Evid Dead 2 (film): A sequal... sorta
I, like an army of other nerds out there, can not hide my love for this franchise. I have been a fan of Bruce Campbell since seeing the first one and this one just solidified that standpoint. I also look forward to anything director Sam Raimi is involved in and can forgive him for the Spider Man films.
Also known as Evil Dead: Dead by Dawn, Evil Dead 2 can not be considered a sequel to the original Evil Dead because the main character, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) would never return to the same cabin that ultimately resulted in the demise of all of his friends and certainly not be oblivious to the fact that the Necronomicon Ex-Mortisis is certainly not to be played around with.
So although I don't know if this is the official take, the movie seems to be a remake of the original Evil Dead with a slightly altered story and considerably higher budget.
The premise is absurd that a couple would attempt to book a romantic vacation in a spooky cabin in the middle of nowhere. I think if i were to arrive at my accommodation and it looked like the above, I wouldn't even get out of the car. However, this is a film and we have to suspend our sensibilities.
Ash's girlfriend Linda is almost immediately possessed and of course tries to kill Ash in a hilarious manor. This includes attacking him once she has been decapitated with her headless body going after him with a chainsaw.
The ensuing battle results in temporary victory for Ash but in the meantime his own hand gets possessed and the scenes that follow where he is being attacked by his own body has to be some of the most incredible (and funny) acts to take place in a horror film... ever. If you remember Bruce Campbell for nothing else, it should be for this scene alone.
This movie does have some genuinely scary moments but for the most part it is a silly gore-fest intended for a very specific audience. I am that audience but can certainly understand that a lot of other people would not be. The story is stupid, but I think that is kind of the point.
Personally, I liked the original better but purely from an artistic standpoint. 2 was a greater financial success in the short-run. The first one wasn't as silly as this Evil Dead 2, although it certainly had its humorous moments. This one serves as a transitional film for the Army of Darkness (third part in the series) that was almost entirely comedy - and well, we can save that for another day.
I loved these movies so much. They got more and more ridiculous with each iteration.
I'll have to say that Army of Darkness was actually my favorite. It is very rare that a movie sequel can purposely make something funny that was originally meant to be somewhat serious and actually do a good job at it. These types of movies are generally eye rollers but I laugh my ass off every time I watch the Evil Dead movies.
The way that Ash takes everything to the extreme is just funny in and of itself; Like the making of the chainsaw prosthesis, for example. I've also noticed that loads of TV shows copy this style of montage. I don't know if Evil Dead was the first to do it or not. I'm generally referring to the quickly switching from one discreet action to another, like turning a screw, hammering a nail, etc until something is completed:
Whenever I am watching another show and they do this sort of thing, I always laugh even if it's meant to be bad ass and serious.
I agree with you about AOD being my favorite as well. I can watch that movie over and over despite the battle scenes with the skeletons being pretty bad.
There used to be a guy on here that was a film student that would comment on film tactics such as who did it first etc, but he disappeared sometime around the fork. Maybe he'll drop back in and give us a proper breakdown :)
Six years after the first film this sequel improves upon the original while also bringing in new ideas to keep it fresh. The practical effects are improved and more inventive, the comedy element from the previous film is turned up to the extreme while also being more slapstick orientated (which weirdly works), the gore and violence are also ramped up while also being more shocking and even though it can feel like a bit of a retread of the last film it at least irons out the bumps in that film while also feeling slimmed down and more to the point which in turn makes it a more entertaining film. Bruce Campbell is even better this time round with his part of the script having several great moments, the score again is good and the ending is equally satisfying and intriguing. This is one of those rare sequels that improves upon an already great film.
Easily one of my favorite 80s horror comedies ( and trust me, I've seen a lot ) and probably one of my favorite (horror) sequels / part 2's too. It's the perfect mix between horror and comedy and can definitely be considered a good horror film as well as a good comedy.
Thanks for bringing a smile to my face! :>)
Still love it though. Also following the series 'Ash vs Evil Dead' currently in its third season
yeah, i really have tried to love that show but i just dont... sadly.
I haven't been able to bring myself to watch it. After the 2013 remake, I've been avoiding the Franchise. I may check out the newer series though!
I upvoted your post.
Keep steeming for a better tomorrow.
@Acknowledgement - God Bless
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BRAINS! haha dude I love this film, its awesome. I really liked the fairly recent remake too. Evil dead rules!