I really liked how the Elder Things were in a way, a metaphor for us. I mean, the average movie going person will go see a horror movie once or twice a year. We go see them in an almost ritualistic fashion, always in the month of October and we're going to see young people die. I even liked how one of the technicians said "we can't go off script" (or something along those lines) indicating that the Elder Things, like us, want to watch the same thing again and again without change, I mean that's how we got 7 Saw films in as many years.

Oh man what an ending!

1. What was the actual situation above ground? Is it basically supposed to be our world and hardly anyone is aware of all this human sacrifice going on all over the place all the time? Or are most people aware of the sacrifices, but there's a certain percentage of the population that's bred to sacrificed and raised in a controlled, fictitious world where they are kept unaware?

2. It seemed like they were implying that someone had deliberately sabotaged the operation from the inside but this was never elaborated upon. Was it actually sabotaged? If so, by whom? I would have liked some explanation.

In regards to question one... I never even really gave it a thought when watching the movie and just chalked it up a big global conspiracy with really nice benefits to entice silence among the workers. As to the human sacrifices, I think they just worked with what fit the bill as best they could. There was a line towards the end where The Director was explaining to Dana her role as "the virgin" and she just gives Sigourney Weaver a look of "you really think I'm a virgin?" and Sigourney Weaver responds with "we work with what we have.

As to the second question, there does seem to be a bit of a plothole there, perhaps it was cut from the movie to be added to the Director's Cut DVD when it comes out? Joss Whedon is a decent enough writer to avoid a pretty obvious plothole like that so I'm going to assume it's studio meddling.