Fede Alvarez was reportedly handpicked by Sam Raimi, and it’s no wonder why. That’s not to say the film is without merit. Granted, a post credits tag is likely only to be seen by diehard fans anyway, but what kind of cheap, pandering, meaningless waste of Bruce Campbell’s time and ours was that? What are you making here, an Evil Dead remake, or an Evil Dead fan film? No scene, no context, nothing actually happening onscreen, just a popular B-movie actor saying something you’ve already heard him say a thousand times*. The crowning moment of pointlessness that pretty much sums the whole thing up is the post credits tag which is nothing more than a three-second clip in which Bruce Campbell walks on to say one of his famous catchphrases. The film contains not one, but two references to the famous hand cutting scene from Evil Dead II, as well as a meaningful glance at a chainsaw by a character who never actually uses it.
#EVIL DEAD 2013 TREE SCENE MOVIE#
So how exactly does tree rape tie in to that? What does sexual violence have to do, either literally or symbolically, with this character’s arc? Why is this in your movie other than as a nod to the first one? Because I find it more than a little disturbing that you’re playing the brutal demonic rape of a young girl as fan service.Īnd that’s just the worst example. It opens the movie, it closes the movie, it’s clearly meant to drive the movie emotionally. Not a very subtle or clever one, and the film tends to forget about it altogether, but it’s there all the same. The movie is, believe it or not, a metaphor for drug abuse. It has character arcs and running themes. But the problem here is that this Evil Dead isn’t a mindless exploitation film. It was a shock moment in a film that was all about shock moments, so it worked. Granted, it’s one of the most memorable moments from the original, but why the hell would you want to include a moment that even Sam Raimi himself thought was a mistake the first time around? In the first Evil Dead, the rape scene, while arguably misogynistic, at least fit with the mindless exploitation movie tone. Probably the biggest misstep among these homage moments is the recreation of the infamous “tree rape” scene. On the other hand, the film is filled with moments designed as callbacks, which leave all the non-fans in the audience scratching their heads wondering what they’re not in on. On the one hand, the film frequently zigs where its predecessor zags, crafting a different narrative with its own themes and ideas, as well as more modern style and pacing.
#EVIL DEAD 2013 TREE SCENE UPDATE#
The film has no idea whether it wants to update the film to be its own entity or just pay homage to the original, and as a result of this lack of focus, it succeeds at neither. If you try to cater to both audiences, you will end up catering to neither.Īnd unfortunately, it’s a question that director Fede Alvarez apparently never really answered for himself. Tip for future filmmakers: When faced with a remake, the first thing you must do is ask yourself this question: Who are you making this film for? Fans of the original, or everyone else? The answer to that question should guide every decision you make on the film. And in the case of remakes, the core problem is usually a lack of purpose. It was bad because it was a sloppily put together vanity project. Battlefield Earth was not bad because it had too many Dutch angles or the costumes were goofy looking. Surface issues like bad action, dialogue, acting, set and costume design, camerawork, etc.
In point of fact, if you point to any aesthetic issues with a film as a reason for its awfulness, you’re almost always going to be off the mark.
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