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

 

Children of the Corn

"Children of the Corn" (1984, Fritz Kiersch, New World Pictures) is based on Stephen King's story of the same name, but is not identical story-wise.

The children of Gatlin, Nebraska have rebelled, killing all of the adults and following the teachings of a strange Preaching boy named Isaac (John Franklin) who tells of a demon named "He who walks behind the rows". The demon is responsible, so says Isaac, for the failure of the corn crops and desires to be worshipped with the blood sacrifice of adults. Gatlin, previously a farming community, has become a backwoods cult deadzone, where no adult is safe from Isaac and his blood thirsty followers, even those who have grown up there...

Burt (Peter Horton) and his girlfriend Vicky (Linda Hamilton) stumble upon the town when given bad directions from a local garage owner who's paid off by the Gatlin kids to send straggling adults their way.

With the help of two non-believing children, Job (Robby Kiger) and Sarah (Anne Marie McEvoy), can Burt and Vicky avoid being lead to slaughter? And can they defeat Isaac and his right hand boy, Malachai (Courtney Gains)? And is there really a demon back there behind those rows of corn?! Well, watch and see.

While dated and a little slow in places, this film doesn't disappoint with sudden action. From rampaging, murderous children to road accidents, there's a lot going on. There's a small amount of gore, and a fair few parts always make me think this story must have inspired some of the storyline in "Silent Hill", but on the whole it's hardly a shudderfest and is best approached with relatively low expectations and an understanding that it is, afterall, a B-Movie.

[Image: New World Pictures]

Hani

Omen III: The Final Conflict

"Omen III: The Final Conflict" (1981, Graham Baker, 20th Century Fox, Harvey Bernhard Productions, Mace Neufeld) is the the third "Omen" film, following the life of Damien Thorn: son of Satan.

Damien (a young, pre-fame Sam Neill) is now head of the Thorn Corporation, but has set his sights on the position of US Ambassador to Great Britain. His 'father' would have been proud... Had he not been brutally murdered by young Damien in the first film...

When the current US Ambassador 'randomly' commits suicide, Damien manages to manoeuvre himself into the position and then proceeds throughout the rest of the film to flirt with a journalist called Kate (Lisa Reynolds), sour the mind of her son Peter (Barnaby Holm) and try to avoid assassination by Monks, led by Father DeCarlo (Rossano Brazzi), who have become aware that a holy star sign.... Star of Bethlehem much?... has announced the rebirth of Damien's arch-Nemesis; Jesus Christ!

Sam Neill gives a good performance, but I can't help but feel that this view may be coloured by my enjoyment of his work in other films and TV...

All in all, this is the weakest of the three real original "Omen" films (We don't count that made-for-TV 'fourth' one), with only one thing really going for it; that it ends the character arc of Damien, who has now become a self-aware, anti-bible bashing daddy's boy.

The gore is pretty good and there's a fair amount of shocking ideas in the film (child murdering and  rape being two examples), but similarly to the second film, "The Final Conflict" is long and dull in places, allowing the viewer's mind to wander and lose interest.

If you can bare to not finish the series, I would say skipping this film wouldn't really be a bad thing...

[Image: 20th Century Fox]

Hani

REC 3: Genesis

"REC 3: Genesis" (2012, Paco Plaza, Canal+ España, Filmax) is the third installment in the 'REC' franchise. This sequel takes the setting out of the house in Barcelona, and instead to the wedding of Clara (Leticia Dolera) and Koldo (Diego Martin) in a large country estate. The film setting is in parallel with both first and second "REC" films.

The first thing which struck me about this film was that it has taken an almost "Evil Dead 2" turn into gory comedy! The film does still use the 'Found footage' film technique, whether it be by mobile phones, the professional wedding camera man's footage or Koldo's cousin Adrián (Àlex Monne)'s camera. However, for some of the film, they have resorted to a normal third person filming style.

I liked this film. It was funny, gory, linked and yet completely separate from the other films in the series. You could happily watch this film as a stand alone. The two main characters are good fun and the action remains high energy. Although, they maybe tried a little too hard to create a "Resident Evil" 'Alice' character in the form of Clara.

I would say that this film loses something for the franchise, but as a film alone, it's pretty entertaining but not really very scary.

[Image: Canal+ España]

Hani

REC 2

"REC 2" (2009, Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza, Magnolia Pictures, E1 Entertainment) is the sequel to the 2007 Spanish found footage masterpiece, "REC".

The film takes place 15 minutes after the first, when Dr. Owen (Jonathan Mellor) from the Ministry of Health and several members of a GEO team enter the house in order to control the outbreak of the zombie infection.

While the first film primarily went for the virus and enzyme explanation for the outbreak, "REC 2" plays more upon the demonic and religious side of zombies (this was, however, alluded to in the first film on the tape recorder, so it's not that much of a leap), having the doctor shouting bible readings at the infected to control them, or talk to the main infected girl/demon through the others "Exorcist"-style.

This film also consists of 'found footage', but is this time split into 3 areas, the GEO team cameras, the camera of a group of teens who have found themselves inside the building and Pablo's camera from the first film.

This film goes down a more supernatural path, making new rules for the zombies as demonic creatures. While this kind of changes the game in regards to the plot, it doesn't diminish the high energy pace and scares in the film. The gore is in a greater abundance and the ending is yet again, scary and also gross to the point of sickening.

Worthy of your time.

[Image: Magnolia Pictures]

Hani

REC

"REC" (2007, Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza, Filmax International) is a Spanish 'found footage' zombie-esque horror.

Ángela Vida (Manuela Velasco) is a TV reporter for a local show in Barcelona called "While You're Asleep". She and her cameraman, Pablo (Pablo Rosso), are following the local Fire Crew for the night. The first segment of the film primarily consists of her interviewing firemen and complaining about how boring it is, and how she'd like an emergency call to come in. Lucky her, one does!

They set off with firemen Manu (Ferrán Terraza) & Álex (David Vert) to the house where an old woman has become extremely aggressive and the police have shut down the building with all other tenants trapped inside. The crew enter along with a couple of policemen, an officer (Vicente Gil) and a younger cop (Jorge-Yaman Serrano). It soon becomes apparent, however, that even the policemen aren't completely aware of the situation.

When they try to confront the woman she attacks them, and we delve into a zombie house of horrors.

While the story itself isn't anything new, the confined space of the building, excellent shaky-cam work and disjointed filming work really well. A lot of the jumps happen in the dark when either the camera comes back on just in time of an oogie-boogie moment, or when Pablo sticks on the nightvision, showing us the full grotesque image of the creatures.

I'm not usually a found footage fan, but 'REC' really kicks the action up a notch and makes for quite a thrilling ride! The ending is also very effective and leaves the audience wanting more. Just remember, it's in Spanish so expect to have to read some subtitles!

[Image: Filmax International]

 

Hani