Have you seen the ASH VS. THE EVIL DEAD comic con trailer?

  If you haven't, stop what you are doing right now and watch it!   I have to admit, I was nervous going into it.  I was scared that it wouldn't live up to what I hoped it would look like.   Well, I am more than happy to report that the trailer lived up to my hopes and expectations and then some!    This show looks like it will be so much fun!  

  ASH VS. THE EVIL DEAD will premier Halloween night, October 31st of this year on the STARZ Network.


CLICK HERE to read the full article on Bloody-Disgusting.com
and watch the trailer!

 

ASH VS. EVIL DEAD TV series coming to STARZ!!!

 

  I was super excited when I heard that THE EVIL DEAD was being revamped for a TV series on the STARZ Movie Channel and would be staring Bruce Campbell as Ash!  I was even more excited when I realized I actually get the STARZ channel! 
  The tentative title of the series is ASH VS. EVIL DEAD.   Original Director Sam Raimi will be writing and directing the show and original series producer Rob Tapert will be on hand to executive produce along with Raimi and Campbell.
  To be honest, I really didn't get too excited when I first heard about it, because I figured this was just a rumor.  Let's be honest, how long have we been hearing that THE EVIL DEAD 4 was finally being made, and we have never seen that yet.   I still will not believe this news until I actually am watching the opening credits on the STARZ network.  This just seems too good to be true, but major news sources all over the net are writing about it, so I guess it is really happening!

Click below to read some more articles and details about the new EVIL DEAD TV show
from these various news outlets:

CNN
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
THE HUFFINGTON POST
VARIETY

Blu-ray Review: MANIAC COP 2

 
MANIAC COP 2
Directed by William Lustig
Written by Larry Cohen
Distributed by Blue Underground

I am a pretty big fan of the first MANIAC COP film.  I hadn't seen it until I reviewed it on this blog a couple of years ago  (see that review here).  So needless to say, I had never seen the two sequels of the film. I have never known too many sequels that matched the original in terms of enjoyment, let along surpass the original, but I really think MANIAC COP 2 managed to do this!  It is at least as good as the original, but I would go as far as to say this one is even better. I enjoyed it more, anyway.  Here is the basic plot of the film from the Blue Underground website:

  The "Maniac Cop" is back from the dead and stalking the streets of New York once more. Officer Matt Cordell was once a hero, but after being framed by corrupt superiors and brutally assaulted in prison, he sets out on a macabre mission of vengeance, teaming up with a vicious serial killer to track down those that wronged him and make them pay... with their lives!

  This was a very cool film with a simple plot, just the maniac cop going around killing people, but it was done so well that you have to give it credit when it comes to the cinematography and general camera work.  That is the one thing that really stuck out for me was the camera work, something that normally goes unnoticed and under appreciated in most films.  There were a couple of car chase scenes that were done remarkably well, leading me to ask myself how there were able to get some of those camera shots.

  I also liked that the maniac cop had some more creative kills in this film, my favorite being when he handcuffs a woman to the steering wheel of a car through the window  (she was standing outside the car), then puts the car in neutral and pushes it down the downhill street!  This was another instance of some great camera work and some great stunt work as you could tell this was actually a performed stunt, not a computer trick or green screened.

  I would encourage you check out MANIAC COP 2, especially if you are a fan of the first film.  MANIAC COP 2 is available now on a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and contains the following
special features:

*  Audio Commentary with Director William Lustig and Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn
*  Back On The Beat - The Making Of MANIAC COP 2
*  Cinefamily Q&A with Director William Lustig
*  Deleted Scene
*  Theatrical Trailers
*  Poster & Still Gallery
*  Isolated Music Track
*  Enhanced for D-Box Motion Control Systems


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack

Help fund the upcoming EVIL DEAD fan documentary, HAIL TO THE DEADITES!

  Check out the indiegogo campaign for the upcoming documentary about EVIL DEAD fans called, HAIL TO THE DEADITES!  This film is being directed by Steve Villeneuve with Tom Sullivan, Danny Hicks and Patricia Tallman as associate producers.  The filmmakers are going to go all over the country and even the world to find the biggest EVIL DEAD fans to show you their memorabilia collections and hear their stories on how they fell in love with the EVIL DEAD films and why they are such big fans of the films. 

I think this sounds like a pretty cool project!  You can help fund this film now by going to the film's indiegogo page and choosing a contribution amount to help out.  There are contribution packages from as little as $10 up to $1000 with tons of great perks!  Any bit helps, so go help fund this awesome project!

CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website
CLICK HERE to visit and contribute to the indiegogo campaign

Coming soon....ARMY OF DARKNESS 2 !!!

  Raise your hand if you want to see a sequel to ARMY OF DARKNESS.  Me too, Ash!  Well, now you can  (or will be able to someday, anyway).  That's right!  In case you haven't heard, ARMY OF DARKNESS 2 is happening.  While that is awesome news, what is even better is that both Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are attached to the project!  Raimi will be directing and Bruce will be starring in the new film.  Now, the bad news is it is slated for a 2016 release, which means we have a while before we will be able to see this new film.  The project has just been announced, so no word on any plot lines yet.  And as always with any film announcement this far in advance, things could change.  Stay tuned and I will pass on any details as I hear them!

CLICK HERE and HERE to read articles posted by bloody-disgusting.com about ARMY OF DARKNESS 2!

DVD Review: EVIL DEAD (2013)

  
EVIL DEAD
Written & Directed by Fede Alvarez
Distributed by Sony Pictures

  I remember a lot of skeptical people discussing the EVIL DEAD remake online when it was first announced.  The original film is such a classic, that people didn't understand why it needed to be remade and also immediately wrote it off just because they didn't agree with touching a film as good as the original EVIL DEAD.   I have to admit, I was a little skeptical too, but after watching the remake, I am happy to say that I was very impressed with this film.  Here is the basic plot of the film from the film's imdb.com page:

  Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival.

  If you haven't seen the original EVIL DEAD, stop reading this and go watch it right now!!  The original stars Bruce Campbell as the iconic character of Ash.  The film is a very gory, but full of dark humor and Bruce's own special style of slapstick.  This is even more true of the original's sequel, EVIL DEAD 2:  DEAD BY DAWN.   Bruce Campbell played this character to perfection.  So, how could you have someone step up and play this iconic character of Ash in a remake and have it compare and live up to the level of Bruce's performance?  The answer is you couldn't, and luckily the filmmakers of this remake realized this and didn't go that route.  That is what makes this remake work.

  The film uses the basic premise of the original film, but takes it in a much darker direction.  The film is more of a pure horror /terror film than the original.  They have replaced all the dark comedy with nothing but sheer terror and gore. There are some truly brutal scenes in this film, some of which are a nice nod to events that happened in the original.  The acting is very good in this film too.  Some of the actors look truly terrified during their scenes, and I'm sure they probably went through a lot in the filming of this movie.

  If you are a fan of the original film, you definitely need to check out this new version of the film.  It is a very well done remake and a nice companion piece to the original EVIL DEAD.   The DVD and Blu-ray is available now and contains the following special features:

*  Making Life Difficult - The Intense and Physically Exhausting Creation of the Film
*  Directing the Dead - Director Fede Alvarez Re-Imagines a Cult Horror Classic
*  Being Mia - The Physical and Psychological Transformation into "Evil Mia"


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Check out the new Red Band trailer for the upcoming EVIL DEAD remake....

  
I posted a link to the trailer for the upcoming EVIL DEAD film a few months ago, but now we have a new trailer to oogle over.  It is the official Red Band trailer and it looks awesome!  I have not been this excited about movie in a long time.  I never had the pleasure of watching any of the EVIL DEAD films in the theater, so I am really looking forward to this!

The EVIL DEAD remake has a theatrical release date of April 12, 2013 here in the U.S.  Click Here for a list of Worldwide release dates.

CLICK HERE to watch the Red Band trailer
CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website

Blu-ray Review: MANIAC COP (1988)

   

MANIAC COP
Written by Larry Cohen
Directed by William Lustig
Distributed by Synapse Films

  
MANIAC COP is a film I have always known about, but for one reason or another have just never seen.  The premise sounds cool and it stars two of my favorite horror movie actors  (Bruce Campbell and Tom Atkins), but this was just always slipped past me somehow.   If you haven't seen this film either, now is a perfect time now that the fine folks at Synapse Films have released this brand new high-definition transfer of the original unaltered theatrical release version!  If you are not familiar with the film, here is the basic plot courtesty of the Synapse Films website:

Innocent people are brutally killed on the streets of New York by a uniformed police officer. A young cop, Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell, TV’s BURN NOTICE and the EVIL DEAD trilogy), finds himself marked as the chief suspect after his wife is murdered. As Lieutenant Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins, DRIVE ANGRY and LETHAL WEAPON) investigates, the death toll rises and he suspects a mysterious police cover-up. This “maniac” cop must be stopped, but it might not be so easy. He seems inhuman, and ready to take on the entire police force, hell-bent on revenge!

I'm not sure why you don't hear more about this film....this film isn't talked about too much, but to me this is a classic slasher flick for sure!  It was at least good enough to garner two sequels and can definitely hold its own when compared with other horror films of the 80's (the greatest decade for horror films in my humble opinion). 

MANIAC COP actually reminded me of a FRIDAY THE 13TH film.  I say that because the killer in this film is a big, hulking man who moves slow and [in the beginning at least] never shows his face.  When we do see his face finally, it is very disfigured and we get a flashback scene to explain why.  Slap a hocky mask on this beastly cop and you could have a FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 8: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN that was actually good!!  HA! 

I loved the fact that this killer was a cop, or at least wore a cop uniform.   Policeman usually are the ones to protect us from the bad guys, so when the main bad guy is a cop, it gives the viewer a real uneasy feeling.  This was noticed right from the start when in the opening scene a lady is mugged by two street hoods.  She gets away and they chase her, but before they can catch her, she spots a policeman in the distance.  She runs to him yelling "Officer! Officer!" and when she gets to him, you can see an instantaneous feeling of safety replace here feeling of panice and dispair.  This feeling of safety and protection is short lived, though, as she sees the officer's face and is lifted off the ground by the neck.  Her neck is snapped and she is tossed aside like a piece of trash.   The thought of someone who is supposed to protect you being the one you have to be aware of is very unsettleing to me.   Another grim aspect of the killer stalking the city being a cop is that all over the city, people now don't trust any of the police officers.  This leads to a very grueling scene in which an innocent cop is shot by a motorist thinking she was about to be attacked by the "maniac cop" on the loose.  

This is a great film and I recommend it for any horror fan.  It was a blas seeing Bruce Campbell in another horror film other than the EVIL DEAD films.    As with all their titles, Synapse Films has released this Blu-ray with tons of awesome special features including the following:

*New 2011 2K HD Restoration of the Original Unaltered Theatrical Release Version
*DTS-HD MA 6.1 Surround / DTS-HD MA 4.0 Surround / DTS HD-MA 2.0 Stereo
*MANIAC COP MEMORIES - Interview with Robert Z'Dar (HD)
*OUT THE WINDOW - Interview with Tom Atkins (HD)
*THREE MINUTES WITH DANNY HICKS Featurette (HD)
*Motion Still Gallery (HD)
*Theatrical Trailer and TV Spots
*Additional Scenes Filmed for Japanese Television
*Spanish Radio Spot


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray


CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Synapse Films

THE EVIL DEAD remake is a go!!

I know a  lot of people hate horror remakes, but I personally love them.  They don't take anything away from the original...we will always have those, but they can introduce a new generation of movie watchers to some great stories and characters and even get them interested in seeing the originals if they haven't already.

I say all this because Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell have announced an official THE EVIL DEAD remake!   Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert will all be producing the film with the directing duties being given to Fede Alvarez.

I am personally very excited about this.  Anything involving THE EVIL DEAD is ok in my book, even if it is not the EVIL DEAD 4 we've all been wishing for.  I am confident Sam will make sure this is a top notch film that lives up to its name.  


CLICK HERE to read the full article from The Hollywood Reporter

The official EVIL DEAD game app is finally here!!

Back in November of last year, I did a post about an official EVIL DEAD game app coming out for the iPhone/iPad.  I have been waiting patiently for this game to come out, and I am proud to report that the wait is over!  I haven't heard much about this, but just happened to run across it last night while browsing the iTunes store.  The game was officially released on June 3rd and is available now from the app store!!  The iPhone version is on sale for $2.99 and the iPad app is available for $4.99.

CLICK HERE to view the EVIL DEAD: THE GAME app trailer
CLICK HERE to visit the official website of the EVIL DEAD: THE GAME app, for more info and cool screenshots from the game.

Bruce Campbell Soup....Mmmmm Mmmmm Groovy!

My friend Phillip brought to my attention these cool Bruce Campbell soup can labels! In honor of Bruce Campbell's birthday today, SciFiWire.com came up with these great labels that you can print out and put on a can to make your own Bruce Campbell soups!! Pretty Groovy if you ask me! Who wouldn't want a can of nice, warm, Cream Of Darkness soup on a cold night. Or how about a can of Gumbo Ho-Tep, Auotlycus Cheese, or my personal favorite, Bisque 'o County Jr. Soup! HA!

I thought of Evil Dead Beans and Rice!! Can you think of any other Bruce Campbell related soup names?

CLICK HERE to visit SciFiWire and to read instructions on printing out your own set of labels!

Watch WITHIN THE WOODS, the film that was the basis for THE EVIL DEAD!!

Most fans of THE EVIL DEAD series have heard of WITHIN THE WOODS, but not many have seen it. I never realized it was sitting out there on Youtube for all to see so easily!! This is the film Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Robert Tapert shopped around to investors in order to raise money to shoot their first feature, BOOK OF THE DEAD, or as we now know it, THE EVIL DEAD. Here is the basic plot:

A group of friends spend a weekend at a remote cabin, and one of them accidentally desecrates an Indian burial ground. This causes him to turn into a zombie, and kill off his friends. They must band together to try and survive being massacred.

Sounds somewhat familiar, huh? Thanks to Youtube user TheUltimateEvilDead for posting this! He has the film split up into 4 parts, so CLICK HERE to watch part 1 of 4. When that is done, look at the "More from: TheUltimateEvilDead" section and pick part 2 of 4 and so on until you have watched all 4 parts.

Keep in mind, this was never meant for home video release. It was shot on Super 8mm film and has aged terribly, so it is hard to watch in terms of film quality. It is like watching a VHS tape that is all crinkled up. BUT....us true EVIL DEAD fans will look past that as long as we get a chance to watch this long heard about early effort from the folks that brought us the greatest Horror trilogy of all time, THE EVIL DEAD films!!!

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CLICK HERE to watch part 1 of 4 of WITHIN THE WOODS