



(Original Post Date: 03/22/2013 )



By: Heather Seebach





Remake prejudice is a plague that runs rampant among horror fans . Never mind that a song can be covered a dozen times without fan complaint, or a TV show like Battlestar G ala ctica rebooted and lovingly emb raced by nerds. Many horror fans dismiss the very idea of their beloved childhood favorites being "raped" despite damn good remakes such as Carpenter's The Thing, Cronen berg's The Fly , etc.





It is high time this stigma was removed, and Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead is just the movie t o do it. Although advertised as a remake of Sam Raimi's classic, the new film is equally believa ble as a sequel or prequel. It puts five young protagonist s in a cabin in the woods and unleashes an e vil forc e upon them. The basic premise is there, along with some iconic elements, but that is where the com par isons end.





Like last year's fantastic Resolution, this film knows that nobody really stays in a rickety old cabin for fun. Mia (Jane Levy) is trying to kick her drug habit and her friends are there for moral support. But upon discovering an ancient book, they unwittingly release a powerful evil that takes them one-by-one.





We're gonna get you, not another peep....

Evil Dead is clearly made by a fan for fans. It delivers on every p iece of fan service a Raimi-head could ever want. At the same time, it does not simply recycle what has been d one. The story, the characters, the camer awork - all are f amiliar enou gh to be nostalgic but different eno ugh to be original. In other words, it is exac tly what a good remake should be. It ca ptures the unrelenting , over-the- top horror of the original films, while giving non-fanatic s a bloody good time unlike anything they ' ve seen bef o re.





Al varez 's love for the franchise shows in this film, but despite my initial worries, he does not simply follow Raimi's footsteps. T he Uruguayan filmmaker, who impressed ever yone with his short Panic Attack!, effectively balances Raimi homage and his own u nique vision. The S am-o-cam is still there (though I doubt it's still achieved with a 2 x4) just enough to make fans giddy but not so much to feel derivative. Some shots and sequences recall why we love Raimi but are still entirely unique to Alvarez and cinematographer Aaron Morton.





One of many great Raimi-esque shots.

The script lays out familiar characters and situations, and then t urns them on their heads. There are als o enough re ferences and easter eggs to have mega-fans like me salivating. Make sure you stay through the end credits for no less than three surpri ses for the har dco re fans.





The actors in the film, with the exception of J ane Levy, are pretty bland , but they get the job done. Levy, however, gives a balls -out performance , both as Mia and the Deadite. As expected, th ere is no Ash, but elements of his character are scattered among the group. This is the best possible way any filmmaker could have done it. Don't expect a catchphrase-spe wing hero with one arm, at least not in this movie . Evil Dead is not devoid of humor but it aims for your jugular, not your funny bone. Still, fans of the cheese will be rewarded for their patience.



One complaint I have with the film relates to the evil and its origin. It doesn't entirely match up with the originals, which is fine, but some things are not explained. Namely a perplexing switch from "We" to "He." Was this left open for the forthcoming sequel? Perhaps. Much of what we know about Deadites came from Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness anyway. My only other complaint is some hollow Deadite dialogue that sounds more like a possessed Regan MacNeil than a Raimi monster. We probably have Diablo Cody to thank for that.





Now the question everyone like me is wondering - how are the FX? Rest easy, my fellow gore-hounds , the splatter is perfection. Not only is the violence itself brutal and unrelenting, but there are some seriously impressive prosthetic pieces in here. For an R-rated film, it gets awa y with a lot of delicious nastiness. Even I squirmed a few times. The NC-17 cut of this movie will be EPIC.





This shot seems to have been truncated in the R-rated cut.

The Evil Dead and its sequels are very precious to me. If you have not read my and its sequels are very precious to me. If you have not read my rant a bout this topic , please do so. I have every reason to hate a bad remake of my beloved movie, but this is not a bad remake. In fact, it should not be called a remake at all. Alvarez gave it no discernible time period, and while fans will inevitably try to work out a timeline, this film could fall anywhere within the franchise.





Perhaps this could be the film that changes how remakes are perceived. Horror fans should not worry if it's a remake, or even a sequel. Labels don't matter - it's just a good Evil Dead film! It is the film Sam Raimi would have made if he had the budget and technology to match his vision in the late 70s. It does him proud, and any Evil Dead fan should be thrilled that he or she can enjoy both movies today.



Evil Dead is now playing in theaters .



UPDATE :



After my second viewing of t he film, I honestly did not enjoy it quite as much. It seems to lose some of its visceral intensity the second time around - or maybe I was too busy fiercely writing notes. A third viewing is inevitably coming now that the movie is official ly out.



Already a few - v ery few - horror fans I know have been disappointed, and some for rea sons I understand. The script is occasionally if fy and it's not an especially scary film (not to use hardened fans anyway). But my original assertion that this mo vie is all kinds of fun remains. As for the average moviegoer, expect them to be pissing their pants or at least carrying on like they are. It's definitely a fun movie to watch with a crowd.



I also stand by the fact that this movie is not the la me re-hash we've seen time and time again. It has heart and, despite its flaws, it really tries. Things don't always tie together as well as I'd like but I still su spect that is at least partially due to it being cut . The trailers alone show numerous sc enes not found in the final film, incl uding a few that explain away some of my issues. And don't believe any bitching you might hear about the blood and gore FX - they are not CGI and they are perfection.



So forget this remake stigma and at least give the movie a shot if you love Evil Dead or the genre in general. This movie stands on its own legs, not necessarily as a quality h Dead Alive, Riki-Oh, etc.). I have a feeling Alvarez's second directorial attempt will be stronger, and if/when that ddamn amazing. 7th film crossover ever happens, it'll be go , etc.). I have a feeling Alvarez's second directorial attempt will be stronger, and if/when that n't act like you don't love orror film, but as a fun splatter flick (do not necessarily as a quality h



If you don't want to take my word for it , here are some reactions from last night and today - taken from some of my fr iends whose opinions I trust dearly:























If you di g Evil Dead (new or old), check out my Evil Dead Week articles!



