OMG.
Sam Raimi wants to make Evil Dead 4.
If you’re a normal human being, you’re asking: What’s Evil Dead, and why have there been three others? Truthfully, there have only been two Evil Dead movies, because the third was was called Army of Darkness. The latter should receive the title as the most-quoted B-movie ever made, as well as one of the most ridiculously funny ones.
The series centers around Bruce Campbell’s character of Ash, an S-Mart employee who finds himself beset by evil. One fateful night, evil got into his hand and it went bad. Really bad. He resorted to cutting it off with a chainsaw to save himself and his girl, replacing his missing limb with the same chainsaw that saved him from evil. From that point on, cheesy gore ensues while he fights zombies and saves the world.
Army of Darkness tops this plot line by sending Ash back in time to the court of some English knights. Ostensibly sent to help them stop an army of “deadites” from overrunning their castle, Ash goes on several mysterious adventures in his quest to obtain the Necronomicon, which is the tome of all evil.
Sound like fun yet?
To think that Sam Raimi (keep in mind this is the guy who directed the Spider Man movies) would have the budget to do another movie in this universe is one that makes me squeal with glee. (Yes, squeal!)
Here’s the trailer for Army of Darkness, which includes a few of the good one liners:
I hear yea but…
Part of the appeal to Army of Darkness (and other camp films like the original Batman film featuring Adam West) was that I could not tell if it was a serious attempt by people with bad taste to make a good film by people with horrible taste or if these same people just said “screw it”. I think that is why Snakes on a Plane failed, and I think this new film is set up for the same failure. The new Rocky Horror Picture Show backed by Mtv will have the same hurdle.
Anyone watch Bruce Campbell in Bubba Ho-tep? That’s not a recommendation, I’m just curious.
Army of Darkness and Brico County Jr. are the jewels in Campbell’s career. The latter is supremely underrated, even by his cult followers.
Bubba Ho-tep? Apparently I was sleeping through that particular lecture in Egyptology. Is he anything like Ba’alzebubba?
Bubba Ho-Tep: Bruce Campbell plays a deranged Elvis impersonator at a retirement home. He must team up with a black man who is convinced he is JFK to defeat a mummy that is attacking the residence. I know, it sounds SO GOOD, but I think Campbell fanboys are the only source of the glowing reviews. …or maybe I’m just old. The trailer is top-notch. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7Qo74_L3vo)
Campy films are an undeniable element in sci-fi culture. I’d love to turn this thread into a conversation about campy films. What are the most under-rated and over rated campy films? What makes a “good” campy film? Is the “camp” intended or accidental? Is it difficult to make an intentionally campy film (swedes aside)? If so, why? A “cult” following can grow mainstream and retain it’s charm, but can it start out “mainstream” and still be considered a “cult”? Can I get a confirmation: has Bruce surgically enhanced his chin?
Camp has to be done just right. Off the top of my head, I can’t of any b-grade movies that I’m a fan of, aside from Army of Darkness. Anything Monty Python has achieved an almost overrated status.
I re-watched Airplane the other day and was surprised at how well that held up. (“What’s your vector, Victor?”)
Anything that Uwe Boll does is complete trash. He has torn up and pissed on several video game licenses that might have made great movies.
I think my favorite campy movie is Big Trouble in Little China… or maybe it’s Jake Speed. I can’t remember, as I am now an old person.
O.C. & Stiggs (1985) http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DEED71630F93BA25750C0A96E948260
Dogs in Space (1986) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092904/
There are alot more good “B” type movies that I can’t think of off the top of my head.
AOD imo created it’s own sub section of movie.Horror,Sci-fi,Action,Comedy.I’d pay to see ED4,I can’t say that for a lot of movies out there.
If I had a few beers, I might have enjoyed how bad House of the Dead was. The film was sponsored by Sega, who were not happy when they learned the plot had nothing to do with the game. (As if the game’s plot was worth retelling.) Uwe Boll actually spliced flashes of pixilated game footage as means of transitioning between scenes. The best line of the film: “So you did all this to live forever …but why?”
Slapstick is a form of camp (Naked Gun, eh?). Slapstick films aim to be silly and meets the mark. I am especially intrigued by titles that appear to be serious, but I can’t help but wonder how they missed their ideal tone by so much.
Speaking of beer and campy movies: Strange Brew is a little known gem. Just be sure to have plenty of beer and friends on tap.
Spinal Tap is camp, right? Can’t leave that out of our thread.
Does anyone recall a show called Mad Movies that was featured on Nick at Night loooong ago. They took classic films, spliced and re-dubbed them to make new hilarious stories. Camp-o-licious! If anyone can find a copy of the show where they turned the original Night of the Living Dead into a surprise party, I will pay good money for a copy.
“I am especially intrigued by titles that appear to be serious, but I can’t help but wonder how they missed their ideal tone by so much.”
I think that is the essence of camp… taking a subject or premise that is normally serious, or at least not comedic, and creating comedy that turns inward, poking fun at the movie (or genre) itself. I think that the more serious the title or premise, the funnier the campy-ness becomes.
I guess I’m going to have to rent a few movies this weekend. Bubba Ho-tep sounds like a good start.
Anyone ever see “Death row Game show”?
or how about “The lost skeleton of cadavra”?
classics.
I like Vampire Lesbian Kickboxers. That is a great flick.
I’m not making it up. Check IMDB if you doubt me.
I doubted you. I checked. It exists, people.
You are a sick, sick man.
Just so you know, SgtWebb… I never doubted you. I already suspected that you are a sick, sick man.
PS. Just rented Evil Dead and will watch it sometime before the weekend is over.
Dez, be sure you have a few beers to go with the flick. Tell us about your favorite scenes/quotes.
I develop Video OnDemand systems. I have to watch lots of movies to test our software. About a year ago the fellas in our back office removed all our content save one movie: “Vampiyas”. I was forced to watch this film 8 hours a day for more than a month:
review: http://www.mattniemi.com/archives/2004/11/bad_movie_monda_13.php
stills gallery: http://www.vampyres-online.com/vampiyaz_stills.html
Dez sez:
“Just so you know, SgtWebb… I never doubted you. I already suspected that you are a sick, sick man.”
My hypocrisy knows no bounds.
I mean really. Hot Lesbians beating the shit out of each other. Does it really get any better than that? If the Taliban had that movie on BluRay, they’d just give up their AK-47s immediately. Virgins in Paradise can’t equate with quality cinema featuring naked flesh.
Well, I saw “Evil Dead”…
The DVD I rented had special features, including commentary by Raimi. I learned, after torturing myself by watching the film, that this first movie of the series was actually meant to be serious. It was an homage, in part, to the “classic” horror flicks. I definitely saw parts that reminded me of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead, and (of course) The Exorcist.
I was especially disturbed and disgusted by the forest rape scene. If the remaining films of the series proffer such as entertainment, I will not bother with them at all. There was really little camp in this film to enjoy, and as a serious horror movie it failed me on all counts except two: Raimi’s camera usage was phenomenal, and he knows how to build suspense.
Things that made me laugh:
(1) Sumerian burial rituals in rural Tennessee
(2) The mocking of the demon possessed woman in the cellar “I don’t wanna die!”
(3) Beheading the demon possessed girlfriend, creating a demon possessed talking head
(4) Moving the desk away from full length window in cabin in order to block the door
(5) Removing stave from demon possessed best friend’s abdomen, resulting in a cork-removed-from-bottle sound followed by the whoosh and gurgle of escaping blood, gore, and bile.
Ouch Dez. I mis-read your comment. I thought you were renting Army of Darkness. You don’t need to start with Evil Dead in order to appreciate Army of Darkness. Hell, I’ve never seen the first 2 in the series.
No problem… I will rent the next one soon, or perhaps AoD if ED II is not available. It wasn’t a wasted experience, as I learned a lot about Sam & Bruce. And you were right… beer helps.