In recommending "Ash vs Evil Dead", I'm in truth promoting the entirety of Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead" franchise, but I've come to realize that not every Deadite fan (or should I say, foe?) has had access to Starz's revival of the bumptious Ash Williams. (Premium channels don't come cheaply.) Still, with all episodes now queued on affordable Blu-Ray and DVD (Season 3 hit shelves on Aug 21), there's no longer reason to evade one's demon-cleansing calling.
Along with Campbell's eponymous character, the rowdy spree stars Dana DeLorenzo as Kelly Maxwell; Ray Santiago as Pablo Bolivar; Arielle Carver-O'Neill as Ash's daughter, Brandy; and genre heroine, Lucy Lawless as the series' perplexing protagonist, Ruby Knowby. Along for the ride is Lee Majors as Brock, Ash's pop; Ellen Sandweiss as Cheryl, Ash's sis (who costarred in the original flick); and Ted Raimi (Henrietta Knowby from "Dead by Dawn") as school chum, Chet Kaminski. Their accompanying, supporting roster is, however, as top-notch, with each performer, each character pushing the shenanigans to unexpected and outlandish levels: reason enough to have granted the series greater longevity.
I can only speculate why "Ash vs Evil Dead" didn't go beyond its three jaunts. I doubt it was a matter of low ratings. Considering the dewdrop/SJW climate these days (i.e., the way adolescents are quick to condemn Bond, Deadpool, Rambo and Tarzan), I can only presume that "Ash vs Evil Dead" triggered more than a few negative responses from those sanctimonious pissants who probably caught (at most) preview clips of the show.
This is a damn shame, since "Ash vs Evil Dead" does hold mass appeal for a significant part of the population. It's an everyman (mis)adventure, with Ash representing those of us who (for better or worse) aren't afraid to slap a little Clubman on our cheeks, engage in a little womanizing...and then plunge full, boomstickin' force into some big, Necronomicon-spawned job.
And boy, did those demonized outings ever get super-gory, eclipsing even the theatrical films' carnage count. One could argue that these half-hour Grand Guignol segments became exaggerated to the point of moralistic self-parody, but then that would also place them on a par with the Brothers Grimm and EC's gruesome fables. Yep, there's always a life lesson to be disinterred from Ash's exploits (which sometimes graze time-travel and alternate-reality fringes), but that our hero tries at all costs to do what's right is what matters. (He also cares about his friends, and because of his forthright nature, they care about him. Sweet...)
Though Campbell claims he won't play Ash again, his recent television return is destined to become as much a classic as the movies that inspired it. Grab this three-season frolic today (or wait for that inevitable, right-around-the-bend "complete series" release). "Ash vs Evil Dead" is the sort of gut-gougin' cheer that'll make one feel like a regular, Deadite fightin' champ, regardless of one's fruitless, drab or politically correct entrapment.
"Ash vs Evil Dead" bites the dust after three seasons. I guess my exclamation of its longevity (see Feb '18 post) cursed things. To say the least, I'm frustrated that the wild ride comes to its Deadite end on April 29, especially with Bruce Campbell having expressed a desire for five seasons.
STARZ at least did right by resurrecting Campbell's celebrated character, along with Sam Raimi's merciless mythology. I'm grateful for that (truly), but without an episodic continuation of Ash and the gang splattering my screen, my visits to the pay-for-it network will ultimately hit zero.
What does this cancellation mean for Campbell and the "Evil Dead" franchise? Without question, Campbell will find his way into other projects. That's guaranteed. Like William Shatner, the man is simply too resilient to stay put (thank goodness), but something tells me "Evil Dead" may not be as rubbery as its star.
The franchise has always had a tough time of it, with false starts and delays among chapters. To boot, "Evil Dead" has never gotten the mainstream respect it deserves, and in a troubling time when teens/college kids (once "Evil Dead'"s bread and butter) cringe at stuff like demons and zombies, the required cult allegiance (and uproarious demand) for another resurrection won't be as influential this time out.
Still, "Evil Dead" has outlasted what the snobs predicted. Few foresaw a television series springing from the film series, and therefore, who the hell know? "Army of Darkness II" could yet emerge or maybe even that damn, live-action "Freddy vs Jason vs Ash" we were once promised.
Yeah, I know, it's all just wishing thinking, but as the astounding Ash has demonstrated time and again, you can't keep a good, chainsaw-clubbed, boomstick-blastin' legend down, and so...
Many a smarty-pants believed that STARZ's "Ash vs Evil Dead" would only last a measly season. Ha! We're now approaching the third, and I don't even need to see a clip (though I've actually seen a couple) to know this one will be as aggressive, humorous and exciting as the first two.
Dana DeLorenzo's Kelly Maxwell, Ray Santiago's Pablo Bolivar, and Lucy Lawless' Ruby Knowby rejoin Bruce Campbell's mighty Ash Williams in the ongoing blood-and-guts fest.
For Season 3, they're teamed with a couple newcomers: Lindsay "Primal" Farris as Dalton, Knight of Sumeria, a modern-day warrior skilled in ancient, evil-fighting ways, and Arielle Carver-O'Neill as the lovely Brandy Barr, Ash's altered-reality daughter. Yep, ya heard right! Ash is a daddy, and I'm sure he'll train his gal in all the best Deadite-slaying techniques.
From the trailers, it looks like we're in for some school-based weirdness and even some wacky, cartoon animation. That's cool, but the real guarantee to success is placing Ash front and center of all "Necronomicon" manifestations. Also, Campbell has increased Ash's significance since the series started. For example, he's now a small-business owner, though I wonder how much he'll devote to retail when cackling Deadites are right around the bend. Anyway, it would be foolish to downplay Ash in some socially conscious, let's-take-turns-for-attention rotation. I say, let tradition reign with Ash standing as the main one to stumble, wisecrack and kill, kill, kill!!!
If I may be so bold to editorialize, "Evil Dead" is really a saga for virile underdogs, and by its basic nature, it can't help but be politically incorrect within today's wishy-washy light. So what if it offends? I doubt there are many tender teens who would dare care at all about "Evil Dead", anyway. The franchise, after all, deals with harsh, demonized magic, where circumstances aren't so easily remedied by a sissified swipe of a wand. Chainsaws are the tool of of the trade on this turf.
Though I wasn't confident that an "Evil Dead" television series would click (I feared the idea might get stretched thin), I'm grateful that Sam Raimi and Campbell (among others) pursued this path. For as long as these 10-episode jaunts last (Campbell is projecting five seasons), we'll have plenty of gory escapism to swallow; but why stop at the humble fringes of Elk Grove, when time travel can deliver our gang to any number of alternate worlds? Say, wouldn't it be keen to see Ash leading the charge against some futuristic Deadites in a big-screen "Army of Darkness 2"?
For now, though, the slashing resumes in humble, half-hour installments this February 25 at 9 pm.
Bruce Campell is back as our favorite Deadite fighter in STARZ's "Ash vs. Evil Dead", and thanks to creator/co-producer Sam Raimi, we're off to another rambunctious start.
Not only is Campbell back as the dynamic, but bumbling Ash Williams, but we're again treated to Ray Santiago as Pablo Simon Bolivar; Dana Delorenzo as Kelly Maxwell; and Lucy Lawless as Ruby Knowby. To amp up the action, the versatile Ted Raimi is on board as Ash's best buddy, Chet Kaminski, and the legendary Lee ("The Six Million Dollar Man") Majors occupies the role of Brock, Ash's dad. Wow!!!
The earliest phases of this 10-episode spree are living up to expectations, with the tone right in tune with what came before. That means plenty of comedy, horror and outrageous fun. At this point, Ash has left Jacksonville to hang out at his home base of Elk Grove, Michigan, where otherworldly consequences continue to plague him and his friends.
For those in the know, Campbell's Ash stands as an identifiable everyman, but when push comes to shove, he more than rises to heroic occasion, pressing on to do the right thing, even if his decisions sometimes force him into abrupt (and damn gory) left turns. (Wait till you see what happens in Episode 2: "The Morgue". Whoa!!!)
If you haven't given "Ash vs Evil Dead" a try yet, do yourself a favor. You don't have to be a die-hard fan of the "Evil Dead" franchise, either, to get on the groove. This one effortlessly explains itself, and once you're hooked, you'll be glad you're along for the ride.
It was a damn fan demand that Bruce Campbell reappear as Ash Williams, and since it didn't manifest in a much anticipated "Army of Darkness" sequel, STARZ has blessed us instead with a series.
Produced by Campbell, Craig DiGregorio, Robert Tapert and maestro director/creator, Sam Raimi, "Ash vs Evil Dead" is (as Campbell has assured us) better than a mere movie sequel. With a television series, we get many mini-sequels, which for the immediate stretch guarantees at least a consistent flow of the outlandish antics and crazy carnage that's made the films so gruesomely endearing.
The show is a perfect vehicle for the affable Campbell, but then Ash has always been a perfect fit for the actor, going straight back to the original "Evil Dead". Campbell has the right bumbling, every-guy gait for Ash: a reluctant hero, who against perplexing odds, emerges victorious against the dreaded Deadites...well, most of the time, anyway.
In the series, he's not relegated to the past or future, but rather the present: a reluctantly renewed adventurer, sharing the madness with State Trooper Amanda Fisher (Jill Marie Jones); the flustered Kelly Maxwell (Dana DeLorenzo); and the optimistic Pablo Simon Bolivar (Ray Santiago). Campbell's old co-star, Lucy Lawless, is in for the fight, too, as the resilient Ruby! Groovy!
The first episode (directed by Raimi) proved a veritable hoot, with Campbell hitting all the required notes. The "Army of Darkness" buffoonery remains at its heart, and though we don't get those swell Medieval trimmings, the tongue-in-cheek spunk stays ever present. (A good deal of Campbell's "My Name is Bruce" also figures into the plot.)
"Ash vs Evil Dead" has immense potential and like Raimi's "Hercules" and "Xena", should attract weekly devotees. (Heck, STARZ has already approved Season 2 in anticipation of such.)
Like the films that inspired it, "Ash vs Evil Dead" should encourage many a hapless fool to plug along, against whatever obstacles may emerge in life. Campbell's beloved character represents this notion better than most. Yep, if he can do it, so can you, even if your circumstances aren't generally plagued by an onslaught of smart-ass demons.
