REVIEW: Evil Dead (2013)

PLOT: Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival.

REVIEW: The latest addition to the seemingly never-ending list of Hollywood remakes came out this past weekend, in the form of Evil Dead. Hailed as one of the classics of the horror genre, the 1981 original was destined to be remade after all of the success of previous horror remakes over the last 10 years or so. It's rare that you'll see a large group of people in support of a remake (take Rob Zombie's Halloween, for instance), but I felt over the last few months that there were more moviegoers excited for this one, than there were haters for its creation. I think most of this is due in part to the lack of a highly recognizable name attached to the cast and crew, aside from producers Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, who both are responsible for the cult following of the original Evil Dead. This, on top of the wise decision to stick with practical special effects in the making of this film, provided for a potential screamer in Fede Alvarez's 2013 "re-imagining". I, like most horror fans, was beyond excited for this new vision of one of my favorite horror films, but I think this time around the movie appealed to more than just horror-heads.

The marketing campaign behind Evil Dead in 2013 was certainly brazen, touting "the most terrifying film you will ever experience." on its most popular poster for the film. But the box office success of this Hollywood retread of an 80's cult classic, definitely goes to show the power of the media, in all its forms, and promotion through those means. I was amazed that by mid-March I had yet to see a trailer for the new film, and everyone else I had talked to about movies had already in fact, seen the red-band trailer. Even though I managed to get my hands on a pair of tickets to an advance screening, I was completely blown away at the turnout for the screening when I showed up and saw a line nearly wrapped around the entirety of the theater backed up to the additional parking garage, the likes of which I've never seen at an advance screening previously. This is when I knew for sure, that Evil Dead was to be no box office flop, and was going to be a much-needed jolt to the horror genre. No matter where I looked online, on movie websites, or on Twitter, and really anywhere else for that matter, there were early screening reviews claiming the new Evil Dead was a horror film that must be seen by all. These claims though, obviously made by fans of the classic and others who have probably never seen the original, are somewhat bogus in my opinion. As I did not find that this new version of Evil Dead was all that terrifying, I did discover that it certainly was a blood-fueled joy ride that can almost certainly be enjoyed by any fan of the genre.

What I liked most about Alvarez's Evil Dead was the surprising, but brilliant decision to stick with practical FX for the movie's blood and gore. This obviously being a move to honor the original, in which we see some of the best practical FX ever used in horror, but also to honor that of the genre's great usage of these methods in the past. I was so happy to hear the news when it came out that Evil Dead refused to use CGI for its gross-outs, but instead was going to scare audiences with buckets of blood and horrific prosthetic and makeup. I hope that this marks a resurgence of the use of practical FX, as I find it a much more effective way to entertain your horror audience. Though CGI has its benefits of being cost-effective and can sometimes make impossible visions a reality, it really detracts from the realism that a film is trying to communicate. This is more applicable in horror than any other genre, where frightened moviegoers are constantly being told not to be bothered by scary movies after its run-time because in the end it's all fake, yet they're being made more artificial with each passing year. Something about the use of practical FX can really get under a viewer's skin, even though if what they're watching is something of fantasy and they know it, the use of these real-life effects can go a long way in creating a haunting image in someone's imagination. So with that, I applaud those behind the decision to stick with the usage of corn syrup and latex, being that it was one of the greatest artistic decisions I've seen made by a filmmaker in a long while.

Another plus with this version of the Evil Dead is the casting of a group of unknown talent. Often times with big-budget horror remakes, there's almost always a star or recognizable name attached to the film (Jessica Biel in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or a misplaced Jared Padalecki in Friday the 13th, for examples). I was really happy to see that with this one, as we did not have Channing Tatum channeling his inner Bruce Campbell, nor a pasty Lindsay Lohan covering for demon duty in the cellar (though it could have been equally as disturbing). Instead, we have a cast comprised of all unknowns, at least to me, and it helped a lot in the feeling that this movie was not a cash-grab, but a true desire to give the experience to a new generation of moviegoers and horror fans alike. Capturing most of my attention was Jane Levy in the role of the first-possessed, Mia. As the film starts out and she's dealing with the struggles of addiction, she brings her friends to the cabin to help her quit cold turkey. At first, I was a bit weary of her performance because of the likenesses I drew to Kristen Stewart in my head. As soon as the evil begins however, Levy is able to showcase what is likely the real reason behind her being casted in the role. Better than the rest of the cast, Levy really captured what to me, is one of the more terrifying parts of the original. Commonly referred to as the cellar witch, at least in my experience, to me was the most important and worrisome task to bring to this remake. Easily the most haunting thing to me after viewing the original, that same eeriness was still present in Fede's take of the film, and I imagine was one of his main focuses as well as her performance essentially drives the entire movie. In talking of this film afterwards, I have constantly referred to a scene in which she is taunting one of her friends into making a very permanent decision, which has stuck with me since leaving the theater late Thursday night.

Levy was not the only one to impress though, as several others rounded out the young cast of victims in the new Evil Dead. I particularly enjoyed Lou Taylor Pucci as Eric, the most interesting person in the group of ho-hum intervention participants. Those who have seen the movie will understand why his character is so likeable, but he is easily the most at fault too when things start to go down in the cabin in the woods. He's really the sole bringer of a sense of humor from the group, and works solely as the film's only silly character, thus making him stick out over the rest. Shiloh Fernandez plays Mia's brother David, who the story seems to warp around after Mia's possession, and does an okay job. At times resembling Bruce Campbell in the original, especially towards the end of the film, but never quite breaks through as the film's star. Also, Jessica Lucas and Elizabeth Blackmore turn in spare, but decent performances as Olivia and Natalie respectively, both getting their shot at being one of the possessed.

While the film had a lot of positives going for it, there were some negatives, or at least observations that I made while watching the film. One noticeable difference between this Evil Dead and the 1981 original was the silliness, or offbeat sense of humor, considering the subject matter. The original sticks out in the long list of horror classics not only because of it's terrific use of practical FX, but also its oddball and sometimes slapstick comedy riddled throughout. This humor was something that eventually took over the franchise by the time Army of Darkness rolled out to theaters in 1992, so it was interesting to see how that would be handled with this new telling. There were definitely moments in the new version that I found funny, or could have been seen as amusing nods to the original, but it never crossed the threshold into corniness. While I think it was a wise decision to leave that out this go around, as it was what turned most people off of the original, it would have been nice to see that aspect of its predecessor acknowledged a little more openly. Also, there were scenes or bits that seemed exactly like the original, just updated, but it oftentimes seemed throughout the movie that Alvarez was trying to make something of his own. While I respect not making a shot-for-shot remake of the original, I wish there could have been a few more subtle nods to Ash and what made this whole project possible in the first place. However, this does not detract from the film in any way shape or form, and though I had my grievances, it never took away from me enjoying the new film.

Hopefully Evil Dead can hold some of its audience from this previous weekend and keep raking in some well-earned dollars for the director and crew. As I understand it, the film has already surpassed its cost in revenues, so anything made from here on out is just proof of the film's quality. Like many horror remakes before it, this looked as if it could go either way once it hit screens this April. Making the bold decision to go without CGI in the making of this movie I think really helped its street cred with the horror fanbase, and also upped the nasty for those just looking for a scary movie to see on a date. I would love to see a whole new trilogy come from this, and maybe evolve itself into something just as zany and entertaining as Evil Dead 2 or Army of Darkness but only time will tell. If the scene after the credits holds any water, I'd like to think we're in for quite the thrill when producers come to the table to meet about getting a sequel made. This film is a must-see for all horror fans, fans of the original, and even haters of the original. I think where Evil Dead fell short in 1981 for some fans, it has been taken into account and rose to the occasion in 2013. But please for all that is good in the world, stay after the credits. I didn't and now that I know what I've missed, I may have to make a trip back just to see this wild ride full of buckets of blood and insane visuals again, just to catch the 20-second scene my eyes missed out on, that I can promise you you don't want to.

ACTING : ( 6 / 10 )

STORY : ( 7 / 10 )

EXECUTION : ( 8 / 10 )

POSTER : ( 7 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 10 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 8 / 10 )