"Groovy . . ."

Rating: 7/10 (27 February 2011)

When Ash (Bruce Campbell) decides to take his girlfriend, Linda, away for a romantic weekend he gets more than he bargained for. Upon playing a tape in the cabin they're staying at, Ash releases an unseen force which brings the forest to life – and his weekend to a halt.
Sam Raimi, now with a bigger budget, decided to employ all the over the top effects he couldn't afford when he directed the original. This remake/sequel is as good as it gets for most horror aficionados, but many argue its existence was unnecessary. It's the film that started Sam Raimi's career and a step into Hollywood for Bruce Campbell's chin (inside joke).
The first film was made on a shoe-string budget and quickly reached cult status due to its creative use of very little. The second had a lot to live up to and it's not hard to see why the team were happy to rehash it.
Direction: 9/10 (Sam Raimi is hungry for it. You can see him forming as a director) Cinematography: 8/10 (Peter Deming really used every part of the budget to make it work) Editing: 9/10 (Fantastic combination of shots to over-animate the performances) Acting: 8/10 (Bruce Campbell is the capital B in B-Grade acting. Loved every minute of watching him) Dialogue: 7/10 (Sam Raimi and Scott Spiegel ) Sound: 7/10 (Some great original concepts here) Effects: 9/10 (Not as impressive as the first, taking into regard the budget, but just as effective) Art Direction: 9/10 (Randy Bennett & Philip Duffin never let it go flat throughout the film) Costumes: 7/10 (Vicki Graef & Randall Ouzts did a good job fitting different styles to each character) Music and/or Score: 6/10 (The music was a bit choppy in many parts and not very powerful)
Total Score: 79/100
The chemistry between Raimi & Campbell is what makes this such a treat to watch. Their hunger to explore new territory and courage to experiment is motivation enough to get any amateur film maker excited. If you like fun films and feel like a quirky horror, you've come to the right place.