Film Review - EVIL DEAD ★★★½☆☆

Like many fans my age, my early years of enjoying the horror genre were partly shaped by director Sam Rami's micro-budgeted 1981 cult horror classic The Evil Dead (as well as the two subsequent entries in the series). The good news is we can breathe a huge tense sigh of relief regarding this update of the iconic film. Rest assured, this version will not intrude on fond memories regarding the original, but will firmly take the experience to a whole new level with its blacken heart tone and no expense spared attitude on guts and gore.

Many of us cried 'blasphemy' at the prospect of revisiting the series without Raimi at the helm, who is now decades past his low budget roots and off making some of the biggest films in Hollywood. But he and Dead's irreplaceable original star, genre icon Bruce Campbell didn't give up their keys to the castle and are both on board as producers.

Thankfully not a shot for shot remake, director Fede Alvarez does retrace over many familiar plot points and appropriately adjusts, improves and upgrades in other areas (visual effects have improved slightly since 1981). Evil demons once again take brutal vengeance on five unsuspecting weekend visitors to a remote cabin on the woods.

New 'Evil Dead' Poster Promises Biggest Terrors Ever

Here is the official synopsis of the remake of the iconic 1981 horror film:

"Five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin where they discover The Book Of The Dead and unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival." 

Directed by Fede Alvarez, Evil Dead stars Jane Levy (Suburgatory), Shiloh Fernandez (Red Riding Hood), and Jessica Lucas (Melrose Place). Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi both serve as producers, and Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody shares a script credit with Raimi and director Alavrez.

The film is set to hit theaters on April 12, 2013.

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RED BAND TRAILER: 'Evil Dead'

Courtesy of IGN, the brutal full trailer to the remake of Sam Raimi's 1981 horror icon Evil Dead is finally here, and it does not disappoint. Judging by this Red Band trailer which pulls no punches, this version looks bloody, scary as hell, and will easily earn its hard R rating.

Word of re-visiting the film with a new cast and director was of course met with extreme skepticism at first, but once Evil Dead star and producer, the one and only Bruce Campbell, and director Sam Raimi took a hands-on involvement in the reboot, trepidations quickly subsided for the fans who hold the series in high esteem.

"It's a pretty violent film. There's lots and lots of blood. It's a beautiful movie - visually, actually, it looks so fricking cool," Evil Dead star Jane Levy told Collider at New York Comic Con.

Here is the official synopsis of the film:

"Five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin where they discover The Book Of The Dead and unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival." 

Directed by Fede Alvarez, Evil Dead stars Jane Levy (Suburgatory), Shiloh Fernandez (Red Riding Hood), and Jessica Lucas (Melrose Place). Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi both serve as producers, and Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody shares a script credit with Raimi and director Alavrez.

The film is set to hit theaters on April 12, 2013.

SOURCE: IGN

Follow @NerdyRScoundrel