The Evil Dead

"The Evil Dead" (1981, Sam Raimi, Renaissance Pictures, New Line Cinema) is the entry level cult horror B-movie masterpiece by Sam Raimi and the main reason that both Raimi and Bruce Campbell are household names.

A group of college students head out to spend the weekend at a cabin in the woods. When they get there they find the cabin is run-down and creepy. I love the scene with the swinging bench, it's very effective.

While investigating their new surroundings, they come across an audio player with a tape recording and a creepy old book which looks to be bound in human skin.

Being adventurous young people, they listen to the tape recording and accidentally release the demonic spirits (aka Deadites) into the woods. The demons then take turns possessing the teens and traumatising them or killing them in fantastically b-movie ways.

The most serious of the series, The Evil Dead remains one of my favourite horror films to date.
I recommend reading Bruce Campbell's book, "If Chins Could Kill" to get more behind the scenes appreciation of how hard those guys worked to make this film!

Disturbing and gross, with homemade special effects, crafty camera work, sheer determination and the ability to talk his friends into landing face down in muddy puddles and spend days in an old derelict shack making monstrous noises and giggling maniacally, Raimi created the film that would make him a horror legend and earn his reputation as a director. And it would kick start the movie career of one of my favourite horror stars, Bruce Campbell, earning him a dedicated fanbase of nutjobs.

Milk oozing deadites for the win!

[Image: Renaissance Pictures]

 

Hani

Evil Dead (2013)

"Evil Dead" (2013, Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues, Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, FilmDistrict, Ghost House Pictures, TriStar Entertainment) is the remake/reboot/sequel of the classic 1981 Raimi film.

Finally, I got around to seeing this!

Well, what can I say, as much as I missed Ash greatly, (Evil Dead without Bruce's fabulous on-screen presence is just never going to cut it for me) I have to give credit where credit is due, this film is brutal. Gory doesn't even begin to describe this film.

While gory, though, I wouldn't say it terrified me more than it had me awestruck at the sheer brutality of the special effects. It is safe to say that this film is disgusting, but in that special way that gorehounds love. It's well made, the special effects are brilliant and, while the characters all seem to exhibit some form of the original Ash character in one way or another, they hold pretty well for a splatter film and the actors and actresses' performances are excellent.

Changing the plot slightly to a bunch of friends (and a brother) trying to save their friend/sister from her lethal drug addiction, saved this film a lot. Had they tried to rehash the whole original Evil Dead plot I would have been sorely disappointed. But I rather enjoyed this new plot with its several well-placed nods and homages to the original films. Instead of recreating the first or second films they altered just enough to make this version a film in its own right.

I would also have to commend this film on its sheer energy, which is also reminiscent of the original two films. Truly an unrelenting torrent of blood and insanity, it barely gives the audience breathing space to recover from each scene without losing any of that agitating, squirmy appeal.

While it will never replace the original film for me, and certainly with the straight-faced quality of the storytelling it will never become one of my must-watch-several-times-a-year films, "Evil Dead" really brings everything it promised to the table: gallons of gore, creepy demonically possessed twenty-somethings, a suitably nostalgic cabin, tree rape and a lot of nice jumpy bits. Definitely something to see, even if you're not a gorehound.

[Image: Ghost House Pictures & TriStar Entertainment]

Hani

Evil Dead II

"Evil Dead II" (1987, Sam Raimi, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, Renaissance Pictures, Anchor Bay Entertainment) is the second original "Evil Dead" film, which coincidentally happens to also be a bigger budget remake of the original film.

Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) and his girlfriend Linda (Denise Bixler) are on their way to a remote cabin in the woods for a little romantic weekend. During their celebrations they come across a tape recorder and Ash decides to play the recording aloud. The recording is by the archaeologist who owns the cabin. He has uncovered a text known as the "Necronomicon Ex-Mortis" or book of the dead, and reads it aloud on the recording. The reading summons the evil spirits of the Deadites, who possess the living, turning them into evil demonic creatures. Linda becomes infected by the spirits and, while defending himself, Ash is forced to kill her.

Heartbroken and terrified, Ash attempts to avoid the evil spirits as he begins to spiral into madness in the cabin. But his descent into the crazy is interrupted when the archaeologist's daughter Annie (Sarah Berry), her boyfriend Ed (Richard Domeier), Jake (Danny Hicks) and his girlfriend Bobby-Joe (Kassie Wesley) join the party. They soon wind up as demon fodder, as they try to survive and kick some demon ass.

A humorous version of the original film, small details like book titles add some nicely placed snigger points throughout. Where the first version was loud, the second is louder, but much more self-aware. Ash's character is more developed and likeable, and the action is gory and fun. I do love a bit of Bruce-Campbell-Vs-Bruce-Campbell, and also, there's less on-screen tree rape in this version, which I have admit is a plus point for me.

Campbell excels in this film with a truly brilliant performance and a high, to the brink of lunacy, energy. He seems to relish the role. Plus, his arms are pretty toned. I have to appreciate these things in life!

By far my favourite of the three "Evil Dead" films, I could watch this one over and over again!

Who's laughing now?!

 [Image: Anchor Bay Entertainment]

Hani

Evil Dead: Army of Darkness

"Evil Dead: Army of Darkness" aka "Evil Dead 3" aka "Bruce Campbell vs Army of Darkness" (1992, Sam Raimi, Dino De Laurentiis Communications, Renaissance Pictures, Universal Studios) is the third original "Evil Dead".

Since the "Evil Dead" remake is on the horizon, I thought I'd rewatch the awesomeness that is the original 3 films. As a Bruce Campbell fan and a Sam Raimi fan, it's obvious that I would rate these three films highly on my list, but I defend this as so:

1. Bruce Campbell is awesome
2. Sam Raimi is awesome
3. Evil Dead is awesome

'nuff said ;)

Oh, ok then.

I'm starting backwards. Partially because I've seen all 3 so many times it won't make a jot of difference to my viewing experience, and partially because I want to watch no. 1 before I watch the remake of it (regardless of how many months premature my viewing will be!).

"AOD" is my least favourite of the three, but it is by no means bad. Turning completely WTF-crazy and funny, this film finds our protagonist, Ash (Bruce Campbell) trapped in the medieval past after being sucked through a time vortex along with the evil in the second film. He is captured by some knights, who have mistaken him for one of their enemy's men, and is taken back to their castle and forced to face off against a deadite.

Poor old Ash, not only is he lost in time, without one of his hands, captured by knights and forced to do battle (yet again) with the demonic undead, but to add to his woes he is found to be the man from the prophecy who is to rid the world of the Deadite scourge!

Ash is saved from death, and instead sent to retrieve the 'Necronomicon' or book of the dead, so that he can a) get rid of the Deadites and b) be returned to his own time.

Unfortunately, being Ash, he makes a bit of a mess of the whole thing and winds up; amongst battling miniature versions of himself, accidentally spawning an evil twin and almost being sucked into the abyss; accidentally raising the army of the deadites to do battle against the humans. Oops?

Can the humans defeat the undead? Can Ash finally put those college science books to good use? Will he get to do the nasty with lovely lady Sheila (Embeth Davidz)?! All I can say is "Hail to the king, baby!"

Manic, funny and violent, this film is a light hearted nod to the franchise. Ash is supremely awesome in that charismatically hectic kind of way. The whole film is a big cartoon-like laugh with some fairly impressive fight scenes (fakey skull masks not withstanding).

This version of the DVD has the real ending which Raimi preferred. As much as I like the happy ending, it doesn't fit with Ash's fatal character flaw of being overly cocky and never paying attention, so I have to side with the Raimi in this one! Ash would definitely have screwed it up.

Funny and nuts, this film is less horror and more action gore, but B-movie gold regardless! If you haven't seen it, I recommend!

That, is his boomstick.

[Image: Universal Studios]

Hani

 

From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money

"From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money" (1999, Scott Spiegel, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, A Band Apart, Los Hooligans, Dimension Films) is the sequel to the comedy vampire gorefest, "From Dusk Till Dawn".

This time, we follow a band of criminals on a bank job (rather than two criminals after their bank job), lead by Luther (Duane Whitaker), although our main character is Buck (Robert Patrick). Our other members of the unhappy heist are Niles (Muse Watson), tough guy Jesus (Raymond Cruz) and weakest link Ray Bob (Brett Harrelson).

I love the opening scene for this movie. It's awesome for a good many reasons, but mainly it's particularly good because it features Bruce Campbell! Did I mention my love of Bruce?

So this is kind of a Mexican vampire version of "The Thing". Who's a vampire? Who's dead? Who's not what they appear? and so on...

Danny Trejo returns to his role as the vampire barman, Razor Eddie this time though (as Charlie was killed in the first movie), and obviously we have the obligatory scenes in the 'Titty Twister' bar.

There's a lot of cheesey gore, but none as good as the first film's, and although Tarantino and Rodriguez have again managed to create a film that begins with one story before jumping randomly into vampiredom, it's just not got the same oomph that the first one had. There is a hilarious scene with a vampire bat in the shower, however. And the pervy ones of you will be happy to again see a lot of boobs.

A bit of fun and sleaze this film isn't pretending to be anything it's not.

Most of the bite scenes are done in bat form, though, which got a bit old after a while... But there's some good carnage at the end, a lot of creative vampire deaths and they seemed to favour some of the more interesting camera angles, including: water-bowl-cam, fang-cam, car-bonnet-cam and skull-cam!

[Picture: Dimension Films]

Hani

I saw this piece of awesome and thought I'd share

Don't own anything. And thanks to Bruce Campbell, the man himself, for linking it on Twitter
EVIL DEAD: AN ANIMATED TRIBUTE on Vimeo

My Name is Bruce

"My Name is Bruce" (2007, Bruce Campbell, Dark Horse Entertainment)

Well I think I saved the best for last in the Boxset! I laughed my way through this film. I even had to shut the blinds as I live on the ground floor and I seemed to be attracting a bit of an audience!

The plot centres around Bruce Campbell the B-movie actor with a definite cult status, who is kidnapped by a small town called Gold Lick when some teenage metallers accidentally unleash the Chinese demon Guan-di (who is protecting a collapsed mine shaft where many Chinese settlers had died, and who is also the 'patron saint' of bean curd...) while trying to score with some teenage goth chicks.

Only one of said teenagers survives, Jeff (Taylor Sharpe), who is a huge Bruce Campbell fan. It is he who recommends Bruce as the town's saviour (because obviously, after battling all those Deadites and space termites, he's clearly just the guy for the job!).

Bruce's 'Bruce' character is currently depressed and is mainly drunk. I'm not even going to pretend to know much about Mr. Campbell's off-screen-life, so I'm going to presume this was character development with some exaggerated themes.

He plays along with the 'act' of fighting Guan-di because he believes it is a joke, and also because he fancies Jeff's mum, Kelly (Grace Thorsen).

Guan-di was made purposely fakey, but it's done in a nod-nod-wink-wink kind of way. All in all, this is a comedy and is a nice nod to the fans.

Good times.

 (Picture: Dark Horse Entertainment)

Hani

Alien Apocalypse

"Alien Apocalypse" (Sci-Fi Pictures, 2005, Josh Becker) is another gem from my Bruce Campbell collection.

 

A story about some astonauts who return from a 40-year mission (mainly spent in cryogenic stasis to avoid aging) to Earth to find that the world has been overrun by large bug-like "Termite" aliens and that all humans have become their slaves in Timber mills.

 

Bruce Campbell stars as Dr. Ivan Hood, a Oesteopathic doctor who hopes to return to Earth to become a 'Great Healer'. Hood's a big-headed jerk, so naturally I think he's awesome!

 

The other astronauts Kelly (Renée O'Connor) who is a favourite of Sam Raimi and has appeared in Darkman 2, Alex (Remington Franklin) and Chuck (Michael Cory Davis) join Hood in his return.

 

Soon the 4 are whittled down to 2 and we are left with our heroic couple Hood and Kelly, who attempt to escape capture and rid the world of the alien scourge!

 

I was impressed with the level of special effects in this movie. Bear in mind it's a made-for-TV film, so don't go expecting anything too sofisticated. I had a gander at the making-of bonus bits and was pleased to see physical props of the aliens and also some good beheading action!

 

The 'mites' have a penchant for eating human's heads whole, with some good bloody-spurting effects!

 

I didn't understand the 'muzzling' thing... it didn't seem to be very effective and just looked daft.

 

All in all a nice typical sci-fi channel movie with some handsomely tongue-cheek-quotes:

 

"Human traitor (or Bounty Hunter): Ungh... you said you're a doctor. You're supposed to heal people.

Dr. Ivan Hood: [After shooting the guy with a crossbow] I am. Your stupidity is terminal. And now you're cured" [Hunter dies]

 

And remember, another comedy, don't go in looking for scares...there are none!

 

 (Picture: Sci Fi Pictures)

Hani

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bubba Ho-Tep

"Bubba Ho-Tep" (2002, Don Cascarelli, Vitagraph Films, Silver Sphere Corp.)

What can I say? It's Bruce Campbell playing an old and embittered Elvis who's living in a nursing home, living out his days as a retired 'Elvis impersonator' (with whom he'd traded places with in his prime).

There's giant scarrab beatles, crazy electric wheelchair chases and, of course, the mummy (Bob Ivy), wearing cowboy boots, who is sucking the souls of the elderly through some imaginative orifices! And I can't forget John F. Kennedy! Or rather an old dude who believes that he is John F. Kennedy (played brilliantly by Ossie Davis).

Pretty much this is just my kind of movie: completely crazy! It's not really meant to be scary, it's just a comedy with an unusual plot and a few bits of horror stuck in there!

It's a good bit of fun, and has a deeper side to it too; the ravages and unfairness of old age.

As always Mr. Campbell delivers with a sincerity that keeps you laughing throughout! And the slow creaky fight scenes between the undead and the almost there are cleverly captured!

 

(Picture: Vitagraph Films)

Man with the Screaming Brain

"Man with the Screaming Brain" (2005, Bruce Campbell, SciFi Channel).

I just opened my "The Bruce Campbell Collection" boxset, so expect some raving reviews on the works of the B-Movie king!

I'm not sure what I expected from this comedy/sci-fi/horror, but "Man with the Screaming Brain" delivers everthing it says on the tin (or rather, the box...) and accomplishes it with the cheesey, awesome style I've come to expect from such quality productions.

The Basic Plot

William Cole (Bruce Campbell) is a rich business tycoon in the pharmaceutical industry. He and his wife Jackie (Antoinette Byron) arrive 'somewhere in Bulgaria', where most people seem to be Russian, for a conference. Bruce Campbell happily hams up his 'ugly American' capitalist character into an unlikeable jackass. And his wife is an equally unlikeable rich-bitch love cheat.

The mad scientist, Dr. Ivan Ivanov (Stacy Keach) and his assistant, Pavel (Ted Raimi) are working on a scientific solution to halt body rejection of transplanted organs. Raimi gives a hilarious performance and really clearly enjoys the role. Also, I watched this with a guy working on his PhD in Theoretical Physics and we had to pause a scene while he studied their blackboard so that we could confirm that yes, indeed, it was just a bunch of equations which together have no meaning! Note to self, avoid movies with equations when watching with scientists in future!

Cole rudely dismisses an invite to see the doctor's work. Too bad for him, huh?

Cole and Jackie take a taxi and wind up in Gypsie Town where they witness a fight and also spy the mysterious Gypsie beauty, Tatoya (Tamara Gorski).

Jackie quickly gets frisky with the taxi driver, Yegor (Vladimir Kolev), a character I also really enjoyed. Cole, in the meantime, tries his luck with Tatoya, but is instead robbed and then bludgeoned when he attempts to take back his belongings. Yegor witnesses the attack on Cole and confronts Tatoya (who is his ex-fiancée) only to be killed himself!

The doctor then takes this opportunity to demonstrate his research to Mr. Cole first hand by bringing him back to life!

Cole later awakens to find that he is in the doctor's very-convincing (yes, that was sarcasm) laboratory, and has been 'patched up' using some parts of Yegor's brain where his had been damaged. I enjoyed the cranial stitching, also very convincing (yes, more sarcasm!). Cole escapes the laboratory and discovers that he can hear Yegor speaking to him inside his head!

Jackie, in a fit of rage, attacks Tatoya for killing her husband, but is then also killed by that gypsie minx. Luckily, she's brought back as a robot in a yellow catsuit.

There's some more fighting, an unconvincing car chase, a tiny explosion and of course, no Bruce Campbell movie would be complete without the textbook Bruce vs Bruce scene!

(Picture: Scifi Channel)

Verdict

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. If it were a rollercoaster, it's definitely the one where you ride on the caterpillar through the apple core; simple, pleasing and not at all scary!

Ted Raimi steals the show and I do enjoy his American-being-Bulgarian-being-Russian-being-American-rapping! Hilarious!