Evil Dead (2013)

[TheHeatKitchen]

This is a little long and I had a LOT more to say but.... maybe later.

The original Evil Dead film is my favorite movie of all time. I've been waiting for this movie since I was a child and I'm not at all disappointed.

I LOVED what they did here. It was incredible. All of the easter eggs to the original series, the disturbing horror sequences, the practical effects, the depth to the underlying story behind the book, everything.

Spoiler

To me, this movie wasn't set to disgust people and make them cringe, like the original. Nor was it meant to provide those cheap scares like the common horror movies of the last 15-20 years. This was meant to truly disturb the viewer to their core. It provided us with the disgusting (self-inflicted face removal, arm dismemberment and a hand being rip off from underneath a car) to the psychological torture of David and Mia (killing his sister, the nursery rhyme, etc.).

This "remake" (or sequel, depending who you talk to and what reports you believe) was clearly similar to the original in many ways. It was five young adults, two males, three females in a cabin in the woods. One male (Ash/David) was there with his girlfriend (Linda/Natalie) and sister (Cheryl/Mia) and two of their old friends (Scott and Shelly/Eric and Olivia). The sister is raped by the woods, possessed, attacks the third girl (Shelly/Olivia) who then gets possessed and quickly killed off. While the sister is locked in the cellar, the girlfriend character (Linda/Natalie) is possessed and begins to attack the male characters.

***I firmly believe there was a scene cut here from the 2013 film. Natalie appears to have just disappeared. There are images online of David use the chainsaw that I don't recall seeing in the film. I'm thinking (and hoping) there were scenes of a possessed Natalie torturing and teasing David (much like Linda did with Ash in the original) before he ultimately has to kill her). But I digress.***

What really set this movie apart from the original, aside from the excessive violence and gore, was the depth added to the Natureo Demento. The original had the recording from Professor Knowby and the book itself. Ash is seen listening to the recordings and flipping through the pages. But the book itself is shown more prominently in the 2013 film. You see its power over the possessed and the happenings throughout the night. You see the images from the book of the tree raping, the boiling water on the skin, the face removal, "It" rising from the ground, and much much more. This movie really showed the actual qualities of the book itself, rather than the characters just gathering information through recordings found in the basement.

After spending hours letting this settle into my mind, I think even more of the film. I originally wasn't happy with the ending

Spoiler

bringing Mia back, her soul being freed and her suddenly being completely healthy after that possession that CLEARLY should have taken a tole on her body (especially the burns on her face and the tongue splitting)

But it's grown on me. I like the way they went with it, which kept it from being too similar to the original. That was my only real complaint coming out of the theater. Now I think the movie deserves a 9 out of 10. It had every element you want from a classic horror movie. The acting was a little stale at moments, but overall it was incredible.

Spoiler

And the stinger at the end was perfect.

 

[terry78]

I think it was more dark humor than anything. Not like one-liner humor but more of an absurdity type of thing.

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

I saw it on YT. At least it confirms...nothing to do with AOD2

Its just a **** yeah! for the audience.

CraveOnline's interview with Fede Alvarez

Spoiler

What are we to make of the easter egg after the credits?

That’s a way to say that these movies are connected in the same universe and this is not something that’s overwriting the original. We’re not saying that in this movie, the character of Ash doesn’t exist so for me it was a way to show you, without revealing too much, because there is a plan behind the whole thing. There is a plan to what Sam wants to do with his Evil Dead and what I wanted to do with this one. So it’s all part of the plan and the way we did it I think was the perfect way to tell the audience, “Yeah, Ash is there. Who knows where? We’re not going to tell you where but he’s there and he’s aware of things that are happening probably with the book and what happened in the movie.”

Link

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

I haven't gone back too far in the thread, but can we put together a list of the less obvious easter eggs from the original trilogy in this film? I know there were a LOT and i noticed a ton in the theater, but I can't remember them all.

A few off the top of my head:

Spoiler

All Sam Raimi fans know about the '73 Oldsmobile. (But was it the same one that Ash drove? I know that one was sent back in the vortex, but we've seen weirder things happen in this movie series....)

Natalie screaming "What happened to her eyes?"

When the door blasted open and Mia says "You're all going to die tonight" the random sounds you hear included audio from the first two movies (primarily Cheryl's line from the original, while possessed and floating by the window, quickly saying "You will die.")

Of course Professor Knowby's audio from his readings of the book in the credits.

The page in the book showing "It" rising from the ground looks a LOT like the original movie poster.

The necklace David gave Mia was basically a wooden version of the necklace Ash gave Linda in The Evil Dead.

Anyone else got any right off?

 

[DACrowe]

Yes the Raimi films are fairly culpable in these respects, and I'm not particularly a huge fan of them either. Raimi himself has spoken about his regret about some of the scenes included and the way they were presented.

But as to the tone of the tree rape in the first film, I think you seriously need to rewatch that.

Raimi said that in an interview in 1986 while hyping up Evil Dead II.

It honestly does not bother him now, otherwise he and Tapert would not have insisted on putting it into the remake. Raimi is a showman and entertainer, first. The scene had a backlash in the 1980s, so he "apologized for it." The scene is considered iconic and, for better or worse, classic now. So, he unapologetically puts it in the remake.

As for how it is presented in the Raimi film. It is both horrible but so ridiculous as the branches fondle her and make noises. It is cruel, mean-spirited and perverse, but so is the rest of the movie. It still has that off-center vibe where you do not know if it is supposed to be scary or some kind of warped, twisted joke. That pretty much defines the entire first movie and in some ways, the remake as well.

 

[Balthus Dire]

I actually thought the book and the guy's reaction to it was a bit absurd in this one. I mean,

Spoiler

the page with the incantation literally has "DO NOT READ THIS OR WRITE IT OR SAY IT ALOUD" scrawled into the page, yet the guy just goes ahead and reads it like a total moron.

I thought the tape recording of the original was much more effective because that's something I actually believe someone would do: they're listening to the creepy recording and the guy on the recording reads the incantation. I buy that way more than what the remake went with, personally.

Also,

Spoiler

the drawings sometimes spoiled the upcoming horrific scenes. When the chick cuts her own face off, we already see it's going to happen via a drawing, so the shock was greatly diminished when it does happen. I also didnt think every weird thing the Deadites did had to be explained by a picture lol. It was a bit silly sometimes.

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

I actually thought the book and the guy's reaction to it was a bit absurd in this one. I mean,

Spoiler

the page with the incantation literally has "DO NOT READ THIS OR WRITE IT OR SAY IT ALOUD" scrawled into the page, yet the guy just goes ahead and reads it like a total moron.

I thought the tape recording of the original was much more effective because that's something I actually believe someone would do: they're listening to the creepy recording and the guy on the recording reads the incantation. I buy that way more than what the remake went with, personally.

Also,

Spoiler

the drawings sometimes spoiled the upcoming horrific scenes. When the chick cuts her own face off, we already see it's going to happen via a drawing, so the shock was greatly diminished when it does happen. I also didnt think every weird thing the Deadites did had to be explained by a picture lol. It was a bit silly sometimes.

I think they did it right with the tree scene and

Spoiler

the water boiling scene. But you're right with the face cutting one. They showed the page too quickly. However, on the other side, that was shown so many times in the trailers and clips online that it was already spoiled as is. I think that scare was more based on the concept of "look what's SUPPOSED to happen, will she actually go through with it?"

It really did vary between them and I can see your point. But overall, I'm ok with the way they decided to do it.

 

[moviedoors]

I haven't gone back too far in the thread, but can we put together a list of the less obvious easter eggs from the original trilogy in this film? I know there were a LOT and i noticed a ton in the theater, but I can't remember them all.

A few off the top of my head:

Spoiler

All Sam Raimi fans know about the '73 Oldsmobile. (But was it the same one that Ash drove? I know that one was sent back in the vortex, but we've seen weirder things happen in this movie series....)

Natalie screaming "What happened to her eyes?"

When the door blasted open and Mia says "You're all going to die tonight" the random sounds you hear included audio from the first two movies (primarily Cheryl's line from the original, while possessed and floating by the window, quickly saying "You will die.")

Of course Professor Knowby's audio from his readings of the book in the credits.

The page in the book showing "It" rising from the ground looks a LOT like the original movie poster.

The necklace David gave Mia was basically a wooden version of the necklace Ash gave Linda in The Evil Dead.

Anyone else got any right off?

Spoiler

The necklace is laying in the shape of a skull, like it does in the first two movies, before Mia finds it near the end.

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

Spoiler

The necklace is laying in the shape of a skull, like it does in the first two movies, before Mia finds it near the end.

Didn't notice that one.

I just put in Evil Dead 2... Linda is wearing a Michigan State shirt, Mia wore a Michigan State sweater in the new one.

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

Another little quirk in the film, borderline "easter egg"

David is getting tossed around in the basement full of water by possessed Mia is very similar to the pit fight in Army of Darkness, including the way Mia glides over towards him.

 

[Hobgoblin]

Spoiler

I thought that Mia being chased by the evil version of herself was a nod to Army of Darkness. Good Ash and Bad Ash but obviously much less silly.

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

Spoiler

I thought that Mia being chased by the evil version of herself was a nod to Army of Darkness. Good Ash and Bad Ash but obviously much less silly.

That makes sense.

Also, the sketch pad. Mia was drawing much like Cheryl was.

 

[TheCaretaker]

Spoiler

The "Join Us" voice from the original is heard when David first arrives at the cabin.

Lots of awesome nods in this movie to the past ones while at the same time being extremely original and a great addition to the series, I hope Fede is convincing Sam and Bruce to embrace Army of Darkness 2 (hopefully named Medieval Dead) and then crossover both their visions of Evil Dead.

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

Spoiler

The "Join Us" voice from the original is heard when David first arrives at the cabin.

Lots of awesome nods in this movie to the past ones while at the same time being extremely original and a great addition to the series, I hope Fede is convincing Sam and Bruce to embrace Army of Darkness 2 (hopefully named Medieval Dead) and then crossover both their visions of Evil Dead.

That's their plan, and I too hope they follow through with it. I HATE this word, but that could be "epic."

Also,

Spoiler

Fede Alvarez used the term "fake Shemps" in the credits, like Raimi used to.

Being out of gas was an issue in Army of Darkness with the Car and the chainsaw.

A little more of a stretch, but Ash had a science book in the trunk of his car, Eric was a science teacher.

 

[Dr. Remy Lebeau]

I love that this movie is a hit! I really hope this means we'll get AoD2 and that it will all eventually tie in together. That would be sooooooooooooo sweet! All hail Sam Raimi!

 

[Dave McFly]

I loved when you first see Mia she is sitting on the hood of a beat up old 70s Olds like the one in the original films was not expecting that when I saw it for the first time.

 

[Legion]

Loved the movie! I hope there's a director's cut. I didn't want the movie to end...

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

I loved when you first see Mia she is sitting on the hood of a beat up old 70s Olds like the one in the original films was not expecting that when I saw it for the first time.

http://www.ugo.com/movies/sam-rami-car

You might find that interesting.

 

[Dave McFly]

I knew the car shows up in other Raimi films but was not expecting it to show up in a remake of a Raimi film .

 

[enterthemadness]

So, I survived...the movie.


My Goodness. I think I missed 3 or so minutes due to my head being down looking at the floor.

Pros: Acting. Visual Directing. Music was nice. Script. Scary. Gorey. Oh...

Cons: NC-17. Wanted a bit more substance somehow. Yeah. I took a B+ away...come at me. This movie needed to lose a minute or two of the blood/gore. My goodness. It is like SAW III. Good, but rather not see it again. I mean...I think I almost fainted. Oddly enough, I have no idea what needed to be cut to make it a weaker R...without it feeling a bit tamed down. I mean, some of the gore and scares had me at .

Grade A ''solid'' B. Deserves success. Better than the Original Evil Dead.

Closing: Good movie, MPAA needs to hire my arse so I can give it guidelines. or the MPAA could save face and just come out with a R-18 rating and say it is right below a NC-17.

 

[Balthus Dire]

It looked to me like they dumbed down the tongue split scene a bit via some fake dark lighting.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Does it ever explain how she splits her tongue. ..for it to be OK later on?

 

[TheHeatKitchen]

Does it ever explain how she splits her tongue. ..for it to be OK later on?

To paraphrase what Lucy Lawless said in regards to editing issues in Xena, "Whenever something like that happens, a demon did it."

That was on of my questions after the movie, but I assume the deadites have a minor ability to heal wounds (not dismemberments).

 

[Rodrigo90]

I see lol

 

[enterthemadness]

It looked to me like they dumbed down the tongue split scene a bit via some fake dark lighting.

Wouldn't know, I was looking away.

*tosses man card on the floor and kicks it away*