10 harsh realities of rewatching the Evil Dead films

Although all evil Dead While the films have their high points, there are also some unfortunate truths that viewers encounter when rewatching the classic horror franchise. THE evil Dead The films have changed a lot over the years, but there are a few things that all the entries in the horror franchise have in common. All evil Dead the films are almost comically gory, although the tone of the series differs from episode to episode. They all have roles for Bruce Campbell’s iconic antihero Ash, whether it’s a brief voice-only cameo or a starring role.

Finally, although the body count of evil Dead The films differ significantly, they all focus on demonic monsters who possess and kill human victims. It is true that 1992 Army of Darkness is a little less dark than its predecessors, while 2013’s evil Dead reboot is uniquely mean-spirited and dark in that regard. However, the basic setup of the series does not change from one edition to the next. The settings and characters may be different, but once the Necronomicon is released and its fateful incantations are read aloud, the bloody chaos will become a reliable guarantee for viewers of the famous franchise.

10

Evil Dead Rise isn’t as scary as Evil Dead 2013

Director Lee Cronin’s reboot opts for humor over horror

2023 Rise of the Dead Evil was an acclaimed new addition to the franchise as The hole in the floor director Lee Cronin unleashed the Deadites on an apartment building. A grueling and gruesome test of endurance, Rise of the Dead Evil It features some inventively nasty gore and doesn’t spare even its teenage characters from some brutal fates. That being said, despite how much fake blood Rise of the Dead Evil used during its production, the reboot isn’t as scary as its immediate predecessor. Cronin mixes the gleeful, cartoonish gore of the original films with the visceral intensity of director Fede Alvarez’s 2013 reboot, but leans toward the former.

9

Evil Dead II’s biggest changes saved the series

The Evil Dead sequel completely changed the style of the original film

Rise of the Dead Evil may not have lived up to Alvarez’s reboot in terms of sheer fear factor, but like 1987 Evil Dead II proof, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Evil Dead II changed the evil Dead franchise forever, adding overt comedy to the mixand the franchise benefited enormously from this tonal alternation. Campbell’s energetic, over-the-top performance in the original film was always perfectly suited to a more comedic approach to the material, and Evil Dead IIThe film’s most memorable moments arise from this more cartoonish, outlandish style. This bold move put the franchise’s reputation at risk, but it was worth it.

When the evil Dead are now referenced, viewers will likely remember the macabre, bloody silliness of Evil Dead IIthe hand possessed as they are to reference the original film’s much darker deaths. evil DeadAsh Williams has always been a likable protagonist, but Campbell didn’t capture the character’s unique blend of ingenuity and over-the-top emotion until this bigger, bolder second episode. Meanwhile, director Sam Raimi ensures that there are still some genuinely scary moments, like Linda’s disturbing dance, amid all the inventive and absurd nonsense. In the process, he made an all-time great horror comedy.

8

Evil Dead 2013 isn’t as funny as Sam Raimi’s original film

Director Fede Alvarez’s film downplayed a vital ingredient of the franchise

While Rise of the Dead Evil isn’t as scary as the 2013 reboot, that doesn’t necessarily mean the 2013 release is perfect. As described above, humor is a fundamental part of what makes the evil Dead franchise so successful, and Alvarez’s film is completely devoid of comic relief. This means that evil Dead 2013 is the most intense horror film in the series, but it’s hard not to feel like it 2013 evil Dead reboot is missing the vital comedy that makes the evil Dead such memorable films. Like Alvarez’s later Alien: Romulusonly the final scene presents any levity.

7

Dark Army doesn’t fit into the Evil Dead universe

The fantasy adventure is much sillier than its predecessors

As if to prove how difficult it is to get the franchise’s tonal balance right, 1992 Army of Darkness is too cheerful and silly to work as evil Dead film. As another wacky horror comedy from Raimi and Campbell, it’s hard to deny that Ray Harryhausen’s adventures inspired by Army of Darkness they are a delightful triumph. However, the sequel is so devoid of substantial scares that it becomes more of a fantasy adventure than a horror. Army of Darkness looks more like a Monty Python sketch than the 1981 original The Evil Dead thanks to its fun and playful tone.

6

The Evil Dead series peaked with Evil Dead II

Evil Dead II brings together the best elements of the franchise

The problems faced by Rise of the Dead Evil, evil Dead2013 remake, and Army of Darkness prove two things. One, evil DeadThe upcoming spinoff will have a hard time winning over viewers thanks to the franchise’s slippery tone. Two, Evil Dead II is the best evil Dead film precisely because the sequel manages to balance comedy and horror, something that proved surprisingly challenging in subsequent outings in the franchise. Rise of the Dead EvilThe human characters of are likable enough that their gruesome deaths seem tragic, while the one-dimensional characters of Evil Dead II They’re the kind of victims whose deaths viewers can laugh at.

Likewise, the dark and desperate atmosphere Evil Dead 2013 makes it a difficult rewatch, while Army of Darkness it feels too slight to qualify as a horror film. In contrast, Evil Dead II It features enough scares and scary moments to work as a horror, while also being filled with hilarious comedy. Some scenes, like the moment when the entire cabin starts laughing along with a delirious Ash, balance comedy and horror in the same scene. Meanwhile, the gory horror is gruesome enough to make you cringe, but not so unpleasant that it’s impossible for viewers to extricate themselves and laugh.

5

Evil Dead Rise’s Big Change Was Long Overdue

The franchise urgently needed a new location

Rewatching the whole thing evil Dead series, it is quite clear that the change of location Rise of the Dead Evil I was very late. As if to intentionally mess with viewers, Cronin’s film premiered in an idyllic cabin nestled in the woods. However, the reboot soon jumped to an urban apartment building and remained there for the rest of the runtime. This was a great decision as the setup ensures Rise of the Dead Evil it feels like a fresh take on the familiar setup, and the creative scenarios that follow leave viewers wondering how the series didn’t go this route much sooner.

4

Evil Dead’s Most Infamous Scene Is Hard to Watch Again

The original film’s infamous tree sequence looks exceptionally bland

While 1981 The Evil Dead has aged surprisingly well for a low-budget independent film made on a shoestring budget decades ago, there’s one regrettable moment that’s hard to revisit. As Cheryl investigates the forest, she is attacked and sexually assaulted by demonic, sentient tree branches. This seems too silly to be offensive, but the scene is surprisingly tasteless upon rewatch. As The hills have eyes and Last house on the left, The Evil Dead was released at a time when scenes of sexual assault were still quite common in mainstream horror films.

However, what makes this scene so disturbing is that it doesn’t line up with the Deadites’ modus operandi throughout the rest of the film. Unlike the Was Craven films mentioned above, The Evil Dead does not root this hateful act in the narrative. As such, The Evil DeadThe Infamous Tree Sequence From Looks Like Cheap Shock Valueas the rest of the film never explores its psychological impact or sees the Deadites use this type of attack as a weapon again. Furthermore, the film’s exaggerated and aggressive style makes the scene seem even more out of place and cheesy amid much more stupid violence.

3

Evil Dead’s Continued Success Proves Gore Has a Place in Horror

The Franchise’s Blatant Cruelty Highlights Gore’s Effectiveness

On the topic of violence on the graphic screen, the evil Dead films prove that blood is not always bad in horror films. There are a number of critics who argue that gore is only for horror films that can’t achieve suspense without it, seeing graphic violence as a sort of panacea for the shortcomings of unscary and ineffective horror films. However, the game’s inventive bloody jokes evil Dead the franchise proves just how useful a tool blood can be in a skilled director’s toolkit. THE evil Dead films are artistic precisely because of their creative blood and would not work without it.

2

Evil Dead’s original hero doesn’t fit into his new films

Bruce Campbell’s Ash Is Too Exaggerated for Evil Dead 2013 and Evil Dead Rises

While Bruce Campbell’s Ash may be one of the most iconic horror franchise protagonists in the history of the genre, that doesn’t mean horror movies haven’t changed since he first wielded a chainsaw. In the 80s, Ash was an ideal horror protagonist. Unhappy but heroic, Campbell’s Ash was a wide-eyed everyman with a touch of self-aware humor. He could have shined in anything from a horror sequel to a monster movie, but as the ’90s and ’00s made horror heroes more brooding and serious, Ash fell out of fashion. Thus, his return would have made the 2023 and 2013 reboots seem very comical.

1

The entire premise of Evil Dead requires really idiotic characters

It’s so easy not to read a cursed book out loud

Speaking of Ash’s all-American charm, there is an element of evil Dead films that the series has always struggled to justify since its inception. The premise of evil Dead movies require their characters to act incredibly stupidand every film goes out of its way to justify why someone would read aloud a clearly cursed book that’s covered in warnings about avoiding its contents. Since the series is always fun, it’s easy to overlook this nonsense. However, it remains the silliest element of the series, as each new character’s evil Dead film decide to risk their lives for the sake of idle curiosity.