The remake of Sam Raimi‘s first signature film is now open. After a long period of speculation about the possibility of a fourth Raimi Evil Dead film, or a remake by some other filmmaker, audiences have a chance to see what Fede Alvarez has done with Evil Dead. This remake has some ideas of its own, as it follows a group of young friends to a remote cabin where one plans to detox. But it also has a heavy reliance on Raimi’s set pieces, many of which are firmly entrenched as calling cards for his career.
Beginning with its premiere at SXSW there has been mixed reception to the remake — some love it for the over the top violence, while others (myself included) think that, yeah, the gore is good, but there’s not enough of a movie there. So weigh in on the conversation — let us know what you thought of Alvarez’s Evil Dead, and keep in mind that spoilers are fully encouraged in the comment thread below. Read More »
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In my review of Evil Dead, this year’s remake of Sam Raimi‘s career-making 1981 film, I mentioned that this movie might actually exist in the same timeline as Raimi’s movies. It isn’t locked down in the film that such a thing is the case, but it is suggested.
Recently, original Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell went a lot farther, saying at a post-screening Q&A that plans for sequels to both this new Evil Dead series and Raimi’s own movies might eventually merge the two storylines. We couldn’t confirm his quote at the time. At today’s WonderCon panel for the remake, director Fede Alvarez confirmed the ambition to top off his own Evil Dead 2 and Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness 2 with a film that brings the storylines together. Read More »
When you watched Evil Dead II, did you feel pain when Bruce Campbell cut off his own hand, not because of any empathy for the horror, but because Sam Raimi didn’t show the chainsaw actually hitting flesh? If so, then stop reading and order a ticket to Evil Dead, because Fede Alvarez‘s remake is the movie for you. Drenched in gore, the movie doesn’t ever flinch away from violence.
Raimi’s original The Evil Dead was calculated to appeal to drive-in audiences, but his irrepressible personality shone through the exploitation effort. With star Bruce Campbell and producer Robert Tapert, he produced a blend of horror and physical comedy — splatstick, working from an underlying principle that proclaimed “the gore, the merrier!” — that had obvious roots in Three Stooges and Buster Keaton comedies. Raimi, Campbell, and Tapert set out to make the screen run red with blood, but ended up creating something more unique than another horror quickie.
All of which is preamble to set up the fact that Fede Alvarez’s skill with effects shines in his own Evil Dead. But look away from the gore and you’ll see a confused movie that lurches in different directions from one step to the next. It barely establishes a personality of its own beyond the brutal gore. Appropriately for a film that traffics in bodily dismemberment, Evil Dead ’13 is less than the sum of its parts. Read More »
Posted on Monday, January 21st, 2013 by Angie Han
In purely practical terms, it’s unlikely that Fede Alvarez‘s Evil Dead remake will live up to the marketing promise that it’s “the most terrifying film you will ever experience.” But even if it fails to meet that high bar, it’s clearly trying its hardest to push that envelope.
The first red-band trailer was packed end to end with disturbing, blood-drenched images, to the point that it made Sam Raimi‘s 1981 original look mild and mellow in comparison. The green-band trailer, for obvious reasons, is far tamer, but it’s still pretty spooky. And because it can’t show off the really shocking moments, it gives away much less about the film. Check it out after the jump.
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Posted on Thursday, June 28th, 2012 by Angie Han
In the decade or so since he hit Hollywood, Josh Schwartz has become a high-profile name in television. He first gained attention for creating the smash hit The O.C., and followed up that success by co-creating Chuck and Gossip Girl. And now that he’s conquered the small screen, he’s got his sights set on taking over the big one.
Schwartz is making his feature directorial debut with the holiday teen comedy Fun Size, a sort of Adventures in Babysitting with Halloween costumes. Nickelodeon breakout Victoria Justice plays Wren, whose plans to attend a Halloween party are scuttled when her mother (Chelsea Handler) forces her to take her weird little brother Albert (Jackson Nicoll) trick-or-treating.
Her night takes yet another turn for the worse when she loses her little brother, sending her on a frantic search to recover him with the help of her best friend April (Suburgatory‘s Jane Levy). Meanwhile, Albert’s up to his own insane adventures, involving a brokenhearted man and some criminal activity. Watch the trailer after the jump.
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Posted on Wednesday, March 7th, 2012 by Angie Han
After an early snag that saw Lily Collins landing the lead and then dropping out three weeks later due to scheduling issues, casting on Fede Alvarez‘s The Evil Dead is now rolling along smoothly. Shiloh Fernandez (Red Riding Hood) and Lou Taylor Pucci (Beginners) boarded the project last month, as Jane Levy (Suburgatory) stepped up to replace Collins.
Now the newest addition to the roster is Elizabeth Blackmore (Legend of the Seeker), while Jessica Lucas (Melrose Place) has entered talks. The actresses will play two more pals who get wrapped up in the horrors released by the Necromonicon. More details after the jump.
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The latest actor to sign on to Ben Stiller‘s remake of the imaginative Danny Kaye comedy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is Adam Scott. He joins stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine and Patton Oswalt in the story of a LIFE magazine photo editor (Stiller) who daydreams his way out of a dull reality. No word on Scott’s role at this point, but given that Kristen Wiig plays Mitty’s workplace crush, I wouldn’t be surprised to find him playing another LIFE staffer who competes for her attention. [Deadline]
After the break, The Evil Dead finds a new potential victim and the sci-fi thriller Oblivion gets a Game of Thrones player. Read More »
Posted on Thursday, October 13th, 2011 by Angie Han
Today’s edition of TV Bits isn’t just a mixed bag, but a jam-packed one. Happily, it’s nothing but good news all around as networks order more episodes of some promising rookie shows and get to work developing other intriguing series for next season. After the jump:
- ABC orders more Revenge, Suburgatory, and Happy Endings
- The CW gives full-season orders to Ringer, The Secret Circle, and Hart of Dixie
- NBC orders six more scripts for Prime Suspect
- HBO plans an hourlong TV version of The Kids Are All Right
- Disney gives the go-ahead to a musical zombie sitcom
- TNT casts Battlestar Galactica star Tricia Helfer in a K-9 pilot
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