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Category: Horror

  • The Undertaker (1988)

    The Undertaker (1988)

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    Joe Spinell is probably one of the most prolific character actors of all time. Even if you don’t know his name, you’ve probably seen him in at least one movie. Spinell has been in some of the biggest movies of the 70s, including The Godfather, Rocky, and Taxi Driver amongst others. For cult movie fans, he’s probably best known for movies like Starcrash, The Last Horror Film, and most notably Maniac. Despite his rough exterior, he was one of the kindest and most well-liked people to work with. In the 80s, he wasn’t getting as much high-profile work as before, but he still found work nonetheless. Unfortunately, Spinell was in failing health, not helped by his alcoholism and drug use. He sadly died of a heart attack in 1989, but is still thought of fondly. Prior to his death, he was featured in the forgotten 1988 horror film, The Undertaker.

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    The film features Spinell as Uncle Roscoe, a local mortician who goes around killing young women and taking their bodies back to his basement. His nephew Nicky (Patrick Askin) suspects something is amiss with his uncle, so he tries to get the help of his teacher Pam (Rebecca Varon). She doesn’t believe him at first, but after Nicky gets killed by Roscoe, Pam decides to investigate further. All the while Roscoe is killing both young women and people who either annoy him or are suspicious of his actions. As Roscoe continues his killing spree, the police aren’t having much luck taking him down. Pam, along with her friend Mandy (Susan Bachli) and her boyfriend Kevin (Joe Magle), tries to figure out what Roscoe is up to.

    Unfortunately, that’s all I can really say about the plot without giving it away. However, there’s another reason why it’s somewhat difficult to talk about what happens here. I’ll get into that later as it ties into some of the problems I have with the film. Without a doubt, Joe Spinell is easily the best part of the whole film. Regardless of what follows, he is insanely captivating as the depraved mortician Uncle Roscoe. While not as menacing as his Frank Zito character from Maniac, Roscoe is so creepy and sleazy that it works. You can tell that Spinell is really giving this role his all, which is unfortunate given the rest of the cast. But going back to the positives, the film has a good look to it. It has a very grimy and gritty quality that makes it slightly more sleazy and disturbing.

    Sadly, that’s where most of my positives for the film end. Aside from Spinell, the rest of the cast is really not that interesting. A lot of the acting is pretty bad, and I doubt many of them acted again. Also, the movie is very slowly paced to the point of boredom. No joke, the first time I watched this, I nearly fell asleep. Normally, I don’t mind a slow burn that takes time out to establish the characters and what not. But here, there are times where the film really feels like it’s dragging. In addition, there are numerous subplots that are either given no introduction or are just dropped. This honestly feels like a film that’s both finished and unfinished. While it clearly looks like it’s completed, it also feels like they didn’t quite get to finish it. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more here originally.

    In the end, it is pretty easy to see why this film was largely forgotten. It’s pretty slow, the acting isn’t very good, and it feels like a jumbled mess. There is some gore and gratuitous nudity, but it doesn’t help much, especially since there isn’t much. Even still, the movie is worth it just for Joe Spinell alone. His performance is honestly way too good for this film. I don’t mean to bad mouth the filmmakers since it seems like they tried. For that reason, The Undertaker is worth discovering, but be prepared for something with this many flaws.

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  • Blood Diner (1987)

    Blood Diner (1987)

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    As I mentioned in my review of Evil Dead II, horror-comedies can be a tricky balance, where sometimes they stray a bit too far into either direction. That being said, the 1980’s seemed to be a great time for horror-comedies given the number of them that came out. Films like An American Werewolf in London, Gremlins, and Ghostbusters have gone on to become certified classics. Then, there are films like Student Bodies, Night of the Creeps, and TerrorVision that, while not as popular, still have become cult favorites. One that is often overlooked that deserves more attention is a little gem from 1987 called Blood Diner. Originally conceived as a pseudo-sequel to the 1963 splatter film Blood Feast, Blood Diner is so outrageous and so over-the-top that once you see it, you’ll never be able to forget it.

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    We follow two brothers, Georgie and Mikey, who witness their Uncle Anwar (Drew Godderis) being gunned by cops as children. Years later, the two grow up to start their own restaurant. However, it turns out the brothers are cannibals who are serving human meat to their customers disguised as health food. Georgie (Carl Crew) works as the chef, while Mikey (Rick Burks) works the floor. While Georgie is very socially awkward and neurotic, Mikey is very charismatic and a bit of a ladies man. One night, the brothers dig up their uncle’s grave to retrieve his brain and bring it back to life. Once restored, their uncle tells them to prepare a blood buffet and a body to resurrect the goddess Sheetar. The brothers go about killing various women and taking their body parts. Meanwhile, officers Mark Shepard (Roger Dauer) and Sheba Jackson (LaNette La France) are on the trail.

    To say that this film is pretty silly would be massively underselling it. This movie is flat-out ridiculous from beginning to end. Between the brain resurrection, the brothers serving human flesh to customers, and them trying to summon an ancient goddess, this is one crazy flick. What makes the movie work especially well are the brothers and the chemistry they have together. Carl Crew plays George with such manic energy and off-the-wall ferocity that it’s fun to see just how crazy he gets. One highlight is when he goes into the ring to fight famed wrestler Jimmy Hitler (yes, seriously). Rick Burks as Mikey, on the other hand, has such a suave charm and personality that you buy how he can have such an effect on women. While not as memorable as Carl Crew, Rick Burks is still fun to watch and he helps balance out Crew’s insanity.

    The rest of the cast is also enjoyable, especially Roger Dauer and LaNette La France as Officers Shepard and Jackson. They work well off each other, between Dauer’s blatant chauvinism and La France’s badass take-no-crap attitude. Drew Godderis, though his screen time is limited, is pretty memorable as Uncle Anwar. When he’s on screen, he’s insanely creepy and has a menacing presence to him. When it’s him as the voice of the brain, he’s very funny and sarcastic, especially when he insults his nephews. The movie has so many crazy and memorable moments that I can’t list them all since it would take some of the fun out of discovering it for yourself. Suffice it to say, this movie has topless aerobics, a naked kung-fu chick, zombies, and a stomach vagina that eats people. If none of that entices you, I don’t know what will.

    What might be surprising is that the film was directed by a woman, specifically Jackie Kong. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have many directing credits to her name. Including this, she also directed The Being, Night Patrol, and The Under Achievers. Even with a small body of work, her direction is impressive here, and it’s unfortunate she hasn’t done much else. Also, I’d be remiss without mentioning that Rick Burks died two years after the movie in a car accident. While primarily a musician, he still gave a solid performance, and it’s sad what happened to him. Still, the cast and crew have nothing but nice things to say and tell stories about how great he was. Overall, Blood Diner is a true gem in the horror-comedy genre that more people should be made aware of.

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  • The First Purge (2018)

    The First Purge (2018)

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    In 2013, Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes released The Purge. Taking place in a future USA where all crime, including murder, is made legal for twelve hours one night a year, the film had an interesting concept, but used said concept to create a standard home invasion movie. Nevertheless, the movie was a major hit, making over $89 million against a $3 million budget, so inevitably a sequel was made. So, in 2014, The Purge: Anarchy was released, and it was surprisingly better than the first, using its concept to tell a story that showed what happened on Purge Night across different parts of Los Angeles. Being an even bigger hit than the previous film ($111 million on a $9 million budget), another sequel was released soon after. The Purge: Election Year was released two years later, and while not as a good as the previous film, it still used a very similar premise and was just as insane, if not more so, than the previous film. Once again, the film was a hit, making over $118 million on a $10 million budget, so while we were going to get another film, this time we get a prequel to the previous three films. All that said, how does The First Purge compare to what came before?

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    Taking place several years before the events of The Purge, the film showcases a version of the USA where unemployment and poverty are on the rise, there are rioters on the streets, and the government is in total political turmoil. Then, a new political party known as The New Founding Fathers of America have emerged to replace the Democratic and Republican parties with the promise of a brighter future. Part of their plan is a new social experiment they’re proposing called The Purge, where for twelve hours, citizens are allowed to commit whatever crimes they want to in order to release their anger and frustration guilt-free. The brainchild of Dr. Updale, played by Marisa Tomei, the party decides to stage the first Purge on Staten Island, and they have incentivized the citizens by promising them $5,000 to stay in their homes, as well as some extra money if they participate. At the same time, we are also introduced to Nya, played by Lex Scott Davis, who is leading protestors against the Purge, as well as her brother Isaiah, played by Joivan Wade, and drug dealer/gang leader Dmitri, played by Y’lan Noel. As night rolls around and the first Purge is underway, how are the people of Staten Island going to survive and will they succumb to their primal instincts are start killing each other like the NFFA wants?

    As I alluded to, I was not a huge fan of the first film. While the idea ludicrous and would never fly in the real world, it’s still an interesting concept that you could do a lot with. Unfortunately, they chose to use that concept as the backdrop for a very bland home invasion film, and I hated it. That said, when the second film came out, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it and then again with the third one. So, with the new one that just came out at the time of writing this, I was interested to see it, especially with it being a prequel since I was genuinely curious just how such a ridiculous idea could get off the ground. Getting into what I liked about the movie, I thought the main characters were mostly likable and easy to get behind. While Isaiah does get involved in some bad stuff, like trying to deal drugs and even wanting to participate in the Purge, you do get a sense that this is just a kid who wants to prove that he’s tough and that he can take of himself but can’t. Nya is a strong female lead, between rallying people against the Purge and trying to protect as many of them as possible. Dmitri, while not as awesome as Frank Grillo was in the previous two films, is still probably the most interesting character, especially when it gets into the third act and he steps up to be the hero. Also, when the action and violence start ramping up in the second half, it does get more entertaining as it goes along.

    Unfortunately, that’s really where many of the positives I have for this movie end, as this movie really isn’t very good. First off, this movie is a narrative mess. While the last two had different stories going on, they were at least handled well and were able to converge and come together. In this, it feels like a new plot-line starts up every 20 minutes or so. One minute, there’s a rave party going on where people are partying it up, doing drugs, and probably contracting more than a few STDs. The next, the government starts sending out mercenaries disguised as people participating in the Purge to kill people to make it seem like more people are purging then there actually are. Then, there’s a gang rivalry going where gang members are betraying one another and trying to take control from the other guy. Sure, these plots do intersect and converge with each other eventually, but it’s so scatterbrained and all over the place that it can be hard to keep track of everything. In addition, the movie is not that well-made, as there are clearly times where they use tons of CGI blood and obvious green screen, the latter also being a good indication that they only had some of the cast members available for a few days. And while the other movies certainly weren’t very subtle in their political commentary, this one practically hits you over the head with a brick with its symbolism. Hell, the final shot of the movie is a pan-up shot of an American flag. I realize that asking for subtlety in a Purge movie is asking a bit much, but the last two were more subtle in their commentary than this was.

    When I saw this movie, I obviously wasn’t expecting high-art or something that would change the landscape of cinema, but I was at least expecting something entertaining. And while it has its moments and has hints of what made the last two movies a lot of fun, The First Purge is so sloppily put together and full of itself that it’s honestly more infuriating than anything and just makes you wish you were watching the previous two movies. Hell, just watch The Purge instead!

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  • Jaws (1975)

    Jaws (1975)

    [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″][et_pb_video _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” src=”https://youtu.be/_SVmV1ydVQA” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_video][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”]In the early 70s, while working various odd jobs to make ends meet, writer Peter Benchley started working on the novel that would be his crowning jewel, Jaws. Inspired by stories Benchley had heard about great whites being reported and caught off the beaches of Long Island and Block Island in the 60s, the novel attracted the attention of producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown, who purchased the film rights in 1973, a year before the book was even published. After trying to find a director and removing one they had locked down because he kept referring to the shark as a whale, they ended up hiring a then relatively unknown Steven Spielberg, who had just finished his first theatrical film, The Sugarland Express, which Zanuck and Brown had produced. What followed was a very tumultuous production: the script was being rewritten constantly, casting was all over the place, and, most famously, the shark was not working. Despite all these problems, Jaws managed to become one of the most successful and critically-acclaimed movies, not just of the 1970s, but of all time.

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    Synopsis

    The setup is pretty basic, but it works in its simplicity. At the small coastal town of Amity Island, everything is peaceful as the townsfolk prepare for the 4th of July. That is, until a giant man-eating great white shark starts wreaking havoc and devouring skinny dippers and even small children. While Sheriff Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) is trying to close the beaches and keep the people safe, the town’s mayor (Murray Hamilton) wants to keep the beaches open since the town relies on the tourism revenue they get around the 4th of July. Eventually, it becomes clear that this whole shark situation is too much to handle, so the town puts out a call for people to hunt and kill the shark. A shark expert known as Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) arrives and, even though a group of hunters managed to find and kill a shark, he’s unsure if it’s the same shark that’s been terrorizing Amity Island. Turns out he was right, since shortly after, the shark comes back and almost kills Brody’s kids, which leads to the town enlisting the help of local fisherman Quint (Robert Shaw) to take out the shark. Having said goodbye to his wife, Ellen (Lorraine Gary), Brody, along with Hooper and Quint, go out into the ocean to hunt down and ultimately kill the shark.

     

    Review

    To say that this is a great movie would not be doing this film justice. This film is an absolute masterpiece of filmmaking, which is especially remarkable considering the numerous issues they encountered during production. While the movie differs significantly from the original novel, I believe that many of the changes made were for the better. For instance, in the book, Hooper was more of a ladies’ man and had an affair with Ellen Brody, creating a love triangle between Sheriff Brody, Matt Hooper, and Ellen Brody. Additionally, the novel featured a subplot where the mayor owed money to the mafia, providing a more compelling reason why the mayor would not want the beaches closed. Honestly, their removal from the movie was for the best, as adding those subplots would have detracted from the movie’s overall quality. Pretty much everything in this movie works: the performances are great, the effects are excellent, there is tons of suspense and dread throughout the film as you’re waiting to see the shark, and the score by John Williams is legendary. What’s funny is how the point-of-view shots of the shark are one of the many things in this movie that work, considering how the animatronic shark wasn’t working, and the filmmakers intended to show it in the film more prominently. The fact that you don’t see the complete shark until the last act of the movie helps ramp up the tension until the finale.

    Roy Scheider shines as the reluctant hero Sheriff Brody, a simple family man who wants to keep the townspeople safe and protect his family from the shark despite the mayor getting in his way. As much as people talk about some of his bigger moments, mainly when he kills the shark at the end, he also has a lot of great, quieter moments in the film. One instance is when he’s at home, frustrated, and his son starts mimicking his actions. It may seem insignificant, but it shows how he cares about his family and is just a regular guy at the end of the day. Richard Dreyfuss as Hooper makes for a great partner to go along with Scheider’s Sheriff Brody, but it’s Robert Shaw as the salty sea dog Quint that steals the show. His USS Indianapolis speech is probably one of the scariest monologues ever in a movie, and Shaw delivers it so well that you believe that he went through all of that. It’s also interesting to see how Hooper and Quint disagree and are at odds with one another, revealing a dichotomy between the old ways and the new. While it’d be easy to completely hate Murray Hamilton as the mayor because of how he’s more concerned about tourism revenue than the lives of innocent people, he does come around and become sympathetic when he finally decides to do something about it. Honestly, there are no weak spots in the film, though it is somewhat funny to see the animatronic shark propped on top of the boat at the end and Shaw pushing his way into the shark’s mouth.

    If I spoiled the movie for you, I take no responsibility for spoiling a 40+ year old film that you could have and should have seen by now. Even if you’re not a horror movie fan, this is an essential film that everyone should see, especially if you’re looking for something to watch on the 4th of July. With some terrific performances, an iconic score, and tons of suspense that leads to a thrilling climax, Jaws is not only a well-crafted film that helped usher in the age of the summer blockbuster, but it is probably one of the greatest and most important films ever made!

    You’re gonna need a bigger boat!

     

    Buy Jaws from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3FB693z.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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  • Sisters (1973)

    Sisters (1973)

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    On May 13, 2018, tragedy struck when Margot Kidder, most famous for playing Lois Lane in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, passed away at the age of 69. While the cause of death at time of writing this is unknown, her health had been questioned ever since her 1996 incident, where she had a manic breakdown and was found in the backyard of a homeowner in Los Angeles with her teeth caps having been knocked out due to a rape attack. Since then, it’s been widely publicized how she’s suffered from bipolar disorder and how she had been working for years on recovering and ensuring she wouldn’t suffer from any more nervous breakdowns. As most people are paying tribute to her through the Superman movies, there are others who are looking to some of her genre work as tribute, such as Bob Clark’s 1974 slasher Black Christmas and the classic 1979 haunted house movie, The Amityville Horror. Another title that got brought up, which I’ll be talking about in this review is Brian De Palma’s 1973 thriller Sisters.

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    Synopsis

    Not to be confused with the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler comedy of the same name, Sisters tells the story of siamese twins Danielle and Dominique (Kidder), one nice, innocent, and sweet, the other more evil and sinister. One day, Danielle brings a guy back to her apartment much to the dismay of her sister, and after he goes out to get her medicine and a birthday cake, the lover ends up getting stabbed viciously by Dominique. While bleeding to death, the murder is witnessed by a neighbor through her window named Grace Collier, played by Jennifer Salt. She calls the police to report on the murder, but while she’s arguing with the cops, Danielle and her ex-husband/psychiatrist Dr. Emil Breton work to clean up the murder scene and make it seem like nothing happened. While the cops dismiss this as a crazy woman making false accusations, Grace is determined to prove that a man was indeed murdered, and what she finds is way more than she bargained for.

    Sadly, that’s all I can really say about the plot without giving away the many twists and turns the movie takes.

     

    Review

    Throughout most of his career, De Palma was often criticized for, among other things, being a rip-off of Alfred Hitchcock. Personally, I would consider himself more a genuine fan of Hitchcock rather than a rip-off of him since he takes a lot of the tropes and conventions that Hitchcock used and does his own thing with it. While Sisters shares a lot of similar elements to films like Rear Window and Psycho, it still tells its own story. Granted, there had already been a similar evil twins movie made the year prior called The Other, which I have not seen at the time of writing this, so I don’t know if Sisters took anything from that movie. What I do know is that De Palma got the idea for this movie from an article written in the late 60’s on Russian conjoined twins Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova, where he saw a picture of them where one had a very stoic and serene look on her face, while the other had a more sinister look to her. This is what led to the idea of twins who were conjoined but separated and had split personalities.

    Margot Kidder stands out as both Danielle and Dominique. When she’s Danielle, she’s very unassuming, sweet, innocent, and even a little flirtatious. As Dominique, she’s deranged and seems almost animalistic in her rage. Jennifer Salt is also great as Grace Collier, who’s very feisty and determined to get to the bottom of this. What’s great about her character is that she’s a very strong and independent female character who doesn’t just seem like a man-hating ball-buster, but rather a woman who’s motivated by a desire to get things done and prove to others what she can do. There’s also some fun comedic relief in the form of her mother, played by Salt’s real-life mother Mary Davenport, who responds to Grace’s talk of following the case and solving the murder with lines like, “Are you on diet pills again?”

    The one actor who truly steals the show is the late William Finley as the sinister Dr. Emil Breton, who, while being an obvious red herring, is still genuinely terrifying. He’s very cold and chilling, and you can see that he has his own personal agenda and will stop at nothing to make sure everything goes his way. Once you find out more about what’s going on, he becomes even more diabolical. Another actor of note in the film is character-actor Charles Durning, who plays a private investigator hired by Grace to help prove that a murder had taken place. While his screen-time is somewhat limited, he’s still a source of entertainment and makes for a fun counterpart to Salt’s Grace character.

    While this wasn’t the first movie he had made, this was the first horror film that De Palma had directed, and this would lead to a long and illustrious horror career, with movies like Phantom of the Paradise, Carrie, The Fury, Dressed to Kill, and Blow Out amongst others. Even with the low budget and some of the little mistakes that are noticeable throughout, the movie still works as an effective horror/thriller. It has some great performances, it’s got great suspense, the use of split screens and long, tracking shots are phenomenal and help give a sense of unease, and the score by the late-great Bernard Hermann is terrific. If you’re a fan of Hitchcock’s work and you’re looking for something a bit lesser known featuring Margot Kidder, this is definitely a great one to watch, especially if you want to see some of Brian De Palma’s early work.

     

    Buy Sisters from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4ohopiO.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Sisters (1973)

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  • Army of Darkness (1992)

    Army of Darkness (1992)

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    After hitting it big with Evil Dead II and Darkman, director Sam Raimi decided to revisit Ash Williams once again with Army of Darkness. While the second film was more of a comedy than the first one, it was still more or less a horror film. With this one, they decided to seemingly toss out anything horror-related and make the third entry more of an action-comedy. Though, it technically is horror since it follows two horror films and there are some horror elements in it, but not much. With a budget of $11 million, more than the first two combined, this had a lot to live up to. So how does a series that started with college kids trapped in a cabin go to having a medieval setting? Well, with a pretty strong cast, fun battle sequences, and a great sense of humor, chances are it really worked.

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    Synopsis

    Picking up from where the last film left off, our lovable smartass hero Ash is now stuck in the past. Unfortunately, he’s greeted with hostility and fear as he’s taken prisoner by King Arthur and his men. After surviving a battle between two deadites with his chainsaw, Ash manages to climb out and punch out the King. Now having proved himself, Ash must embark on a quest to reclaim the Necronomicon to stop the evil forces. Ash reluctantly sets off in the hopes of this leading to him going back to his own time. Along the way, he meets his evil twin, who he kills, eviscerates, and buries, but not before being warned. Once he gets the book, Ash ends up accidentally releases an army of the dead. Now led by Ash’s undead evil twin, the army is after the book and will kill anyone in their way.

     

    Review

    Given its fairly large budget, you can definitely see the money on the screen. From the immense sets to all the creatures and effects, this has a much larger scope than the previous films. It reminds me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail with its grand setting, sets, and costumes, but more comedic. That said, I feel like the bigger budget and larger production also hurts the film in terms of the style. It lacks the gritty and creepy feeling that the first two films had, and it feels a bit too polished. This one does feel more like a big-budget studio picture, but for what it is, it’s still better than others. Also, there are times where the comedy tends to clash with some of the more serious moments, to where the movie has a bit of a tone problem.

    All that being said, I still really enjoy this film. It’s funny, it’s exciting, it’s got some great special effects and action sequences, it’s fully aware of itself, and it features Bruce Campbell at his most badass. While the film did make a profit (it made $21.5 million against its $11 million budget), it wasn’t as big of a hit as they were hoping, and it didn’t get as warm of a response from critics as the last one did. Even still, the movie has gone on to become a major cult hit, and it’s also quite possibly one of the most quotable movies ever!

    Hail to the king, baby!

     

    Buy Army of Darkness from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4i0oDsW.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Army of Darkness (1992)

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  • Evil Dead II (1987)

    Evil Dead II (1987)

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    After hitting it big with The Evil Dead, Sam Raimi and company were not having much luck finding work. In 1985, Raimi, his producing partner Rob Tapert, and co-producer/star Bruce Campbell teamed up to make Crimewave. Written by The Coen Brothers, famous for Raising Arizona, Fargo, and Miller’s Crossing, the film, unfortunately, was a disaster. Between issues with the producers to difficulty with cast members, the film as Bruce Campbell “wasn’t released, it escaped.” Needing a hit, Raimi and company decided to return to the cabin for the 1987 follow-up, Evil Dead II, also known as Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn.

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    Synopsis

    Following the first film, Ash’s stuck in the cabin with no escape, and the demonic forces psychologically torture him. Meanwhile, a young woman named Annie (Sarah Berry) meets up with her partner Ed (Richard Domeier). Annie is the daughter of Professor Knowby, who initially found the Book of the Dead. The two decide to go to the cabin after not hearing from her father in some time. With the help of local rednecks Jake (Dan Hicks) and Bobbie Joe (Kassie Wesley), they get to the cabin only to find Ash, who just cut off his hand and accidentally shot Bobbie Joe. Trapped within and dealing with a witch in the cellar, our heroes must fight to survive the night.

     

    Review

    Frequently, horror-comedies can be a tricky balance, where sometimes they stray a bit too far into either direction. However, Evil Dead II is one of those great examples where they are blended perfectly. When there’s humor, it’s genuinely funny in a very dark and grotesque sort of way. When there’s horror, there’s a great sense of dread and a foreboding nature that gets under your skin. Like the first one, this one is insane with the gore, though dialed back to avoid an X rating. You’ll notice throughout that the blood changes colors, including a bright red, black, green, and more of a dark red. So long as it didn’t look like real blood, it’s all good.

    I think this film is an excellent showcase of Bruce Campbell’s acting abilities. He starts as a shellshocked person who has survived this horrible series of events and slowly loses his sanity, especially having killed his girlfriend twice. A few highlights that show this include a small moment where he sees a rocking chair moving on his own till he goes over to it, and it stops as soon as Ash reaches his hand out, as well as a moment where his reflection leaps out at him to tell him how crazy he is. Once the new group arrives, he eventually steps up to be the badass hero we all think of him as. Although, I’d like to mention Sarah Berry as Annie, who’s easily the best actor after Campbell.

    To sum it up, I enjoy this film. As I said, the first one will always hold a special place in my heart. Even still, this one is a solid recommendation from me. This one has achieved significant cult status like the first one and is even considered the best of the trilogy. Even curmudgeonly old Roger Ebert gave it three stars, saying it is “a comedy disguised as a blood-soaked shock-a-rama. It looks superficially like a routine horror movie, a vomitorium designed to separate callow teenagers from their lunch. But look a little closer, and you’ll realize that the movie is a fairly sophisticated satire.” If that does not sell you on the film, I don’t know what will.

     

    Buy Evil Dead II from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tgCwbT.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch Evil Dead II (1987)

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  • The Evil Dead (1981)

    The Evil Dead (1981)

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    Stephen King, author of The Shining and Misery, called The Evil Dead “the most ferociously original horror film of the year”. Personally, I feel that this is a very appropriate description for the film. It is a very ferocious film and, for its time, was very original. While there had been plenty of movies about young people stranded in the woods and movies about people becoming possessed by demonic forces, there had never been a movie that combined the two together. As anybody who knows me well enough will tell you, The Evil Dead is my all-time favorite horror film. Some people have asked me why this is my all-time favorite, so let me take the time to explain why.

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    Synopsis

    The film follows five college students: Ash, his sister Cheryl, his girlfriend Linda, his friend Scotty, and Scotty’s girlfriend, Shelley. They’re together for a camping trip to the woods, where they stay in a small, isolated cabin. When strange things start happening, including weird voices and odd sounds, Ash and Scotty decide to check the basement. There, they find various items, including a tape recorder, an ancient book and dagger, and a shotgun. Once back upstairs, they play the tape recorder, which has a recording by a professor who found the blade and the book, known as “Naturum De Montum,” aka Book of the Dead. As the recording continues, the professor recites incantations from the book, releasing an ancient evil in the woods that possesses them one by one. As those possessed wind up killing each other, who will be the next victim, and who will survive the night?

     

    Review

    Many things make this film stand out from many other low-budget horror films from the time. First, it is a well-made and well-directed film, utilizing unique camera angles and unconventional editing techniques. This film was the directorial debut of Sam Raimi, who would later helm the original Spider-Man trilogy from 2002-2007. You can see his style in the movie from the various camera angles and tricks used throughout the film. For instance, the second half is mainly shot at dutch angles to give a sense of unease and suspense throughout. Also, there are the famous POV shots, done by mounting a camera on a 2×4 and running through the woods.

    The movie also makes its mix of suspense and atmosphere and insanely graphic violence and gore. It can be tricky to balance the suspense and tension with the buckets of blood and guts. Often, it can lead to tonal clashes with your film, but in this one, it works. The suspense and atmosphere complement the blood and guts, similar to what John Carpenter would do later with The Thing.

    While the movie does have its flaws, they’re not enough to ruin my enjoyment of it overall. For instance, a lot of the acting is questionable, not as bad as Cabin Fever. Everyone acts like complete asshats with no personality, while here, the characters are much likable. Also, you can see the low-budget production on the screen, even if you didn’t realize it. Plus, I feel like some of its spots help lend to its charm, given the harsh filming conditions they endured. Things like how cast members change every so often, how the cast is clearly getting cut up and bruised and beat up because they did their own stunts and didn’t have any safety protocols, and how Bruce Campbell tends to age between shots, going from a babyface to looking more defined and how we know him today.

    Even with that said, I still love this movie. It is one of the greatest horror films and has inspired many other filmmakers, including Edgar Wright and Peter Jackson. It’s spawned two sequels, comics, video games, action figures, a TV series, a remake in 2013, and even a musical. If you consider yourself a genuine horror fan and haven’t seen this, you owe it to yourself to watch it. If you dismiss this film as being nothing more than yucky trash, give it another chance and recognize it for how it started its career and how they put a lot of time and energy into making this.

     

    Buy The Evil Dead from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3twGC0Q.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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    Where to watch The Evil Dead (1981)

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