This week, the 2013 remake of Evil Dead, again starring Bruce Campbell. A group of young attractive types who go to a cabin in the woods and upon stumbling across the Necronomicon (book of the dead) they manage inadvertantly to release evil spirits. All kinds of hell, possession and murder ensues.
That's not to say this is a bad movie, it is far from it. It is enjoyable enough as a stand-alone movie. It's when you start to compare it to the original that we encounter problems.
Sadly none of the cast (apart from Campbell) are memorable and although the movie is not played for laughs like the original, there are parts which will genuinely make you giggle (which certainly was not the intended effect). The gore is a bit OTT and what a human body seems able to take before expiring is indeed inhuman! I suppose believability is not something one should expect from a movie about possession and the evil dead, sadly though, I do.
Showing posts with label Bruce Campbell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bruce Campbell. Show all posts
Saturday, 31 August 2013
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Within The Woods - Will's Review
I struggle to get a full length review from most 90 minute movies, so how well I'll fair with a half hour student film, we shall see...
But of course, this isn't just any 30 minute student film... This is Sam Rami's, Bruce Campbell staring, student film, about 4 friends who head off to a cabin in the woods, where they disturb an ancient evil; in other words this is Evil Dead 0: The Prototype.
But of course, this isn't just any 30 minute student film... This is Sam Rami's, Bruce Campbell staring, student film, about 4 friends who head off to a cabin in the woods, where they disturb an ancient evil; in other words this is Evil Dead 0: The Prototype.
Saturday, 24 August 2013
Within The Woods - Lisa's Review
A novel one this week. A mere 32 minutes long and a short movie by Sam Raimi that went on to be remade with a significantly larger budget as Evil Dead.
It starred mostly Mr Raimi's friends, but he was lucky enough to have Bruce Campbell in it also!! (not that you would know... he shows none of his characteristic massive persona in this offering).
This movie was released in 1978 and any surviving copies are very difficult to watch due to the quality of the recording. It is available on Youtube if you want a nosey.
What can I say? I thought that mostly it was gawd awful. Dated in a way that is difficult to get past (for me at least) and with a budget soooo low, you wonder how on earth he managed to get funding for Evil Dead.
It starred mostly Mr Raimi's friends, but he was lucky enough to have Bruce Campbell in it also!! (not that you would know... he shows none of his characteristic massive persona in this offering).
This movie was released in 1978 and any surviving copies are very difficult to watch due to the quality of the recording. It is available on Youtube if you want a nosey.
What can I say? I thought that mostly it was gawd awful. Dated in a way that is difficult to get past (for me at least) and with a budget soooo low, you wonder how on earth he managed to get funding for Evil Dead.
Saturday, 25 May 2013
Army Of Darkness - Lisa's Review
*** SPOILERS ***
If I were to review this movie as a sequel to Evil Dead 1 & 2, then it probably wouldn't fare too well with matters such as consistency. I had never seen Evil Dead 1 nor 2 until recently, but I remember watching 'Army of Darkness' many years ago and enjoying it then. Such is the level of fog in my brain, I remember absolutely nothing about the movie apart from the fact I liked it, so I sat down again this evening to re-watch.
I was glad not to be disappointed and found that I still enjoyed the movie. For me, if taken as a standalone movie it is excellent, but you have to leave most of whats gone in the first 2 movies behind when you watch this one as the contradictions are endless. Ash's character (although still played by Bruce Campbell) has completely changed, although IMO most definately for the better. Where we start the movie with Bruce in the middle ages does not tally with the situation we left him in at the end of the second movie. Although he was sent back to this time, we left him hailed as a hero by villagers for slaying a demon. Army of Darkness has him pulled through a time portal and kidnapped by Lord Arthur, suspected of working alongside Duke Henry, who he is at war with.
If I were to review this movie as a sequel to Evil Dead 1 & 2, then it probably wouldn't fare too well with matters such as consistency. I had never seen Evil Dead 1 nor 2 until recently, but I remember watching 'Army of Darkness' many years ago and enjoying it then. Such is the level of fog in my brain, I remember absolutely nothing about the movie apart from the fact I liked it, so I sat down again this evening to re-watch.
I was glad not to be disappointed and found that I still enjoyed the movie. For me, if taken as a standalone movie it is excellent, but you have to leave most of whats gone in the first 2 movies behind when you watch this one as the contradictions are endless. Ash's character (although still played by Bruce Campbell) has completely changed, although IMO most definately for the better. Where we start the movie with Bruce in the middle ages does not tally with the situation we left him in at the end of the second movie. Although he was sent back to this time, we left him hailed as a hero by villagers for slaying a demon. Army of Darkness has him pulled through a time portal and kidnapped by Lord Arthur, suspected of working alongside Duke Henry, who he is at war with.
Saturday, 18 May 2013
Evil Dead II - Lisa's Review
So, I finally check out the sequel (or remake with a bigger budget as some would have you believe) to Evil Dead, aptly named Evil Dead 2.
From the get go, I'll say I really didn't like this movie AT ALL. I know that possibly seems like a complete contradiction given that I really enjoyed the first Evil Dead movie, but this one didn't grab me at all. I hadn't seen it before tonight and I expected something akin to the first movie with better effects. Speaking of effects, while you can clearly see there is a bigger budget with this movie, I felt the effects were needless and in places ridiculous. Looks like Buffy looked here for some of its ideas. All the charm of Evil Dead seems lost in the attempt to bring this one up to date for the time. Ironically it manages to date this movie even more than the first Evil Dead installment.
We have the same premise, albeit without the group of teenagers this time round. A recorded message, which was meant as a warning is played, which contains passages from the Necronomicon (Book of the Dead). This unleashes a demon which sets to possessing various people and inanimate objects throughout the course of the movie.
From the get go, I'll say I really didn't like this movie AT ALL. I know that possibly seems like a complete contradiction given that I really enjoyed the first Evil Dead movie, but this one didn't grab me at all. I hadn't seen it before tonight and I expected something akin to the first movie with better effects. Speaking of effects, while you can clearly see there is a bigger budget with this movie, I felt the effects were needless and in places ridiculous. Looks like Buffy looked here for some of its ideas. All the charm of Evil Dead seems lost in the attempt to bring this one up to date for the time. Ironically it manages to date this movie even more than the first Evil Dead installment.
We have the same premise, albeit without the group of teenagers this time round. A recorded message, which was meant as a warning is played, which contains passages from the Necronomicon (Book of the Dead). This unleashes a demon which sets to possessing various people and inanimate objects throughout the course of the movie.
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