Evil Dead

Sam Raimi's seminal 1981 horror classic (followed by 1987's Evil Dead II and 1993's Army of Darkness) smartly combined high-octane horror with slapstick comedy. Fede Alvarez's remake shares the same basic plot outline: namely, a group of young people—including siblings Mia (Jane Levy) and her brother, David (Shiloh Fernandez)—travel to an isolated cabin, where they are by attacked by an evil spirit who turns them (one after another) into bloodthirsty killers. But it lacks the dark humor that Raimi and his rubber-bodied star Bruce Campbell brought to the tale. Instead, this new Evil Dead is deadly serious from beginning to end, with special effects designed to disturb the squeamish, although the film ultimately doesn't truly stand out from other formulaic gore-fests, and the incessant slice and splatter here quickly becomes tiresome. Raimi's original is still worth watching for its ability to make you scream one minute and laugh the next, while Alvarez's remake is just another depressingly familiar and ugly film characterized by stomach-churning violence. Extreme genre fans might appreciate this, but it's vastly inferior to its namesake. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Being Mia” with costar Jane Levy (9 min.), “Making Life Difficult” (8 min.), and “Directing the Dead” with director Fede Alvarez (8 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is an audio commentary (with Alvarez, writer Rodo Sayagues, and costars Levy, Lou Taylor Pucci, and Jessica Lucas), “The Reboot” behind-the-scenes segment (10 min.), “Unleashing the Evil Force” on the new Book of the Dead (5 min.), and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an unnecessary remake.] (F. Swietek)