Irate horror movie fans recently expressed their displeasure over the negative review of Freddie vs. Jason that appeared in these pages.

But those who delight in the scares and bloodletting of the genre may now regret spending their hard-earned money on the cash-grabbing junk that is Freddie vs. Jason, because this week's offering, Cabin Fever, is the real horror deal.

Cabin Fever is a scary movie. It's about people rotting to death. There's even actually a plot, as well as thoughtful music, three-dimensional characters and inventive visuals. Not to split hairs or anything, but we find it much creepier to see someone almost dissolve while he's still breathing than to see some expendable character lose his head courtesy of tired special effects. But maybe that's just us.

Cabin Fever opens with a horrified hillbilly finding the eviscerated body of his hunting dog. Something's happening in the woods, and it's not pretty.

Then the story switches to a group of students who break from school and head off into those woods for a holiday. The students are played by Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, Joey Kern, Cerina Vincent and James DeBello. At first, things are idyllic. Bert (James DeBello) is a bit of an idiot, but you'll like the characters. There are no stereotypes to dictate who will be the first to be dispatched in full, gross, horror fashion.

When the hillbilly with the dead hunting dog suddenly staggers into their midst, the students react with fear -- which is what you'd expect. Their confusion helps set off a chain reaction of sorts, and slowly but surely, people begin to die of a horrific flesh-eating disease.

Bring to the movie what you will in the way of secret fears: Terrorist anthrax attacks, narcotizing fasciitis, skin cancer, wasted youth -- Cabin Fever knows what scares you. Under its pus-oozing, slaughter-intensive surface, however, the movie has a core of reality that's all about belief systems and relationships.

And it's damn funny at times. But not enough times. Cabin Fever is so good at the creation of dread that there were several times this viewer wished to flee the theatre. The landscape of Cabin Fever is littered with the odd, the angry and the frightened, all of whom are present and quite horrifying enough in real life, thanks very much.

As is no doubt obvious, the horror/thriller genre is not one we love. For fans of the crepuscular world where all is bloody, rotten and decayed in the soul, however, Cabin Fever really is all that. Have a lovely time.

(This film is rated 18-A)

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