What would The Evil Dead remake be without Bruce Campbell involved? As the star of the original trilogy, Campbell made the campy horror/comedy work as well as is it did. Luckily for fans of the series, the lesser-known director of the remake, Federico Alvarez, has promised that Campbell will make a cameo appearance, and that no recognizable celebrities will be cast (much like the original film).
In a recent interview with the Spanish website El Pais, thanks to Dread Central‘s English-language recap, eager fans learned that Alvarez is aware of the enormous task he is taking on by remaking the seminal ’80s campy horror.
We’re going to honor the original film along with the existing fans and hope to bring in a new audience as well. Because we are fans of the original, we realize that that nobody wants to see a celebrity in a remake like this. The only recognizable face will be that of Bruce Campbell, and he will be in a cameo towards the end of the film.
We are going to change the characters and some of the story details, while keeping the basic outline of friends who are beleaguered by demons in a cabin alone.
Sam Raimi, the original creator of The Evil Dead, is producing this sequel through his Ghost House Pictures. It’s good to know he’s going to be closely involved, as The Evil Dead has quite a cult following and the negative response to previous attempts to remake the film have successfully squelched any sequels/remakes.
The fact that Diablo Cody is working on a script re-write for the film isn’t necessarily a terrible thing. Yes, she’s known for quirky teen drama Juno, but I think her horror/comedy Jennifer’s Body was pretty decent, and it struck a great balance between the comedic and horror elements.
The original Evil Dead came out in 1981. It was extremely low budget, and had no big-name celebrities to detract from the pure old-school scares and gruesome practical effects. Campbell stood out, as the lone survivor of a group of friends who go out to a remote cabin for the weekend and stumbles on an ancient evil. Choas and demonic possessions ensue, with some really gross special effects (done with make-up and other non-computer effects). Even though the series is considered a horror/comedy, and the last movie in the trilogy certainly struck that tone, the original apparently was meant as a straight-up horror film.
Cody’s participation makes me think there will be a certain amount of dark humor in this horror remake, which I think works well, especially if Campbell is involved. I’m on the fence with this remake, as I am with many remakes of seminal ’80s pics that I feel are sacrosanct. That being said, I almost always go and see the remake/reboot out of pure morbid curiosity. And if this remake can make me as scared of an empty porch swing as the original did, then I’ll count it a success.
Published: Jul 20, 2011 09:44 pm