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Evil Dead (2013) -
Is this on par with the 1981 original? No, but it's a worthy attempt and a pretty good horror movie in its own right. Mia (Levy), an addict, hopes that a trip to a cabin in the woods with brother David (Fernandez) and her best friends will put her on a path to sobriety. They soon discover that with its blood stains, cat carcasses in the basement and that legendary flesh-bound tome, the Necronomicon, that it's no ordinary cabin. After Eric (Pucci) unwittingly places a curse on the property, Mia and pals have another demon to fight.
Like the original, this version started with a rating more extreme than R and it's easy to see why. It's not surprising because if Don't Breathe is of any indication, director Alvarez is not a guy who pulls punches. He succeeds at making you feel the pain in big ways with its amputations and small with its use of needles and nail guns. Oh, and there's those thousands of gallons of fake blood as well. As for atmosphere, with its convincingly decaying cabin and possibly the most overgrown forest in New Zealand, it's got that covered in spades. On top of that, despite calling too much attention to themselves, Alvarez's nods to Raimi's trademarks like the camera journeying through the woods and the use of a chainsaw are welcome touches.
Again, this is a pretty good, but not great horror movie that, if anything, deserves credit for how it associates fighting one's personal demons with fighting actual ones. If there's one thing holding it back from greatness, it's in the character department. In the original trilogy, I willingly care about Ash and his associates, but in this one, I had to make myself do it. With the exception of Levy, the typical performance is mostly bloodless, no pun intended. While I did not go in expecting a cult hero like Ash to emerge - which I don't do before watching any horror movie, for that matter - I wish I walked away with at least one of the heroes leaving a lasting impression. I also didn't like that a supposedly important plot point about Mia and David's mother being in an asylum has minimal payoff. I recommend the movie anyway, and it's nice to know that most of the cast and of course Alvarez have gone on to have good careers. It's just too bad that this job was more of a stepping stone than a monument to them.
Is this on par with the 1981 original? No, but it's a worthy attempt and a pretty good horror movie in its own right. Mia (Levy), an addict, hopes that a trip to a cabin in the woods with brother David (Fernandez) and her best friends will put her on a path to sobriety. They soon discover that with its blood stains, cat carcasses in the basement and that legendary flesh-bound tome, the Necronomicon, that it's no ordinary cabin. After Eric (Pucci) unwittingly places a curse on the property, Mia and pals have another demon to fight.
Like the original, this version started with a rating more extreme than R and it's easy to see why. It's not surprising because if Don't Breathe is of any indication, director Alvarez is not a guy who pulls punches. He succeeds at making you feel the pain in big ways with its amputations and small with its use of needles and nail guns. Oh, and there's those thousands of gallons of fake blood as well. As for atmosphere, with its convincingly decaying cabin and possibly the most overgrown forest in New Zealand, it's got that covered in spades. On top of that, despite calling too much attention to themselves, Alvarez's nods to Raimi's trademarks like the camera journeying through the woods and the use of a chainsaw are welcome touches.
Again, this is a pretty good, but not great horror movie that, if anything, deserves credit for how it associates fighting one's personal demons with fighting actual ones. If there's one thing holding it back from greatness, it's in the character department. In the original trilogy, I willingly care about Ash and his associates, but in this one, I had to make myself do it. With the exception of Levy, the typical performance is mostly bloodless, no pun intended. While I did not go in expecting a cult hero like Ash to emerge - which I don't do before watching any horror movie, for that matter - I wish I walked away with at least one of the heroes leaving a lasting impression. I also didn't like that a supposedly important plot point about Mia and David's mother being in an asylum has minimal payoff. I recommend the movie anyway, and it's nice to know that most of the cast and of course Alvarez have gone on to have good careers. It's just too bad that this job was more of a stepping stone than a monument to them.