Film Review; "Evil Dead Burn"

 While I am always looking for horror movies, when I see Halloween decorations hitting the shelves in July, it makes the urgency level rise. I am glad I took my time to find this movie online, because it might not have been worth the trip to the theater, which I rarely make in the first place, but it was best digested in four seperate chunks of time, over two days. Which is a shorter time than msot movies take for me. It is no surprise this is not the best movie in the franchise, but it is also not the worst. It is different enough to not feel redundant, but still remembers the assignment. The fact that Sam Raimi hung around as the producer helped protect the legacy of the brand. 

With that came the just being gross to uphold the standard vibe. You would think the Necromomicon, even this fictional version, would summon more monsters than jsut demon zombies, but no, though this time they are pyro-zombies. The writing works well enough, with neough balance in the getting-to-know-the-characters section, yet I am seeing a recurring trope of the annoyingly Beta coward male with the female protagonist having to step it up. This is the third movie if we are just counting horror, but it was even in Masters of the Universe. This was the only Hollywood psy-op agenda moment of the movie 

It is familiar and pulls from the other movies, a wink at them from time to time. I would say tense but not scary, as it wa a little predictable. They did take their time to establish the characters a bit, not that it really matters as all of them are equally unlikeable, but it seems to be the point as it is the curse of a toxic family that seems to fuel the evil into motion here. They check off the Rami boxes of including scenes that are gross for the sake of being so and hold no bearing on the plot. It was a fun watch that looses sateam imn the third act, so leave your thinking caps at home and just be prepared, but in your face dread.

Film Review -"28 Years Later"

Danny Boyle made the third film of this series with a different eye than he had approached the previous movies. I can appreciate this, though the post-apocalyptic settlement feels very much like something we have seen already in "The Walking Dead.". But how many ways can you spin the long-term effects of a zombie outbreak without getting to some of the same tropes?  The stylistic changes and the use of color are the biggest changes here, and make the movie visually stimulating, though some of the cut scenes feel like they are window dressing and not serving the story. 

You also get lots of people making stupid mistakes, which I think a world of caution would be the rule in a more realistic situation. But such is the way of horror movies. The rage virus works the same, though the zombies seem a little smarter in this one, as well as the use of a large apex alpha zombie that is a presence that helps define this movie. It does stand apart from the other films rather than just being a sequel. The protagonist is a young boy trying to save his mother, which adds a more emotional element, as he learns the hard lesson that this kind of life would bring. 

The wheel is not being re-invented here as the first movie is obviously going to be the most original, but I think I like this better than the second film, though it did drag some at the end, and the ridiculous ending with the Scandinavian acrobatic ninja was silly..It felt like it turned into "Kung Fu Hustle" all of a sudden. It was an odd choice. If you are a fan of zombie movies, you are not going to need me to sell you on this. I do not normally like zombie movies can name ten that are my favorites of this sub-genre, not sure if this one makes the list, but it is well made and entertaining. 

Evil Dead

No secret I have reached remake exhaustion. I am also not much a Sam Raimi fan. The Original trilogy , while I can appreciate it's entertainment value just get to silly for me. Stuart Gordon films are really the only horror movies whose camp I enjoy, I prefer everything very grim with no survivors. So the fact that this movie took on a more serious tone than the original worked for me , in fact it manage to to that while keeping the tone of a Sam Raimi film. With out the attachments to the first film I think I was able to go in with pretty low expectations as I had heard mixed reviews from my friends.

Really the only let down for me was the Tree Rape scene which was more of a branch slithering up her leg and took away the reap implications which as it is no surprise to any one who is a regular reader was my favorite part with the original. The back story was fine and the premise that they were taking this girl out here to detox made sense to me as well. The fx is a point of contention for some people who want only practical effects and no cgi, I think it used the modern technology but didn't abuse it i like how the blood was such a vivid red. It seemed the make up was a mixed bag, but the gore was pretty fulfilling. I've heard it said this is going to be the scariest horror movie to come out all year and well I'm still rooting for what I have seen of Lords of Salem. It could very well be the goriest horror movie, I think Lords of Salem well be more well made from a cinematic perspective as it looks like Rob Zombie's homage to Stanley Kubrick and of course Nurse has yet to see the light of the screen.

I think fans of the first film will find all the elements they appreciate from the first film unless they are really invested in the camp which when you take away the date effect and silly dialogue takes away that element in the modernization. I think it works better for this movie than it will the Carrie remake. Did Evil Dead really need to be remade in the first place ...well of course not.

I did like the fact despite the acting seemed like it needed to be warmed up into their roles that the characters connected with the viewer more than just some dumb kids going to a creepy cabin in the woods for the weekend. Where there a bunch of don't go into the basement moments, loaded with that type of horror victim thinking , not a good decision made by them until the end.

I like visually the rain of blood, pretty much any blood that splattered , i think the nail gun was the only gore that made me antsy,the rest was pretty low key on the gross out even though the violence was outlandish, the knife split tongue the only real 80's moment aside from when his sister glided over to attack him in the flooded basement.Due to the drought in horror until Lords of Salem hits I think it is worth at least the Matinee prices for this. I can understand if you feel giving your money to Hollywood on this one is more of a vote for remakes than it is to horror. But if you are a fan of the original and otherwise o.k with remakes then its worth checking out.

Rec 3 Genesis

The third of the Spanish Rec franchise which the American film Quarantine came from, though I don't normally like modern remakes or any for that matter it's one of the better Americanized films.The found footage motif is not the films primary focus, but it maintains the smarts of the other movies. Once the chaos starts it switches into a more cinematic mode.

Here a zombie outbreak takes place at a wedding reception held at an isolated resort like estate. The guests all fall prey to ... well we all know what happens in zombie movies, but this film take its chances with some of the conventions and upholds one of my golden horror rule. They don't pull punches a bunch of kids get eaten while trapped on a bus, though the scene is not very graphic, the thought that yes they went there worked for me.

The gore is in some ways plentiful, the imaginative amputation which takes place post zombie bit to stop and infection is a oh shit moment. This isn't trying to be Dead Alive but it takes it's self less seriously than the 28 movies. The main terror here is the survivors allowing sentiment and emotion to get the better of themselves and compromise their survival instinct. The Newly weds romantic inclinations brings them trouble more often than not, and goes to show all you bitches waxing romantic on your relationship status one moment then posting about a zombie Holocaust the next are all going to die should one ever occur outside of the whole salt smokers.

I had been looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint. The religious theme established in the 2 movie continues here. Plenty of smart camera work and the blood is bright and pretty. Sometimes the zombies are faster than others and their make up looks good but isn't over the top as they are pretty fresh and blood vomiting so consistent with the other movies, though if you haven't seen the other films while they are recommended just on the basis of being good movie, this movie can be seen as a stand alone.

A horror movie with the message true love doesn't last forever because once you are dead you just want to eat them, is very up lifting though there are times in the movie where the main girl you just want to slap and tell her to get it together , though she makes up for it by taing a chainsaw to the train of her wedding dress. Highly reccomended