The Evil Dead Experience

When we hear the word "remake" in films, there's a strong chance we flinch because we usually think remaking an original movie kills the spirit of the original film. But from the looks of Evil Dead which is a remake/reboot/loose sequel in the Evil Dead franchise, you won't think that way. Or at least I did not. 

Evil Dead is about five friends at a cabin in the woods when evil is unleashed and forces them to fight for their lives. Mia (Suburgatory's Jane Levy) is a drug addict who decides to go cold turkey and her brother David (Red Riding Hood's Shiloh Fernandez), his girlfriend Natalie (newcomer Elizabeth Blackmore), their friends David (Thumbsucker's Lou Taylor Pucci) and Olivia (Cloverfield's Jessica Lucas) are with her for support and reinforcements. Then the Book of the Dead is discovered and shit starts coming down and the evil forces around the cabin begin possessing them one by one. 

When people first learned about an Evil Dead remake, the fans of the original cried for no remake because they want this one untainted but producers Sam Raimi (director of the Evil Dead trilogy), Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell (Ash Williams of the original trilogy) made sure that fans of the original films and incoming new fans will love this remake and they carefully picked a director for their baby. It looks like they nailed it because Fede Alvarez took this film to a whole new level of carnage and gore. By the way, Evil Dead is Alvarez's feature film debut. 

Fede Alvarez wanted the film to be ultra bloody and brutal and you got it. But he didn't do it haphazardly. The new Evil Dead doesn't look like a bloody B-movie. NO. It's actually well made. It's also relentless when the horror begins and even though this new version removes the absurd and dark humor of the trilogy, Alvarez managed to keep the bizarre feel which is one of the essences of the original trilogy (I think I'll stop here for the comparisons between this and the original). 

The calm before the storm

Additionally, he wanted the film to be CG-free. It was revealed in interviews and set reports that all of the effects in the film are practical effects and the crew researched on magic tricks and illusions to perhaps cover them up and they did an awesome job at keeping the effects as practical and cringe-worthy as possible. The film was also shot beautifully and I think that the cinematography looks glossy and yet, there's still this feel of grittiness which is enhanced by the set design.

Worst hangover ever?

I have to commend the actors for doing a great job and for taking on this film because they are all willing to get dirty and bloody which is an indicator that as an actor, you care for the film you're working on. I learned from one of Jane Levy's interview that she really has to be buried alive in once scene and she did it even though of course, being buried alive is not a comfortable feeling while working.

Feast on this, motherfucker! - Mia

Speaking of Jane Levy, I think she is the standout among the five leads. Her portrayal of the junkie Mia brings a whole new level of depth and edge to the character and her moments of terror and redemption.

And the characters here are not just for body count. When they die, you won't feel empty. There's a possibility that you'll feel bad for the characters because they don't actually fill the stereotypical slut, jock, and virgin roles. They're not there to have a good time. They're there to support Mia as she tries to recover from her addiction. I actually felt bad for them especially this one character which I won't give out obviously to avoid spoiling the film.

For the fans of the original trilogy, the film has a lot of references for them to discover. If you're a fan of the films, prepare to hunt for easter eggs in stor for you as the film pays a lot of homage and tributes to the trilogy. And for those whose attentions were caught by the trailers, trust me, the trailers did not spoil anything at all. There are still surprises you have yet to see in Evil Dead and they are really, really worth the wait especially AFTER THE CREDITS.

My only concerns for the new film are one: there are some inconsistencies in the plot and two: it's not really the most terrifying film like they said it would be.

In the end, the new Evil Dead will win hearts of genre fans, gore hounds, and fans of the franchise because they'll get what they came for: gore, shocks, and a well-made horror remake/reboot that works and it can be an exhausting experience for the faint-hearted.

RATING: 4/5

TRAILER: 

(Trailer courtesy of YouTube and images courtesy of the red band trailer)

My Own Saga: Breaking Down Part 3

That awkward moment when you know you still have a lot of things to do but you're not moving because you have no idea where to start. That awkward moment when you listen to a song and suddenly, you feel tears falling from your eyes.

This is how I am right now. Unproductive and breaking down. In my head, I know I have a lot of things to accomplish but it seems that laziness is bringing out the worst in me. I turned into a slob, something I never wanted to become. Things are just lying somewhere around my room. My bag looks like a dumping ground for papers and such. Papers are accidentally crumpled due to my laziness. I've become a bit disorganized with my schedule. My thoughts are just frantically pouring and I am not thinking well.

I want to go back. Return to how I used to live. (Except for the apartment part, it's still convenient.) I want to live my life like I can still handle things without going nuts over them. I want to feel relaxed in a way that I can face my problems head on without acting careless or reckless or stupid. I want to look up to myself as well. I want to feel happy for myself without forgetting the things I'm supposed to prioritize.

I hope that before the year ends, I can finally begin the recovery so that when the new year arrives, I'm also healed. I do not want to stay forever in this phase. I want to grow up. I want to move on. I want to let most of the unnecessary burdens go and walk my life with the important ones. Finally, I want to breathe.

"You can breathe today."

(Courtesy of YouTube and Octone Records)

Just Got Sucker Punched

I'm not a big fan of Zack Snyder's works except for Dawn of the Dead since it's a horror movie but I'm attracted to his latest and first original and PG-13 film entitled Sucker Punch.

Sucker Punch deals with Baby Doll (Emily Browning), a 20 year old woman sent to an institution and is about to be lobotomized after accidentally killing her sister for defending them from her stepfather's evil motives. Now she befriended four fellow inmates: sisters Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish) and Rocket (Jena Malone), Amber (Jamie Chung), and Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) and they plan on escaping the asylum. As they acquire the essential items for their escape, they also undergo in these dreams where they also have to get the items for their journey to freedom while battling zombie Nazis, dragons, orcs, robots and giant samurai warriors.

It is designed as an action-fantasy in an epic scale in terms of special effects and action sequences. You will really be unprepared for the dazzling dream worlds, the breathtaking fight scenes, and the girls themselves as they kick ass. These five young women are sort of new to the fighting and violence so it's cool to see them punch, kick, and shoot. The gloomy color of the film helps sets the atmosphere and the mood for the 1950s and the story. The music and especially the soundtrack is also one of the film's advantages. I heard the whole soundtrack and I definitely love it. The film does not forget to have slow motion sequences and stylish shots which are Zack Snyder's trademarks in his films.

Here's what's disappointing with Sucker Punch. The film is bombarded with a lot of CGI flair and because of this, the movie seems to forget about the plot and the characters' growth. We have five girls to root on and sympathize but we don't have enough information why we should feel for them. We don't know enough about how they ended up in the institution. We don't even see that they grew close because of their goal. I think we can blame the film's fast pace. We can only root for them because of the celebrities who portray the girls. Rocket is actually my favorite among them because I've been a fan of Jena Malone since Saved! and lately, I just saw her in Donnie Darko and I know that she's new to the whole fighting scenes and she really looks good and bad ass.

Sucker Punch has become one of my guilty pleasures because I enjoyed it despite having little depth. It's a fun popcorn flick actually. I'll be waiting for its release on home video especially with the fact that Zack Snyder has a Director's Cut to be released on DVD. I hope the Director's Cut will be better than the theatrical version since the MPAA wants him to cut some scenes and maybe those scenes are essential in plot and character development.

If you want a fun, action-filled experience, Sucker Punch promises to give you a hell of a blow but you have to apply the suspension of disbelief to truly enjoy this movie.

RATING: 3/5

Trailer:


(Trailer courtesy of YouTube)

Last Day High

Today was my last day of the semester. It ended great. There's no classes actually but I came to school to pass the script for RTV and like I said in my status on Facebook, I kicked some ass. I like it when people complement my works especially poems and writings but it's my first time writing a script and my professor enjoyed reading my work. It actually became my inspiration and motivation to finish what I started and to stand up because my group mates barely helped me at all. (Dairen, I now know how you feel when I began to act all lazy. I'm so sorry about those times.)

After passing the script, I spent some time with Film Society and it was fun. We're actually pushing the plan of playing some "war game" with pellet guns. They liked the idea. I'm excited with it too. We went somewhere to look for some guns but our efforts were futile.

Then, I'm about to make some progress with the OJT or on-the-job training. I'll finish my resume tonight. I hope I can come to the OJT hunt and the film lecture in UP tomorrow. I'll try to be active this summer. :)

Before I go, here's a song to accompany me in my triumphs today. I must say I turned the tables and now, they're under my thumb. I kicked their asses.

(Courtesy of Decca Records and YouTube)

A Hard Day's Night

It's been a hard day's night. I'm exhausted, worn out, tired, restless... pick one. It's all the same. I went to school at around 07:00 AM and I got home at around 10:20 PM all because of a technical and dress rehearsal for our Production subject. It's been fun I admit but I can never forget that one scene I just went through twice. Twice because I have to take the spot of my classmate since he got sick. I'm not blaming him because first, it's a health matter and second, it's sort of a way to pay him back.

This particular scene is what I can't afford to narrate here but here's what I can only say. I'm stripped off spiritually. :)) I really can't believe that I actually did it. Until now, my mind is still processing what the f*** I just did. I wish I can sleep it all away instead.

Also, hearing a song featured in that scene now made me tremble because I can vividly remember the whole scene. Everyone's laughing and I don't want to hear what others are saying. It's the first time I did such a thing and I'm uncomfortable with it. Who does? I'm sure those people who are inclined in that field are willing to do what I just did a few hours ago.

I now need to recollect myself and reflect on all the things that happened this day and I still have to finish writing the sequence treatment for my RTV subject. We still have a long way to go. Yay me. You know, if I could just change one of my groupmates to another group member, then so be it. I will not hesitate. It's his loss. He did not contribue something. I already told him the things he needed to do and I waited but it seems that I waited for nothing from that son of a gun. Gah.

I also want to return some of my habits before. I'm sort of missing my old life and I want to go back somehow. I think I mentioned this in one of my posts before. In case if no one remembered, I want to return to being more serious in my studies and I have a lot of focus on reading and understanding. I really feel like I was smart and intellectual back then. Right now, I think like I just turned into a slacker and I'm uncomfortable with it.

Here's a little something to make me pass through the night.

(Courtesy of YouTube and EMI Records)

Time

Time. It can be our ally. It can be our opponent. But one thing is constant in time. It does not wait for anyone.

This is what I learned this past few days and yet, I still haven't applied the lesson. I'm such a dumb ass. My lifestyle is still disorganized. My brain is burning out. I'm wasting my time doing distractions and procrastinating. What the hell have I done? Life is supposed to be simple and time is supposed to go along with it but it looks like I misuse and abuse the time I have and it made my life messy and complicated. I'm already complicated myself.

I have a lot of things to accomplish within the weekend. Lots of articles to write and the deadline is on Tuesday. I'll make sure we can finish all these this weekend.

If this weekend will be successful, I'd like to play this as I go home this Sunday. It's Time by Hans Zimmer from the Inception soundtrack. I love this track because it made me feel that I have achieved something.

(Video from YouTube.)