How Good is the new Evil Dead Movie?

Next time you find a book that’s wrapped up in barbed wire, has warnings in blood, and can’t be burned, here’s a little hint: DON’T READ IT!

“Evil Dead” hit theaters bringing back the series since its original release in 1981. The original film was about five people staying the night in a cabin in the middle of the woods when they discover something horrifying. They find a book that is bound in human flesh and inked in blood that speaks of demons that seek to take human’s souls known as the Book of the Dead. An audio recording of an archeologist who had found the book says an incantation, which causes everything to go horrible. On by one, the people are killed and taken over by the demons until one remains named Ash Williams, played by Bruce Campbell. The original “Evil Dead” went on to have two more sequels that started to become more action with one-liners while still focused on horror.

The re-boot does the series justice and more with many similarities. Five people still go out in the woods and the Book of the Dead is found in the basement. However it is a group of different characters with the main two are David and Mia, who are brother and sister. The group has gathered to help stop Mia from her drug addiction. Of course Mia tries to explain the horror that begins to happen after one from the group reads the incantation, they blame it her drug withdrawal. It’s only when she becomes possessed by the dead when things start to get really bad.

The big kick about this movie is that there is gore and blood. A lot of gore and blood. The part that makes the film stand out the most in this film is that all the effects are practical done effects. CGI only was used for a touch up here and there giving a true realistic look of things happening in the film. That being said this could be one of the most gore-filled films ever, and it will have viewers grimacing and being disgusted by some of the effects due to the realistic nature of them. The original rating was NC-17 for the film, and it barely made it down to an R rating with a few edits. And that’s saying a lot.

But the big decision is will fans of the original “Evil Dead” enjoy this film? Absolutely. There’s a number of references to the original film, as well as most of the sequences and shots being the same.  The one thing the film lacks is some of the little bits of humor from the original, but this new film does have its moments.  A lot of familiar horror themes exist in the film, but viewers will be surprised when some will be broken and affect the plot greatly.

Overall if you are a fan of horror and the Evil Dead series, you owe it to yourself to watch this. If you are not a fan of either it is in your best interests to steer clear of this film if you don’t want nightmares.

4/5 Stars

Dead Space 3 Review

This review was originally written in late Feburary 2013.

Horror video games are a genre that over time have been disappearing over time. As Resident Evil became more and more action oriented and Silent Hill’s quality began to reduce, it seemed that a good horror game would be hard to find. That is until the first Dead Space game came out in 2008 bringing a new kind of horror gameplay. But has it prevailed through the series in the latest installment?

Dead Space 3 continues its story with its main character Isaac Clarke, the engineer with all the bad luck in the world. Isaac tries to keep himself alive discovering the humans turning into creatures known as Necromorphs after they die. In the past two games he has travelled destroying two Markers, alien artifacts causing the changes, and suffering through dementia the Marker caused nearly driving him insane. It didn’t help that there were also Necromorphs around every single corner trying to kill him waiting in the dark. In Dead Space 3, Isaac reluctantly heads with what is left of the government of earth to go to an unknown ice planet where supposedly all the Markers could be destroyed therefore ending all the madness he has gone through.

The gameplay is similar of the to the past and will keep a player on the edge of their seat as they walk through dark corridors with their weapon pointed down not knowing if danger awaits. Using all the controls players can either aim, fire, change weapons, move heavy objects with a small kinetic module, or put things into slow motion with a Stasis module. Gameplay is fun as always, while a little difficult to get at first, it’s easy to get a hang of. 

A number of changes have been in the title separating it from the past ones in the series. Spare parts are collected to create upgrades and weapons instead of gathering cash to a shop. Speaking of weapons, they are numerous options leaving the choice in the players hand on how to upgrade or create what they want, making it easily the best new part of the game. There are endless combinations such as shotguns with bayonets that are charged with electricity to flamethrowers that sling saw blades. Another option is the ability to play co-op with a friend as new character, John Carver, to take down the horror together. While it is fun to traverse through the multiple environments with a friend, there is one major flaw in this is that you can only play multiplayer online. It is impossible to play with a friend on a couch which makes an extreme disappointment.

The overall campaign is a good long one of 19 chapters plus a number of side missions, making gameplay last a long time and also offers a large amount of replay value. While Dead Space 3 is a fun game and enjoyable, it seems to have lost some of its horror charm. No longer do you experience dementia (unless you are player two on side missions only for two players), wondering if everything around you is real or not. No longer does something grab you and try to drag you to your death to which you have to react quickly to press the right buttons. While there are still moments where you might jump and grip your controller hoping you survive, the main feeling of isolation and truly being alone in vastness of space no longer seems to be an impact. 

4/5 Stars.

SINCE THEN: My view on Dead Space 3 still stands. It's unkown at this point if the series will continue based on how it ended, but I'm guessing it will as there are a number of questions unanswered. The game is more horror cinematic effects rather then keeping the player on their feet. There are plenty of jump scares still, but it's nowhere the same as the first where walking down the hallways in the first game.