Evil Dead Reviews

Recently, I have been re-watching the whole trilogy directed by Sam Raimi and, even though I don't think I'm a huge fan, I enjoyed all these movies so I thought it would be pretty neat to end up with this remake, especially since it was rather well received when it was released. Well, to be honest, I really had a hard time to care about the damned thing. I mean, sure, it was technically well done, I also appreciate the fact that they wanted to go into a really different direction than with the original movie and it was pretty neat to see all these nods to the original trilogy but, eventually, the whole thing turned out to be really boring. It comes down to what would you get if you would remove the humor and Ash from 'The Evil Dead'? Basically, a rather typical and tedious slasher flick. Indeed, these 2 elements were what made 'The Evil Dead' stand out among the other horror flicks so to remove these ingredients might have been an interesting idea but it didn't really work for me, I'm afraid. On top of that, I didn't help that I didn't care for any of the characters involved. At first, I was also rather worried by the fact that they added this cold turkey sub-plot which sounded really generic but, then, it did help to explain Mia's erratic behavior. Still, even this gimmick worked only for 5 minutes. Anyway, to conclude, my rating might be a little bit harsh but I thought it was just really tedious  and I don't think it is really worth a look. 

The revamped, polished and gore-soaked remake of the cult classic is a worthy successor to the name The Evil Dead. The future of horror is now! This marks the third impressive horror film that I've watched, produced in the last five years. Along with Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale and Cabin in the Woods, The Evil Dead serves as a balm to concerns that truly awesome and entertaining horror films were a thing of the past. Granted I haven't watched that many of late but I'm both a bit relieved and hungry for more.

Where the original trilogy was laced with campy humor, this leaves the comedy behind, pulling out all the stops for an edge-of-your-seat, spine-tingling, shock-fest. (Was that enough hyphens for ya?) I have no idea if this is 'The most terrifying film I will ever experience', as the film was touted but it was terrifying. I haven't jumped while watching a horror film in years and I did a couple of times during this.

I will admit that some of the gorier scenes had me wincing; it's not really my thing. Yet the film was very well done with an excellent script and dialogue. The actors were all outstanding and it was a personal pleasure to see the beautiful Jessica Lucas again...even if she met her fate far too soon for me. As well, the direction of Fede Alvarez, who I'm not at all familiar with, was quite impressive. This was an all-around, damned fine horror film.

Truly, there were only two things which disappointed me and, while I can understand both, they still had me shaking my head. The first was the excessive use of gore but this was an Evil Dead film, so it's to be expected. The difference here is that the Bruce Campbell trilogy was camp and this sooooo was not. The second was the fact that with each violent act they seemed to be trying to imitate what had come before.

The tree-rape scene, locking the possessed Mia in the cellar, the hand-bite/amputation, the shotgun, the duct-tape, the chainsaw (and another hand-capitation), etc... I felt as if this new crew of film-makers had come upon the abandoned playroom of those gone before and simply scooped up their toys instead of bringing their own.

Still, it was a small discredit, in my estimation, and I'm still tempted to give this a higher rating than 8 out of 10 stars. Food for thought... I'll certainly watch this again in the future. Maybe then.

I highly recommend!

Bit disappointing. Not that I expected much, but at least the original had a certain charm. This one was just bland and charmless. Good effects and it was somewhat entertaining, but pretty stale overall.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

So, the Evil Dead remake. It was a long wait for this one! :) Way back in 2007, I heard this was planned. But anyway, it's finally out, and in some ways, it exceeded my expectations. But in a lot of other ways, it's just kind of mediocre.
I'm not the biggest Evil Dead fan myself, but I still like the movies enough. And the filmmakers here also clearly have a great deal of respect for the franchise. There are several homages to the second movie as well as the first one, and they're pulled off well enough that they're recognisable but still different enough that they fit perfectly within the context of the new story. I'm usually flat-out against horror remakes, but that's how you do one properly. :)
But sadly, the reimagining itself is where the movie falls flat. The characters are boring (Natalie in particular is completely superfluous), and the new plot is so much more involved than the original. It revolves around a demon who needs to claim five souls before dawn, so that… actually, I have no idea what his goal is! It's so drastically different from the original idea that, in a way, it doesn't deserve to be called a remake.
To sum it up, as its own horror movie, this does very little to stand out from the crowd (aside from being gleefully gory!), but as an Evil Dead remake… it's a mixed bag, but you may find it's a pleasant surprise.

My rating: 55%

"This thing is attached to Mia's soul like a leech. If I'm reading this right, it's become her."

Horror remakes justifiably strike fear into the hearts of genre fans, with bad remakes outnumbering the decent ones by a significant margin. A remake of Sam Raimi's 1981 cult classic The Evil Dead is particularly sensitive territory, as it had the potential to be a brainless PG-13 rehash made purely for easy box office returns. How surprising, then, that 2013's Evil Dead falls into the win category; it's an imaginative, chilling horror movie that retains its predecessors' proclivity for gleeful R-rated absurdity. It had the full support of both Raimi and star Bruce Campbell, showing that this is less of a money grab and more of an attempt to continue the long-dormant Evil Dead series. Calling it a reboot or a remake is not exactly accurate; it can easily be considered the fourth instalment in the series, as it doesn't deny that the events of the prior movies ever took place.

Struggling with her heroin addiction, Mia (Jane Levy) retreats to an old family cabin in the woods to go cold turkey for a weekend. Joining Mia for support is her estranged brother David (Shiloh Fernandez), David's girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore), and friends Olivia (Jessica Lucas) and Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci). As night falls, the gang discover the cabin's cellar, which has been the site of horrifying witchcraft. Although unnerved, they are determined to stay put to help Mia. Before long, Eric carelessly reads out some of the evil chants contained within the Book of the Dead, unleashing malevolent supernatural forces determined to possess everyone and turn them all into horrific zombie-ish demons intent on killing and mutilating.

Despite the basic setting and a few set pieces, Evil Dead is not a slavish remake of Raimi's film, as it plots its own course and does a few novel things, subverting expectations at every turn. The fact that Mia is a recovering drug addict makes for a nice new narrative angle, plus David is hesitant to believe in the demonic stuff as he just assumes that Mia has lost her mind. The climax is also inventive, contributing something fresh to the franchise mythology. With that said, though, the story does remain fairly standard-order, and it's hard to take these types of plots seriously after last year's The Cabin in the Woods. The biggest misstep of this new Evil Dead is retaining the rape of Mia by the forest - Raimi himself regrets using the tree rape in the original film; hence, it's surprising that a similar scene exists here. It's a repellent and unnecessarily macabre moment, and while it does serve the purpose of showing how the demonic spirits get inside Mia, something more creative would've been appreciated. Also, it's a shame the film doesn't give us a better sense of who the characters are. The pre-carnage stuff is strong, but there isn't enough dimension to these people. Then again, this is a horror film we're dealing with, and we're paying for the bloody stuff.

Although the 1981 film rustles up huge laughs amid the gore and terror, Raimi wasn't actually aiming for comedy-horror, and eventually embraced the comedic possibilities of the franchise with Evil Dead 2. With the benefit of a better budget and improved technology, Alvarez goes for the type of extreme intensity Raimi was initially aiming for, and he hits the bullseye. Evil Dead is one intense exercise in terror, with its shrieking musical score, loud sound effects and punishing gore enough to send chills down the spines of even the most jaded horror buffs. Alvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues have a palpable understanding of the appeal of this franchise, orchestrating numerous set-pieces involving bodily dismemberment, in which any tools or objects in sight are used to make a big bloody mess.

Evil Dead is a supremely brutal picture, gleefully R-rated, and it's no surprise that the MPAA slapped it with an NC-17 at first. Skin burns under boiling water, blood is vomited up, people are set on fire, and limbs are torn off. Meanwhile, the climax literally paints the whole world red. It feels more gleeful and fun than "torture porn" films like Saw and Hostel, too, making it easier to digest. Best of all, Alvarez and his team were determined to use in-camera effects, with only minimal CGI for minor touch-ups. It's an outstanding creative decision that will definitely be appreciated by those who detest CGI-laden horror pictures, and the technical achievements here are phenomenal. Apparently, 70,000 gallons of fake blood were used during filming, which sounds like an accurate figure. Everything from the cinematography, the editing, and especially the sound design is top-notch here, making great use of the modest $17 million budget.

Instead of attempting the impossible task of re-casting Bruce Campbell's iconic Ash role, Alvarez creates a new slate of characters for this version. What's interesting about the movie is how it toys with expectations, leaving us trying to figure out who exactly will emerge as the protagonist. The most notable performer here is Levy as Mia. She nails it, transforming from a meek girl to a sinister human doorway to Hell. Levy never hits a false note, and it's a bonus that she's likeable and beautiful. Fernandez lacks charisma and is a bit bland on the whole, but he's serviceable. Fortunately, Pucci is better, full of zest and charm. And when the shit starts to hit the fan, Pucci sells the intensity exceptionally well. As the rest of the token females, meanwhile, Lucas and Blackmore are strong if unremarkable.

The best thing to be said about this new Evil Dead is that it justifies its existence without having to be either an empty fan-service tribute or a bland, gritty reboot. It's a solid movie on its own terms and a welcome antidote to the lame, watered-down excuse for horror movies that we have endured for much too long. For the right audience - the type with a strong stomach and who aren't easily scared - this is the purest horror entertainment in recent memory. Though even if you like this type of gory horror, it's best not to watch it on a full stomach.

7.6/10

Today I went to the cinema to see this film and I admit I got a little hesitant when I bought my ticket but after you finish watching the movie I came to the conclusion that it was worth every penny.
The director was able to give a new approach to the plot of the story, I think it would be more accurate to say that it is a film that takes place in the universe of the franchise that is known by all, unlike most remakes we see around.
It had been a long time since I saw a horror movie so good, it sure is not the same thing as seeing the Ash incorporated by bruce campbell in other films, but the proposal that is more geared to the same as released in 81, terror in its purest form, different from the trash comedy released in 87.
Anyway I loved to watch, even for those who have never even heard of the franchise will be a full plate.
Watch without fear and see the credits until the end.

Groovy :)