I feel that many of these horror remakes these days are the product of movie studios running out of ideas for original content and an easy way to grab cash from all of the people that will go see it. Most of the time there is really no reason to remake films like Texas Chainsaw or Nightmare on Elm St. I know many foreign horror films are remade for American audiences but they never truly pack the punch the originals did. So with this being said I was somewhat nervous when I heard that the original Evil Dead was going to be remade. What made me nervous was that the Evil Dead trilogy, created by the one and only master of awesomeness Sam Raimi, is something so special to many people deep in the world of cult cinema, that there is no way possible that this can be done right. But wait….they did do it right. At least as far as I’m concerned.
For those of you who have seen the original Evil Dead, no, not the funny one, the original one that scared the pants off of me in sixth grade. it’s really a simple story in a way. Four friend go to a cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway, only to find a book of evil incantations in the basement. After it is read from, evil spirits are awoken and reek havoc on the four for the rest of the movie. Sam Raimi, who wrote the original with his brother Ted, knew what he was doing with suspenseful storytelling that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. With his over the top gore and creative cinematography, Raimi created a classic all of it’s own, which spawned two sequels, Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness. Out of these films came the characture Ashley Williams played by Bruce Campbell, better known as just Ash.
Well, there is no Ash in this remake. Is that ok? Yes. It’s very ok. I am very happy with new people thrown into this chaos. The new Evil Dead remake does not try to copy the original in an updated way, but instead pays tribute to the original while creating an all new retelling of the story. Hope thats not to confusing. It’s not as creative as the original, but does good at what it does.
The film delivers many of the same elements as the original. A group of twenty-something year olds go to a cabin for the weekend. Not to party, but to help a friend in need of quitting drugs cold turkey. I liked this aspect because I’m tired of the traditional “let’s go party in a secluded place” plot. The five people, David, Eric, Mia, Olivia and Natalie, notice how the first letters of their names spell Demon?, find a grisly scene in the basement of the cabin along with a book that when read from, unleashes a terrible power that posses the cast and destroys each of them one by one.
As a fan I was happy to see many traces of the original in this. The necklace, the 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88, the hand going bad, the tool shed, the chainsaw and the infamous tree rape, which I have never seen in another film. Director Fede Alvarez, from what I have read, worked very close with Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell on this because they didn’t want it to be turned into some cheap teen horror flick. They also spared no expense, I sound like John Hammond from Jurassic Park, on the truckloads of blood splashed onscreen for about 60 minutes of the film. So if you do not like blood, do not see this because it’s full of it. Dismemberment, gouging, vomiting, gnawing and crushing, the blood flows hard in this film. I have not seen this much blood since Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive aka Braindead.
All in all, I had a fun time. I like intense horrific gore-fests if they are done right and this one was. It is not a film for everyone of course, but it brings the fun back to that genre splatter gore cult film. I read that they plan on remaking the whole trilogy, which will be interesting. Personally I don’t think Evil Dead 2 should be remade and they should have ended this film so the lone surviver, I wont say if its a he or a she, is shown where the next adventure will take place.
Thats about it. Go and spend the few dollars if you are a horror fan. You will not be disappointed. Remember though, this is a remake paying tribute to something many people adore. Its not perfect but it is pretty damn good. Oh, and if you are a true fan then stay till the credits are over. It is somewhat cheesy but rewarding. Enjoy…….