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| A (0000) | B (0000) | C (0000) | D (0000) | Evil Dead II (1987) | F (0000) | G (0000) | Hard Boiled (1992) | I (0000) | J (0000) |
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Evil Dead II (1987)
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie DePaiva and Richard Domeier
Directed by: Sam Raimi
"Groovy!"
- Ash
Ah Evil Dead II.
Not only is this one of my favourite films, it’s also an important film. It’s the film that made me take more of an interest in horror films.
Up until that point I’d pretty much ignored the horror genre. This was largely because I associated the genre with the many (many) jumpscare-fest films that seemed to litter the cinemas. Not that that type of horror film is necessarily bad, it’s just that it had become very oversaturated. The other reason being my relationship with gore in film.
This is kinda strange but I’ll try to keep it as clear and brief as possible. So there’s been several times in the past where I’ve had a pretty visceral reaction to gore (cold sweat, light headed) and on one occasion I even passed out! Usually this doesn’t happen but because of this, I ignored pretty much any film that was deemed gory.
Nowadays I’m not so dismissive and I tend to be more willing to try a film even if it’s described as gory.
Anyway, where am I doing with this? Oh right...so basically after watching Evil Dead I watched the sequel. I’d enjoyed the first film but the sequel was something else! I loved how over the top the violence was and how it was paired so well with Chaplin-esque slapstick (whilst writing this review I learnt that there’s a word for this genre: splatstick. Great word).
So what did I learn? That not every violent horror film is a (what I call) goreporn film (films that try to depict violent acts accurately) and that there’s a ton of violent horror films that have a more cartoony and silly depiction of violence.
So that’s cool.
So why do I like this film so much? Well one of the things I love are it’s practical effects.
Practical effects are perfect for a film like this because even if they look like shit they still work. Not that I’m saying they look like shit, most of them have aged extremely well, but even the effects that haven’t aged well still add something to the film. For example: the stop motion looks pretty dated but it also looks goofy which works really well for a bunch of the scenes it’s used in.
The film’s a testament to practical effects. It really demonstrates how you just can’t beat a physical...thing...you know? Sure CGI looks pretty incredible (usually) but in about 5 years it’s gonna look like shit! I mean, I remember watching 2001: A Space Odyssey and being blown away by how good that film looks. It came out in ’68 and holds up better than any CGI heavy films that came out in the 2000s! I think it’s reassuring to any wannabe directors that you don’t need fancy pants expensive CGI to make a good looking film (and perhaps, even if you are able to use it, you’re better off without it). Use what you do have and then tape a bunch of random shit together. It’ll probably be more fun too!
If you end up loving the practical effects as much as I do, I highly recommend watching the documentary ‘The Gore The Merrier’ – pretty sure it’s on youtube. You’ll appreciate them even more afterwards. Even if you don’t it’s fascinating to see the creativity used to make this film so you should watch it anyway!
The camera work also adds a lot to this film. There are multiple points in the film when the camera is used a POV for something that is chasing the characters. One example is near the start of the film when Bruce Campbell (who plays ‘Ash’) is being chased through the house. The weird sound effects used and the fact he keeps looking back in fear make these moments really stand out. That particular moment also helps establish the layout of the house.
I love the humour in this film too. I won’t go into specific jokes – I don’t want to spoil them – so I’ll talk about Bruce Campbell’s part in the film’s comedic side. A lot of the jokes involving Bruce require him to throw himself around in many bizarre ways and he pulls it all off so well (especially a particular scene involving a lot of broken crockery).
Knowing that the director (and long-time friend of Bruce) Sam Raimi was the one that had orchestrated all these miserable things for his friend and has jokingly said he enjoyed ‘torturing’ Bruce makes it even funnier. Bruce is also really good at goofy screams and yells which helps with the whole ‘guy slowly going mad’ thing that happens to his character.
So without stumbling into spoilers I’m gonna end the review here. Give it a watch! Maybe? I dunno it’s up to you! Let me know what you think of it if you do!
Hold on a sec there’s a problem. You’re thinking ‘Sounds great but I haven’t seen the first Evil Dead film. Should I watch that first or should I skip it?' Well it’s funny (or spooky) you should ask that very specifically worded question!
The short answer is no. Evil Dead II begins with a 7 minute (ish) recap of the previous film. So you can just jump straight into it if you want but it’s up to you. The first Evil Dead is a full on horror film rather than a splatstick (love that word) so maybe bare that in mind.
| Watch it if you like.... | But don't watch it if you .... |
|---|---|
| - Laughing furniture | - Are scared of trees |
| - Sam Raimi’s car | - Don’t like splatstick |
| - Chainsaws | - Like eating squirrels for some reason |
| - Cool practical effects | - Hate being trapped in cellars |
Where 2 Watch?
The film’s available to rent online and can be streamed too (depending on where you are). Checkhereto see where!
The film is also available on DVD, Blu-ray and in 4K. I currently own (as you may have seen inthe collections portion of this site) the LE release from Anchor Bay that was released in the US.
Why do I that particular release? Is it because it comes in a shiny tin? Well...kind of. I don’t really remember to be honest, I think it was just one of the better releases that I saw on ebay for a good price.
I’d recommend that release if you’re looking to get a DVD version but there are other DVD releases that are just as good.
I’m planning on picking up one of the Blu-ray releases at some point in the future so I’ll come back and make a note of any recommendations I have in the future (and if I remember!).
If you enjoy this film, I recommend watching...
- Planet Terror (2007)
- Dawn of the Dead (1978)
- From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
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Hard Boiled (1992) - [Original Title: 辣手神探 (Lat sau san taam)]
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung and Anthony Wong
Directed by: John Woo
"Give a guy a gun, he thinks he's Superman. Give him two and he thinks he's God."
- Superintendant Pang
~ Note - Spoilers have been hidden. Highlight the black boxes if you wish to read them. ~
'Hard Boiled', John Woo's final film before heading to Hollywood, tells the story of 'Inspector Yuen' (aka 'Tequila' because of his drinking problems) a no nonsense police officer who's determined to bring the people responsible for his partner's death to justice.
Tequila is played by the legendary Chow Yun-fat in his fifth collaboration with Woo. The film also stars Tony Leung (who, for those that aren't too familiar with Hong Kong cinema, may recognise from the recent MCU film 'Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings' in which he played Xu Wenwu) and Anthony Wong. Leung's character 'Alan' is lonely triad assassin who makes an origami crane for every person he has killed. Wong plays 'Johnny Wong', a member of the triads who wants to take over the organization.
I really like how Woo introduces us to Tequila so I'll briefly discuss that first and then I'll move onto the real meat of the film - the action.
The opening minutes introduce us to Tequila (who is playing the clarinet) and his partner Benny (I didn't realise it was him on my first watch. He is seen here playing the drums) who are performing together at a jazz club. The music and shots of them is interlaced with shots of Hong Kong nightlife and newspaper headlines detailing the rise in crime, all of which help set the mood and establish the setting. After this and as the music begins to fade away, we follow Tequila and Benny as they head to a tea house where we learn that they are leading an ambush on a group of gunrunners.
Inside, the pair chat as they watch the gun runners from afar. Tequila asks after Benny's son and we get a real sense of how close the two friends are. The tea house soon erupts into chaos as the film presents the first of many great action scenes and gives viewers a taste of what's to come. The shoot-out ends poorly and leads to Benny having more holes in him than Swiss cheese. Tequila pursues the culprit eventually trapping him with a gun to his head. Unfortunately for Tequila, this is the man they're after and you can see (what I read as) the conflict of whether he should do his job or get revenge. He pulls the trigger and blood splatters onto his face (made more impactful by the fact he's covered in flour). Tequila's boss soon arrives and scolds him for screwing up what had been a long operation.
You've now learnt pretty much everything you need to know about Tequila. He's good at what he does and is prepared to put his life on the line to do his job, but his loyalty to the people closest to him comes first.
So then. The action.
This film features so much incredible action but I want to talk about my favourite bit. During the finale of the film there is a shoot-out in a hospital and a section of this is a 3(ish) minute long take. I'm a sucker for long takes (especially in action films) but that alone isn't what make this take great. The camera work is well thought-out and you never feel like you're missing anything. It's also filmed with a hand held camera (not certain if it is but seems pretty likely) which along with no cuts makes the audience feel like they're following Tequila and his new ally Alan as they move down the hospital corridors. There's a bit during the take where the pair head into a lift and that allows the characters (and the audience) to have a moment to catch their breath. It also serves another purpose which some reading this may already be aware of (if you're not - pay attention the two rooms the pair traverse through when entering/exiting the lift. It might look a bit familiar...
Ok I'm just realising now that I keep talking about how great the action is but I'm not talking about it! So before I finish up this review I'll give you a description of it. The action in this and Woo's other films always feel brutal and raw yet they also feel kinda silly. Don't get me wrong though, the silliness isn't bad! It's partly what makes the action in his films so enjoyable! I mean there's a bit at the beginning of Hard Boiled were a dual pistol wielding Tequila slides down a stair banister whilst firing enough bullets to take a small group into just two guys!
Anyway, if you made it this far, thanks for reading. This is my first review so if it's kinda shit that's why. Hopefully they'll get better as I write more!
| Watch it if you like.... | But don't watch it if you .... |
|---|---|
| - Squibs | - Prefer incoherent action films |
| - The colour blue | - Don't like babies |
| - Dirt bikes | - Have a fear of hospitals |
| - White roses | - Hate jazz music |
Where 2 Watch?
Since it's never been streamed anywhere (as far as I know) a physical copy of the film is your best bet.
I'd recomend getting the R0 Collector's Edition DVD that was released by 'Tartan Asia Extreme'. There's usually a bunch of copies floating around on ebay for about £5 - £15.
FYI - Make sure it's the Collector's Edition and not Tartan's original release, as the picture and sound on the original release is noticibly worse than the Collector's Edition (the opening credits are a lower quality and resolution but the rest is fine).
NOTE - there are Blu-ray releases of the film but I'm not familer with the quality of those releases
If you enjoy this film, I recommend watching...
- A Better Tomorrow (1986) - also directed by John Woo and stars Chow Yun-Fat.
- Full Contact (1992) - also stars Chow Yun-Fat and Anthony Wong.
- Exiled (2006) - also stars Anthony Wong.
- The Killer (1989) - also directed by John Woo and stars Chow Yun-Fat.
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