Could Evil Dead Be the Best Horror Remake Yet?
(Warning: not safe for work, not safe for kids!)
Evil Dead is a remake that had everything going against it on paper. Changing a movie that is an acclaimed cult classic in an age of cinema where bad horror remakes are rife, as well as not casting Bruce Campbell in his iconic role as Ash Williams makes for a risky project. One so risky that Campbell himself had announced the demise of the remake due to incredibly negative fan reaction. Yet, against the odds, it approaches – and in spite of all the worry, it actually looks to be fantastic.
With director of the original trilogy Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell producing the remake, as well as the smart move of balancing nods to the original with new characters and concepts (rather than trying to be a cheap knock-off reliving the glory days of 1980s horror) and some genuinely scary looking scenes in the new Redband trailer, Evil Dead holds the potential to be one of the best horror remakes out there. Fede Alvarez, director of the remake, claims that his vision of the 1981 classic will contain no CGI – giving an essence of the old-school effects that gave The Evil Dead its infamous ‘video nasty’ status. Let’s hope the remake can deliver. As Campbell promises himself: “The remake’s gonna kick a** – you have my word.”
Evil Dead tears onto our screens on 19th April, 2013.