This post serves two purposes today: thumbs-up progress report and movie review.

Update on The Visit: the pies (chocolate and coconut cream) were awesome. Daddy and I waited at Lyn-Way while they assembled them fresh. LEKKER. There was great conversation while we waited to hear about Mavis’s hospital test (turns out there wasn’t a radiologist there to read it, so we have to wait some more).

Then, while Daddy and the Thriller went out to the garage to figure out what’s wrong (again) with the Finkmobile, Kathy and I decided to drive out to the county fair. Turns out, the boys had the problem figured out by the time we got our shoes and coats on — bonus! We saw lots of horses (her favorite, and every horse she petted and talked to knew it) and sampled the incredible food on the midway. When we got back, they left so Daddy could nap at the hotel (he’s still recovering from shoulder surgery).

BFF Kay, Seamus and Hannah stopped by around dinnertime for a chat. The boy ended up out on the porch with his Granddaddy for over an hour, talking about cars. It was awesome, and Mama Fink was six kinds of happy and proud. Can’t wait for Lars to meet him tonight, where the conversation will no doubt turn to guitars.

After K and the kids went on their way, we rented Cabin in the Woods — something Daddy and the Thriller wanted to see. As usual, I had the pillow in front of my face for much of the time, so this review will be based on sound as much as actual viewing.

It’s a satirical twist on the slash-and-gore genre. And there is a reason why the cabin is suspended in mid-air on the poster. There are puppeteers. That’s all I’ll say about that.

Of course, there was the obligatory and ubiquitous head lopping and skin ripping that make these movies so ooky to me. The men in the room laughed at the gory parts; I, however, take them all too seriously, which significantly impedes my ability to “enjoy” films like this. Still, I will say that it was somewhat satisfying to see an ending — however bizarre — that didn’t follow the standard slasher story recipe.

With plenty of jump-out-and-BOO! moments, some smart-aleck comedy provided by one of my favorite actors (West Wing‘s Bradley Whitford), and the requisite pretty boys & girls, it’s a rather interesting variation on what is, to me, an old, tired theme. But you horror fans might dig it.

On the Rat-O-Meter scale of five cheeses, I give Cabin in the Woods:

Happy Saturnday to all! The grand finale family get-together is tonight — can’t wait.