Old School

Rating: 8/10 (4 April 2013)

Remake. Reimagining. Reboot. Sequel. You can use many terms to describe this film but this addition to the Evil Dead franchise manages to create a niche all it's own composed of some appreciated unpredictability, recycled ideas from other films and a plethora of gore soaked goodies. Set in present day the film centers on a group of friends gathered to help a young woman beat her heroin addiction. Mia played by Jane Levy in an uneven but decent performance is that young woman who is the first to fall victim to the notorious necronomicon which of course leads to a night of sadistic horror, the likes of which you've come to expect from these films. Solid and sexy Shiloh Fernandez turns up as her abandoning brother with a slightly melodramatic past, handsome Lou Taylor Pucci as his too curious friend Eric, the talented and gorgeous Jessica Lucas as the most believable of the bunch Olivia and Elizabeth Blackmore as Natalie, David's girlfriend and the not so great actress of the group. The direction from Fede Alvarez is solid I think if a little generic although I am impressed by the enormity of this guy's balls. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous from it's heightened suspenseful camera angles and the ones that capture the scenery in just the right way to the beautiful composition of light through out the film, it's really very commendable. Speaking of commendable the old school nod to practical effects is much appreciated and way more effective than the CGI crap that crowds multiplexes nowadays. But all in all the film feels feels a little recycled with not much an identity of it's own. it borrows freely from the Evil Dead films and other similar films like it and in truth feels more like a sequel than an actual remake and in that sense it never really feels like it can stand on it's own. Don't get me wrong the film has a barrage of wonderfully gory set pieces but when you look up Evil Dead 30 years from now on the net I'm pretty sure this won't be what comes up. The screenplay however does have some nice touches the reasoning behind them staying is well though out even if the opening is a little hammy and confusing and the constant merry go round effect of who is the films real main character is wonderfully deceptive. That being said, my expectations were set very high I'm a huge fan of the Evil Dead films and I had recently watched them and the buzz on this film has been incredible and I bought into a little against my better judgement. When it first started out I didn't feel much of anything and than as it went on it was decent enough but the disappointment started to creep in. I can't say that the feeling ever truly went away completely but the film culminates too such a grand, horrific, entertaining, completely over the top, ickfest finale I couldn't help it when the slight blues fell away replaced with a childish grin that helped me to remember why I have been such a big horror fan since I was a kid. And for that reason alone it's more than worth the price of admission a few times. 4/5