Army of Darkness (1992) Review

Director: Sam Raimi
Stars: Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Also Known As: Evil Dead III, Evil Dead 3, Medieval Dead

The final film in one of my favorite trilogies of all time, and definitely one of the best horror trilogies of all time (maybe only surpassed by Romero's Living Dead series).

This film is much more comedy orientated. The first Evil Dead was straight up horror. The second one was horror, but with a very heavy focus on comedy. The third is comedy, with a light focus on horror. There isn't really any scary parts in here, but damn are there some funny ones.

The plot picks up from the end of Evil Dead II, and Ash has gone back in time to a medieval setting to fight off an army of the undead. The plot leads to some completely ridiculous moments and highly memorable scenes. We see Ash fight his evil self, we see him get attacked by books, it's all what you'd expect from a film with Bruce Campbell in it.

By this one Bruce Campbell as Ash is a full-fledged badass. Killing deadites with his chainsaw and boomstick, dropping one-liners and kissing babes all the meanwhile. It's fucking awesome. 

Though this one isn't really as scary as the last two, it still manages to deliver a creepy atmosphere. This is greatly due to the great set design. The graveyard scene is definitely my favorite, feeling straight out of a Gothic Horror film. Not to mention that it really does feel like a true medieval setting, with castles and whatnot.

The army of skeletons are also very threatening. I mean, there's tons of them. They really did a good job making it feel like an actual army. It would have been very easy to make the deadite army just a bunch of generic minion skeletons, but instead they gave every minion personality. Firstly, every skeleton has a facial expression, mostly by means of arched eyebrows. That alone makes them unique.

But each deadite also is humorous. Whether it be the Scottish deadites (who some how have beards on their bones) or the cowardly deadites. It all adds to the humor of the film, but it does so while giving the enemy personality. Which is great.

Plus the deadites stop-motion compliments their creepy factor wonderfully. Because what would a skeleton move like? They wouldn't move seamlessly and smoothly, no, they'd be shaky, unstable, and unnatural looking. Which the stop-motion achieves, making them more realistic due to unrealistic effects. Marvelous.

The effects here are truly amazing. The Army of Darkness DVD (I have the Screwhead edition) has a bonus feature on the making of the deadites. They actually built trenches to walk through so they could hold the deadites up. They had to make tons of those skeletons only to be destroyed, and many times they had to make them right there on set inbetween shoots. If you get hold of the DVD, be sure to check out the bonus features.

Though I still think the original Evil Dead had the best special effects overall.

I needn't say much about the humor. It's funny as hell. Bruce Campbell's one-liners are not only funny, but so is his slapstick performance. Or "Splatstick" as he calls it. I'd expect that Bruce came out with a few bumps and bruises by the time this film was done. I'd easily rank this film as one of the top 25 funniest films I've ever seen.

Sam Raimi does a fabulous job directing. Returning are the signature camera angles from the first two, albeit not as prominently featured.

There are two different endings, both of which I've seen. Surprisingly, I actually loved both endings. One ending wraps it up, and the other leaves it open for a sequel. Both are awesome, and that's saying something coming from me, who tends to be very picky about endings.

So, yes, Army of Darkness is my favorite of the Evil Dead films. I don't consider it a horror film though, so I'd still say the first two are better horror flicks, but this one is just so fun to watch. Highly recommended. 

Predecessors: The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987)

Purchase Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness on Amazon: Blu-Ray - DVD - Stream

The Idiots (1998) Review

Director: Lars von Trier
Genre: Dogma 95, Drama, Comedy

The Idiots is one of the first of few films to fall into the Dogma 95 genre. Directed by Lars von Trier, the man who actually invented the genre himself with the Dogme '95 Manifesto. For those who aren't film experts I will provide a brief summary of what the genre entails.

Dogma 95 is an attempt to achieve the purest form of film. The Manifesto states that in order for a film to be classified as so it must: (1) Not bring in external props to a set; all props must have been there naturally. (2) Must be filmed with a hand-held camera. (3) Must be in color and use natural lighting; no filters either. (4) No sound can be edited into the film, i.e, music or sound effects. (5) The director must not be credited.

That just about sums it up, there are many more rules and guidelines but you get the gist. This genre, though created in 1995, never actually saw a film that followed the guidelines until 1998. The Idiots was one of the first, and even it broke a few of the rules.

Now whether or not you're a fan of the genre, or as the director may call it: a cinematic revolution, it will really make or break whether or not you enjoy this film. Fans of the genre will love it, those who dislike the genre will dislike it. Those who wish to get into the genre, this film is as good a place as any to start. 

The Idiots is about a group of people who "channel their inner idiots" by going into public and acting as if they were mentally handicapped. It may sound a bit silly, and it is, leading to plenty of good laughs. The latter half of the film however gets fairly dramatic when some members of the group of challenged to "spass" (meaning act like a retard) in front of their families. Spassing is something they really only did in front of complete strangers, and it is tougher than you may think for them to bring their secret hobbies into their family.

The plot isn't very straightforward or linear, it's more of just an brief glimpse into the lives of extraordinary people. It won't hold your hand or explain to you what is happening, it leaves all the figuring out and interpreting up to you, the viewer.

Often classified as a Dramatic Comedy, which I can't disagree with, there are some hilarious scenes here. Take for example the scene when Stoffer leaves his "mentally disabled brother" in a pub with a bunch of bikers while he goes to do something for ten minutes. Hilarity ensues when the bikers, who were told to watch after him, try and help him use the bathroom and so on. Very funny. Or the whole baby food, children's food dialogue bit I found to be pretty funny also.

The film isn't necessarily trying to be funny, not in a conventional comedic sense at least. There are no jokes or acts, it merely allows you to spectate the lives of these people and how you react to it is completely subjective. I'd imagine there are many people who would find it horrid or ghastly or sad, just as many would find it funny. Some, like myself, will find it to be all of that.

The first half of the film we see these people acting like idiots, and we laugh at them, but they're happy. Acting like idiots makes them happy and is even therapeutic for them; and for that you understand and even respect them. But the second half plays with our emotional side. We see how their spassing effects their families, or how they may even be ashamed of themselves secretly. There is some pretty emotional stuff in here, and it is all very believable. 

Which brings me to the acting. The acting here is some of the most believable stuff I have ever witnessed. I often found myself forgetting it was even a film. It is a very real and raw film, not holding back or censoring itself at all. It shows all. The acting though feels as if you're really just watching someone's real life, someone unaware of a present camera. It takes the film to a new level all on its own.

The Idiots is often called offensive or disgraceful, but no, it is simply a realistic portrayal of people and how they act. Something that many people cannot accept.

If I had anything bad to say about this it'd probably be its length. It is two hours long and it does drag a lot, and it does get boring or uninteresting. It's a film that I doubt you'd want to rewatch too soon, but a film I know I'd eventually want to, when it is mostly forgotten.

It's a film that manages to be beautiful and ugly at the same time. Is funny and scary, happy and sad, gentle and pornographic, I'd even say the film is both good and bad. And you know how it achieves such a thing? Because it is essentially real life through a camera. Life isn't one adjective, it's all of them. And while most of us don't go around and purposefully act like retards, it is through this that we get to see sides of people we'd never see otherwise. This film is the closest you'll get to real life on screen, and it somehow manages that with a plot about people acting like mental retards. That, to me, is quite amazing.

What can I say, it's a film, watch it.

Purchase The Idiots on Amazon: DVD

The Toxic Avenger (1984) Film Review

Director: Lloyd Kaufman
Stars: Mitch Cohen, Patrick Kilpatrick
Genre: Horror, Comedy, B-Movie, Splatter

Who doesn't like The Toxic Avenger? It's easily Troma's most recognizable film, and definitely one of their best. Troma is, for those unfamiliar, a production company that makes very low budget horror films. I'm talking very low budget. I mean, these guys pretty much set the definition for what a B-Movie is. They've made such films as Terror Firmer, The Class of Nuke 'Em High, or the masterpiece that is Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.

Troma Entertainment have always made the movies that they felt like making and I don't think they've ever taken themselves seriously. And that's something you need to know when going into one of their films: it's just for fun. The same goes for their classic The Toxic Avenger. Go in expecting diamonds, you'll leave disappointed. Go in expecting a very funny and outrageous puddle of mud, you will enjoy yourself immensely.

The plot goes like this: There was a boy named Melvin who worked at a gym. Everyone made fun of him and picked on him, until one day they took it too far. They drove Melvin to end up falling out of the window and into a barrel of toxic waste. Thus giving birth to Toxie, New Jersey's first superhero! Toxie then makes it his goal to rid the town of evil, but the mayor of the town being evil himself did not like this idea. So the entire film is a battle between Toxie and evil and the town versus monster.

It's a fairly simple plot, not the most ridiculous Troma has written, but still a very enjoyable plot. I can't really say any of the character's were likable, except maybe Toxie, but they were all definitely well done. No one likes Melvin, but you definitely feel bad for him. Or the Bozo character who was filled with tons of energy and really was quite frightening. The Mayor was perfectly corrupt, the cop was perfectly '80s. Even those robbers holding up the Mexican restaurant were all memorable. Frank the smooth talking black guy who can spin a switchblade in his fingers like nobody's business, or the crazy shotgun wielding Leroy with painted face, looking like he came straight from A Clockwork Orange audition.

There's also a bit of suspense with the Toxie character. They intentionally never give you a good look at his face for a while. So there was some thought that went into the pacing and buildup to the character, which definitely isn't a bad thing. It's nothing amazing but a nice addition.

The fight scenes are actually pretty awesome. The restaurant scene is my favorite. The deaths are pretty cool too. Whether their cooked to death in a stove, or deep-fried, or have their skulls crushed by weights. It's all awesome, hilarious, over the top, and done with decent effects. 

What can one really say about a film like this? There's sadistic thugs who run over children and the elderly to gain points in their made-up game. There's girls who masturbate to pictures of mutilated corpses. Gory death scenes. A bad ass driving scene that ends with a car blowing up. A hero that is perhaps as twisted as the ones he kills, but looks awesome and is aesthetically memorable. If none of these things make you want to watch this than this film is not for you.

Oh, there's also a scene with Marisa Tomei. Yeah, you know, the famous actress best known for her role in My Cousin Vinny. Yeah, her first film was The Toxic Avenger. She didn't say anything, or even do much, and she was only on screen for about two seconds as an extra, but still. Marisa Fuckin' Tomei.

The Toxic Avenger is wonderfully cheesy, ridiculously funny, and over the top gory. If you know what you're getting in to, it's hard not to enjoy yourself. 

Recommended for: Troma fans, Gorehounds, fans of B-movies

Sequels: The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989), Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989), Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000), The Toxic Avenger V: Toxic Twins

There was also a spin-off animated children's cartoon called Toxic Crusaders which was based on The Toxic Avenger. Yes, this film got a children's cartoon. 

Purchase The Toxic Avenger: DVD - Stream

Evil Dead II (1987) Review

Director: Sam Raimi
Stars: Bruce Campbell
Genre: Horror, Comedy

A follow up to Sam and Bruce's 1981 The Evil Dead, though Evil Dead 2 doesn't continue the story of the first, it actually reboots it. I'm not exactly sure why they thought they needed a reboot of a film only six years old, but I guess it worked out for the best.

It's essentially the same plot as the first, but we get thrown into the action much quicker here. There's really no build-up and within the first ten minutes we already see Bruce, or Ash rather as his character is named, killing demons. His girlfriend gets possessed and he has to kill her. Then more people actually go to the cabin, looking for their father who was supposed to be working there. Together they do their best to survive the evil demons.

This one puts much more of an emphasis on comedy rather than horror. The first one was much, much scarier and had a vastly superior atmosphere and sense of claustrophobia. It's a shame that this one didn't do those things as well, but this reboot does manage to do a few things better than the first.

First of all, this film is hilarious. It might even be a bit funnier than Army of Darkness when it comes down to it. Bruce Campbell successfully delivers a very slapstick performance that will have you laughing the entire time. My favorite scene hands-down is when all the furniture in the house comes alive and starts laughing at Ash and Ash just laughs right back at them. I could watch that scene all day.

And you have to love Ash's possessed hand who just keeps causing problems. I suspect it was inspired by a short film Sam and Bruce worked on withe their friend Scott Spiegel directing (who also co-wrote the script for Evil Dead) when they were younger called Attack of the Helping Hand!

Bruce Campbell as Ash is a much more memorable and iconic character than from the first one. In the first one he was almost a generic genre character, but in this he's much more of a badass and dons his signature look, with chainsaw and double barrel.

I shouldn't even have to say that Bruce Campbell gives an amazing performance. But I will. Bruce Campbell gives an amazing performance. He's a charm to watch every second.

This film, as with all the others in the series, has its awesome camera angles and techniques. From the swooping shot to the weird distorted shot, it's all quite beautiful camerawork. As I've said before, The Evil Dead series has some of the greatest cinematography in the horror genre. 

The special effects are decently done. I still think the first one has the best effects of the entire series, but the effects here aren't too bad. They're not as scary but they get the job done.

The original Evil Dead felt like a very traditional horror film, with a bunch of kids in a cabin in the woods it almost felt like a set-up to a Friday the 13th film. In here it doesn't feel like that at all, which is good, but alas it still has a few genre conventions. Like all the bad decisions made and whatnot. Still, an improvement from the first.

Many people consider this to be superior to the first one. I disagree. Though this does some things better, and some things worse, I still slightly prefer the original to this. The first one was actually scary and had such a great atmosphere. Though this one has the iconic Ash character and some pretty damn funny parts. So it is a tough one.

Either way both are worth watching. A classic of the genre. 

Fun fact: Evil Dead II references A Nightmare on Elm Street in one scene when Freddy Krueger's glove can be seen hanging on the wall. This is a reference to a reference in A Nightmare on Elm Street when The Evil Dead can be seen playing on the TV.  In turn, that scene was a reference to the torn The Hills Have Eyes poster seen in the original Evil Dead film, which was itself a reference to a torn Jaws poster in The Hills Have Eyes. Try figuring that shit out. 

Predecessor: The Evil Dead (1981)

Sequel: Army of Darkness (1992)

Remake: The Evil Dead (2013)

Purchase Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn: Blu-Ray - DVD - Stream

The Evil Dead (1981) Review

Director: Sam Raimi
Stars: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Hal Delrich, Theresa Tilly
Genre: Horror

The first entry in the Evil Dead series, directed by Sam Raimi and the film that sent Bruce Campbell towards horror movie stardom. A necessary film to watch for any horror fan.

The plot is fairly simple. Five friends go out to a cabin in the woods to have some fun but they instead end up unleashing some sort of demonic force that tries to possess them all into murderous demons. Pretty standard horror fare.

Though a pretty simple plot and only one real location (mostly due to budget limitations), The Evil Dead still manages to stand out from the rest. 

In Sam Raimi's feature length directorial debut he does a wonderful job with the film. I've always said, and still believe, that The Evil Dead has the best cinematography in a horror film. Ever. Not only the series' signature swooping camera movements, but really just about every shot is unique in its own little way; whether it be a POV shot from the cellar or Bruce Campbell beating up a deadite while his friend bleeds to death in the background.

You have to somewhat admire their choice to not make it a typical slasher film, which many were doing at the time and would have probably been much easier to pitch to a production company or distributor. Instead they opted out to focus more on the victims rather than a super jacked up villain. Though the film still falls into many horror genre conventions. After all, it is just a bunch of kids in the woods trying not to die.

Every character has their share of stupid decisions, and Bruce Campbell's fiercest foe in here seems to be shelves. All the characters in here are pretty dumb and stereotypical, including Bruce Campbell as Ash, being that this was before Bruce turned into the badass hero in many of his later films (including the following two Evil Dead films). Not to mention the acting is nothing really exceptional, but of course Bruce can make any film enjoyable. 

The atmosphere however is pretty damn awesome. There is a lurking suspense the entire time and I can honestly say it's kind of scary. There are a few cheap scares and fake scares, e.g., a friend scaring another friend, but that really wasn't as big of a cliche at the time. But I can honestly say this is genuinely scary. The deadites are spooky as hell (ha, get it, from hell) especially during that singing part.

The film does a good job making you feel as if they're actually trapped in those woods, as if there truly is no way out. You may very likely often wonder just how in hell they'll get out of there alive. It definitely uses it's setting to its advantage, making the woods itself an actual enemy. Even the fucking trees are trying to kill them. This allows for not only an internal threat (the deadites in the cabin, which are just themselves possessed) but it also adds and external threat, i.e., the trees.

There's also a scene where a tree rapes a girl. Yeah, you read that right. A cinematic first I'd assume.

The effects and make-up are pretty awesome. The deadites look very scary, but more importantly they actually look demonic, possessed, and completely twisted. The stop-motion effects used toward the end are very obviously stop-motion but this, for me, makes it even creepier. Because it looks so unnatural it just makes you a bit uneasy.

This film is more of a traditional horror film than its two sequels which are much more comedy focused. There is some comedy in here though. Black Comedy mostly, and it's pretty subtle but it's definitely not unintentionally funny. It seems as if the director wanted a bit of comedy in here. And it works. It works well.

An intense, scary, and occasionally funny film that is required viewing for any horror lover. Five unknown actors in a film directed by an unknown director (at the time) managed to make a staple in the genre. And that is what true horror filmmaking is all about.

Recommended for: Bruce Campbell fans, fans of horror

Pros:

+Bruce Campbell

+Awesome camera angles and cinematography

+Good atmosphere

+Creepy effects

+Always stays interesting

Cons:

-Average acting

-Falls prey to many genre conventions

Sequels: Evil Dead II (1987), Army Of Darkness (1992)

Remake: The Evil Dead (2013)

Purchase The Evil Dead: Blu-Ray - DVD - Stream