Alright, we can whine and gripe about remakes and reboots in horror all we want, (rightfully) blaming them for a lack of original content the genre so desperately needs – but they aren’t going away. Studios are more focused on the big bucks, and revamping a familiar face is an exponentially safer bet than throwing big budget values at an ambitious director willing to try something new and unique. Not only does this put a chokehold on content, but it forces these talented newcomers to go the independent route and produce their idea for much less money, cutting back on the quality that could have been in terms of locations, special effects, costumes, CGI – the list goes on.
But while most recycled franchises are immediately met with rolling eyes, one upcoming reboot has shocked doubters (me included) time and time again with a devilishly tantalizing marketing campaign, building blind faith in me to the point that I’m actually excited for it’s April release. How? Why? It’s a remake – just see the last Friday The 13th, A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Fog, etcetera. Can I really be THAT excited for yet another director bringing his ideas to an already established franchise?
Yes, yes I f#cking can be at this point.
The movie in question is Fede Alvarez’s “remake” of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead, already my most anticipated horror film of the year. Yes, not just most anticipated remake, but most anticipated genre movie of the entire year. So why do I think Alvarez is holding the golden ticket to remake heaven on this one? How is Evil Dead trumping films like Insidious Chapter 2, The Conjuring, and You’re Next in terms if 2013 hype? I’ve seen all I need to see, and it’s time I impart my wisdom to the masses.