Mackenzie Hurlbert – General Assignment Reporter –
The reboot of 1981 cult classic “Evil Dead” has hit theatres with a new take on the original story line, some special effects, and plenty of stomach-wrenching gore. Actress Jane Levy, star of the T.V. series “Suburgatory,” takes on a totally different role as the character Mia, a drug addict who agrees to go cold turkey by spending a week or so in her parent’s cabin with some helpful friends. Levy’s character as a drug addict was a new addition to the original plot making the story line more believable.
Still, it is a movie about a group of 20-somethings who read incantations from an evil book, unknowingly unleashing an evil spirit that collects souls like a five year old collecting beanie babies. Oh, and when he reaches five, it rains blood and the he rises from hell to vanquish the earth.
While the storyline is fantastical, it is still full of suspenseful and unpredictable twists, turns, and scenes that make you groan and squirm in your seat. Don’t believe me? Watch the trailer where the possessed Mia cuts her tongue in two by licking a razor blade. Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn. Oh and someone cuts off their arm with an electric carving knife. It’s gory, yes, but that is what makes “Evil Dead” movies what they are.
This remake, or reboot, has kept the tone, style, and essence of “Evil Dead” but supplied better actors, effects, and a new twist to the story line. Grossing the audience out is one major component of the fear factor, and now that computer graphics are so improved, the scenes aren’t nearly as cheesy as the first “Evil Dead.”
As her character became the first of the evil dead, Levy’s past as sweet and witty Tessa from “Suburgatory” was absolutely overshadowed by her role as the possessed Mia. I don’t think I have to argue that this is the best we’ve seen Levy yet, especially considering her innate ability to play a drug addict possessed by an evil demon was successfully scary in both a creepy and unnerving way.
I think the main reason why I enjoyed this movie so much was because the women were the ones turned “Evil Dead.” They kicked major butt, making the men the ‘scream queens’ of the movie.
Likewise, it is a woman—not saying who!—who defeats the evil demon in the end, and she does it with a dismembered arm and a chainsaw! Sorry fellas, the men in this movie are persistent and keep fighting, but though it was a man who read from the book and started all of the mess, it was a woman who had to clean it all up—blood, guts, evil demon spirits.
There were some inconsistencies that I didn’t understand though, but to describe them I would have to spoil the movie, which I refuse to do. All I’m going to say is that I wish they explained the evil dead spell and its repercussions better, because by the end, I was a little confused as to what was happening and what was causing the events.
The 20 minutes from the end of the movie, the viewer thinks the evil dead have been killed off and the problem resolved, but then it starts right back up again.
All in all, if you’re looking for a fun, gore-filled horror movie that’s entertaining and a bit out-there, then go for it. If you have a weak stomach, I suggest seeing something a bit less bloody, something that doesn’t include people carving their face off with a piece of mirror, and something that won’t instill a phobia of nail guns for the rest of your life.
