So, Sunday afternoon I was able to see the the re-imagining of Evil Dead. Now, granted it didn't have Bruce Campbell looking like a scared confused puppy dog, but there would have been no way to recapture that magic. However, the re-imagining was worth the 1-hour and 40-minutes of my Sunday afternoon spent in a darkened theater.
Now first off, I have this to say about both the original Evil Dead and the new version: If you are in a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere and you find a book of ancient spells bound in human flesh, LEAVE IT THE FUCK ALONE! Now that being said, first time director Fede Alvarez delivers with buckets of blood and an edge-of-your-seat uneasiness. Will it be a career builder as the original was for director Sam Raimi? I would bet against it. Alvarez will have to prove himself with original material to cement a career. Marcus Nispel and Alexandre Aja are a couple of upstart directors who have accomplished little since directing a remake of a classic horror film. (Although Aja's Mirrors is an underrated film.)
The basic story is the same as the original, a group of young men and women take some time to themselves in a remote cabin. This time, it's to help a young woman quit cold turkey. Of course they find some weird shit in the basement, including the "Book of the Dead". And as irony would have it, the brainiac science teacher of the group is the one who reads aloud from the book, unleashing the demon who takes possession first of Mia, the recovering addict. And one by one, the others in the group get possessed, tortured and taunted.
The violence in the re-imagining is far beyond anything in the original film. By far the most the most disturbing is the oral-masochism involving an straight razor. But the electric knife is a close second. The gallons of blood dispersed in this movie are a sight to see and will have all horror fans grinning ear to ear. And yes, there is a chainsaw.
I'll be the first to admit I haven't liked most remakes of classic horror films. (Think Psycho, Friday the 13th, The Omen and Fright Night, just to name a few.) Evil Dead's re-imagining has given me faith good remakes of classic horror films are possible. I can't say I have faith the upcoming remake of Carrie will be anything more than a steaming pile of shit.
So, if you want to see a gory and fun horror movie and you don't mind it's a re-imagining of a campy classic, the go check out Evil Dead. And you hardcore fans, make sure to stay and watch the credits until the end. Just sayin...
