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Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn

Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: *whistle*... "Come get some."
Review: First off, is "Evil Dead 2" a sequel or remake? It's a sequel, folks. The first 10 minutes are simply a vague rehash of what happened in the first film and then, well... the fun begins!

This movie isn't anywhere near as gory as the first "Evil Dead." It has it's share of blood, but for the most part, like in "Men in Black," the red stuff is replaced by various colors of splattery goo (such as green and black). But, unlike the first one, I don't watch the sequel to satisfy my blood lust. Instead, I watch it for Bruce Campbell and the jaw-dropping low budget production value. "Evil Dead 2" cost more to make than it's predecessor, but not by much. But this film has the look and feel of a major 80's blockbuster.

Highlights of the film include Ash flying through the forest in the beginning, a terrific stop-motion zombie dance sequence followed by an outrageous fight with a severed head, a bizarre scene in which Ash shares a chuckle with objects in the cabin, a hilarious feud between our hero and his possessed hand and, my personal favorite, the scene where Ash and his female counterpart gear up for battle. "... Groovy."

Despite the lack of overbearing gore, Sam Raimi pulls out all the stops in style. "Evil Dead 2" features some of the coolest camera work I've ever seen in a movie. This was the pre-MTV era, folks, and Raimi doesn't rely on quick cuts and unnecessary close-ups to keep the audience engrossed. In other words, for me, it's good to watch a fun, professional movie like "Evil Dead 2" without having to feel drunk due to the music-video-style syndrome of modern filmmaking.

Every good movie should get a royal treatment when it comes to DVD, so it's no suprise that Anchor Bay has loaded this edition with great extras. My favorite part of this DVD is the commentary ("Say hello to PAPA!!"), which is probably the best, most entertaining and most informative voice-over I've heard in my life. You'll actually WANT to listen to this more than once. Another good extra is the documentary "the Gore the Merrier," which chronicles the painstaking make-up effects of "Evil Dead 2." This is a fun documentary and, like the commentary, doesn't get old fast. Also included are talent bios, a theatrical traier, a preview of the video game "Hail to the King," a few still galleries, and an option to watch the film in either fullscreen or widescreen. You'll want to pick widescreen.

Anyway, as you can probably tell by now, I absolutely loved this movie. If you want to see how Ash's zombie-killing legacy ends, be sure to watch Army of Darkness, which is even funnier than this movie!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better Than Before.
Review: EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN is a sequel to the classic horror film, EVIL DEAD. The first seven minutes are so of the film retell what happened in the first film, but in condensed form (due to legal reasons, footage for the first film was not allowed in this one, so they had to retell the events; hard to do with only one returning actor from the first picture). Ash is back and after briefly being possessed after his night of hell, he is saved by the rising sun. Unable to escape the woods, he returns to the cabin to defend himself. He's attacked by the dead body and chopped off head of his deceased girlfriend, Linda. In the process, he has his right hand infected by the Evil and chops it off to save the rest of himself. Ash is later joined by a quartet: the professor's daughter, her finance, and two country hicks. They arrive in search of the Professor, but instead find Ash and well, things get all confused.

EVIL DEAD was made to be a strictly horror film, but included the slightest hints of humor. EVIL DEAD 2 has a few frightening moments, but is mostly a dark comedy woven within a tale of terror. Sam Raimi was really finding his style as a director and his touch is all over this movie. Bruce Campbell is great as Ash and plays the role with just the right dose of frightened bravo cockiness. The movie wouldn't have been as good with anyone else in the role.

I found EVIL DEAD 2 to be much more enjoyable than the first film. It was suspenseful without being frightening; chilling without being creepy; funny without being corny. If you're looking for a straight horror film, watch EVIL DEAD. However, if you want to watch a dark comedy interlaced with some moments of gore, watch EVIL DEAD 2.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Bruce comes back with an attitude.
Review: The same evil comes back when Ash and his girlfriend go to another log cabin and find a tape player and a book (sounds familiar). After the tape player speaks, the evil comes back. Coming back with new laughs, new jumps, and new entertainment. While Ash is fighting off evil, 4 other characters walk through the woods to find the cabin and half of the characters want the book of the dead. Ash is then finally confronted by them and are not suspecting the evil that lurks over them.

Most of the film is hilarious. Ash's hand gets taken over by evil. The raping tree comes back (just a prediciton I made from the first film), and Ash gets [irate]. Just so that some people don't get confused and all about this film guessing if it's a remake or a sequal. To me, I think its a mix. But anyway, after you watch the first one, you wouldn't want to waste time and not watch the second. You'll have a blast.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Et "2," Sam Raimi?
Review: *
Oddly enough, there is still some confusion over Sam Raimi's (''Is It A 'Sequel?'; Is It A 'Remake?'; Is It A 'Requel?'; Is It A 'Semake?''') movie, ''Evil Dead II.'' This confusion is not entirely unwarrented, however.

The assigning of the number ''two'' in the film's title automatically suggests that the film is a sequel (i.e., a 'second chapter' in a continuing saga). However, the events which take place between both films make it patently obvious that ''ED2'' is NOT a sequel.

In the first film, main characters Ashley and his girlfriend Linda arrive at the cabin with his sister and a couple of friends, everyone [except?/including? Ash] dies, and the ''Book of the Dead'' is destroyed in the fire. If ''Evil Dead II'' was intended to be a sequel to the first film, then who relocated the cursed isolated cabin atop a dizzyingly high cliff, and just how crazy would Ashley have to be in order to return there, where he either nearly lost his life or completely lost it before his miraculous resurrection, and how crazy would his resurrected girlfriend Linda have to be for tagging along with him back to the place where she was possessed by the evil undead and decapitated only to be repossessed and decapitated again, and why would she receive the same necklace and charm she had already received earlier and act all ga-ga as though she were receiving it for the very first time? And just how did the previously destroyed ''Book of the Dead'' suddenly rematerialize? It could all happen only if ''ED2'' was NOT a sequel.

What is it, then? Is the movie's title a ''play-on-words''-- i.e., ''The Evil Dead, TOO'' --meaning that the film is a ''remake?'' No, because, again, despite the many similarities between the two films (including the ''return'' of two key characters: Ashley and Linda), the overall theme, pacing, and introduction of a whole new set of supporting characters totally rule out any idea of this film's simply being a remake of an original. The title's inclusion of the number ''two'' is also clear indication that this film is something other than a remake.

So what's going on? How does one make sense of this seeming paradox brought about by these two radically similar yet radically dissimilar films?

I cannot begin to speak on behalf of the films' creator(s), but I personally find clarity in the titles of the two films. ''The Evil Dead'' is the ''official'' version of the film -- in other words, ''ED1'' is ''THE'' Evil Dead movie; ''Evil Dead TWO'' is actually the ''SECOND VERSION'' of ''The Evil Dead'' ... i.e., it is a ''NEW INTERPRETATION'' of the ''official'' film: Therefore, ''ÉD2'' could just as easily be called, ''Evil Dead 2[nd version]'' or ''Evil Dead 2[nd interpretation]'' for clarity. ''Evil Dead II'' is a ''STAND ALONE'' FILM, apart from ''Evil Dead I'' ... ''Army of Darkness''-- the so-called 'third installment' of the ''Evil Dead Trilogy'' --is specifically a sequel to ''Evil Dead II,'' NOT a ''continuation'' of the entire ''Evil Dead'' storyline.

Now whether ''ED2'' is the film Raimi and company ''would have'' made initially if their first ''Book of the Dead'' project (''Evil Dead's'' originally intended title) had access to the bigger budget the second film enjoyed is known only to Raimi and company: Judging from the similarities and differences, one can only guess. By direct comparison, ''ED2'' is much more of a lighthearted slapstick than its predecessor and the very graphic gore is more for storytelling and visual effect than for the shock value of the first film.

In ''Evil Dead II,'' Bruce Campbell reprises his role as Ash; the role of his girlfriend Linda, originally portrayed by Betsy Baker, is now taken over by Denise Bixler. The supporting characters are comprised this time of a couple of country hicks and a couple of archaeologists, one of whom happens to be the adult daughter of the cabin's previous occupant -- the man who first unwittingly released the evil entities into the surrounding woods by means of an ancient incantation from the ''Book of the Dead'' (the same entities which have been unwittingly re-released by Ash when he replays the incantation that had been left recorded on tape by the previous occupant).

As in the first film, the woods themselves come alive and prevent anyone from escaping their impending doom. But this group of unlikely heroes have an Ace in the hole: The daughter was paying a visit to the cabin in order to present her father with their latest and most significant find -- the 'lost pages' of the ''Book of the Dead,'' which include, among other things, an incantation to dispell the evil. So whereas ''Evil Dead I'' was a massacre in a one-sided losing battle, ''Evil Dead II'' is full-scale war from start to finish.

Bloody, hysterically funny at times, and packed with more memorable one-liners than a Steven Wright concert, ''Evil Dead II'' is definitely a welcome addition to any personal movie library ... don't let the hardcore ''Old School'' Evil Dead-ites dissuade you, or you'll miss out on a unique and enjoyable experience.

* * *

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "Who's Laughing NOW?!?!?!?"
Review: When I first saw Evil Dead II on opening night of it's original theatrical release, I was horrified to see that Director Sam Raimi had turned his back on my beloved horror genre, and made a bizarre splatter-slapstick movie, or what star Bruce
"Ash" Campbell would later call "Splatstick". I spent the whole running time fuming over this betrayal. How could the man behind the awesome Evil Dead make this travesty?

Well, with 15 years hindsight under my belt, I am now able to appreciate Evil Dead II for what it is: An over-the-top, out-of-control romp that keeps the blood gushing and the belly laughs coming from start to finish.

After a brief recap of the first Dead flick, we have a new batch of victims come to the cabin to be menaced (along with the leftover Ash...) by the "deadites". Much carnage ensues.....

The effects are great, and it's amazing to see what the filmmakers were able to accomplish with such a limited budget.
The extras are a lot of fun, too. The commentary with Campbell & Raimi is hilarious and enlightening, and the featurette, "The Gore The Merrier" is must-see for deadheads. There's also a couple of still galleries, the theatrical trailer, and your choice of Widescreen or full-frame. (Pick widescreen!)

As Ash would say, "Come get some!"

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The greatest movie of all time!
Review: This movie may at first seem like another gore galore horror film like dead alive among others, but infact is a very sophisticated horror comedy. But don't get me wrong this isn't just a comedy it does have shocks and scares through out the movie as well as humor that can be deranged at times it seems. I loved this movie because of the perfect blend of humor and horror its not a movie spoof like a scary movie which have no plot, no thought, and nothing to do really with horror. Also I thought the gore was excellently done in this movie, every special gore effect among the numerous other effects are done very well. I'd say if you are looking for a good gore movie with plenty of humor and scares this is the movie for you!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The Silly Dead
Review: If your looking for scares and shocks from this movie you won't get them. Well there's a few. The Film opens the same way the first evil
dead movie did (why would Ash go back to the same house, snd take
his new girlfriend??). anyway soon she becomes possessed,
poor Ash is minus another girlfriend to the deadites.
Ok I'll cut to the chase theres some cool scenes, The one where his
headless girlfriend is chasing him around the woodshed with a chain
saw. The other few scenes I liked was when Ash's hand becomes possessed by his girlfriends head. (It fallls in his lap) she bites him and he goes nuts trying to get it off.
soon he lops it off and it starts running around the house but not
before it beat's [up] Ash. Man he's got stamina
Otherwise It was a dissapointment to me

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Comically Horrifying!!!
Review: I must say I actually saw Evil Dead 2 before I saw the original Evil Dead. Evil Dead 2 is an absolute must see for fans of blood and gore. The blood and gore in this movie is Extreme to the max and will leave you screaming for more. Evil Dead 2 is just as funny as it is scary. It does not have much of a plot as Ash (Bruce Campbell) and his girlfriend drive to a secluded cabin in the middle of nowhere. Ash plays a tape and unleashes the evil dead. He and his girlfriend are then stalked by menacing demons and inanimate objects that come to life. What a great excuse to throw blood and gore all over the screen. Even though I've talked to people that say it's a stupid movie I believe Evil Dead 2 (Dead By Dawn) is clever, comical and outlandishly terrifying. If your not looking for an intriguing and interesting plot, but looking for plenty terrifying visuals , great special effects and GORE this is your film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You NEED this movie!!!!!
Review: First off, forgiver my typing. I am writing this review on an airport terminal! now on with the reveiw.Oh, my [gosh]!!! this movie is the pinacle of the"splatsttick" genre(and Ironically the start of it!)!! Coimedy Horror at it's best! In this movie, the king of the one liners Bruce campbell, reprises his role as reluctant zombbie-crusher Ash. ALSO, the girl who played Blair one the soap "one Life to Live" is in it. I do not know why that is pertinent, but every trime I watch this movie, my mom says, "WOW!!! that's Blair!!!" Shut up, mom! And, one more of those cameo's that don't matter to anyone but me, Ted Raimi, who no one but me might remember as LIEUTENANT J.G. TIM O'NEILL from the show "Seaquest", plays Henrietta, only because his brother, Sam raimi(Duh), directed it. Whoopie. The stars really turned out for this one!! Anywho, the movie follows the same rhetoric as the first. Evil released by teens, and horribley gory violence and comedy ensues. Like I said in my review of "Evil dead 1" You have seen this movie before. But, one thing: contrary to what you might have heared,
THIS IS NOT NOT NOT NOT NMOT A REMAKE!!!! to all the people who say other wise. Remember at the end of the first one when ash is hit by the evil right before the credits rolled? Now, rremember in the middle of this one when that happens and you see him get propelled throgh the trees? WOW!!!!! SEQUEL!! Listen to the commentary by SAm Raimin at the begining. The reason theyshot another o0pening was because they could not get the footage of the first one from the company, So they basically did a cliff notes of the first one. so in conclusion, what have we learned here today? 1. Evil Dead 2 is a sequel, NOT a remake. 2 it kicked [bootie]...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE FUNNIEST?SCARIEST MOVIE EVER!
Review: This movie directed by Sam Ramie is great! It has funnieness(I don't know if that is a word) makes you scared and is an all around great movie. The excitement is great but how this movie is connected to Evil Dead 1 is confusing.


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