Movie Mania!!!

With your host , Christian Gil!!!!

[thethemeparkguy-blog]

Bolt your doors, lock your windows, there's something in..... John Carpenter's The Fog (1979) Staring: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, John Houseman, Janet Leigh, and Hal Holbrook. Produced by: Debra Hill Music by: John Carpenter Written by: John Carpenter and Debra Hill Directed by: John Carpenter Plot: At midnight on Antonio Bay's 100th anniversary, strange occurrences begin happening around the town. The local priest, Father Malone discovers a journal which states that the town was founded with stolen gold from a pirate named Blake, and assumes the town is cursed. Other people around town begin to suspect something is going on as a mysterious fog bank rolls into the town. This cuts the electricity and malfunctions machinery. Nobody is safe as Blake returns from the grave to take back his gold and kill the ancestors of the ones that killed him and his crew. Another Carpenter movie that I just ate up!! The Fog is a very entertaining movie that I'm happy I watched. It's not very scary or anything, but it is a good ghost story. The opening scene sets the tone pretty well. The entire movie you feel this unseen threat, and you feel the menace, even though it remains unseen. The acting is mostly pretty good. It all seems naturalistic for the most part. Some actors are inexperienced and sometimes can be cringy in some scenes, but it's mostly solid. The characters don't have much going for them, but it is a simple movie, and I'm not expecting the deepest characters. Still it's a flaw to point out. The effects are pretty good too. You get some seamless matte paintings and some mist effects, as well as the ghost pirates too. The only iffy effect is the fog rolling in, it's like a odd matte painting. The music sets the tone, a creepy piano/synth score is always welcome in a Carpenter production, and this fits the movie's tone extremely well. All in all, The Fog is a relatively simple movie, with pretty decent acting, cool effects, stellar directing and music, and a really cool ghost story movie. While it's not scary, it does have good build up and suspense, and perfectly gets you questioning what's going to happen, and that's what John Carpenter does best. Not his best film, but still quite enjoyable in many respects. Always nice to see the cast of Halloween pop up in his movies. Score: 7/10

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Due to my recent read of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep", my good teacher, Mr. Aaronson, got me in the mood for...... Blade Runner (The Final Cut, 2007) Staring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Daryl Hannah. Written by: Hampton Fancher Music by: Vangelis Produced by: Michael Deeley Based upon: "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Phillip K. Dick Directed by: Ridley Scott Plot: In 2019, we have perfected the artificial human, but due to their tendency of violence, they are banned. A group of police men, called "Bladerunner's" are dispatched to "retire" the machines. Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is one of those Blade Runner's. Initially retired, he is called back in to take care of 4 rogue androids, led by the NEXUS-6, Roy Baty. Rick sets out, while Roy, whom is at the end of his 4 year life, seeks to prolong it, and nothing will stand in his way..... Going in, I didn't know what to expect. I have to say, this is one of the best movies ever made. All the performances are great, the real standout is Rutger Hauer as Roy. He is a devious and cold android who in himself, is starting to develop emotions. The visual effects are all stellar. They really bring home that this is a dark, gritty future. I can't think of a shot that didn't work, effect wise. That's another thing, tone. The tone was dark, gritty, and very much like a noire film. I guess this is a neo-noire movie, and that was the intention. The music by Vangelis also is big proof of that. It has the 80's synth style, but also has a bit of noire elements. The movie looks incredible, and every shot is so rich. The ending (of this cut at least) will make you question the entire movie leading up to it, and BY FAR bought the movie full circle and tied the whole thing together PERFECTLY. I highly recommend Blade Runner. It's a extremely good movie and definitely one of Ridley Scott's best (Alien is still my favorite). It isn't a movie big on action, but if you're a film noire fan, you'll get a kick out of this. If you're a film lover or sci-fi fan, you've already seen this movie, and probably like it as much as I do. Score: 9/10

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Over 60 years after the original classic, a sequel was made. I guess in this case, a sequel years after the original can still be good! Fantasia 2000 (1999) Review: This is arguably one of the best Disney movies ever made. I legitimately think so!! That being said, there are flaws. The first sequence, much like the original is abstract. While I do love the sequence, the animation, and the music, it is not abstract. It clearly is the story of survival, at least that's how I interpreted it. Now, the rest of the movie is, well pretty damn good. The animation is all stellar, in fact it's better than the original. Everything is crisp, and you can just see how much work went into this. This movie definitely cements how much better hand drawn animation is than CGI animation. The music is also just extremely great! They really chose the cream of the crop of classical music. If there's a sequence I didn't like, it's "Pomp and Circumstance", but it's just a matter of taste. The most amazing sequences are definitely "Pines of Rome" and "Firebird". The animation is beautiful and when the music reaches crescendo, you get the chills. Another nitpick, is the length. Fantasia was over 2 hours, and this movie is only 75 minutes (with credits). It feels a little rushed and some sequences go WAY to quickly. So I'll have to drop a point off. Still, this is a GREAT movie and if you liked the original, you'll really like this one. It's a wonderful tribute to the original, and the man himself, Walt Disney. Score: 9/10

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From the studio that bought you every animated Disney classic ever, comes Fantasia (1940) Review: Fantasia, having no specific plot in itself, is very much like going to the symphony. Fantasia is fine art meeting fine art. The art of animation meets the art of classical music. Fantasia isn't as much a animated movie as it is a symphonic event. From the opening "curtain" to the scenes of the actual orchestra getting set up, and even having a intermission. Also the orchestra goofs off and likes to make music of their own, especially right after intermission. Now let's talk about the animation. The animation is all extremely well done. From the abstract opening number, to the ending Ave Maria, the animation is captivating. In my opinion, there is no finer animation. Fantasia is the absolute pinnacle of "visual storytelling". You follow a story based on animation and music. There is no dialogue except for the intro. In my opinion, Fantasia is the greatest animated movie of all time, as it tried a new and unconventional idea, and that's commendable. It would be over 60 years before a sequel would be made, and we'll eventually talk about that. Score: 10/10

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From the creators of "The Evil Dead" comes a different kind of hero....... Darkman (1990) Staring: Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Larry Drake, and Colin Friels. Produced by: Robert Tapert Written by: Sam and Ivan Raimi Music by: Danny Elfman Directed by: Sam Raimi Plot: Peyton Westlake is a scientist working on a synthetic skin for burn patients. Unfortunately, the compound won't hold for more than 99 minutes at a time. His girlfriend, Julie, is a district attorney who is trying to figure out a scheme involving a document in her possession. Unfortunately, certain men come looking for said document in Peyton's lab and blow it up. Peyton, now burned beyond recognition, is hospitalized and his pain receptors are severed, but this allows his other emotions to boost to compensate. This transforms him into a violent, and critically insane man. He goes to the remnants of his lab to work on his synthetic skin to maybe rebuild his life. But he also wants to seek revenge on the ones who made him the way he was, and thus "Darkman" is born. Review: I didn't know what to expect going into this. I know Sam Raimi is a over the top director and all, and that style is definitely translated into this movie. The acting is all pretty good, it can get a little campy, but that is kind of the style of the movie. Liam Neeson brings the emotions of a person being driven crazy, and the combination of his acting and the crazy direction really sells it. Frances McDormand as Julie acts well, but her character is kind of a bitch. I don't know I just don't like her character much. Larry Drake as Robert Durant is a pretty great villain. He's more the calm and collected villain, but can get crazy if conditions arise. The effects of the movie are also pretty good. This is a time before CGI, so many practical effects were used. Darkman's makeup is pretty amazing, the burns and partial skull is pretty gruesome, and all the little details are amazing. Also the hand burning stop motion is a pretty great effect too. If I have any effect complaints, it's when the lab blows up and we see Peyton flying at camera. It's a hokey effect, but I think that was intentional. The other main effect was "introvision" rear projection. Mostly used through the helicopter chase, it is obvious, but it does fit with the B movie aspect of the movie. Where the rear projection really fits is the climax on the unfinished building, it looks great, and it adds to the style. Sam Raimi's direction is of course, spot on. The quick zooms, odd angles, and weird, flat images in some scenes, really make this unique from any other superhero movie. Another thing I like is when Peyton snaps into Darkman mode at the carnival. It's a really cheesy effect, but it's like the background cracks open red and it's like his rage is released. If anything is wrong, it's a little unbalanced in regard to tone. At points it's trying to be a gothic, old school tragic hero, at others he's just acting like Bruce Campbell and being goofy, and at other moments he's like Batman. It does detract a little, but you could argue the unbalanced tone leads into the nature of our unbalanced hero, as he is basically insane. Darkman is a pretty solid movie, it was a very interesting watch and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. Sure it has flaws, but it has very good elements. It is not for everyone so just keep that in mind. Score: 7/10

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Halloween is nearly upon us, and it's time to review the so called "scariest movie of all time" . The Exorcist (1973) Staring: Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, and Max Von Sydow Produced, Written By, and Based on a novel by: William Peter Blatty Directed by: William Friedkin Plot: A little girl begins to suddenly become prone to violent outbursts, strength and multiple personalities. Her mother suspects that it must be nerves, however supernatural things begin occurring, and it becomes obvious that she may be possessed. Now it's a matter of fin to exorcise this demon and save her immortal soul, whilst the priest has a battle with his lost faith. I love this movie so much!! I really do. It pains me to see that people find it unintentionally funny nowadays, because this is not a funny movie. There are strange moments and some issues, sure, but that's not a problem with the film, more a problem with when it was made. The acting in this movie is excellent. The stand out is Jason Miller, whom I think gives a Oscar-worthy performance as Father Karras, a priest conflicted with his faith. He definitely is the one who goes through a entire arc in the film and no spoilers, but it is a tragedy in some ways. The makeup effects are very good as well, with it beginning subtle and then getting progressively demonic. Of course we have the thing that made me jump most, the subliminal demon face which pops up every so often. The music is also so good, when it is there. That's something I must touch upon. The direction in this movie is very documentary style. It feels real, and in that fact there is very little music in the movie. It also doesn't go straight towards demon possession, with many rational explanations being looked into. It's a very interesting way to direct a horror movie and I like that a lot about this. Let me be 100% clear, this isn't a typical horror movie. There's not jump scares galore and cheap things like that. This movie is subtle in how it scares you, and you may not think it's scary while you watch it, maybe you will, but you'll think about the movie long after it's stopped playing. You'll think about this movie, and religious faith as a whole, because "The Exorcist" is a damn good movie, not just as horror, but in terms of drama, thriller, or films in general. Score: 10/10 Well, that's all for my Halloween reviews, it's been fun, and I'm glad to do it. It may be awhile till the next review, but it's been fun.

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From the creators of Insidious comes the next chapter in a franchise that is consistently good, so let's review this one! Insidious Chapter 2 (2013) Staring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Lin Shaye Produced by: Jason Blum Written by: Leigh Whannell Directed by: James Wan Plot: Elise Rainer died at the end of the first, and investigation on her death is started. The Lambert family stays with Josh's mom, Lorraine, but things get weird. The piano plays plays by itself, a woman is seen walking through the house, and Josh is acting very strange. It is apparent that when Josh went into the "Further", something else came back out. Something far more..... insidious. I actually really like this movie. It's not as good as say, the original, but it's still super solid as a movie. The acting is a little better in this one, and the characters are also explored a little more. The entity is more fleshed out as Parker Crane, a boy whom kills because his mother "claimed his childhood" and now he's possessing Josh to live again. I like that. Also plot twist, Parker Crane is actually the "Bride in Black", whom is still just as terrifying. I like the developments in this movie, I like the characters and expanded things. All of this leads to a crazy climax which takes place concurrent with events in the first Insidious (Back to the Future style), and is also super reminiscent of "The Shining" with Josh trying to kill his family. The music is once again chilling, and sets the mood just right. Just like Halloween 2, this is a great companion piece to the original, and while not great on its own merit, deserves a watch if you enjoyed the first. Score: 7/10

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Well it's time to review a movie that freaked the shit outta me first time I saw it. Insidious (2011) Staring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Lin Shaye Produced by: Jason Blum Written by: Leigh Whannell Directed by: James Wan Plot: The Lambert family moves into a new house and things seem pretty okay, until the young son, Dalton falls into a coma. It's unexplainable and eventually strange happenings begin. It gets so bad that they move to a new home. But soon ghosts begin to make themselves known, and it's revealed that it's not the house that's haunted..... it's Dalton, and a very malevolent and insidious demon is getting close to being able to possess him. This movie is still freaky to me, but not as much anymore. I still think it's very fascinating. The acting is all pretty well done. Some of it is a little stilted, but on the whole everyone does a good job. The atmosphere of this movie is also what helps it. It plays to silence to a great degree, especially when things are more subtle. When things start getting crazy, they really do get crazy and frightening. There are lots of jump scares, but there's never a false scare, they're all real. What I like is that the scary thing is always there for just a moment so you can notice it before it is revealed to the characters. It's spooky. The music by Joseph Bishara is also terrifying. It delivers the chills and makes your skin crawl and it helps the movie. Then we get the ghosts and demons. The ghosts look like people, but almost faded and in grey scale. I like that design. Then you have the "Insidious entity" which looks like Darth Maul, I know it's been said, so I'll just move on. The scariest demon or entity is what we'll eventually come to know as Parker Crane, the "Bride in Black". It nearly enough opens the movie, and the photographs with her in them are really scary. And then we get the climax. Josh played by Patrick Wilson goes into "the further" to rescue Dalton and it's almost like going to hell. The screams of the damned and all that. When he gets to the house we see all the entities in full, and Josh heads into the demons lair. He rescues Dalton and attracts the attention of not only the demon, but all the entities. Josh and Dalton run back and are chased by the ghosts and demons. Meanwhile in real life the ghosts begin appearing and it's like AHHHHH!!! Dalton fends the demon while Josh encounters the "Bride in Black" declaring he's not scared of her anymore, and she disappears. They both wake up and everything seems ok. But in horror fashion, something followed them back. That's where Insidious Chapter 2 comes in...... Score: 8/10

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After scouring eBay for awhile, I managed to finally get, and am now able to review the original 1978 classic. Dawn of the Dead (1978) Staring: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross Produced by: Richard Rubinstein Written and Directed by George A. Romero Plot: The zombie apocalypse is in full swing. Marshall law has been declared and violence and panic is in the streets and buildings as the dead are quite literally rising from the grave. SWAT members Roger and Peter decides to tag along with Steven "Flyboy" and (his girlfriend?) Fran. They take a helicopter and eventually find themselves at a mall. Of course, it's crawling with zombies, so Peter and Roger infiltrate to find what they need to survive. Along the way they realize that if they can outsmart the living dead, they can have full run of the mall. So now the 4 of them work together to get rid of the zombies and have a mall to live in. What they don't count on is that the rest of the world isn't doing very well. This movie was pretty great!! Not in the ways a traditional movie is though, as this is a very different movie, and is NOT AT ALL mainstream. This is a obviously 1970's independent picture, and it works for it. The acting from the principle cast is all great, I enjoyed pretty much every character because they felt like real people. The non-principle cast was ehh, not that great. I won't judge that too hard because it didn't detract, but it was strange. The cinematography was also pretty good, with great editing work and a very stylized look to it. It honestly looks like a comic book/ graphic novel. The effects were good, not monumental, but this movie was on a low budget and you get what you want. Lots of shocking violence, including exploding heads, lots of head shots, severed limbs, and people getting said limbs or organs ripped out of their body's. The zombies themselves are very basic in design, just grayish-blue people that have no emotion and walk slow and become aggressive. The best zombie performance was definitely during the climax, when "Flyboy" becomes a zombie and essentially becomes leader and walks with that very awkward and painful looking limp. The blood in this almost looks neon, and it's pretty gross, although fake. There is odd humor in the movie, especially when the biker gang shows up, but everyone kind of takes this apocalypse lightly and I like that. It makes the movie fun, because it's seeing the cliche "what I'd do in the apocalypse" scenario. We all say we'd do dumb things, and this just illustrates that so well. Dawn of the Dead sets out to do what it wanted and achieves at being shocking, action packed, fun, lighthearted, cheesy, and sometimes disturbing, and it's definitely a cult film for the ages. I'd tell you to watch it, but it's not quite commercially available at this time. So unless you want to shelve out a lot of money, id say just wait for the next release or just try finding it on YouTube. Score: 8/10

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Hmm, makes you rethink that family vacation. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980) Staring: Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duvall, Danny Lloyd, and Scatman Crothers Based on the Novel by Steven King Written by Stanley Kubrick and Diane Johnson Produced and Directed by Stanley Kubrick Plot: Ah the Overlook Hotel, a very pristine hotel near Sidewinder, Colorado. The scenic beauty, the isolation, everything the Torrance family needs. However within the hotel lies a dark, haunting secret. This hotel is haunted by malevolent spirits that plan to manipulate and slowly drive insane Jack Torrance, the father and winter caretaker. Winters can be fantastically cruel, so there's nowhere you can hide. Well this was creepy as shit!!! I don't know why people today seem to view this as one of those horror/comedy's (like the Exorcist). This is a genuinely scary movie, because it's not a traditional horror movie. It's a very cerebral movie, and doesn't follow tropes (or the novel for that matter). The acting is all really great, with Nicholson giving the best performance. The ambiance is also a character in itself, creepy, and eerie the entire way through. The beautiful tracking shots around the hotel make it seem as if you're the POV of something following this family. The music is also really creepy and sets the mood well. The movie builds to its eventually climax, which is almost perfect. The lighting, the cinematography, the creepy chanting music in the background, as well as the howling wind ambient noise. This is just a great movie, and it really is a slow burn movie, but it's a psychological horror movie, not a haunted hotel type thing. Keep that in mind. Score: 9/10

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Taking a break from traditional horror, I bring you my review of the 31st Godzilla movie Shin Godzilla Directed by. Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi Plot: A tremor causes flooding in a undersea tunnel and footage of a large aquatic creature is seen swimming beneath the boiling seas. The government believes that it's a volcanic tremor, but our lead, Yaguchi, believes it's a living animal based on the evidence of the videos taken. Soon a giant tail surfaces in Tokyo Bay, and the creature begins moving up river, creating a tsunami and wrecking all in its path, but it's assured that it can't make landfall. Right after that's said, it makes landfall, and it's ADORABLE!!!! The giant lungfish-like creature moves through the streets, destroying all in its path and relentlessly trying to survive in a new environment. The government sends the SDF to kill the creature, but it soon evolves red skin, arms, and a upright position. Due to insufficient evacuation, the assault is aborted and the monster returns to the sea and disappears. Attempts are made to study the creature, but its disappearance is very strange and unsettling. It's revealed that the creature had existed and the Americans have kept it a secret, known as Godzilla, to which the Japanese quickly discard and call him "Gojira". Gojira surfaces (newly evolved to be bigger, meaner, and more powerful) and heads to Tokyo. The counteroffensive fails to even put a scratch on him, and he advances, causing massive destruction. The city is slowly evacuated and a American counter attack ensures. They harm Gojira and he gets PISSED!!! He glows purple and spews out a black, smoke and then ignites it with his new and improved skill set. Flame breath ignites the smoke and annihilates Tokyo, before the breath goes to stage 2, atomic breath which cuts cleanly like a knife. When all else fails, Godzilla engages in his most OP move, what I like to call his "laser light show" coming out of his back. Only thing is, Godzilla depletes his energy and goes dormant. Now there's 2 weeks to find a solution on his defeat, before he wakes up in the heart of Tokyo to finish the job. What can I say? Toho's new Godzilla movie put a smile on my face, because it was good!!! So let's get into specifics. While I do think there is way too many characters, they all are acted well. Now they don't have motivations or arcs, but..... it's trying to emulate real life, so normal people don't really have complex arcs. The direction was spot on! This is a beautiful looking movie, with some excellent cinematography, and I never thought I'd mention lighting in a review, but the lighting was phenomenal. Let's talk about Godzilla now. Godzilla is vastly different from any incarnation we've seen. When he first appears, I was in shock!! It was a very strange looking creature. I literally, for the first time shouted in a theater "OH MY GOD HE'S ADORABLE!!!!". It was like watching a CG/puppet lungfish thrash around trying to survive, except it had googley eyes and Godzilla fins. That being said, it causes a shit ton of damage and the crashes of what it destroys, as well as the foot coming down Jurassic Park style, shook the theater. There was some impressive things with Godzilla V.1, like cutting to a family packing, back to Godzilla as he climbs the apartment building, and the people getting crushed and falling. Also the shot of him down the street thrashing was pretty cool. But when you get the "clear" look, you're like "ITS CUTE!!!!". Then he evolves into V.2. The red, more Godzilla looking monster that slowly lumbers like Godzilla should. There's not much with him, but I do like the design (besides the googley eyes!!). When he flees, he goes super fast, and I like the agile Godzilla, but that's the last we see of him. Godzilla Final Form is OP AS FUUUUUUUUUU. When he appears, his head isn't even in frame. Gone are the googley eyes, and now they're beady and small, with his mangled teeth, and the red glow. He looks pretty damn cool. Nothing hurts him, he just keeps coming at them, and it makes you sad. Then when the US hits Godzilla, he bleeds. His atomic breath is like "God mode" in a video game. Tokyo is almost completely destroyed in one fell swoop, and the back lasers are pretty awesome, but the tail laser was going too far. I like the knife-like breath, that was pretty rad. The best shots show Godzilla from ground level, and THE shot of him with Tokyo burning behind him while glowing purple is AMAZING!!!! The music was very good too, dramatic and sweeping. They did homage the original, but some of that didn't fit what was happening. Godzilla is off screen for a long while towards the end, and I think that's where the movie falls short. The threat is kind of gone, but when he gets back in action during the climax, it's worth it!!!! Overall, Shin Godzilla was a very good Godzilla movie, and you should seek it out on Blu Ray, as it's theatrical run ends on the day this is posted. Score: 7/10

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After reviewing all the original movies, why not review the remake.

Evil Dead (2013) Staring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, and Lou Taylor Pucci Produced by: Sami Raimi, Robert Tapert, and Bruce Campbell Written by: Fede Alvarez, and Rodo Sayagues Directed by Fede Alvarez

Plot: A group of young adults go to one of the members’ family cabin to help rid our main girl, Mia, of a drug addiction. There is evidence of a break in and they discover evidence of witchcraft in the basement. Eric, a science teacher, looks at the book he found in the basement, Naturom Demento, and translates a passage. This obviously awakens the “evil force” and Mia is possessed by it, and one by one, the group begins getting possessed, and when the “evil” has claimed 5 souls, it will rise from hell in its physical form and wreck havoc on the world.

This movie was meant to be a darker, more serious version of Evil Dead for the modern crowd, but it suffers a lot from trying to be overly serious. The movie opens with the iconic fly buzzing that opened and closed Evil Dead 1 and 2, and it gets you in the mood for a proper Evil Dead movie. Then we get the very strange introduction which opens so many plot holes and the whole “I’ll rip your soul out, daddy” is kind of cringeworthy, and it spoils the demon possession element. It just opened with the characters driving to the cabin, I’d not be complaining. Also the writing for the character intros are well, stilted. Each character rattles off their name and occupation, even though they should already know this because FRIENDS!! The writing is also not that great, some of the actors aren’t very good, I think Jane Levy stands on top, as she gives a pretty good performance despite mediocre writing and cringeworthy lines. This movie has a great sense of atmosphere, it’s dark and creepy and uses some of the original wind sounds from the original. That’s another thing though, some sounds will pop up despite not really fitting. In this dark, gritty version, when “join us” pops on as they arrive at the cabin, it’s like “oh now you’re just reminding me of a better movie”. Same with the Cheryl “why have you disturbed our sleep” line when Mia gets possessed. But the movie does get one thing right….. the makeup and gore. The makeup is 95% practical and it looks awesome. The demons, while they don’t really have a iconic design, are good, and the gore and torture is very gruesome and I had to look away sometimes. It gets brutal and it almost gets to “torture porn” territory, but not quite. It’s just very bloody, and literally at one point the sky is raining blood. Now I don’t think this a particularly good movie, but it does have some merits, for one is shot very well. The cinematography is very good. Like I said, the makeup is great, and the ambiance is great. There is a big saving grace. After the credits, Bruce Campbell pops up and gives us one last “Groovy”, which is always great, and signals good things to come (which I’ve already covered in my Ash vs. Evil Dead Season 1 review). If you’re a Evil Dead fan you’ll get a kick out of this. If not, then stay away. There is one chilling moment that captures the tone of this new one from the original. It’s at the credits, the music winds down, and the Bod Dorian “Knowby” audio from the original pops up. “I fear that whatever in those woods is sure to come calling…. for me”, and then the fly buzzing that opened the movie and that was just chilling to hear that as the closing line of the film. I’ll give you that one, great reuse of audio.

Score: 5/10

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Because why not talk about Season 1 of this show? Ash vs. Evil Dead (Season 1) Plot: 30 years after Ash escaped the cabin, he has been living a failures life as a stockboy at Value Stop. He brings home a woman and gets high, and reads her "poetry". Unfortunately this poetry is from the "Book of the Dead" and this raises the "evil dead" once again. Meanwhile Amanda Fisher, a cop investigates with her partner a supposed murder, and are attacked by a "deadite" and her partner becomes one as well. She manages to kill them both and is deemed unfit to be a cop. Ash meanwhile plans to skip town but gets his co-workers, Pablo and Kelly, in on it. Pablo believes as is "El Jefe", the man who will rise again to defeat evil. Ash denies it, but soon proves that he still is badass when "deadites" appear. Ash invites them to go on the journey back to the cabin, to stop evil from ruling all!!! Meanwhile Amanda teams up with a strange woman named Ruby, who is also after the book. Yeah, I really love this show. It combines pretty much the original trilogy into a sometimes scary, sometimes suspenseful, and really hilarious ride, that for 10 episodes, I loved. It's really good to see Bruce Campbell back as Ash, and the other supporting characters I like. I did find Amanda annoying at first, especially her attempts to catch Ash, which kind of seemed like a way to cause more conflict. When she joins the group, I did like her character more. The only thing I really had a problem with was the CGI. There's a bit of it, and it really looks bad, but I think it's supposed to be, keeping in with the cheesy, B-movie angle, but updating that. By the way, I LOVED that they bought back "Evil Ash". That was the best episode, because 2 Bruce Campbells is always a plus. Yeah, this is a really funny, gory, and stupidly awesome show, so if you like Evil Dead, give it a watch.

[thethemeparkguy-blog]

Evil Dead goes Hollywood? Count me in!!! Army of Darkness (1992) Staring: Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, and Ted Raimi. Produced by: Robert Tapert Written by: Sam and Ivan Raimi Directed by Sam Raimi Plot (ignoring the recap montage): Ash goes through a time warp and ends up in 1300 A.D. in Medieval times. He is captured and believed to be in alliance with Henry the Red, the nemeses of Lord Arthur. Ash is thrown into a pit and is attacked by deadites. A wiseman throws Ash his chainsaw and after dispatching the demons, earns the villages trust. In order to be sent home, Ash must retrieve the "Necronomicon Ex Mortis" from a cemetery. On the way, the familiar "evil force" chases him to a windmill. Suddenly his reflections come to life and torment him, and Ash eventually swallows one of his "mini Ash's", forming once again into "Evil Ash". Ash kills "Evil Ash" quickly and find the book, but inadvertently raises the "Army of the Dead" with "Evil Ash" as their leader. This is quite a radical departure from both Evil Dead movies made thus far, and it did turn off a lot of people by dropping the horror aspect. That being said, as a comedy/action movie, this one does it extremely well. Bruce Campbell portrays Ash in this movie as a idiotic, but sometimes capable hero, and which would define the character for all time. The other actors serve their roles perfectly fine, but nobody is really terrific as Campbell is. By this point, Sam Raimi had come into his own, and it's clearly evident with the energy, weirdness, and the 3 Stooges gags littered throughout. It's really Sam Raimi's movie, and I love the style, so yeah. The music by Joseph LoDuca again is great. Danny Elfman composed the main theme, which is awesome, but some action queues are extremely great, and it really puts you in that time period of the Middle Ages. The effects are homages to Ray Harryhausen effects (like the skeletons) and some do come off as cheesy, but that's the style of the movie. The action is also pretty great, with some great monster fights, ridiculous slapstick, and some killer one-liners. I bet you can quote this movie for hours, and I find more appreciation every time I watch it. That being said, its not for everyone, some of the cheesiness could be off-putting, and I get if some stuff is not you're cup of tea. It is also pretty short, so we're really not given a lot of time to develop characters or things. I know there is a extended edition that I'm trying to get my hands on, but for the moment, I only have the theatrical cut. This definitely is the weakest of the Sam Raimi Evil Dead trilogy, but it's still tons of fun, and a great, fun movie that I recommend for a good laugh. "Hail to the King, baby"

[thethemeparkguy-blog]

Continuing this franchise is gonna be fun as hell :) Evil Dead 2 (1987) Staring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley, Denise Bixler, and Ted Raimi Produced by: Robert Tapert Written by: Sam Raimi and Scott Spiegel. Directed by: Sam Raimi Plot (ignoring the "recap"): The "evil force" is pissed that Ash has won, so it takes him for a crazy ass ride and drops him in a puddle. Surprise, Ash is now a demon!!! But the sunrise fends the demon off, so he just passes out.....for the entire day!!!! Waking up, Ash realizes he has to leave by nightfall, so he hauls ass, but he forgets the bridge is out. The sun sets and the "evil" chases him back to the cabin for another night of torture. This is one of the best horror movie sequels. I already love "The Evil Dead", but this one just outdoes it! So the acting is really hammy, but it's supposed to be. Bruce Campbell has been portraying Ash for over 30 years, but this is when Ash came into his own, and there's some points in this movie where I'm like "that is awesome", particularly Ash's mannerisms. Sarah Berry as Annie is also good, but her scream is annoying as hell. Still, she's a strong female lead in the movie. Dan Hicks and Kassie Wesley are also really good and over the top, keeping with Sam Raimi's signature "hyper kinetic" style. Ted Raimi steals the show as "possessed Henrietta", and he's just so fun and expressive and I know it must've been hard to act in that costume, but by god, it's a great villain performance. The direction by Sam Raimi is also much improved to the point where it's almost flawless. There's a lot of weird and unusual moments, per Sam Raimi's tradition, and it feel meticulous and it's so great. The make-up is also better. The original Evil Dead made the "deadites" look like zombie-like creatures, but this movie takes it to the next level, and are heavily stylized. I love the "evil Ed" design with his rows of shark like teeth, but the best demon is our first appearance of "evil Ash". I think it's the extremely pronounced chin, it just makes me chuckle, and that's what I love about this movie, it is a horror/comedy. It has the horror elements, especially the cellar part towards the end, but the comedy like Ash's demon hand beating the hell out of him. The music by Joseph LoDuca is also great, and while I love the score to the first, when I think Evil Dead, I hear this music. This movie also sets up one of the greatest adventure/comedy movies ever, so stay tuned for that. In retrospect, Evil Dead 2 is everything a sequel should be, it improves on the first by building on themes and concepts and takes them to the next level. It's not for everyone, but I think it's mostly enjoyed by horror fans. It's a fun, exciting, and extremely entertaining movie, and what Roger Ebert called, "maniac inspired genius". Evil Dead 2 is another horror movie to have in your collection, and is the perfect Halloween movie. Score:10/10

[thethemeparkguy-blog]

With only 2 more weeks till Halloween, I'm getting towards the end of my reviews, let's celebrate with a obvious favorite of mine. The Evil Dead (1981) Staring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard Demanicour, Betsy Baker, and Teresa Tilly Produced by: Robert Tapert Make-up: Tom Sullivan Written and Directed by Sam Raimi Plot: A group of college students travel to a cabin in the woods for a weekend of sex, drugs, and partying. When they arrive, things are subtly off, but things go really wrong when Scotty (Rich Demanicour) and Ash (Bruce Campbell) discover the "Naturom Demonto", book of the dead, in the cabins cellar. When a voice on the tape recorder translates the passages, a demonic force is awoken in the woods. It lures Ash's sister, Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss) into the woods and quite literally rapes her with trees....... she makes it back and becomes possessed, declaring that "one by one we will take you". I love this movie. It's just like the best cult movie ever, and I get why. It's not really a good movie, but all the elements just make this a furiously entertaining movie. The acting can greatly range. I think Bruce Campbell gives the best performance. In the last act his descent into madness is done pretty well (odd how he becomes a wisecracking, boomstick wielding hero by number 2 when the character was played straight in this). The rest of the actors are good too, some lines are bad, some are good, some are cheesy. Ellen Sandweiss definitely is the most memorable, and the movie throws a curve, seeing as how we spend the entire first act following her, but she's actually the main antagonist of the movie. The direction by Sam Raimi is janky at times, but it's super inventive filmmaking. You can tell when shots aren't quite in focus towards the beginning that it's super low budget, but the direction and camera work is superb and in some areas, surreal. This movie is bloody.... like extremely. It disturbed me the first time, and even now some scenes make me cringe. The Tom Sullivan make-up, while not the greatest, gets the job done nice and good, and has a charm to it. The demon designs are simple, effective, and creepy, but under some conditions looks silly. The most complements I can give to this movie is the atmosphere. The music by Joseph LoDuca is actually really good, even though some scenes don't match the music (especially when Cheryl is running in the woods, the music seems to happy). The music throughout is a good mix of creepy piano, violin, and other instruments. The atmosphere throughout (particularly the hollow wind that backgrounds everything) just makes me cold when I hear it. The sound design is really good in this. Back to the music, the most emotional music is probably at the end, Ash's "bittersweet victory". The emotion of "all the demons are gone and I'm safe", as well as the depression of "all my friends and family are dead" is just so well and makes us think we can rest easy. Then the ending happens and, I won't spoil it but first time I saw it I was like AHHHHHHH I NEED TO WATCH EVIL DEAD 2 NOW!!!! Sam Raimi's career was started by this movie, and I just love it. The cheesiness, yet the horror is there, the gruesomeness, the creep factor, just the fear of isolation, it's all there amid a cheesy, silly movie, but whenever I watch it, I see myself in that situation and it scares the hell out of me. I don't find The Evil Dead scary, but the idea is, and there are unsettling parts, but mostly the movie is a exciting, hyper kinetic, and viciously entertaining Cult B-Movie that stands above the rest and deserves to be remembered. I love this movie, and you should too. Score: 10/10

[thethemeparkguy-blog]

Yeah, I liked this one more. Scream 2 (1997) Staring: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette. Directed By: Wes Craven. Plot: A year after the Woodboro murders, a movie is made to capitalize on the murders. During a screening, 2 people are murdered in a all to familiar, yet more brutal fashion. Sidney Prescott is now in college and is getting on with her life with her friend Randy and her boyfriend Derek. When killings begin happening, Gale Weathers (that pun irks me) shows up to get a story, while Randy believes someone is plotting a real life "sequel" to the murders, and everyone is a suspect. While the first movie sent up the slasher genre, it did feel trope-ish, but this movie sent up sequels, and I love it!! Now the opening scene at the theater I really don't like, it just seems to be there for the "racism in horror" joke. As soon as that ends, I really love this movie. It just feels more mature, and more like a Craven movie. In typical sequel fashion, the killer is even more brutal than before, and I felt that was lacking in the first. The original made the killer out to be sloppy, which is why I didn't find them threatening, but this one, while still sloppy at points, is brutal, and the twist was way less obvious than the first. Randy, played by Jamie Kennedy is my favorite character in this, because he's so self-aware and gives the movie it's meta flavor. When he's killed off it's like "NOOO". I also love the final confrontation, this killer seems much more cerebral and more manipulative than the original, and I like that a lot. Also the scene with Sidney's drama instructor is just probably the best scene (minus the final confrontation). All in all I love this movie, it literally improves on the original, and sends up the sequel genre, and it's a new Halloween favorite of mine.