Student Film Reviews

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1. Justin Lara 04.16.13 / 12pm

   It’s really sad to hear that the remake was so bad. I really liked the original film, Bruce Campbell was simply amazing in it. I was planning on watching this film but after reading the review I will probably just get the original out of the closet and watch that instead. I really didn’t see the point of the remake the film was made with a low budget originally and that’s what made it so good in my opinion. Thanks for the review it saved me a few hours.
2. Jourdan Tappeiner 04.17.13 / 6pm

   This is one of those films that even the trailer made me cringe. I keep changing my mind about watching it because I am a total scaredy cat. I have a love/hate relationship with scary movies and this one seemed like it was worth the scare. Your review makes me want to watch it and see how it all ends. At least now I will know what to expect and can make sure that I have my hands ready to cover my eyes.
3. Christian Preciado 04.22.13 / 3pm

   I had not seen the original movie before I saw this remake but to me this was entertaining and made me jump a few times. Now scary movies rarely have an effect on me but some scenes surprised me. Evil Dead was made to have scary images come across your mind and with the special effects that were in it, it accomplished just that. This horror film was pretty stereotypical in the sense that it had young adults that were in a secluded area and escape was difficult. A powerful force was terrorizing the group and gore and suspense came with it. Some sarcastic remarks were made that helped lighten the mood on occasion but overall this movie was created to give you nightmares and if it were not for that rated R rating, many pre-teens would be sleeping with their parents the night after they watched it.
4. AlexiaLimon 04.26.13 / 11pm

   I appreciate your insight on this film. I was very close to watching it out in theaters, but decided not to after having heard much of the things you mentioned in your review. I absolutely LOVE horror movies, and was a little upset when I heard how disappointing this film is (compared to the original). I’m glad it wasn’t a complete let down and still had it’s “scary” scenes– and for that very reason I may still watch it. I have yet to watch the original film, but will be turning to that one first! Thank you for this review.
5. Pilar Heiden 05.02.13 / 1pm

   I absolutely love scary movies and could not wait to see this film in theaters when it came out. I have not seen the original film, only this remake, but the storyline was very stereotypical. Almost every scary movie I have watched has a plot in which a group of people are somehow excluded from civilization, trying everything they can to escape- while terrifying events occur throughout the escape. This movie was definitely made to make viewers jump in their seat, which it did. I enjoyed this film from start to finish, I would recommend seeing it if you like the feeling of suspense and horror.
6. Olivia Simon 05.02.13 / 1pm

   When I first saw the trailer for the evil dead, I just wanted to watch it because I enjoy viewing these types of scary, suspenseful films. I was expecting blood and violence, but I actually did not think that this movie would frighten me as much as it did. Normally, I can sit back and enjoy scary movies with my eyes wide open, but while watching this film, I was constantly squinting my eyes, scared of what was going to occur next. After reading this review, I learned that there is an original living dead film that I did not know about it. I think it would be interesting to view that film and compare the different film techniques and performances from the characters.
7. Halie Sila 05.03.13 / 1pm

   I have seen the original Evil Dead and I thought it was great. Some parts in the original were scary but I mostly laughed. I love over the top horror films that are so gory and outrageous that they are funny. I will most likely end up watching the remake just because I have seen the original and I am curious to compare the similarities and differences but I hope I am not too disappointed. I enjoyed reading your review because it was descriptive and humorous and I also appreciated your honest opinion.
8. Ying Li 05.03.13 / 3pm

   Personal taste, horror movie is one of the best thing to give an excitement. I watched evil dead and i think this movie is great because through the whole movie, this is whole horror movie. Personally, the pumping out is the best thing in the movie. Additionally, the make up of the ghost is also one of the ingredient to provide a big impact to audiences. However, personally I also think that most of horrors do not content any moral. For exmaple, the other movie, “the evil inside,” is also similar gerne in horror movi e as well. Audience would like to enjoy the cripness and fear from the movie.
9. Christopher Connor 06.24.13 / 5pm

   Having seen the original, The Evil Dead, I was quite curious as to what this remake had to offer. I liked the original, and although it was very campy, there were still parts throughout the movie that had me spooked. The remake, Evil Dead, seems to completely forego the campiness and replaces it with extreme gore. I’m not usually one for movies with unending amounts of gore, but I have to say, I was thoroughly entertained with this movie. I felt it started off rather cheesy, but soon picked up with enough suspense and action that I had quickly forgotten about it. Ultimately it wasn’t as scary to me as it was intense. I find most horror movies these days rather stale, but I left this one satisfied.

   Spoilers:

   To answer the original poster’s question about the burial and car battery:

   One of the ways to kill off the demon and its host was to bury the possessed person alive. So, to kill the demon, he buried his sister alive. But to save her, he started her heart again with the car battery. Maybe your question was rhetorical and you just thought it was stupid.
10. Cristian Baravalle 06.26.13 / 2pm

    Being a huge fan of the horror genre, I enjoyed your review. It made me laugh. I’m not a huge fan of remakes, so I haven’t seen this one yet, but after reading your review, I think I’ll try and find it when it becomes available for rent. I did see the original Evil Dead, and I’m not surprised that you say this remake isn’t better than the original. I mean, what remakes are better than their originals aside from special effects?

    I just watched the trailer via YouTube and yes, this remake does look a little “Cabin in the Woods”-ish but with more action. Looks like my kind of movie!
11. Kristen Zumdahl 06.28.13 / 10am

    I like how you are very honest about your feelings of the film. Unfortunately, remakes don’t always seem to standout. I saw this movie and thought the same as you did. The beginning was a good hook as to who were the antagonists, but the rest seemed a bit silly to me. I have not seen the original, but that is on my list. Although it is true, that today’s technology can make for a good, realistic horror movie. I do love horror movies, but I feel that because I’ve been desensitized by so many movies and shows that show violence that it wasn’t as scary as I thought.
12. Dinh Nhan 06.29.13 / 1pm

    It is so disappointed to know the remake is bad because most the remake movies I watched are decent and good. Thanks to your review, I can save my time on not watching it since I am not a big fan of horror movies. I am glad to know that they used good technology to film the movie, such as the sound effects and the bloody scene because these are the most important elements to determine the scariness of a movie. Interestingly this review has shown a trick to watch this movie, which is mute the voice in order to avoid the horrible sound effects.
13. lismac 07.01.13 / 12pm

    It’s interesting to see a remake of a movie because you get to see how the two are similar and how they are different. In addition, after watching both, it’s almost natural to decide which the “better” film is. I think that the first one did a better job at mixing horror and comedy, and the second one lacked realistic behavior. In other words, I agree when you said that the characters seemed to do some foolish things that would actually be done if it was an actual real-life situation. I think that some of the “scary” things about horror movies is that they can be thought as possibly happening. The Evil Dead (2013) did not deliver that.
14. Samantha Everson 07.02.13 / 11am

    Personally, I am never that excited about seeing a remake because I feel a sense of allegiance to the original. However, horror is my favorite film genre so I am always willing to check those out. To be honest I loved The Evil Dead (2013). I would give it the highest rating a film critic is capable of; two thumbs up, five stars, 10 out of 10, one hundred percent, ad infinitum. These types of films are all about mind-blowing the audience with shock and terror. The audience on the night of my attendance of this film in theaters was dead silenced; absolutely horrified. I completely agree with you about the beginning of the film, and the deviance of plot. I too was extremely riled up over the opinion that being humanly re-charged with a battery was just unnecessary. Until, however, the events that follow are just bad ass. That I think brought the film around full-circle leaving me satisfied and an absolute fan of this film.
15. Paulina Dudunakis 07.05.13 / 10am

    This movie was definitely terrifying and it had a sick kind of horror. People having to cut off their own arms to stay alive (or so they think it will help) but they end up dying anyways. I also had many moments where I thought the movie was over but it really wasn’t it just kept going on with all the sick terror moments. I wasn’t really a big fan of this movie.
16. Paulina Dudunakis 07.05.13 / 10am

    I didn’t know this was the remake of another movie but before I get into my experience of this movie, I will already say that it wasn’t a good one. This movie was definitely terrifying and it had a sick kind of horror. People having to cut off their own arms to stay alive (or so they think it will help) but they end up dying anyways. I also had many moments where I thought the movie was over but it really wasn’t it just kept going on with all the sick terror moments. I wasn’t really a big fan of this movie.
17. Brianna Robinson 07.06.13 / 2pm

    I completely agree with you on how ridiculous the film Evil Dead was. I went to see it with a group of friends to hopefully be scared, however that was not the case. Yes a lot of the visual effects were on point and very realistic but I couldn’t get over how stupid the characters were in the movie, if someone starts to be “possessed” in my cabin, I’m sure as hell not staying or not even contacting any other outside sources for help. Me, being a person who likes scary movies, was very disappointed when I saw the remake. I actually couldn’t stop myself from laughing in the theatre. After seeing the movie, I went home to see the original film on Netflix and it was an alright film for it’s time, back then I guess it would have been enough to be spooky.
18. Nicole Beltran 07.06.13 / 5pm

    I am not sure where to begin with this film. I am not opposed to watching remakes of classic films and when I heard that this was coming out I was intrigued. I thought that with all of the advancements in effects and filming techniques that this would be a remarkable remake, sadly I assumed wrong. I am not even sure where to begin, this film was all wrong. The amount of blood and gore was laughable and extremely unrealistic. The acting was not done well and the effects fell sort. I do have to say that the prosthetic make-up was done well but that was about all. I would advise sticking to the original film if you want to watch a good horror movie. The progression of this movie was entirely predictable. I would have to say that the only portion of this movie that was enjoyable and suspenseful was the beginning of the movie and when the characters stumbled into the basement. For today’s advancements in film making and remakes or classics, this is a sad and horrible flop.
19. Veronica Birch 07.06.13 / 8pm

    Before this movie came out, my friend told me that I needed to see the original before I saw the “remake”. I totally agree that the original was better than this “remake”, even though it was not that horrific. There was way more gore than the original and it definitely took it to the extreme. The original played more mind games on you rather than having so much gore and it was more humorous. Personally, I did find this film to be disturbing due to how realistic they made the “monster” humans look and I did jump a couple times when I least expected to. Although this “remake” was not the worst film I have ever seen, it definitely was not what I expected after seeing the original. If I had to choose between the two, I prefer the original because overall I found it to be a better film. I am not a big fan of the gore and the ending of this film definitely topped it off.
20. Omotayo Daniel 07.06.13 / 10pm

    I also agree with you 100 percent that the original and the remake were totally different. The original had more of a comedy spin to it while the remake seemed to be more of bloody zombie feel to it. I also thought that it was a odd ending for the film to have.
21. Omotayo Daniel 07.06.13 / 10pm

    I also agree with you 100 percent that the original and the remake were totally different. The original had more of a comedy spin to it while the remake seemed to be more of bloody zombie feel to it. I also thought that it was a odd ending for the film to have, I also was confused by the batteries scene. I also do agree with you that it did seem to be quite a better movie in the start versus the end. I think the reason is because the start seemed to have more substance and wasn’t so predictable.
22. Simon Staicer 07.07.13 / 12am

    Not too often do I find a film review that is hyper critical of the reviewed film that still acknowledges the positive aspects of the film, while intertwining catchy prose and wit. For example, you describe the setting of the film and use this description to setup your alternative film suggestion in a way that flows right off the tongue. I believe your review gave just enough storyline points without rehashing something you almost entirely disliked because of the remake’s formulaic treatment of the classic cult horror film. So, despite your scathing review it was enjoyable to have the positive aspects that I can look out for if I watch “The Evil Dead,” which is very likely since it will be on premium cable channels soon.
23. Ryan Quinn 07.07.13 / 1pm

    I just watched the 1981 Evil Dead flick again, and it made me uniquely aware of how much a child of the 1970’s and 1980’s I truly am. I’m sure the film would have terrified me when I was growing up (I was born in 1972, so I was only 8 or 9 when this came out) but now after studying and working in film and video for many years, every plot twist and the framing and execution of every shot is so cliche. Granted, it’s a pretty wonderful formula that has been executed much worse in other modern horror films. I am probably too caught up in my own bubble to appreciate any of the traits of this movie that were actually fresh back in 1981. The concept of a group of people being isolated from the world by a small wooden bridge giving out was a little far fetched for me to absorb as well. All in all, though, I still found this film a pretty pleasant ride along a set of very well grounded filmic horror cliches.
24. carli lopez 07.07.13 / 10pm

    I have not seen this new film but I have seen the original and I agree with you. I’m sure that with new technology and with the help of this new and improved film industry this movie made in 2013 is much more convincing than the original film made in 1981. I had the same reaction when I watched the original film “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” made in the 1970’s. I have seen the one made in 2003 and you can definitely see the difference in technology and how much film making has improved. I think that all remakes of horror films today are much better than the original ones.
25. Sarah Ekman 07.19.13 / 3pm

    I’ve never actually saw this film but I wanted to when it first came out. After reading this review, I wasn’t as disappointed that I missed it. I still would like to see this film because I love scary movies. I like movies that keep me on the edge of my couch and movies that require a pillow in my arms to cover my eyes if needed. This film seems like one of those kind of movies. I really enjoyed your review and love the honesty behind it!
26. Sharlene Hassani 07.19.13 / 4pm

    I have had mixed feelings about this film ever since I saw the trailer in theaters, scary movies are definitely not the same as they used to be. Just from seeing the trailer I can definitely see how you made your arguments, the special effects and the realness of the actions in the film is definitely a very awesome factor but not necessarily what people look for in movies. I think that this film failed because they wanted to go to the extreme to try and scare people but ended up going over the top and with how spoiled we are when it comes to our knowledge of cinema and having seen so many experimental and independent movies, that just doesn’t do anything for us and ends up being stupid. It doesn’t take a lot to scare people, it’s not about excessive gory scenes and ugly monster people, it’s more psychological. That is why movies like Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960) is so scary even today! Anyways I loved your review, it was honest and didn’t give away too much information.
27. Rita Susso 07.26.13 / 3pm

    I liked this film. This is definitely a film of the contemporary horror genre that stands out in both the level of quality and suspense, yet the storyline is nothing unusual for the genre. The visual effects and the timing of every scene is very creative. I thought it was scary and entertaining with good cinemagraphy. Even though I sometimes found the film ironic and silly I enjoyed it as a whole. I do not think it’s the filmmakers fault of how horror films are created, horror films are most of the time over the top and exaggerated. Rob Zombie who is a great horror director in my opinion totally failed with his latest project The lord of salem, when he tried to do something different. Psycho is not even in the same category as this type of horror film. Psycho is a film from another time period, it is a psychological thriller about real existing people, which will always frighten everyone in the audience. The evil dead wasn’t a innovation and we might seen it before but the level of quality and the techniques of this film made it nothing but uncomfortable to watch and that is what horrors is all about.
28. Timothy Parks 10.01.13 / 4pm

    I personally thought that this movie was about equal with the original, and I personally liked it more. The fact that they changed the reason for being there to the girl detoxing made the story more believable in the sense that she wanted to leave more and that her friends didn’t believe her because they thought that she was just being crazy from not being on the drugs. I thought that gore and gruesomeness of this movie was awesome. This movie had the most blood out of any movie ever made and you could clearly see that as it begins to rain blood at the end. I would have to say that this may not have been one of the best horror movies ever made, and the plot was a bit iffy, but I can say that this was one of my personal favorites and I saw it the night it was out in theaters.
29. alexmorales 10.18.13 / 5pm

    Personally, I haven’t seen the original film so I can’t even begin to compare or relate. I thought this film did what it was expected to do. It wasn’t so much scary as it was disturbing or straight up violent. Having seen Cabin in the Woods, I wouldn’t compare it to that. Cabin in the Woods featured way too many supernatural aspects. Ones I did not care for. The Evil Dead, however, really had a good thriller and suspense feel to it. I don’t like when any reviewer says something is “just plain dumb” and doesn’t go into detail as to why it is. Not disagreeing or agreeing but I’d like to understand why a little more. I agree with you on the special effects as well as the sound. It was up to today’s standards of horror and scare for sure. Exactly what I expected in terms of violence, gore, and grittiness. Didn’t have high expectations in the acting or the plot. I wouldn’t say it surpassed them but I’d say I wasn’t disappointed. I think this film, more specifically this type of film, is meant for certain audiences. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone unless I knew they were a fan of a lot of horror films. I feel that I am one of them and overall thought this was a fun and thrilling ride.
30. Chris Boyland 10.29.13 / 7pm

    Agreed with your review. Although better than many recent remakes, this too was a generic rehashing of the original. The beginning was promising but it fell into familiar territory too soon
31. Nikki Arnush 11.22.13 / 9pm

    Thank you for this review. I too can’t help but to compare the original Evil Dead with this version. I do think this review is a little harsh on the movie and I would have liked to read more about the aspects of the film as opposed to why it was worse than the original. I like how you compare it to other movies with modern remakes. I believe our generation is burnt out on zombie films, tv shows, and other media. I can see why this movie would generate a negative response due to straying so far from and being sub-par to the original and having poor special effects and acting.
32. Mahayla Camp 03.18.14 / 1pm

    I actually enjoyed this movie. I do have to admit that I haven’t seen the original so perhaps that’s why I enjoyed it, because I have nothing to compare it to. From what I understand of the original movie, it wasn’t necessarily supposed to be terrifying, it was supposed to have somewhat of a comedy element as well. This remake definitely did not have much of a comedy element, which is probably why so many people disliked it. I enjoyed its horror element and creep factor. However, despite our differences in enjoyment levels, this is a very well written review. Instead of just saying that it wasn’t as good as the original, you make sure to justify why you feel that way. Well done overall.
33. Boris De La Torre 10.15.18 / 6pm

    If a movie I enjoyed is remade I usually watch the remake. I find it interesting to see how the director makes his own adaptation of an older film and to see the things they changed or how they did their own version of a certain scene. There are times where remakes are better than the original but most of the times they shouldn’t even have been remade in the first place. The Evil Dead trilogy are one of my most favorite films, not just because of the story but also because of the camera work, Bruce Campbell, and the amount of dedication that was put in the making of the film, with most of the actors having no prior film experience. Those are just some of the factors that make the original so great. I’ve actually never watched the remake and I don’t know if I ever will because I don’t really want to “taint” my memory of the The Evil Dead franchise, that’s how much I loved the original movies, I may also just be stubborn, I don’t know.
34. Lindsay Wojciak 03.04.23 / 5pm

    From a horror buff, this is one of my favorite horror films. However, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a remake, but a reboot. It follows the same premise but definitely deviates from the original. It is less campy, and more gore. I think with the special effects and overall mise-en-scene, it turned out to be a great reboot. All that was needed was simply the colored contact lenses and subtle facial makeup changes that made it creepy. The 70,000 gallons of take blood used at the end made the movie epic in one scene. Also, Cabin In The Woods and Evil Dead are incomparable because they are wildly different. I agree that is a good, original story.

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