“Evil Dead Rise”: What Will Be, Will Be

Almost 40 years ago, Director Sam Rami captured lightning in a bottle when he created and introduced the world to his highly influential horror film “The Evil Dead.” Since then, a plethora of knockoff movies have been released in an attempt to reach the same heights as the cult classic phenomenon once did.

This level of twisted evil, stupid teenagers, and creepy cabins is hard to achieve without the right director behind the camera and a certain groovy actor by the name of Bruce Campbell. 

Time passes, and the once lauded film fades from the public’s memory. But just like that little sister or brother you asked your parents for all those years ago, it arrives unexpectedly, garners all the attention, and is so much better than the original.

In comes “Evil Dead 2,” the sequel/remake that would put both Director Sam Rami and the star of the show, Bruce Campbell, in the Hollywood horror spotlight.

As with most film and TV franchises, they usually come attached with a few hiccups and a couple of ugly stepchildren, and sometimes even a cousin Oliver. 

After the success of the first and second film in the series, we were rewarded for our patience with “Army of Darkness,” a wacky time travel epic set in the Middle Ages. 

This movie would go on to be considered the black sheep of the family due to its name change, tonal inconsistency, and constant studio meddling. 

Production nightmares and studio clashes would cause the eventual end of the main series, with Rami abandoning the director’s chair for any future additions to the property, opting to serve in an executive producer role instead. 

And now for the ugly stepchildren. In 2013 we got an influx of reboots and remakes to popular films of old, from a “Carrie” remake all the way to the “Man of Steel.” 

Did we ask for any of these movies to be re-made? Did a studio executive have a stroke? Did I leave the stove on at home? Who knows at this point, all that matters is that most movie-goers skipped the fourth film in the franchise and the past is best forgotten. 

For better or worse, “The Evil Dead” franchise has had a long-lasting impact on me; the legacy of this iconic series may not be perfect, but the blemishes and scars are what make it so watchable.

Much to my surprise, a trailer for a long-awaited sequel to the main series was released, and holy hell did it deliver. 

For the first time in a long time, I felt that longing itch to leave the relative safety of my TV screen and traverse out into the wild, to view what I believe to be a series revival in all its cinematic glory. 

Get ready, because the terror that awaits with the release of “Evil Dead Rise” is just around the corner. 

Director Lee Cronin may be taking the reins from Rami on this film, but he will be keeping all of the style and substance of the original cult classic. 

This new version of “Evil Dead” will trade the traditional cabin in the woods setting for a dirty downtown L.A. apartment building. 

“Out with the old and in with the new” is the motto of this film, ditching the disposable teen victims for a chaotic and nightmarish family affair, complete with demonic possession, a book made of human flesh, and a sisterly reunion of epic proportion. 

This movie will answer the age-old question of, “What if my mommy was possessed by a demon and tried to brutally suffocate me and my siblings with love and murder?” 

For those of you who seem a bit apprehensive on the formula change, be not afraid — the trailer shows what could be a flashback to a spooky cabin in the woods with a creepy girl possessed by a demon, win-win. 

More surprises and plot twists are littered throughout the trailer, giving us a glimpse at new horrors beyond the standard “Deadite” and unexpected plot twists that will send shivers down your already shuttering spine.