Evil Dead Reviews

I don't really have a decisive stance on this one. The story can sometimes be dull, but when it does kick in with its awesome visuals, it suddenly becomes good again. It had a couple of funny moments as well which I liked as well. All in all, it was decent.

Finding a strong horror remake is very difficult these days, Evil Dead is a good example of that rare film. Filled with gruesome scenes of violence and horror, as well as being very cringe worthy throughout the film, it kept me gripped and didn't leave me disappointed. Thanks to the vision of Fede Alavarez , the visuals seen in this movie have gone back to old school effects, meaning very little/no CGI was used. This gore fest also featured a strong yet gut wrenching performance by Jane Levy. For hardcore fans, this may not top the standards of original for you, however, there are plenty of references towards the horror classic. Jam-packed with buckets of blood, moments of intensity and horrific fates for these poor souls, Evil Dead has been one hellish ride that I will return to hopefully soon.
NOTE: Stay behind after the credits!

In a post "Cabin in the Woods" world, a remake of Raimi's "The Evil Dead" remake seems like a counterintuitive idea. One shouldn't let the state of the genre effect their experience though, and it turns out Fede Alvarez's update "Evil Dead" is pretty good as far as horror remakes go. I always felt that what the original needed most was (much) better effects to really sell the blood and gore, and in that respect, this edition gave me exactly what I wanted. Especially impressive is the absence of special effects - these days, one might expect practical effects it to cheapen the experience, but in fact it is the horror movies that are over-reliant on CGI (take "Mama" as a recent example) that feel false. The filmmakers avoid underestimating the audience's ability to pick up on what's computer-generated and what's practical, and as a result there is texture and weight behind the gorefest. The characters (already not the strongest part of the series) are terrible this time around, lacking any semblance of a unique personalities. You are given absolutely no reason to want any of them to live; luckily, you can probably tell how it will end up for most of them from the get-go.

Sam Raimi's breakthrough trilogy starring Bruce Campbell as the iconic Ashley James "Ash" Williams stands as one of my all-time favorite movie franchises. As skeptical as I was at first, it comes as great relief that "Evil Dead" from first time helmer Fede Alvarez is an admirable re-imagining. It's so good in fact that it left me wondering why it wasn't even better.

Alvarez nails it visually and creates a stellar atmosphere. Acceptably made horror movies are a rarity these days, and beautiful looking, technically sound ones are even harder to come by. "Evil Dead" is such a film. From it's disorienting opening credits shot, to it's foggy exteriors, and dark brooding interiors, this film looks great. The quality of the production draws us in. Most important in a film like this though is the gore, and on this level (for a wide release), the film is bested by few others. This is pretty much as vicious as mainstream horror gets. Things become pretty messy pretty quick. The blending of ques-inducing prosthetics and integrated digital effects is superb. Gore hounds will be pleased.

The cast is also game, especially the two leads. Shiloh Fernandez is a solid presence and hero; he's not Bruce Campbell, but he holds his own. Jane Levy (of TV "Suburgatory") announces herself as a great new talent. She's the center of the film's advertising campaign for a reason. Levy shifts between playing vulnerable, to distressed, and menacing with ease. She's truly the films strongest asset next too Alvarez's razor sharp direction. The film pits Fernandez and Levy as siblings, which is not only a smart play against the usual horror setup, but brings welcome emotional weight as well.

Unfortunately, "Evil Dead" stumbles a bit on it's own good intentions. It tries to appeal to both modern horror fan and both casual and hardcore aficionados of the Raimi originals. The blending isn't always harmonious.

Alvarez makes it clear that his vision for the film lies within the visceral instead of the camp. He nails this on a technical level but throughout feels the need to evoke the humor of the original trilogy. This feels like a cop out. Everything about the production hints at a serious movie, including it's setup. The humor in the latter half feels forced as if not to upset fans of "Evil Dead 2" in particular. I like the visual nods to that classic, but the tonal shift undermine what Alvarez seemingly set out to do (and what early hype had promised). It needs to be mentioned that "Evil Dead" IS NOT scary in the least (advertising be damned). This is majorly disappointing, but it's style and spectacle are in the right place, and that goes a long way. A shame then that it makes compromises to be something it's not.

Various nods abound, but Alvarez should have evoked Raimi's pacing, since it is pacing that is EVIL DEAD's biggest flaw. In the 1981 franchise starter (and in it's sequel), the film never let up after the "grueling terror" commenced. Here, we go from messy set piece to the next with prolonged tension-breaking gaps in between. It's as if the characters forget just how dire their situation is, and instead opt to sit around a wait to get butchered! It's like riding one of those haunted carnival coasters, only to have it break down every couple of minutes and spoil the momentum. A role reversal in the film's final stretch also felt like a cheat.

For horror pictures specifically, I can forgive a heap of flaws as long as the film delivers ample entertainment value, style, and an attempt at characterization and a quality narrative. In this way "Evil Dead" is one of my favorite films of the genre in sometime.

Despite not being "the most terrifying film you will ever experience" or as good as the films that inspired it, "Evil Dead" shakes up multiplex horror with stellar carnage, phenomenal technical merrits, and characters who are actually well rendered.

No Bruce Campbell..no good.

UPDATE (4/13/13): I take back everything I said. Watching this alone makes it a grueling experience. I loved every minute. Best movie of the year thus far.

INITIAL THOUGHTS (4/4/13): Jane Levy was spectacular as both a deadite and a mortal, it was nice seeing her out of her comfort zone. Many references to the originals, like Natalie washing her possessed hand under a faucet, shot exactly how it was in EVIL DEAD II. I also don't have to explain: "I'm sorry, baby". And how awesome was it to use the original film's audio when Mia is initially possessed. The gore is gory, the laughs are plentiful, and the soundtrack is vibrant. They should not have cut out "we're gonna get you". It made the film somewhat less enjoyable and the fact that it was in every trailer made it very irritating. Jane Levy didn't have enough time as a deadite to say all of the one-liners they wrote for her in the script. The film seemed somewhat incomplete, probably because of the cuts they made to ensure an R-rating. Also, nothing surprised me because the red-band trailer revealed every gross thing the film had to offer. This should have been twenty minutes longer and kept the original ending that was in the script.

The Evil Dead was a stunning picture that redefined horror. Sam Raimi's film was terrifying and had wonderful effects and the filmmakers worked with a shoestring budget and were able to pull something truly unique with The Evil Dead. The classic had a sense of atmosphere and brooding tension, which added so much to the terrifying experience. This remake on the hand just suffers from start to finish. The only thing that makes film stand out is the gore effects, and they are quite good and very well done. However where the film lacks significantly is that it relies too closely on the original film to create its scares. Unfortunately this is where the movie fails. Aside from a few changed scenes, this is practically the same film. What made the original so good was the craft, the effort put into it that made it a terrific film to watch. However this one has a bigger budget a bad cast and a poorly written script with few cringe worthy bits of dialogue. I was very much disappointed with the result of this remake, and I thought it was a movie that was killed by way too much praise. I think that they stop remaking every single horror classic because no matter how much you tweak every single imperfection, the remake will never outdo the original. Evil Dead was yet another pitiful, overrated film that just didn't deliver. Sure it had the gore, and if that's what you're looking for, then you may enjoy it, but you want real tension with your gore, you'll sadly be disappointed. I wanted to be terrified and have a good time, but I simply didn't. There are some remakes that work and some that don't. Evil Dead is such a film. There is plenty of splatter effects here, with none of the chills and tension of the original. This is an overrated piece of film that never should have been made.

A confused but moderately entertaining bloodbath.

Kids in a deserted cabin in the woods, a cabin in the woods with a basement no less. Unfortunately, despite having an old cliche like that in front of you ... no surprises. Yah can't even get mad. At least they had a decent rationale for not lighting out at the first opportunity for once, a longtime pet peeve of mine about horror films: A) either they don't run or B) if they do, they slip and fall and so can only try to crawl from the horror. It's waaaay old.

Upping the gore quotient considerably but having little else of merit, the remake of Evil Dead loses just about everything that made the original special. Gone is the sense of humor, unless you just count the quantity of gore to be the qualifier for "humor," and gone is any real sense of a creative spark. It looks good thanks to director Fede Alvarez, and the practical gore effects can be memorable and truly digesting in the best possible way, but it just doesn't feel like an Evil Dead movie. It makes the same mistakes that your typical dumb horror movies do, from a lack of clarity to one-dimensional characters (I think Blonde Girlfriend had one line of dialogue for the first hour) to repeated rule breaking. There are a bunch of callbacks to the original Evil Dead but serve little other purpose. The finale, after a series of fake-outs, involves a weak showdown with a Big Bad that's anything but. I expect better from a remake sanctioned and produced by the original director, Sam Raimi, and star, Bruce Campbell. Maybe they knew it was only a matter of time before their 1981 film, and its superior 1987 sequel, would be remade by a cannibalistic Hollywood, so they wanted to cash in while they could. Or maybe they just argued, if anyone was going to make a poor remake, it might as well be them. If you're hungry for gore, then Evil Dead may suffice, otherwise it's a horror movie that's too familiar, too mediocre, and ultimately too disappointing to recommend.

Nate's Grade: C+

It takes a lot of nerve to try and re-make Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead". Made in 1979-1980, it was Raimi's feature length debut and was overflowing with creativity and passion, in spite of it's low budget. It attained a "cult status", becoming banned in several countries for it's brutality (but in reality, much of the horror came from the film-maker's technique, rather than cheap, exploitative shock). But Raimi is no longer a fresh-faced kid making exuberant movies just to satisfy some inner passion, he's an established hollywood producer, and making movies is a big time, money-making endeavor. Along with fellow producer Bruce Campbell (star of the original "Evil Dead" series), and a screenplay co-written by the director, Fede Alvarez and Diablo Cody (the ex-stripper best known for writing the oscar-winning screenplay for "Juno"), Raimi gives us a re-make that is tailor-made for today's horror movie box office. As released, it's one of the purest examples of torture porn I've seen in awhile, and I've seen Hostel, the Rob Zombie Halloween re-make, Chainsaw Massacre 3D, The Devil's Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses (Rob Zombie's films excel in this particular field), Cabin in the Woods (which this especially reminded me of), etc etc, the list goes on and on.

As the movie opens, five good-looking twenty-somethings go off to stay in some secluded cabin wayyy up in the woods somewhere. "Why?", you ask? It's not to party, but to help one of their friends recover from a drug addiction. While they sit around, comforting her, the dog uncovers a blood-stained trap door under the rug, that leads down into a pit filled with animal carcasses and an evil book. One of the particularly bright kids opens up the book, bleeds on it, and then recites the ancient resurrection passage that is clearly marked "do not read". Of course you know what happens after that. What you don't know is just how indifferent it all seems. As limbs are hacked off and eyeballs stabbed with needles, the characters seem less involved with what's going on up on the screen than the audience is expected to be. Look, I'm not making a value judgement: if you get off on seeing people sadistically murdered, or even if you're terrified by it, fine, but can't filmmakers just come up with new ideas instead of retreading the same waters over and over and over again? I didn't enjoy this re-make, and if it's not going to be better than the original, why bother with it at all?

The new Evil Dead movie could be a litmus test for true fans of the horror genre. As Entertainment Weekly's review stated so well: the new Evil Dead is "the bloodiest, goriest, slapstickiest horror movie since, well, The Evil Dead." Horror fans would grin or laugh gleefully at most of the goriest scenes because a) most are truly unique and different than what we've scene before, and b) we've seen EVERYTHING before. Anybody else would shut their eyes, grimace, flee the theater, or just wouldn't go. And it's not that horror fans are gore junkies. Blood, gore and violence are irrelevant and tedious if it's not weaved into a captivating story with decent acting, great directing, and creative plotting. And that's exactly what the new Evil Dead delivers. Most die-hard horror aficionados know the original Evil Dead by heart. To re-do the first and deliver a new and different version while staying within the bounds of the original is no easy task. But Fede Alvarez in his directorial debut knocks it out of the park. It strikes that fine balance between reverance to the original (with both overt and subtle references) and newness/uniqueness to keep us captivated and excited (and excitement is key as most of us are definitely looking for a cerebral adrenaline rush). Just modernizing a classic with a bigger budget takes no creativity and falls into the tedium and redundancy which most horror fan's hate. Gus Van Sant's Psycho re-make, where nearly every scene is "copied exactly," is a perfect example of this. One word: BORING. The last, great horror re-make was 2004's "Dawn of the Dead" which at the time was the best re-make since David Cronenberg's "The Fly" in 1986. That's why us horror fans are rejoicing to have a new movie to re-watch 10 times until the next good one.

First of all, I shall address this movie on its own merit without taking into account its cult classic predecessor.

The acting in this one was decent though nothing special. The pacing and effects were just okay. The plot was very straight forward, no twists or surprises. There were a few really large detractors for me. The relationships between the friends seemed forced. The dead dog puppet looked so fake I nearly laughed. The contraption David rigs up to defibrillate his sister back to life is completely ludicrous. All those things can be overlooked though if your expectations are not too high to begin with. It's one of those movies I would watch on late night TV if nothing better was on.

To compare it to the original Evil Dead:

There is absolutely no humour in this one at all. There are only two very thin homages to the original at the end. None of these characters have anywhere near the on screen charisma that Bruce Campbell's Ash had. The basic reason for the friends to be at the cabin and their staying when things get weird is much better in the new movie. The tree rape is in the new movie though significantly changed and very brief.

This new version will never be the cult classic the original was because it does not stand out in any way from the tons of other horror movies with the same premise. All in all it is just average.

This is essentially the 1981 original with most of the fun elements pumped out of it. OK, so to be fair "Evil Dead" is definitely more of a reboot than a remake. Other than the name, director Fede Alvarez and co-writer Diablo Cody have tweaked "The Evil Dead" story just enough (while keeping its original cabin in the woods mold) that this "Evil Dead" should be considered a standalone piece from the Sam Raimi series. That said, with a plotline consisting of five friends spending the night together in a cabin in the woods and reading from a Book of the Dead until they are one by one possessed by demons, leaving only one left to fight for survival, it is hard not compare it to the original. It is just such a shame that the original is so much better than this unimpressive attempt at horror. In short, the Alvarez/Cody "changes" I alluded to above, only work to overexpose a perfectly simplistic storyline, making the movie seem longer than need be and also nearly destroying the campy nature of what made the original "The Evil Dead" such a success.

That is not to say that the second half of the film doesn't contain parts which some would consider "fun". There are a few well directed creepy visuals and the grotesque makeup here is simply superb (the best part of the movie). Furthermore, and quite shockingly, this reboot is not just another mindless big budget torture-porn gorefest, like 2003's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"...well, let me reword that. In the spirit of "The Evil Dead" franchise, which is essentially predicated on violence and campy gore, this reboot isn't as maliciously gory as advertised, but still earns its R rating.

That said, almost all campy moments in the second half are clearly examples of too little too late, as nothing remotely funny (or interesting) happens until almost an hour in. There are also some nice callbacks to the original, including the infamous POV shots where the camera barrels through the woods, chasing after a screaming woman. But in the same breath I should make mention that the tree rape scene from the original is totally ruined here. I know what you're saying. How does someone screw up a tree raping scene?! And yet...

Critics of this critique may say that I went into this film with many biases, being that I am such a fan of the original. But to those I would say: I strongly believe that even the people who enjoyed "Evil Dead" (for what it is) or God forbid, haven't seen the original, will still surely forget about it by the time the next Paranormal Activity comes out. In fact, if not for a rather suspenseful final 10 minutes, which may be the bloodiest in recent years, this movie would have been completely forgettable.
Side Note: The trailers are more memorable than anything in this film. Oh, and by the way, you know the part in the trailer when the "possessed girl" utters the infamous line "we're going to get you, not another peep, time to go to sleep"? Yeah, that's not in this film.

The Acting: I won't mention anything about the acting, only because the acting in a movie like this isn't important AT ALL!

Final Thought: Even though "Evil Dead" does spark from time to time, it can't seem to ignite or let alone sustain any sort of suspenseful, campy or terrifying atmosphere. From its far too serious for its own good tone, to an exposition that is way too drawn out (especially for fans of the original) to its failed attempts to go the "Drag Me to Hell" (make situations and visuals so over-the-top that they are intentionally humorous) route, as a whole, this film should be considered a watchable disappointment. I will go so far as to say that "Evil Dead" was so shrug inducing that it is no wonder why Sam Raimi gave it his seal of approval, as he must have seen this reboot as no threat to overshadow his original classic.

Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I Ashland

Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus

'Evil Dead'. A brutal, goreiffic, tongue in cheek, perfect genre film. Fede Alvarez, thanks for scaring the shit out of me!

The camera work, practical effects and sound design all work beautifully. This is gleeful gore done right, and something that needs to be seen with a big audience clapping and gasping the whole way through.

Was this really the remake I was looking forward to? Yes, but I was hoping for so much more. The first problem with this bloody remake was the fact that the dialogue was pretty dumb and took me out of a few gruesome scenes, which is one of the many things a film should never ever do. The acting is fine for what it was, but it was a low-budget film, so I commend them for working on little pay. What should really be taken from this film is the technical level. With it's amazing practical gore and make-up, this film made me cringe around every corner. It sets up a sequel and it's an impressive enough film that it will get me back into the cinemas. It was a fine entertaining horror film that succeeds on a technical level in every way. "Evil Dead (2013)" is a riot, but not always in the best way.

A bloody mess that can easily steer audiences out the door, Evil Dead proves to be a fantastic film if you can stomach it's ridiculous violence.

More times than not horror movie remakes either suck or are just "meh, that was ok". They usually lack whatever it was that made the original so special. "Evil Dead" is one of the rare remakes that is really, really good. In 20 years this probably won't be as remembered as the original, but it will be remembered as one of those horror movies that has balls. This isn't one of the those PG-13 horror movies for kids, or one of the cash grab remakes like the last "Chainsaw Massacre". This is a movie for fans of the original and fans who like bloody, hardcore horror movies. Hell, this should have been called "Chainsaw Massacre" instead of that crap ass remake that came out in January. Actually, to me this isn't even a remake. Yes, it remakes elements of the original. But if you watch the original, and then this one, you can see this as a sort of sequel that takes place 30 years later. There's no Ash, and no comedy. This is a straight up horror movie that had me cringe a couple times at the gore that was going on. One of, if not the best horror movie to come out in the last 5 years. Horror movie fans should definitely go see this. But if you have a weak stomach, then stay away, because you may lose your lunch.

I always enjoyed the original Evil Dead trilogy from the '80's. They're still fairly entertaining for what they are, and they're more than worthy of the cult status that they've achieved through the decades. That said, I never considered them to be great horror movies. Ever since I was a kid, I always considered the adventures of Ash, and the crude effects involved, more comedic than horrifying. I suppose the tongue-in-cheek nature of the films is part of the charm. Still, it's such a great idea, and with the upgrades in special effects over the years, whether it's blasphemy or not, I always hoped for a remake. I'm not a traditionalist, if someone can improve on a solid idea, I'm all for it. Progress is a good thing. The problem with most remakes, is that they rarely improve anything offered in the original. Even then, who cares? It was at least worth a try.

After failing to produce a remake of their own, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell handpicked the makers of a new Evil Dead. I started noticing the trailers in January, and I was immediately excited. The tone of the previews was sinister. My anticipation grew, as I wondered if this would be a full-blown and terrifying version of the Evil Dead, the one that I'd always wanted.

I'm happy to report that I wasn't disappointed. Not even close. This movie more than exceeded my expectations.

Fede Alvarez's version of the Evil Dead aims right for the jugular. After briefly becoming acquainted with the characters, the viewer is exposed to an all out assault on the senses. The picture is visually spectacular in it's wretchedness, with the content to match. What's offered is an all out barrage of downright brutality. The viewer is smothered in terror. Just when you think you've caught your breath from one episode of violence, at a cataclysmic pace, you're immediately confronted with another abomination. The hour-and-a-half is a claustrophobic journey, with no relief. Unlike the originals, there is no campy laughs to be derived from the proceedings, it is designed solely to make you uncomfortable.

The re-imagining of the Evil Dead is the best Horror movie that I've seen in a very long time. It's absolutely perfect.

If you're a fan of paranormal stupidity, where you jump when a door slams, you might want to sit this one out. You'll only embarrass yourself when you squirm out of the theater with soiled panties. If you don't like the idea of the originals being remade, sit in your Mom's basement watching the old ones in your Yoda pajamas. This doesn't require your approval. I give this movie the highest possible recommendation, if you think you can stomach it. Even if you don't enjoy it, I guarantee you'll cringe.