Book Review: Aliens Infiltrator

Hello everyone, Matthew here with another book review. I know I've had quite the collection of these lately. Hope it hasn't been too many. Rest assured, there will be more movie reviews as well. Just lots of things going on around the house so not lot of time for movies. 

Earlier this week, we dove into some Alien stuff for Alien Day. Well, it's safe to say that I'm not done with it yet. No, we are closing out this week as Alien Week. Because this series deserves all the love and recognition it gets. 

I have talked about Aliens Fireteam Elite in the past. It is a game that I was super excited for. It looked like it was going to be everything that Aliens Colonial Marines was promising to be. When I initially reviewed it, it was at the beginning of it's life cycle. It was brand new and shiny. Only one problem, I was playing it on PS4. 

The PS4 and Xbox Ones are solid systems.  They both delivered so many fantastic experiences. However, the newer games may not run as well as they should. I mean we did see that with Cyberpunk didn't we? It just reminded me when I was trying to play Spider-Man 3. It was at the end of the cycle and they were shooting for all of the systems as they could. However the newer ones received a different experience than the old generation. This was a similar experience except it was just the AI of the systems in the game unable to keep up. 

Recently, I was able to get an Xbox Series X. The new generation is here and it was everything I was hoping it would be. The updates in graphics and ability to play in 60 frames per second is incredible.  The backwards compatibility was the huge deciding factor for this system as well.

When I decided to revisit Fireteam Elite, I had remembered that there was a book tie-in. Because everything needs to have a tie-in these days it feels like. I mean even Alien Isolation received a novelization. I'm sure I'm going to get that one at some point. The tie-in book is Aliens: Infiltrator by Weston Ochse. Once again, it would be published by Titan Books. 

The synopsis is as follows: Dr. Timothy Hoenikker arrives on Pala Station, a Weyland-Yutani facility. Lured there by the promise of alien artifacts, instead he finds a warped bureaucracy and staff of misfits testing the effects of Xenomorph bio-materials on living creatures.

How does it hold up? Well, it does give us some time with the crew of Pala Station. This was something that is a bit interesting since in the game - story could be considered a bit light. So being able to spend time with those characters is interesting. For the most part, there are some memorable characters - Hoenikker, Cruz, Kash, and Etienne being the main ones. Everyone else feels a bit shallow and just there for fodder. 

The way things happen in the story feels very episodic. You have a set of chapters dedicated to this event, then there's a new status quo. Rinse and repeat. It does feel a little lengthy. Could some things have been tightened up? Perhaps. 

One of the interesting additions is that they explain why there are different types of Aliens. Being that the Station is a place to experiment on them is pretty interesting. The explanation as to why there's an albino xenonorph is original. It's also a beautiful callback to the original concept that was pitched for the first film. The one thing I don't recall is explanations for some of the Aliens from the game. Most specifically the Prowler Alien. 

There are also some nice Easter eggs and tie-ins to Prometheus and Covenant. I really appreciated that as I enjoyed those films a lot. But there was maybe a story beat that felt close to the Fifield monster from Prometheus. That and the black goo ultimately being a macguffin. 

Overall, this was a nice book. It didn't deviate to much from what expect an Alien book to be. It felt a little safe. And that's a bit understandable. Is it one that I will revisit? Probably not. 

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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Unleash The Beast: 30 Years of ALIEN 3

   

 

    1992. What a fantastic year 1992 was. It gave us Tim Burton's spectacular Batman Returns and the beginning of the well-acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series. Along with that, we were given Candyman, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, and Single White Female as a few examples of the horror genre. By this point, we also had the Super Nintendo available. I had extremely fond memories of playing Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars. 

    1992 was also the year that gave me Alien 3. You see most people get to see the Alien films in order. They begin to go on the journey with Ripley as she encounters the xenomorph in the first film. Then follow her into the depths of a hive to face the Queen in Aliens. For me, I didn't have that experience. I mean there's high chance that I got to see Aliens. But I tended not to remember it all that much. My first experience with the xenomorph was in David Fincher's Alien 3. 

    I remember not seeing the film in the theater as I had with Batman Returns. No, it wasn't till it hit VHS that I was able to see it. Now mind you, I was around 4 years old when that was. My mother tended to get some housework done - not much mind you. She's a bit of a garbage person, but that's another story for another day. I do remember my mother liked to put on movies. She really didn't care all that much about what was on the TV. So I'd usually be playing with some action figures or Super Nintendo then come out to the living room to see what was on the TV. One of these times it happened to be Alien 3. 

    I didn't know what the film was. I knew that it was a bit creepy. It felt a bit long back then. It was something that I wasn't sure if it could keep my attention. But then I saw the first appearance of the Xenomorph. It wasn't an Alien yet to me. It was just a monster. It was after the people. And there were a group of people that were trying to kill it. That's honestly what my brain had managed to think back then. I couldn't help but just find myself fascinated with it. 

    Then I remember going to our local video store, Real Video, and seeing the Alien 3 Super Nintendo case. I immediately grabbed it and was ready to go home with it. I wasn't sure what it was entirely. I just knew that it had something to do with the film that I had seen the one day. So, I tried playing the game and finding myself frustrated with it. I wasn't the right age to be playing it. That's for sure. But I appreciated what the gaIt me was trying to do. It was trying to capture that same wonderful feeling the film presented.

    Oh, I do remember seeing some ALIENS things by this point. It was the Kenner Alien toys. By this point, they were in full swing and releasing in tandem with Alien 3. It literally felt like the year of Alien. Those were some wonderful figures. I remember having the Gorilla Alien, the Queen, and the Flying Alien Queen. Each of these were something that just captivated me. Fantastic monsters. Think I still have one or two of them at my Dad's house. 

    Over the years, I tended to revisit Alien 3 a lot. Whenever I had the chance and it was available for $10 for 10 movies for 10 days, I'd get it. It just had this fairy tale quality to it. At that time, I didn't know about the behind the scenes issues between Fincher and the studio. It was just a film about a 'dragon' as Paul McGann's character kept calling it. 

    A few years later, Alien Resurrection would be released. And my fascination with the series continued. I didn't go see that at the theater either. But you bet, I got to see it when released on video. Resurrection didn't catch my attention as well as Alien 3 had. It felt like a step down. But it was okay because that just led me to turning my attention back to Alien 3. 

    Then in 2003, the studio approached Ridley and it was time to celebrate the series once again. It was time to release the original film on the big screen. What a time it was for Alien fans. The best thing of this whole scenario for me was the Alien Quadrilogy. All the films receiving a 2 disc deluxe DVD treatment. I was going to be able to appreciate the films finally in their full story. However, it was a bit pricey when that was released. DVD was a little in its infancy still. It wouldn't be till a few years later that I'd find the Quadrilogy for a decent price. And at that point, things changed. 

With the release of the Quadrilogy, there were new versions of each film. Some of them are labeled Director's Cuts but are just a few little scenes added back in. Of course, we also received the Cameron's Special Edition of Aliens as well. But for me, the cream of the crop was the new 'Assembly Cut' of Alien 3. This was supposed to be as close to an idea of what Fincher was going for originally. But unfortunately with the way things ended between Fincher and the studio, there is no way to see what his original vision was.

Well, there's that and the fact that there was literally no script in place during the production. It was made up as it went with what they had. The documentary Wreckage and Rage delivers a solid idea of exactly the kind of production it was. It was made to hit a release date. 

When I was able to sit and watch this Assembly Cut, I was a bit taken aback. For the most part, the basic beats were there. But there was a lot more depth to the prisoners that Ripley has to work with. One of the big additions that I think the Assembly Cut added was the extended opening. It's less rushed and condensed and allows the film to breathe. It also shows some pretty awesome visuals that were not present from the theatrical cut. 

Then there is the fact that the Xenomorph is birthed not from a dog, but an Ox. Yeah, it kinda muddles it a little bit as behaves more dog like but Ox-like. But I honestly chalk it up to production issues. Who knows maybe they could have given us something more Ox-like if things weren't so dang rushed. We also get to see a blink and miss it look at a Queen Facehugger. This was something that looks really cool as it added to the mythos. The downside is that we are never given an up close look during the film. It also adds a small misdirect of whether it was the hugger from the opening of the film or not. My personal headcanon has now been established that it was and that the Queen Facehuggers carries 2 embryos (a Queen and a Drone to protect it). Makes sense to me. 

After seeing the Assembly Cut, it's just very difficult to go back to the theatrical. Yeah, it's a bit quicker paced but at the cost of what? Character building and depth. 

Assembly Cut Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Theatrical Cut Rating: 3.25 out of 5.

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Cold Wind Blowing (2022)

Welcome Back. I do want to say apologies for this being a bit late to the game with its review. If this all sounds good to you and you're interested, you can get the film now over on Amazon or your digital provider of choice.  

Cold Wind Blowing highlights a brother and sister and their four 

friends who go on Christmas vacation in the Cypress Hills. As old hurts 

begin to surface between the intimate circle of friends, a shocking event 

further illuminates their fracturing relationships

When I first started the film, I wasn't sure what I was going into.  I knew it involved a brother and sister with their friends in a cabin over Christmas break. Within the first few seconds, the tone was brilliantly set. It immediately grabbed my attention and refused to let go. 

The more I sat and watched it, the more it felt like a call back to another horror gem, Evil Dead. Now you won't find any deadites or such.  But I just mean it felt like a guerilla style film making experience with a group of people.  Making a movie with some friends. Sometimes those are the best kinds of movies. 

I'm not going to dive into the specifics because it's something that should be experienced. But one of the strongest points are the characters and their interactions with one another. This is something that is highlighted a bit early as they interact with the townsfolk.  One group gets a bit of a joke played on them and the other is treated pretty nicely. 

The film moves at a pretty brisk pace as well. It never felt like it was lagging or doing something to kill the time. 

Honestly this was a nice little horror gem that would love to see others check out.

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

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Book Review: Sausages - Making Dog Soldiers

When I first started diving deeper into horror movies in the early 00s, I had heard about Dog Soldiers. At the time, I had probably just seen Ginger Snaps and was ready for another werewolf movie. But it just felt like whenever I had tried to watch it, something would come up. Sadly, it wouldn't be till this year that it arrived once again on my radar. 

I have said sometimes that maybe there's a reason why we miss a movie the first time around.  Maybe it's something that just doesn't click yet. Or maybe it's just not the right time for it. I know I have had that experience quite a few times by now. And yes, I'm referring to the infamous fact that The Exorcist just didn't click with me. 

So maybe it's good that it's been this long for Dog Soldiers to come back onto my radar. A large reason why it's back on my radar is because of Janine Pipe's upcoming book from Encyclopocalypse Publications, Sausages: The Making of Dog Soldiers.

Right from the start, it's safe to say that Pipe loves this film. If someone was looking for an incredibly in depth documentary or such, this is for you. Not just as someone that loves the film but for those that are finding it for the first time. I definitely would say that I fall into the latter category. And never once through my read did I felt like a topic was left uncovered. It was incredibly interesting as I was able to uncover the journey that it took for Dog Soldiers to be made. The passion and love that Neil Marshall had to see this project made is incredible. It helped me appreciate the film even more. 

Now, I know this may seem like a short review. But it's incredibly difficult to just get across how incredible this book is with words. This is one of those books that you need to read for yourself. Go on this journey with Janine. I cannot fully express just how much love was put into this book. What are you waiting for?

Rating: 5 out of 5.

You can pre-order the Kindle version here. Physical copies will be available as well. Sausages releases May 13th. 

*I had the pleasure of being sent an ARC of Sausages: Making of Dog Soldiers from Encyclopocalypse Publications. 

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ALIEN DAY: Alex White Duology - The Cold Forge/Into Charybdis

 

    Hello everyone, welcome back to BlazinBlue's Review. Here we are at Alien Day. Now some of you may be asking what Alien Day is? Alien Day is a celebration of the Alien franchise. Kind of like how May the Fourth is typically Star Wars Day. So, every year we get to find something to just deep dive into about the Alien franchise and celebrate it.

    When this whole pandemic lockdown began, I found myself with a whole lot of time on my hands. It was something that was terrible because found myself questioning who I was. For the past few years, if you would have asked me I'd answer "a worker.". I had been supporting my family for so long. Now, that was kind of out the window. Yeah, I could still support my family by helping out with the house and everything. But it's different than going to work every day. 

    Thankfully my partner and lockdown allowed me to take the time to reflect. I was still wondering what I would do if I had lost my job. At that point, there was a question of when would I return to my job. Then time passed and a whole lot of life happened...I mean we continued lockdown and this pandemic. But we also found ourselves facing a flood. There was a flood that happened near us and we found ourselves staying at my Mother In Laws for about two weeks. During that time, we didn't know what we'd be returning to. Each day we kept seeing the news coverage and it was just a bad two weeks. Thankfully, we were able to come out of it a little better than most. Our home was still there. All the flood had done was reach into our yard a little bit. So at that point, the decision was made to move. We spent our time fixing up our home to sell it and began looking at homes. 

    During this time, I had begun collecting novels. My partner was so amazing that they were able to track down a first edition 1974 novelization of Night of the Living Dead. That was the beginning of that collection. From there, I decided to dive into Alien and Predator novels. These were something that I had always seen and been interested in. Especially the ones from Titan as I had kept hearing fantastic things about them. I just wasn't sure where to begin. By this point, they were roughly 12 novels deep. 

    However, I noticed one title that kept popping up. The Cold Forge. You can ask anybody that has read the books what would be a good introduction to the books? There's a high chance that they'd recommend The Cold Forge. 

    The Cold Forge was written by Alex White. It's something that I myself would highly recommend to those looking for a good Alien book. It is a fantastic read. The pacing of it is perfect. If someone was trying to figure out how to tell a good Alien story, I'd recommend an adaptation of this. It knows exactly what story it is trying to tell. It knows exactly how the world of Alien works. We are able to dive deeper into corporate politics. In the films, this is an aspect that I don't know if it was ever properly addressed. I mean Aliens kind of attempts to. But the way it's addressed in Cold Forge, it's something that captivated me. 

    Now for those that are looking for what The Cold Forge is about, here's the synopsis: 

With the failure of Hadley's Hope, Weyland-Yutani has suffered a devastating setback--the loss of the Aliens they aggressively sought to exploit. Yet there's a reason the Company has risen to the top of the food chain. True to form, they have a redundancy already in place... the facility known as The Cold Forge.

Remote station RB-232 has become their greatest asset in weaponizing the Xenomorphs. However, when Dorian Sudler is sent to RB-232 to assess their progress, he discovers that there's a spy aboard--someone who doesn't necessarily act in the company's best interests. For Dorian, this is the most unforgivable of sins. When found, the perpetrator will be eliminated with extreme prejudice. If unmasked, though, this person may be forced to destroy the entire station... and everyone on board. That is, if the Xenomorphs don't do the job first...

When I  first started reading The Cold Forge, I wasn't exactly sure who I should be rooting for. Dorian Sudler is a character that is just so damn good to hate. He's an asshole corporate suit that's looking out for one and one person alone, himself. He's always trying to figure out how to make a situation look good for himself. Pretty damn cutthroat. 

And then we are introduced to Doctor Blue Marsalis. This is a character that I found myself gravitating towards. Blue isn't a character that I would find myself characterizing as a hero. It's more of a survivor than anything. But then again, isn't that what makes the Alien franchise so amazing? No one is really trying to be a hero. They are all survivor stories in the end. But the thing that makes Blue unique is the fact that she's also dealing with a degenerative tissue disease. So she is able to link her mind to an android to get around her surroundings. This is a whole layer that was so wonderfully original and unlike anything we have ever seen before in this franchise. It also helps lead to some amazing scenes of dread and tension. 

The way the story plays out is something I never could have predicted. White is able to stay several steps ahead. And the way, they are able to make us care about other characters is fantastic. It does start off a little slow. However, this was brilliantly done to allow us to get familiar with this world they were working with and building. Cold Forge is a brilliant addition to the franchise that I would highly put alongside the original three Alien films. 

Rating: 5 out of 5. 

After the success of The Cold Forge, it was safe to say that White was a solid go-to for the franchise. They understood the world so perfectly. And the fans were clamoring for more. Well, safe to say the call was answered when White returned to the Alien franchise with Into Charybdis. 

When it was first announced, I was excited for Charybdis. I had just finished The Cold Forge. Immediately, I ordered the novel. But I ordered it from a local bookstore that White had been working with. So I was able to snag an autographed hardcover. Absolutely worth it. I almost bought a hardcover of Cold Forge to match. Probably will another time. 

Now, I could dive deeply into the story of Charybdis. However, that would be a massive disservice to the fantastic story within. Just be prepared for a story that is on par or just as good as The Cold Forge. For me, it is just as good. 

White once again delivers captivating characters. This time, we are treated to a whole space crew of characters. The interesting thing is it had a small Firefly feel to them. The whole space truckers in space vibe. It brilliantly captured that Nostromo feel but was uniquely different. However, they all managed to be interesting. We are also treated to another group with the scientists and workers of Charybdis. Each and every one of them was memorable. And then later into the story, we get a more rogue-ish take on Colonial Marines. All three aspects work together to create an unforgettable story.

Some people will be wondering if this is a sequel to Cold Forge. I can say that in a way, it is. There are some fantastic ties to not only Cold Forge, but the franchise as a whole. There are a lot of fantastic easter eggs that breathes so much life into the world. 

And the story of Charybdis is fast paced and unrelenting. I never once questioned how much longer I had left. There are many directions the story goes that I never saw coming. There is also death within. Some of them are equally unrelenting. But the story is a mighty fine addition to the franchise that I would say surpasses Aliens for me. 

I listened to the audiobook for portions of this as well. Shiromi Arserio delivers a fantastic performance. Each character is given a unique voice that stands apart from one another. It breathed even more life into this wonderful story. I highly recommend it. 

Rating: 5 out of 5. 

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The Elm Street Retrospective: Nightmare On Elm Street Part 5 - The Dream Child/Freddy's Dead

 Welcome back. Sorry for the long absence between Part 4 and Part 5 of this Retrospective. I've been dealing with some things that have been popping up. Rest assured, we will be concluding our look at the Elm Street franchise. 

Now when someone usually talks about the Elm Street films, they may say they peaked with 3. "Everything after 3 just was the downfall of the franchise.". Typically, I may have agreed with them in the past. However, I don't see it like that anymore. This rewatch allowed me to change my perspective. 

With the success of 4, Freddy continued to prove that there was still gas in the tank. People had turned up for what I'd consider the James Bond blockbuster take on Elm Street. If that could happen, how else could Freddy be reinterpreted? 

Well, it's safe to say that Stephen Hopkins had a lot to try and overcome. A looming release date was something that overshadowed the production. Everything had to be done and completed in roughly a year. That is a huge issue. 

I definitely appreciate what Hopkins was going for with this installment. The idea of Freddy getting to his victims through the dreams of an unborn child. That's really frightening. And it's something that continues the themes of the films. It also gave the film a different tone compared to 4. Less blockbuster fluff and more cerebral to an extent. I mean ya can't really take the concept of Super Freddy that seriously. 

With this rewatch, I did notice that there were a few similarities between 4 and 5. Take a look at the group of characters. Outside of Dan and Alice, the characters in 5 feel similar to characters in 4. Greta feels like in the vein of Debbie, just more of a rich girl. Mark feels like he's close to Rick, just a comic artist instead of a martial artist. And Greta's dream sequence felt similar to Debbie's. I can definitely chalk up the quick production to this.

Robert Englund continues to deliver a fantastic performance. That's one of the high points with this franchise - with each installment, Robert's performance just helps make the film fun. By this point, Freddy was a little less darker than before. That's definitely thanks to Dream Master being a pop culture film. 

The Dream Child could be seen to some as a solid finale to this timeline. It manages to wrap things up in a decent way. Unfortunately none of the characters would be revisited in the next film. 

Now this brings me to Freddy's Dead. 

This is a film that was supposed to put the nail in the coffin. It was supposed to lay Freddy to rest. The films were running their course and people weren't exactly thrilled with The Dream Child. So, New Line was ready to do what Paramount had attempted with The Final Chapter. 

It was something that was an event. I mean if you can look at the pop culture around this time, you'll see lots of things labeling this as Freddy's end. But honestly this isn't an Elm Street film. It lacks the proper title to tie it in. 

No, this is a film that could be seen as a one off that separate from the previous five entries. It's something that could be considered a natural endpoint, especially considering that Freddy had mostly wiped out the children of Springwood save for one. 

Nah, this is the Looney Tunes of the franchise. It's a complete parody of what it once was. I mean come on, Freddy as Wicked Witch on a broom. If thats not a Bugs Bunny approach, I don't know what is. This was an installment that I rented a lot while I was growing up. Looking back, this was an entry that seemed to always be available. So I'd always watch this and Dream Master back to back. 

Seeing this film again, the issues are a bit more prevalent. It's very clear that there was no understanding of where to go following Dream Child. This was a direct response to fans asking for more. You want more, then you'll get more. This gave us glimpses into how Freddy became what he became. This could be interesting if we weren't seeing such a light hearted take on the character outside of the flashbacks. Hell, it's something that could work a little better now. Unfortunately, it leaves the film feeling like a fluff piece to me. 

The characters are mostly one note. Especially given Maggie. This was a character the whole film builds up to. Freddy had a child. Who is it? John? Nah. This just felt like the story running around not knowing where to go next. 

While this may have been one of my favorites growing up, sadly doesn't hold up well. 

Dream Child: 3.5 out of 5.

Freddy's Dead: 3 out of 5.

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"Fear What You Will Become": Evil Dead (2013)

 

    

        Back in 2011, I remember hearing that there would be an Evil Dead remake. This was pretty big news for me as I am a big fan of the franchise. The original film was just a group of Michigan friends getting together and making a film. Pure guerilla filmmaking. That's one of the largest reasons why it works so well. It also is interesting as I consider it to be my own homestate horror hero. I know there are other films that take place in Michigan. But Evil Dead is just different. What made this news incredibly intriguing was that it wasn't from a horror movie site or anything like that. No, this news came from one of the big names of the franchise himself, Bruce Campbell. He was so thrilled during his two hour talk at Central Michigan University to announce the film. It is definitely one of my favorite memories. Especially as he had opened up the talk asking the quintissential question for Mount Pleasant, Michigan - "Where's the Mount?". 

    Immediately everyone was looking around at each other in shock. I guess the news of the upcoming film hadn't truly been announced yet. So this was pretty breaking news for us. "Before any of you ask, I can say that this won't be a remake that sucks. This is something that is going to honor the original.", Campbell continued. For me, that immediately began setting my thoughts at ease. I mean if Campbell himself strongly believed in what he was saying, who am I to question it? It's not like he's pushing for a big payday with it. Campbell doesn't really do that. That's why he's one of my favorite actors. He did his time and has done extremely well for a Michigander. 

    As time went on, I kept trying to have my ear to the ground to hear any news. Everything about it felt like it was pretty tight-lipped. Not exactly unfamiliar territory as we are once again in the dark with Evil Dead Rise coming soon. Then the first trailer dropped. I was on a break in between classes at my community college and killing time with YouTube. Immediately, I pulled up the video and watched it. This was a trailer that immediately made me smile. I cast aside whatever doubts I may have because it felt like Evil Dead. It felt like they were delivering on their promise of honoring the original. And honestly, that's something that's pretty huge nowadays as trailers can be set to be one way when the film is entirely different. Lookin at you, Morbius. 

    Being that I love this franchise so much, it's a given that I went opening day. It was around 7 o'clock when arrived at the theater and was seated. I went into that showing expecting not many people. I ended up in a showing with a packed theater. It was an absolutely fantastic experience. Many times through the film - the audience would be screaming or groaning. It was an absolute thrill ride. I had never had this kind of an experience before. Especially nowadays where each time I've gone is to an almost empty theater. I walked away from the film loving it.

    Evil Dead '13 was a film that feels very special. It was released at a time where the studios were open to taking risks and trying things. Even if it did mean taking a dip at remaking older films. But with Evil Dead, it worked. It definitely breaks away from the more humorous side of the franchise. And that's something that is a bit of a fresh air. The fact that the film features all new characters was something that also helped. It made it less about Ash and more about the horrors that happen in the Cabin. Don't get me wrong, I love the character of Ash. However, it felt like the story was largely Ash's at that point. And Evil Dead is something that can be more than just Ash. That is why I'm really excited for Evil Dead Rise. 

    With the more serious tone, it allows the horrors to be elevated. Does this count as elevated horror? Nah, I'm just kidding. It does give the film a more grounded approach. That is something that is extremely evident in the opening. We don't have a group of friends driving up to the Cabin. We just have a girl in the forest. We aren't given anything more to go on before she's taken captive by some people. Honestly, they wouldn't feel too out of place from Wrong Turn '21. From there, we are introduced to the girl's father. Him and the rest of this small group have her chained up and are trying to do something with her. My guess was that they were trying to contain the evil before it spreads. Ultimately, this whole sequence is something that feels like a cold opening that is incredibly independent from the remainder of the film. Outside of our group of characters cleaning up their mess in the basement. 

    One of the most successful pieces of this film is its characters. It doubles down on the idea of centering on a group of people - David, Eric, Mia, Olivia, and Natalie. Each of the characters feel a bit like they are a throwback to one of the original characters. However, its safe to say that they are not opposed to playing with audience expectations. For the most part of the film, we see David and Eric in roughly Ash and Scotty roles. But then it just comes out of nowhere as it reveals that our hero isn't either of these guys - it's Mia. Up till this point, Mia has been in a Cheryl role. But she just hits the point where she's had too much of this shit and is ready to fight back. It culminates in such a fantastic over the top way. The time that we are given to the characters we are able to understand them a little bit. There's some that feel a bit shallow. However with the Unrated Cut of the film, it adds some small moments. Which if I have to recommend a cut, I'll be recommending the Unrated Cut as everything they add just is icing on a cake. 

    Something that I noticed in this last watch was just how fast and furious the film is. It doesn't spare no time on setting everything up and letting things go. And once Mia gets possessed, I noticed that she's essentially the ground zero deadite. Each person has the 'evil' spread to them from her. That's something that is a bit different compared to the original. There's definitely one thing that I'm hoping for is we get an Evil Dead film where the Deadites have more personalities to them. Each one their own demon instead of this hive mind that feels like for each of the films. 

    Evil Dead '13 is an absolute fun ride. It's something that is nice to revisit. Fede Alvarez was able to make it their own and spin their own story. It doesn't feel like a retread of the original film. It feels like a wonderful companion to it. And that's honestly one of the reasons it works so well - it honors what comes before. After it came out, I was hoping that we would have seen more in this slice of the Evil Dead multiverse. But it's okay if it stays as a one-off. It's honestly one of the best horror remakes that we have had in years. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Evil Dead '13 can be found on a 2 Disc Unrated Blu-Ray (recommend this one as it has both versions) on Amazon. 

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