It wasn't until high school where some friends and I watched Evil Dead 2. Great and hilarious movie. One of the friends there mentioned how this was kind of an redo of the first one. I really enjoyed it, and it explained the beginning of AoD, which confused the hell out of 10yr old me...guy drops down into the medieval times with a busted ass car and shotgun and missing hand...WHAT? But luckily 10yr old me was in for the ride anyway.
Evil Dead...this is a weird one memory, even for me. My roommates from my sophomore year were staying in a hotel before classes started. My friend and I were in one room, and the two girls were in the one next door...the bottom of our windows in each room was the actual ground outside. So when we were both in our rooms, we left our windows open so we could climb in and out as we pleased. See my friend and I had taken over all the outlets for our computers so we could play Diablo II together...so the TV was unplugged. There we were dungeon crawling when the girls jumped into our room, in tears and in between sobs, "We're under attack.." My friend and I, utterly confused followed them into their room to watch news reports of 9/11...I'm not sure how long we sat silently watching the news until someone finally asked to change the channel...the first thing we flipped to was Evil Dead, which we also watched silently. Weird association, right?
When I finally read Bruce Campbell's biography, If Chins Could Kill, these memories came back (all of them), and I really enjoyed hearing the behind the scenes.
So then the remake...I had wanted to see it in the theatre, but hardly any of my friends would see it with me. And while, I could have seen it by myself, I like seeing movies with friends so we can discuss. Then I read the mixed reviews. My favorite and go to horror movie reviewer is Brian Collins, who ran a very cool website called Horror Movie a Day, and now writes for Badass Digest, an awesome website as well. He called it "good enough"...great review, check it out if you want something other than my musings and thoughts...I am no film critic or knowledge of the film industry, just a fan.
So what did I think...I definitely enjoyed the film. "Good enough" is a great description. It is definitely better than a lot of movies trying to copy the formula of these types of movies. Part of that could be the homages and nods paid to the original Evil Dead and the familiarity of certain things like the POV zooming through the trees or the visuals like cabin, the Oldsmobile, etc. But it was also a quality film.
The synopsis is as follows: Mia and her friends head to Mia's family's cabin out in the woods. Her friends are there to help Mia quit drugs cold turkey. Along for the ride is her brother and his girlfriend, their family dog Grampa, and two friends/couple who I called Teacher Boy and the Nurse. Things are going ok for this type of situation until they find the cellar and the Necronomicon. Teacher Boy is intrigued and ultimately releases the evil by reading from the book. Evil, demonic possession and gore ensue.
The movie does have a lot going for it. The practical effects are awesome and there is a ton of blood. Visually, this film looked amazing. I loved all the camera angles, and the sound is well done. The movie actually really shines when things are building up or when the craziness is being shown.
When the movie slows down is where I have the biggest issues with, albeit not not that big overall. Some of the dialogue and interaction just doesn't jive. The best actor/character is Teacher Boy, kind of the new Ash with how much punishment this guy takes. I think I just really wanted to get to the action. Which was good, but I think I have been spoiled a little bit with films like The Conjuring (and Insidious) and Cabin in the Woods, where the actions are more believable and fun. Both films that scare more and do an overall better job and believable.
Let me take the time to talk about a movie and it's characters being believable. It seems like more horror movies take place in a world where horror fiction/non-fiction is not really around or to a very little extent. So for the kids to explore the basement and read the Necronomicon...I mean we as a viewing audience know better having seen these types of movies. But honestly, if I found myself in that situation I would be intrigued because I am a fan of the genre...I would look through the book...but I sure as hell wouldn't read out loud...I'm not that stupid haha. But there are parts in Evil Dead where shit has hit the fan and the level of denial is too damn high for the brother before he finally buys in. A good contrast would be the Perron family in the Conjuring...they catch on quick to the supernatural elements afflicting them.
So overall, I would recommend seeing it. I paid $5 to rent it on VuDu through my Xbox, and was worth it. I think for some, wait for Netflix or rent the DVD at a cheaper price. You'll need the gore and violence for the movie to shine (both overall and to appreciate the special effects).
Below are my musing why watching the film...all grammar and writing etiquette did not apply by the way haha.
Evil Dead - movie notes
Opening is a little interesting, girl in woods, beatup, found buy some guys, old woman spellbook, girls dad showed up, dad lights her on fire to save her soul, deadite, then shotgun to the face...first time
cool establishing shot after shock title, insidious and conjuring better...now it seems better, opening was kind of weird, reminds me of ED2 almost...driving up to the mountain, cabin looks legit, theres the car!,
troubled bro/sis, promises and hope to die, i mean am i too jaded for cliches, or is it cool as a throwback...
yeah poor drugs into the well...what if you need the water later.
cabin looks like crap inside, memory wall of pics with some disturbing pics, more troubled bro/sis
setup for intervention, interesting choice mentioning failed attept before, didnt know what from info...quick into breaking from withdrawal...
dog as vehicle for finding...blood stains and trapdoor...stench, but no one smelled it before?
book in bag and wire, shotgun and shells...new book looks good, and i get the curiosity thing, if i didnt believe, i would read it, i dont think i would read out loud though...im not stupid.
now we're on, traveling through the woods and flash of deadite,
by trying to do good, but they are the reason shit is going to hit the fan...not that it would have helped as its never than easy to escape...then vine rape scene which completes the possession,
and the dog is a goner, dig naming the dog grampa...say goodbye to grampa...lets hug the dead bloody dog, bro thing sis did it...things get worse, Mia is freaking out and is fucked up,
teacher boy gets the book is happening haha, lets see what he does with it.
And trapped, im liking the homage aspects, but its the new stuff that is kind of trite, teacher boy is good...though not doing much about it...but what can he really do?
Mia fucked up and brings shotgun...shit just got serious, bro is hurt, blood puke on nurse, mia now trapped in basement....
not sure how much of the Necronomicon as a playbook for whats coming is working anymore, the first two were cool.
teacher boy vs nurse, pretty cool...teacher boy gets abused but wins, admits to friend of reading the book...in shed, why split up...i know why, but come one just for some water...
bro's gf is a goner...goes down basement, granted trying to help friend...would have worked had they played the is she really possessed vs withdrawl better...box knife on tongue wasnt as bad as it looked in trailers, gf gets bloodied by possessed mia, why they brought her up when what happened to nurse...
I will give it to the gore and special effects, very well done, same as cinematography, also how they locked the basement, nice chain work on the zig zag approach
yay hand possession! gf is screwed haha, and we get a cut it off scene, poor form on no turniquet,
bro has a lot of denial of whats really or coward,
possessed gf with nailgun...forshadowed from earlier...teacher boy...the new ash in terms of punishment...soo nailed haha...bro gets beaten with crowbar, teacher buy tries to help with nailgun...finally out of nails. then beaten near death from crowbar, bro saves him (maybe), gf reverts to normal for some torture...
bro finally sacks up to burn the place down...or does he, Mia starts singing...then digs and then rigs something up...couldnt tell what it is yet...braves basement to get Mia..gets crapped kiced out of him, teacher boy shows up somehow to help, they drug mia...teacher boy dies :(...would have thought he was the hero, as the brother was kind unlikeable at times...but sometimes ok...
bro goes for live burial, dresses her up like he knows what he is doing...assuming teacher boy told him at somepoint...lil psychological taunting from possessed mia, ahh defibulated contraption, that doesnt work, but he tried save the possess mia...does work, he thinks its over...we know its not hahaha, and she is back to normal mia?
one last trup inside and teacher buy possesed attacks, revived mia is normal again so far, teacher possessed and bro face off, bro sacrifices self to shoot gas can with shotgun to end things...then rain of blood and demon born from ground...mia is now fighting against risen one...hides and uses chainsaw!
finally wins with more fire and chainsaw, end credits were cool...post credit show of bruce campbell saying groovy was nice touch...
over all, i liked it, i know i sounded critical, but was just picking on a few things, when the film got serious and went for the craziness, it works, it was just the stuff inbetween that felt flat...
Poster was found on Google...best one for the remake, very cool design. Not sure who did it, I just copied the URL address. That should cover me on reusing the likeness right...
No comments:
Post a Comment