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WA Ghostwriter

The student news site of Westford Academy

WA Ghostwriter

The student news site of Westford Academy

WA Ghostwriter

Evil Dead Remake Rises from the Grave

By Tim DeLouchrey
Staff Writer

The Evil Dead remake premiered Thursday night at 10 pm in theaters across America. The movie was a remake of Sam Raimi’s 1981 cult horror film. Being a remake, it has received both criticism as well as praise for its ties to the original.

The movie begins with a cliche storyline of a group of college graduates going on a vacation to a cabin in the woods. They are going there to try to help their friend get over a drug addiction. However, things take a turn for the worse when they awaken demons in the woods by reading from a book of the dead.

If you have a weak stomach, this movie may not be your cup of tea. After reading from the book of the dead, exaggerated gore and violence ensues.

“Don’t bring a date,” said junior Ethan Lamb.

When the film was originally completed, it received an NC-17 rating. The director and his team worked to cut two scenes from the movie to drop the rating down to R. However, an R rating was still very generous. The film consisted of jump scares, gore, and more gore.

“It literally rained blood,” said sophomore Sean Coppinger.

As far as storyline goes, the director did not have to get very creative. It follows the same general ideas as the original, with a few variations in terms of how the characters dealt with the demons. It was easy to follow, but not predictable. The film made you keep guessing what would happen next.

The Evil Dead series prides itself on being as cheesy and cliche as possible. This is very evident throughout the film. In the beginning of the movie, when the characters are introduced, their acting is very limited by the unbelievably cheesy script. Almost every line said by the actors and actresses foreshadows a later event in the movie, or gives way to the creepy feel of the setting. However, a viewer still can feel connected to the characters, as they basically tell their life stories in the opening fifteen or so minutes of the film.

The characters, as expected, were typical horror movie characters. They were often venturing out into the woods or empty rooms of the cabin by themselves. Also, they always seemed to do exactly what the audience did not want them to do.

Because of its cliche origins, the movie has received many mixed reviews. It received a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is slightly above average.

It is possible that the term, “remake”, should be used loosely on this movie. It was officially released as a remake, however the director left fans with a feeling that it was a sequel

Remake or not, it was still an excellent film. There was an agreeable storyline, intense action, great scares, and an ending that shocked everyone.

Ultimately, the Evil Dead receives an 8.5/10. It wasn’t as good as the original, but it is the most one can ask for in a remake. It did the best it could have done, and also separates itself from the original with new ideas incorporated in the movie. As long as you are prepared for what you are about to see, this is definitely a movie worth watching.

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    Alex StopfhuseApr 11, 2013 at 7:55 am

    I was really surprised when I watched this remake. Sure, the original was a cinematic masterpiece, complete with fantastic camerawork and some great directing. So naturally I had some pretty low expectations for this wannabe remake, BUT IT BLEW ME AWAY. I guess this film just gets better with time! These lead actors deserve oscars, and the amazing use with light and shadow really shines (no pun intended). I give the producer a lot of credit. A great review for an amazing film, that I believe is on par or better than Deliverance.
    I look forward to more reviews!

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  • A

    AnonymousApr 10, 2013 at 11:52 am

    Somebody give this guy a raise!

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