Evil Dead (2013)

   

Directed by: Fede Alvarez

Written by: Fede Alvarez Rodo Sayagues

Starring:

Jane Levy .... Mia
Shiloh Fernandez .... David
Lou Taylor Pucci .... Eric
Jessica Lucas .... Olivia
Elizabeth Blackmore .... Natalie

Special Appearances:

Jim McLarty .... Harold
Lorenzo Lamas .... Snake Eater

Release Date: South by Southwest Film Festival: March 8, 2013; Theatrical: April 5, 2013; Imagine Film Festival: April 15, 2013

*Images courtesy at: www.outnow.ch

 

 

 

Rating:

 

David (Shiloh Fernandez)and his friends bring his sister Mia (Jane Levy) to a run down remote cabin in the woods to help her recover from her drug addiction although she is being difficult with everyone by trying to stay on the wagon.
They find a book in a cellar filled with dead cats in which something evil went on there and finds a book of the dead as one of the friends named Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) looks into it which he finds bizarre pages and reads aloud some of the mysterious writing which unravels an evil demonic force that attacks and possesses Mia and then infects the other friends as they become a part of the deadite's in which the only sane survivor David must find a way to battle them after he finds out the roadway out is washed out during a thunderstorm but finding it difficult wondering if he can bring his sister back to life again.

 

We spot a good and disturbing prologue with everyone in the cabin as well as good shots on dead cats which may seem unpleasant for cat lovers and shocking too. There's a perfect peer pressuring moment with a father knowing as to whether or not to burn his possessed daughter which the setting looked normal for her pleading and begging him not to do it and then it catches you later by surprise by what happens later here making this moment more watchable and knowing on what the decision will be here.
A nice shot looking up on the friends encouraging Mia to dump her bag of cocaine in a well as this looked strongly done.
Another perfect still and dark moment when the gang goes down in the cellar and spots the dead cats as well as a book wrapped in barbwire in which the surroundings here seemed to show some nice horror timing here as well as everyone's reactions on all of this too.
Some great moments on Mia pacing around outside as well as shots on the character Eric looking through the book with good close up's on the pages and some of the warnings on not reading the book which gives you the chills a bit as well as him saying the words while trying to figure out on what they mean as well as a perfect strong camera shot zooming through the woods like we'd see in the original. Plus a perfect intense shot slamming into Mia with a female demonic figure which psych's you out as well as Mia's reactions to getting sick as this makes you cringe big time wondering if she is now possessed. Alot of this looked good and powerful.
A perfect setting when Mia is driving at full speed through the woods as this gives you a chilling feeling that if she doesn't slow down something terrible will happen as well as a perfect surprise shot on the female demon stading in the roadway as well as exciting and suspenseful shots on the vehicle being driven off the road keeping you in suspense.
Perfect foggy scene's with Mia struggling out of a swampy type of pond which looked perfectly spooky as well as perfect ghostly sounds calling her name giving it a nice gloomy feel to everything along with a perfect jumping out of your seat after she reaches to the ground as to what lurks in the pond. It can make you briefly scream a bit that's for sure.
More great close up shots on her while she is restrained by a tree and some leechy object about to crawl into her which is also very different compared to the original which was well put in and not messing alot with the original either.
A perfect mysterious moment with Mia in a room whispering towards her brother David giving her a warning about the place as this looked perfectly psychotic on how everything was put together with a great darkness surrounding this too. Definetely an eye catcher here.
A great shot on Mia taking a scorching hot shower as well as intense moments with David banging on the door and demanding her to open it which these moments don't look pleasant at all and perfectly put in for a flick like this one.
More perfect intensity and distracting situations with the door flying open as well as the window's crashing open with Mia standing and screaming on what's going to happen to everyone as although it didn't look as dark and creepy in the original but more energised with better effects happening in today's standards.
A perfect moment with Eric going to check up on Olivia with her back turned and a perfect disturbing and rather painful moment when we see on what she was up to which looked genuinely creepy as well as perfect painful moments on her torturing him by stabbing him with a needle which looked perfectly fast paced and great close up shots on the two of them.
Another great special effects shot when we spot Natalie's arm starting to change colour as well as her deciding to cut it off with an electric cutting knife as this also makes you cringe and feel uncomfortable big time and not for anyone who isn't into painful or intense horror violence. A perfect shot on possessed Mia peeking through the cellar door screaming hysterically towards her adding some nice freaky horror timing here.
A great powerful moment when we spot Natalie possessed and constantly whacking Eric with a crowbar as this looked convincingly brutal and making you wonder if she will beat him to death with this that it looked believeable and violent on what she's doing here.
Great shots on David digging a grave for Mia as well as good shots on her face in a bag pleading as this for sure makes you wonder or not if she's still possessed and another perfect peer pressuring moment wondering if he will give in to this.
A nice surprise attack by possessed Eric as well as great struggling moments with both Mia and David trying to get away and good shots on Eric looking expressionless like a perfect zombie as you wonder what will come out of all this adding more shocks and intensity while we continue to watch this.
Great shots looking down with blood raining down on Mia which adds a different taste in a horror flick as well as a perfect shot on the female zombie's hand grabbing at her leg as well as perfect struggling situations on the two of them plus a perfect intense painful moment as to what she has to do in order to free herself in order to escape with great close up shots on all of this happening and you really get into the vibe big time by all of this. Also a perfect vengeful moment on her towards this thing while using a chainsaw against her which was done in perfect adventureous taste and better than what we spot Ash doing in the original too.
Bottom line is that although remakes aren't as good I'd say that this one was a bit better and done in a completely different style and plotline which remakes should be and nowadays we see more of this too. Better special effects and the stryline was more carefully done instead of things happening all too suddenly and not having much of a plot like in the original. A much bigger budget too and more mainstream I must add as well. I'd have to say the makers did alot of work on this and was produced by some of the same people from the original as even Bruce Campbell put a hand into this too. A fun and shocking one to watch on the silver screen. Let's hope for a sequel to follow.

The acting was pretty good in fact alot better than in the original by a longshot. Lead actress Jane Levy (Mia) really stole the show within her performance as she really got into it big time by having an insecure and paranoid type of attitude and bringing her aggression to the extreme whenever she needed to be like this. She really got excited a great deal when getting sick and brought this to life big time. She brought her intensity to a high level big time in a scene where she's speeding away in a vehicle in which she focused terrifically on this. She does well showing her wide eyed expressions and speaking in a whispery tone coming across as convincingly mysterious within all that she did here. She does terrifically screaming in an insane rage showing off perfect nasty adrenaline here. Plus does well with her sobbing and pleading emotions in which she was convinjcing and deceiving while doing all of this too. Was great when screaming in fear or in pain as well as having a perfect growly vengeful voice when acting heroic in which she added this with a perfect punch.
Shiloh Fernandez (David) seemed to draw across nicely as the guy next door type in which he drew in a nice decent and seriousness into what he does. He does well with his genuine behavior along with showing the odd good aggressions when getting into an argument which he shows off good energy here while doing that. Also does a nice job almost losing his sanity while struggling against the evil forces which shines off greatly. Plus does well while reacting in pain which he draws a nice intensity while doing this too.
Lou Taylor Pucci (Eric) pulls his role off nicely as a mysterious type and studied this part well having mainly expressionless features which worked in well along with having a still and serious behavior too. Seemed to come across as someone whom is truly eccentric. Also does well having some nervous and disturbed aggressions later on as well as showing a perfect focus into what he is discovering in other scene's which also looked fairly strong to watch him do all of this. Also does well howling in pain or showing intense features whenever he is hurt or being brutalised with weapons which also looked realistic whenever he was behaving like this. Came across perfectly as an expressionless possessed one after he becomes one of the deadite's.
Jessica Lucas (Olivia) shows a great sharp attitude and does well speaking clearly into what she does here. She shows some nice wisdom into her personality which was impressive as well she does a good job by acting aggressive whenever she needed to act like this as well. Plus does a nice job acting anxious and on the ball when suspenseful situations start to happen which she offers nice energy while doing this.
Elizabeth Blackmore
(Natalie) shows off a nice sensitive type of appeal in which she does a nice job acting easily spooked and showing it off a great deal whenever she does so acting perfectly jumpy as well as doing a perfect job howling intensely in pain when she has to do something to herself. Also in the end of her performance was impressive sobbing and whimpering which looked nicely performed too.

A brief breast and butt shot on a naked zombie woman

Numerous dead cats are hung.
A girl is burned alive.
A dog is mangled.
Someone scars themself while having extreme heat standing in a shower.
Skin from a jaw is sliced off.
Someone is stabbed in the chest and stabbed with a needle.
An arm is sliced off by a cutting knife.
A person is bloodily bashed by a crowbar as well as having a mangled hand.
Another arm is shot off by a shotgun and the inside of her head is revealed.
A neck is bloodily stabbed.
Someone tears their hand off after it's stuck underneath a vehicle.
A deadite is sliced up.

Alot of perfect intense composing here by Roque Baños as there's perfect intense violin screeching and trombone noises for the real haunting and possessive moments especially for moments that will make you jump as well. The orchestral music sounded perfect along with great hissing and other ghostly sounds here and there. There's even good light piano playing for the mellow and touching moments too. This guy really took his time throughout everything bring it all to a solid pace here making the fast moments sound terrific when necessary too.

Mia: David... please... please! You... have... to get me... out of here. [David goes to leave, but Mia grabs his arm]
Mia: No! You don't understand. There was something in the woods... and I think it's in here with us... now.

Eric: [Eric just walked into Possessed Olivia after cutting out her cheek] Oh, my god! Why the fuck did you do that?

Eric: [explaining Mia's possession] This thing is attached to Mia's soul like a leech. If we want to help Mia... we're gonna have to kill her.

Mia: [possessed; as Natalie is about to amputate her infected arm] Don't do it, you little bitch! Don't cut it off!

Mia: [possessed] Cut it! Cut it!

Abomination Mia: I will feast on your soul!
Mia: Feast on this, motherfucker.

[as the Deadites take possession of Mia]
Cheryl: You will die! Like the others before you, one by one, we will take you!
[Mia becomes eerily calm] Mia: You're all going to die tonight.

Abomination Mia: Where do you think you're going, you junkie whore?