It’s A Re-Imaging, Not A Remake
This is the most important part for me actually. All the pro Evil Dead talk and prospects of insanity are great, but it’s the best knowing so much of the original has been altered in some way to bring a completely different film experience together – not just a flashier updated version of the original. From little things like changing the name and look of the Necronomicon to not even having a main character named Ash, Fede Alvarez is working tremendously hard to bring audiences a completely new experience while still staying spiritually connected to the original Evil Dead.
Raimi himself has admitted his film is an absolute cult classic (a full fledged horror classic in my eyes), but theatrically it lacks certain professionalism found in bigger budget horror movies. Sam himself wanted to see this remake done to create something bigger, better, faster, and stronger with the latest Hollywood advances the original film’s budget just wouldn’t allow. Raimi created something darkly comedic and gleefully over-the-top, and it works well with the smaller budget, but Alvarez is taking his Evil Dead scarier and more seedy places, again focusing on a brand new experience. Take a look at any of the new material and you’ll know exactly what I’m saying – and I love every freaking second of it. In the trailer alone, I totally dig the brilliantly creep-tacilar moment of watching one of the converted Deadites pop her head out of the locked basement hatch door to expose the visual make-up work which paints an undeniably more horrific type of Deadite than Raimi opted for.
When you remake something like Friday the 13th, directors never care to change the established atmosphere. Kudos to Fede Alvarez for paying homage to Sam Raimi by doing his own creative take on the established material – not just shooting a scene by scene rehash.