How to Review a Movie

In honor of Roger Ebert, I will be posting my review breakdown of "Evil Dead" which is currently in cinemas. This review will appear on the next issue of the Beacon.

1) Is this movie worth seeing? 

     Before you introduce the plot or even offer your humble opinion regarding the movie, you must tell the reader if it is worth seeing. Most people who read reviews have already made up their minds based on the trailer or past work by the actors, directors and such. The first paragraph either validates or contradicts their opinions, so make it count.

The remake of the 1981 cult-hit has revealed two things about the "Evil Dead" franchise. First, the success of the original depended far more on Bruce Campbell than previously thought. Second, given its 26 million dollar opening weekend haul, hard R-rated horror flicks still have a place in Hollywood.

     In three sentences, I have established my credentials as a "Deadite" with my knowledge of the "Evil Dead" franchise and subtly endorsed R-rated horror movies. If the reader were to stop reading, he or she would already know the gist of my feeling about the movie.

2)  Introduce the plot and key players (No Spoilers!)

    This is when you introduce the plot, actors and the director. But this is not an analysis, you can assume the reader has seen the trailer and read the official synopsis but little else.
      If there is merit, talk about the director and actors.

The setup remains unchanged: a cabin in the woods, a group young men and women, and possessions by demons which can only be reversed through dismemberment. Shiloh Fernandez is the Bruce Campbell stand-in and although he gives it his best, his performance as the Ash character is the film's only major flaw. Ironically, Sam Raimi, the director of the original "Evil Dead", claims that Fede Alvarez was chosen because he was the only applicant not to include a part for Campbell in his proposal.

Mia (Jane Levy) has survived a heroin overdose and seeks the recluse cabin to wean herself off once and for all. Behind her back, Mia's friends and brother conspire to keep her in the cabin at all costs. Mia's brother David (Fernandez) raises several objections but is eventually persuaded. 

I have introduced the plot and added some criticism. I do not recommend either praising or denouncing the movie directly unless you are using it for context. Not many people know that particular tidbit about the movie, but it wouldn't make as much sense if I did not include the consequences of that decision.

3) What did you love/hate about this movie?

    It's easier to stick to absolutes. Write about the parts that you loved. If you did not love the film as a whole, write about the parts that you hated later and and vice-versa.

The movie takes a surprisingly quick turn to the gorefest. Eric (Lou Pucci) is the mandatory idiot who unleashes demons by reading Latin from the Book of the Dead. What follows is a rollercoaster ride through the circles of hell. Mia's possession is tragically similar to her withdrawal symptoms. When David and Eric finally realize what is actually happening, it is already too late. It is Alvarez's show from now and the director of "Panic Attack" is not content to mutilate his cast but he also deconstructs bodies a la David Cronenberg in "The Fly".

Characters are scalded, Glasgow smiled, buckshot, nail gunned , and beaten to bloody pulps in the second act alone. Alvarez shows his skill as a director and his sick sense of humor in the brief calm moments between the violence. This film is the equivalent of a fat kid given the keys to the candy store. It's not satirical, funny or even groundbreaking. But it is an ultra-violence party cranked to 11. Alvarez has a eye for the practical effects and he takes full advantage of it here.

    This is when you present your evidence for your recommendation of the film. Why would you see it again? What parts of it do you still remember days later? What did you see that you had never seen before.
    Again, no spoilers.

4) An invitation

 

    In one sentence or two, come up with an argument for those who are undecided on the movie.

If you like your horror raw, see this movie. And if you're a fan of the original, stay until after the credits.

That about wraps it up. Remember, no spoilers!