Evil Dead was a movie that changed how I viewed movies. No longer was I bound by strict genre categories and high budget sensibilities. Evil Dead and its sequels proved that a horror movie can be funny, and a love story can be dramatic and filled with action all without a huge budget.
The trilogy is a pop culture phenom with a highly dedicated fanbase, and if you haven’t seen it, you’ve heard it quoted at some point in your life. When news dropped that it would be receiving a sequel/remake, fans were understandably concerned. Sure, we all wanted to see Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell return to the series that catapulted them to stardom (at least in my eyes), but only if done in the right way.
One of my all-time favorite Horror/Sci-Fi movies is without a doubt, 1982’s The Thing (inspired by 1951 original). Directed by horror legend John Carpenter, the movie starred a rare all male cast that included Kurt Russell, Keith David (They Live), and Richard Masur(License to Drive).
And of course, Wilford Brimley.
It was about a group of American scientists in Antarctica, shut off from the world, and confronted by an other worldly danger. It’s was free of CGI and chalk-full of awesome old school effects. The movie was a great example of an excellent ensemble cast and had awesome tension though-out. It is, to date, what I consider to be Kurt Russell’s finest performance.
Now we are about to get a some more back story on the classic. 2011’s The Thing not be a remake as originally thought, but will be a prequel to the 80’s version. This time chronicling what happened in the week prior to the events of the original. It will take place at the Norwegian base from which ‘the thing’ came from in the form of a dog last time.
I’ve been curious to see what they were gonna do with this, and I am admittedly pleased it’s in fact a prequel instead of a remake. And bonus – I like the cast. Namely, the star, our inaugural Grizzly Girl – Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Anyhow, here is the trailer…
Personally, I don’t think the trailer was great, but my interest remains peaked. Aside from Mary, I also really like Eric Christian Olsen (Community) despite his mostly terrible resume, and Joel Edgerton (upcoming Warrior) shows promise.
I have been a fan of Evil Dead since I was old enough to watch movies. The entire trilogy was a monumental part of my cinematic development, crafting my tastes and humor at an early age, and ultimatly instilling a deep love for anything related to Bruce Campbell.
Evil Dead was a very low budget extremely indie movie made by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. Both have moved on to impressive careers and cult favorite status. It told the story of Ash, a young man who goes to a cabin in the woods with his friends, and is soon plagued by a night of evil. And hilarity. The second and third movies got even funnier, and nothing beats Evil Dead 2.
TV and Superheroes rarely mix well, and on the off-chance they do it probably isn’t the best representation of superheroes on the market. Smallville worked, Lois & Clark kind of worked. That’s… about… it. So it’s obviously time to present a list about some of these less than awesome superhero shows. The problem was I had TOO many shows/TV movies to choose from, so I expect to hear about what I’ve missed or that my choices suck or that I need to put down the fork. Wait, what? Anyways, let’s get to the list. We didn’t stick to comic heroes, because sometimes the ones created just for television pretty much define this list.
10.) My Secret Identity
It’s possible this show missed a lot of people’s radar as it was a Canadian TV series, but it aired in syndication in the States. I personally loved this show as a kid, but giving it another look kind brought shame to my younger self. Might have to re-evaluate my love for Biker Mice From Mars.
My Secret Identity is basically Back to the Future meets The Sentry, except no god like powers or Time Travel. Let me explain. Jerry O’ Connell, the fat kid from Stand By Me (he probably hates it when people call him that) plays Andrew Clements, a 14-year-old kid who is zapped by a photon beam while helping his neighbor, 4th smartest man in the world Dr. Benjamin Jeffcoat (the fact that he’s a smart guy inventor dude is obviously the B2TF connection), played by Derek McGrath. Obviously, this grants him super powers (a la The Sentry… sort of). Super speed, Invulnerability, and levitation, with super strength added in later seasons, because why not? He actually used aerosol cans to direct his flight for a time, but that was changed pretty quick.
If you recognized his friend Kirk, played by Christopher Bolton, then you’ve probably seen another Canadian show called Rent-A-Goalie, and I applaud you. Regardless, this show is a terrible excuse at a superhero show, made even more so with Degrassi level quality and Canadian film mentalities. No offense to my homeland’s cinema, but… well…
The latest word ’round the campfire about Oz: The Great and Powerful was that Sam Raimi and Disney were having a little bit of a casting spat. Raimi wanted Hilary Swank to play the role of Evanora, the wicked witch of the East. Disney on the other hand wanted Michelle Williams to occupy the role. Thankfully neither one of them was given the role and it has since passed to Rachel Weisz.
I am totally digging Weisz being in this role. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in a movie as a villain so this will be refreshing. Plus if she’s the sister of Mila Kunis it had better someone almost as hot cast in the role. Hilary Swank may be able to act but she is pretty hideous next to Kunis.
What a great wicked witch she'll be
So I would seem like the main characters of the movie have all been cast with the addition of Weisz as Evandora. If you haven’t heard anything about the movie, James Franco will be playing the Wizard as he first arrives in the merry old land of Oz and Mila Kunis will be playing the future Wicked Witch of the West. Sound off below on how you think the movie is starting to look cast wise!
The trilogy is a pop culture phenom with a highly dedicated fanbase, and if you haven’t seen it, you’ve heard it quoted at some point in your life. When news dropped that it would be receiving a sequel/remake, fans were understandably concerned. Sure, we all wanted to see Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell return to the series that catapulted them to stardom (at least in my eyes), but only if done in the right way.
Grizzly Bomb 