him into the festivities, while Alex pines after long-time crush Cassie (Alexi Wasser), who is tethered to all around jerk Marc (Marc Senter).  Unfortunately for all of them, the punch at the prom has been spiked with bottled water containing the flesh-eating virus that reduced Paul to a rotting, staggering husk, and authorities are quick to turn the high school into a prison for the infected teens and school administrators within.  Now, the surviving teens must find a way out of the disease-ridden school, past the government agents surrounding the building, and to safety before they, too, are infected.

at the prom has been spiked with bottled water containing the flesh-eating virus that reduced Paul to a rotting, staggering husk, and authorities are quick to turn the high school into a prison for the infected teens and school administrators within.  Now, the surviving teens must find a way out of the disease-ridden school, past the government agents surrounding the building, and to safety before they, too, are infected.

Winding through the story is the other returning character, Deputy Winston (Giuseppe Andrews), who has managed to piece together the link between the polluted water and the ensuing sickness that afflicts some of the locals, revealed in a gruesome set piece at a diner, including a cameo by horror notable Larry Fessenden.  In fact, the good deputy can’t seem to go anywhere without running into a cameo from Judah Friedlander or American Movie’s Mark Borchardt.  

I know what West was going for here.  On paper, this must have seemed like a fun, frolicsome gorefest, with enough character moments to be interesting, but never losing sight of its Dead Alive-style blend of the gruesome and comedic.  To paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen, “I have seen Dead Alive.  You, sir, are no Dead Alive.”  The problems begin at the script level, with jokes that go nowhere and characters that come and go without leaving an impression.  There just aren’t enough payoffs.  And one death scene in particular is ridiculously hammy.  Time spent with Winston is generally wasted, although Segan in the lead role does manage to find some honest moments in the script.

I know what West was going for here.  On paper, this must have seemed like a fun, frolicsome gorefest, with enough character moments to be interesting, but never losing sight of its Dead Alive-style blend of the gruesome and comedic.  To paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen, “I have seen Dead Alive.  You, sir, are no Dead Alive.”  The problems begin at the script level, with jokes that go nowhere and characters that come and go without leaving an impression.  There just aren’t enough payoffs.  And one death scene in particular is ridiculously hammy.  Time spent with Winston is generally wasted, although Segan in the lead role does manage to find some honest moments in the script.

Ti West’s perfect realization of The House of the Devil does not make him infallible, sadly, and the take here feels all wrong.  Sure, it’s supposed to be light, but the direction here makes the film feel not just light but wholly insubstantial.  A parade of scenes drift past, and some of the camera work feels a bit lazy.  A Carrie-like homage by the school swimming pool feels a bit exploitative and pointless, and that scene is indicative of much of the film.

It pains me to say it, it really, really does, but Cabin Fever 2 isn’t just not-good, it’s pretty bad.  The performances are amateurish, despite Segan’s charismatic turn, the gags don’t work and all the nods to other films only inspire me to watch those, superior movies.  It is, quite frankly, a mess of a movie, made all the more disappointing by the talent and intent of the director.  I believe this film was aimed at the audience that enjoyed the first Feast film, but instead lands more in the Feast 3 territory of movies that should have been left on the page instead of the screen.  Pity.