I watched this in between Survival of the Dead and Halloween. It is a terrible thing to behold when a movie that is twenty four years old surpasses it two newer competitors. Evil Dead 2 absolutely creamed both of the mediocre horrors I watched around it. When I first saw this I wasn't impressed with it. I wondered why on earth it was called Evil Dead 2 when it really didn't follow on from the first. Ever since my disappointment of that only viewing I never thought I'd watch it again. The Raimifest got me to thinking, and I brought home a copy the other night. As I started to watch it my old feelings arose, and I thought to myself 'this is crap'. The first evil dead movie was a true horror and genuinely scary for many years after it was made. It is the pinnacle of gore/horror movies and yet Evil Dead 2 is nothing of the sort.
It is a movie that still confuses me. Bruce Campbell is obviously killed off at the end of Evil Dead, and yet lo and behold he has a magical resurrection, and appears in the second film. This seriously doesn't work for me even though he puts in a good performance. The fact that it is more a comedy/horror also confuses me as to why. Why make a genuine horror and then follow it with this? To me I just don't get what Sam Raimi was trying to achieve.
This confusion will always remain with me as after the other night I still don't particularly like this movie. It has obviously dated visually, but all hororrs do. Despite some very good laugh out loud moments ( the eye ball into the mouth is a real crack up!! ), this movie I found neither satisfying as a comedy or a horror. Just what the hell is it?? I keep coming back to this point don't I?! Despite some good camera work angles wise Evil Dead 2 for me is rubbish. Raimi's developing film making skills are here to be seen but I still can't get into the moive as a whole. Sorry to all you Raimi lovers but I can't escape the feeling of 'what was he trying to do here'?
The Evil Dead was an innovative and shocking film when released and I find it unbelievable that it was followed by this nonsense. It is definitely for hard core fans only and they are welcome to its cult following. I found it somewhat insulting because Raimi does some interesting stuff through out the film but lets it down with some really sloppy stuff to. Notice when Campbell's hand is smashing the plates over his head? The sound track is full of grunts and groans and yet his lips aren't moving!!! I kid you not, have a very close look!
With this all I can do is cry in despair that this wasn't made into a serious horror. Either that or make it into a straight out piss take of his own film. For me Evil Dead 2 is trying to be two things and gets both wrong. I will even go as far as to say I can't stand the third instalment, as it is worse than the second.
All in all this is still a major disappointment and completely confusing. It has some interesting and funny moments but it should have been named something else and not Evil Dead, because it isn't. Even after twenty four years my opinion hasn't altered. This is only for serious Sam Raimi fans. If you are expecting more of the first movie you wil be seriously let down and to me that is its major problem.
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We strongly disagree on this one. To me, the real Evil Dead started with 'Dead by Dawn', which I always saw as a reboot rather than a sequel. It was the first Raimi film I ever saw, back as 7 year-old kid, and fell in love with it instantly. It was my first 'favorite film', one that I've been watching and re-watching constantly.
ReplyDeleteEvil Dead, the first, was a novelty back in the day, a true shocker - but today I see as nothing more than a horror flick with outdated special effects. It's all good and well, and I love it, but it's just another horror film.
Evil Dead 2 is special - the slapstick humor, Bruce's incredible charm... just brilliant. To me, it's a masterpiece.
I was waiting for someone to disagree with me!! All good and well as everyone's taste and appreciations are different. I just can't get into this movie even though there are some interesting moments and techniques used.
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