I saw Evil Dead Rise...

Evil Dead Rise jives with Fede Alvarez's underrated, 2013 remake/sequel. As such, it doesn't feature Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams, though the actor and his Evil Dead co-creator, Sam Raimi (along with the reliable Ron Tapert) perform as co-producers. 

Director/writer Lee (A Hole in the Ground) Cronin takes over the Lovecraftian reins and transports the mayhem to an antiquated, Los Angeles high-rise apartment, in the roundabout manner of Poltergeist III and Gremlins 2. 

Evil Dead Rise also unfurls ferocious, mother-attacks action. The mom, Ellie, is played by Alyssa (Vikings) Sutherland, who presses the terror full throttle, perhaps making the location change more incidental than essential. 

Ellie's sister, Lilly Sullivan's Beth, becomes the story's pregnant, surrogate Ash, backed by her nieces and nephew: Gabrielle Echol's Bridget, Nell Fisher's Kassie and Morgan Davies' Danny. They fall victim to the challenging, forbidden fruit that The Necronomicon (Book of the Dead) dangles, after Danny discovers it stashed in a secret chamber. From there, the expected, demonic activity ascends, with the family matriarch becoming the main, unwitting vessel of Deadite domination.

Sutherland's crazed performance is Oscar worthy. She doesn't merely mimic possessed characters from other movies, but makes the Deadite takeover her own twisted thing. Her shimmering eyes draw one in, but it's her grin (like that of Karen Black at the end of Trilogy of Terror) that defines it all. 

Deadite Ellie gives the kids much to fear with her vicious verbalizations and quick, creepy grabs. Though one might think her assaults (and all the accompanying possessions and gory antics that follow) would cover the entirety of the high-rise, most of the action stays as confined and claustrophobic as that of any cloistered cabin (even though brave neighbors, Gabriel and Mr. Fonda, played by Jayden Daniels and Mark Michinson, do make an honest effort to venture beyond).  

As with its prior chapters (even the lampoons), Evil Dead Rise acts as an allegory for against-the-odds survival. Most horror flicks, in particular, those of the cat-vs-mouse breed, follow this trail. Nancy must overcome Freddy's nightmares. Laurie must battle Michael to the death. Hippies must avert Leatherface's chainsaw and hooks. Canoeing sojourners must eschew rednecks who want them to squeal like pigs. Get the drift? The Evil Dead movies pound the formula into the ground, though who's complaining? Life is a matter of survival, which is why horror yarns like Evil Dead Rise resonate. 

Evil Dead Rise might be but another chapter in a long, familiar franchise, but its ability to frighten, to drag one through a regurgitated Hell, is top drawer. More so, the movie presents a worthy warning: All may seem fine on the surface, but don't be fooled, for there's generally something bad brewing beneath any given surface, itching for that coveted chance to pull one down. Watch Evil Dead Rise and prepare!

I saw Hail to the Deadites...

I discovered a dandy documentary on Evil Dead's undying legacy: Hail to the Deadites. 

Written/directed by Steve Villeneuve, Hail to the Deadites (released through Shout! Video) is to Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell's mad brainchild what Trekkies is to Gene Roddenberry's "Wagon Train to the Stars" and its impassioned devotees, only a lot more grotesque, to say the least. 

The documentary emphasizes the 1981, Stephen King-praised, indie effort, Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn, Army of Darkness and Evil Dead: The Musical, but the true thrust of the piece fulfills the documentary's point: the fans, who rant and rave why they relish the Lovecraftian/Necronomicon-fueled franchise. 

Special focus falls upon Brie Cummings and Elise Holmes, renowned Evil Dead uber-connoisseurs, as well as Adam King, the foremost Ash Williams impersonator (plus several others, who do a pretty, good job emulating "The Chin"), though a variety of aficionados join the hearty parade, each ardent in his/her appetite for anything and everything Evil Dead related. (BTW: The wedding segment is a joy to behold; and AC McCray, a WRSW DJ, gives a tender account of how he and his wife named their son after Campbell's iconic character, because of the infant's fighting spirit.) 

Then there are the franchise's costars and production contributors, including Tom Sullivan, Ellen Sandweiss, Cassie DePaiva, Sara Berry, Richard Dimanincor, Richard Domeier, Dan Hicks, Theresa Tilly, Betsy Baker and Ted Raimi, who offer observations on the Deadite legion. Campbell is also on hand, with his reactions to those devoted enough to wait in line for hours to meet him.

For marginal effect, the documentary flaunts genuine, Evil Dead props (a number displayed by Bruce's brother, Doug), along with numerous, nifty collectibles: t-shirts, action figures, statues, posters, stills, trading cards and above all, those fierce-facial Necronomicon reproductions (of which I'm proud to say, I own two). 

If you dig Evil Dead (or any facet of franchise following), Hail to the Deadites is a must-see. View it on Amazon Prime, Pluto TV, Shudder and/or iTunes to enter the ranks your own, demonic ilk. 

SCARY MONSTERS #116: BRAINS GONE MAD!!!

Scary Monsters (Monster Memories) #116 is now available for purchase, with a bold, "Brains Gone Mad" tribute!!!

As such, a burst of the best brain-based movies of all time bounce forth, including "Fiend Without a Face"; "The Brain That Wouldn't Die"; "Donovan's Brain"; "The Brain from Planet Arous"; "Creature with an Atomic Brain"; "The Brain Eaters"; "They Saved Hitler's Brain"; as well as a healthy sampling of Frankenstein flicks (Hammer-styled, in particular). Scott Jackson's front/back cover does a nifty job of setting the cerebral pace.

Issue #116 is also features articles on good ol' Bruce "the Chin" Campbell; "Dark Shadows'" Roger Davis; the gorgeous Virginia Leith; horror host Bobby Gammonster; "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy"; "Return of the Ape Man"; "Equinox"; "Incubus '66"; "Season of the Witch '72"; "Night of the Living Dead '68"; monster-movie make-up; new disc releases; and "The Legendary Hodag Monster". 

Order your copy of Scary Monsters #116: "Brains Gone Mad" at
https://www.mymoviemonsters.com/store.php/mymoviemonsters/pd9789368/scary-monsters-116-brains-gone-mad-issue-2020-annual-bruce-campbell-preorder.

Collection Recommendation: Ash vs Evil Dead

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.