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Review
by
Brian Lindsey
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8
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10 |
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10
= Highest Rating |
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In
a word: Groovy.
Evil Dead 2,
Sam Raimi's insanely loopy 1987 horror-comedy, is justifiably
one of the most beloved cult movies of all time. Chances are
high that just about everyone visiting this website has already
seen it. If you're among the miniscule number of cult flick
aficionados who hasn't, then shame on you! Run out and buy or
rent it immediately! You won't be disappointed.
The 1980s were, in a sense, the golden age of humorous American
horror films, chiefly because of only two movies: Stuart Gordon's
Re-Animator
and this one. Never to grace a local theater
screen here in Memphis and surrounding burgs, they quickly generated
"word of mouth" buzz once they'd shown up on the Mom and Pop
video rental shelves. They were the kind of flicks no one (around
here, anyway) had really seen before, movies that folks couldn't
wait to tell their friends about. Soon they became favorite
fixtures at home video parties, liberally supplemented with
psychoactive substances. In their own small way, that chainsaw-wielding
bonehead, Ash, along with ghoulish syringe sultan Dr. Herbert
West, helped many of us survive in Reagan-era "Bible Belt"
America. Ah... the good ol' days!
A
bigger-budgeted remake of, rather than sequel to, Raimi's original
Evil Dead
(1982), Evil
Dead 2 brings handsome, thick-skulled
Ash (Bruce Campbell) and his lovely girlfriend Linda (this time
played by Denise Bixler) back to that eerie cabin in the Tennessee
woods. Their plans for a private romantic weekend are seriously
sidetracked when Ash stumbles upon a tape recorder and a strangely
bound, ancient-looking book left by the previous occupants.
Curious, he plays the tape on the machine. It contains the audio
journal of archeologist Professor Knowby, recounting his discovery
of the fabled Necronomicon —
the "Book of the Dead" — in the ruins of Castle Kandar. A grimoire
of spells and incantations, Knowby (John Peaks) translates its
mysterious passages by reading them aloud on the tape. As in
the original film, this unleashes a hellish, supernatural force
into our world bent on "swallowing" the souls of all humans
it encounters...
In the case of this superior follow-up, it also unleashes director
Raimi and his imaginative crew of effects artists to pull out
all the stops — taking the audience on a wild, virtually non-stop
rollercoaster ride that'll have you screaming and laughing in
equal measure. With its black comedy, slapstick gags and gruesome
makeup/creature effects, it's The Three Stooges meet
The Exorcist
by way of Night of the Living Dead.
Combining visceral horror themes with screwball yuks is rarely
a successful blend, but Raimi's hyperkinetic camera and mischievous
sense of the absurd meld these elements splendidly. Able assistance
is provided by the small, winning cast —
fully clued
to the madness behind the method — Bruce Campbell in particular.
Considered by some the "Harrison Ford" of B-grade cinema, it's
Campbell's gift for physical comedy (while simultaneously projecting
and mocking the "Dirk Squarejaw" movie hero image) that holds
the gonzo scenario together. A veritable host of memorable,
quotable lines ("You're goin' down!", "Swallow this", etc.)
in the film only adds to its undying cult appeal. No doubt Campbell
sometimes wishes this were not the case... Should any EC readers
happen to encounter him in the real world, please don't ask
him to say "groovy." If you do, he just might smack you with
an axe. I wouldn't blame him if he did.
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Over
the past few years Anchor Bay has produced a slew of different
editions of Evil Dead 2 on both VHS
and DVD. The last of these, the DVD released in 2000 (the one
with handpainted artwork from the British theatrical poster on
the cover — see above),
is the one you'll want to get your Deadite-lovin' mitts on. Both
the letterboxed and fullframe versions are included. Picture
quality isn't the sharpest one might wish for and it seems a tad
dark in spots. But the THX sound upgrade is terrific. Also on
hand are some splendid extras that'll thrill any fan to the marrow:
a 30-minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the
film (mostly culled from home video footage shot by members of
the effects crew during production) and an audio commentary with
Raimi, Campbell, co-writer Scott Spiegel and FX artist Greg Nicotero.
The commentary is a real gas! If you're looking for insights or
detailed info on the film's origins, casting and production then
be prepared for disappointment. However, if you want to experience
what it might be like to actually have these gents sitting in
your living room and watching the flick with you, cracking jokes
all the while, then you'll have a rollicking good time. They obviously
love the film and had a great time making it; they're not above
poking fun at it, either. On a pure enjoyment basis this is the
funniest audio commentary I've heard to date. 6/18/01 |
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