Fantastic remake of The Evil Dead (not Evil Dead II)

Rating: 10/10 (5 April 2013)

As a card carrying deadite fanatic I went to this movie with the bar set high and I wasn't let down. Whats great about this movie is that for once a remake strikes a balance with frights, novelty, and lip service.
I was very surprised to see some mixed reviews for this film but found the rational given for in most of them was actually based on a fallacious premise that this was a remake of Evil Dead II. If your looking for a remake of Evil Dead II, your gonna have a bad time. Go see Cabin in the Woods if your on the market for a lighter take with more goofiness. The original Evil Dead is still one of the scariest movies ever, and this movie did an excellent job of holding its own.
Like the -original- Evil Dead, slapstick comedy is low/absent while scares, violence, and gore are raining from the sky. In retrospect the decision to exclude an Ash character was a stroke of genius and allowed me to really enjoy the hell out of this movie without trying to compare and contrast a role that any fan would agree could only be filled by Bruce Campbell himself.
With the assistance and blessing of all the original key players (read the credits and note the Campbells, the Raimis, and the Taperts) the unproven newcomer Alvarez has outdone himself in crafting a great horror experience that will surprise both fans of the original and new comers alike. The fresh take on the old story is still peppered with dozens of clever throwbacks to the original without feeling forced or distracting.
The gore is bar none with classic effects taking center stage with CGI functioning as support. The result gives Evil Dead a look and feel that is coarser, chewier, and more... sinewy then recent comparable horror films. Wash it all down with blood by the buckets and there you have it. Great casting. Great effects. Great scares. Great movie. Enjoy.