'The Evil Dead' (1981) and 'Evil Dead' (2013): Classic vs Remake

It has seemed, these last few years, that remaking a classic movie has become a Hollywood tradition for those months when they have nothing better to release. I dunno if studios think that rushing out a product with a well liked name will cause a movie to be financially successful; at one time maybe, but surely not anymore. For every successful remake, there are dozens of hastily thrown out movies that have no idea what made the original successful, and instead are content to just throw out little nods to the previous movie and hope that it causes fans of the original to pay some money to remember the far superior classic.

The original Evil Dead trilogy are some of my favorite movies. They range from effective, low-budget splatter movies, to over-the-top gore comedies, to even a time travel fantasy. In 2013, there was a remake, and so I thought that it would be a good idea to compare the original first movie to its reboot. Will it be a movie that captures the essence of the original, like A Nightmare on Elm Street? Will it be it’s own thing, like Dredd? Will it be a slave to its predecessors, like Psycho? Or will it completely miss the point, like Godzilla?

I’ve split this review into three sections, I will take each movie individually through some quick and dirty reviews and then compare the two and finally give you my conclusion. I have scored each individual film at the end of their sections for those of you keeping track at home. Without further ado, let’s begin the first Classic vs Reboot.

'The Evil Dead' (1981)

This is the movie that started the whole thing. Made for next to no money, and with people who could barely be described as actors, The Evil Dead is for my money one of the top examples of guerrilla film making. Based on these limitations, The Evil Dead should not be nearly as charming as it is. I’m going to make an effort to remain impartial about this review.

The cinematography of this movie is still to this day largely innovative and creates a sense of some other worldly creature watching and stalking our group of friends. The director Sam Rami has a knowledge of what he wants his movies to feel like, and honestly, no other movies feel like this movie or its sequels. The cabin’s layout almost makes no logical sense and the layout of everything seems to change on a whim; lending to the uneasy, haunted vibe given off by this movie.

There is plenty of gore and various bodily fluids that are expended in this movie, and it’s easy to see why for its time it was a very controversial film. In several countries, for many years, this movie was banned due to the outlandish and often brutal violence. These days, the gore and effects are pretty cheesy, but for the time and the budget, the effects are very impressive.

Through the years, many movies have emulated and tried to expand upon the ideas presented in this movie. Any person that even has a passing interest in the horror genre and hasn’t seen this movie should rectify their mistake ASAP.

9/10

'Evil Dead' (2013)

I first saw this movie at the end of its theatrical run. I very rarely have a horror movie make me feel dread and want to run away. Usually I can take the advice of the original Last House on the Left and repeat to myself “It’s only a movie,” but I genuinely felt like I was trapped in a cabin with some demonic force. Re-watching this recently did not have the same effect, probably due to the size of the screen and a lack of a proper good sound system. The visuals, on the other hand, still left me cringing.

The violence is over the top in an ingenious way that is never quite cheesy, and a scene with one of the characters and a box cutter causes me to squeal like a little girl every time. The possessed characters mess with the other characters well, leading to some tense moments. The plot takes a bit to get started, but once there is a full head of steam, then there is no stopping the train until the end credits.

The overarching story is nothing new or original, but honestly it doesn’t have to be. Horror movies are very predictable by nature, and the setting of a cabin in the woods where people come to be murdered is not really a flaw especially since its predecessor is one of the most famous examples of the genre. The characters are pretty flat and forgettable, though. I really couldn’t remember any names or really any faces, just that they were all static props for the plot to tear through. For a horror movie, I would rather forget about the characters than have them stick in my mind due to something terrible, honestly.

The mood and tension created from the cinematography is also top notch. For a good portion of the runtime, things actually seen and things not seen combine to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, raising tension higher and higher until a satisfying climax that will satisfy both fans and people who have never seen the original.

All in all, a very tense and effective horror movie that is definitely one of the better remakes to come around.

7/10

Comparison

The two movies are fairly similar in the progression of the plot. The action steadily rises until there is blood and guts flying everywhere. The remake feels like a continuation of the timeline began in the original.

Obviously, the effects are better in the remake due to a higher budget and almost 30 years of technological improvements. In both movies, there is little to no computer effects, everything is practical from the prosthetics on the deadites to the matte painting of the moon in the original.

Both movies have a lot of charm. The original is more “fun,” however, due to the comedic over the top quality of a lot of the violence. The remake is really just not very fun to watch due to it’s bleak tone. Given the choice to watch either again, I would just pick the first one.

Conclusion

Both movies are well-made and effective horror films that will satisfy the most hardcore horror fans. The remake is a well done addition to the cannon of the Evil Dead franchise, and I hope to see more entries like it.