by Michele Pearson:
No CGI in the new “Evil Dead”? This could be the horror film horror junkies have been waiting for! That was my opinion when I read the report on Bloody Disgusting this morning. According to an interview director Fede Alvarez gave to io9, all of the effects and stunts were done live and in living color on set. I watched the red band trailer this last week and hearing this news has now made Evil Dead the movie I have to watch in 2013. What I really want to see is Evil Dead will be a turning point for horror films in going back to real stunts and live action effects as opposed to the easy to do (and, quite often, seriously fake looking) CGI.
I think that everyone can agree, horror films have been on the decline for years. Check that, mainstream horror has been on the decline. If you want to watch a good horror film, you typically have to go on the hunt in the indie world. Far away from the restrictions of Hollywood execs, censors and the MPAA, independent filmmakers can often push boundaries that you don’t normally see within the big studio machine. A modern Hollywood film typically must be PG-13, appeal to a huge audience, be the part of a franchise or be some form of reboot/re-imagining/remake. This has led to horror aficionados staying away from these films in droves and often taking to the internet to talk smack. Real mainstream horror is dead they say…and I’ve been in agreement with that proclamation. With the release of Evil Dead, I think that Hollywood might be taking a step in the right direction.
Yes, Evil Dead is a remake. The original Evil Dead series is often considered a sacred cow, not to be touched under any circumstances, but I feel this remake will more than do the original justice. It looks like Fede Alvarez has tried to make this film his own while staying true to the original concept and storyline and Sam Raimi’s vision. Lots of blood, lots of gore…this just looks awesome.
Some people have said that they find it hard to believe that Evil Dead used zero CGI. One filmmaker even responded to a question from a fan saying that they didn’t think it was possible. They also defended the use of CGI saying it allows the director to capture elements of the film that they couldn’t get on set. I’m sorry, but I have to call BS on that. Back in the day, you used SFX gurus like Tom Savini, Rick Baker, Stan Winston or Chris Walas to create the effects to show on camera. Who can forget Mrs Voorhees’ head flying off in the original Friday the 13th? That was not CGI! It can be done! It’s done today with the Twisted Twins films Dead Hooker in a Trunk and American Mary. I think that there is a time and a place for CGI…and it doesn’t have to be the go to point for a film. I think it can be utilized effectively but it often becomes a crutch for directors because it may be cheaper and less time consuming than having the props and prosthetics built for the film.
I am hoping that Evil Dead lives up to the hype that is being built around it. It looks good, looks scary and I cannot wait to check it out. I hope that this film is successful and will lead the Powers That Be to decide to finance more films like this for the horror audience. The use of practical effects versus CGI, especially in horror, will continue to be debated I’m sure. In the meantime, check out the red band trailer for Evil Dead and let us know what you think!
Michele Pearson is a contributor for DarkMedia. She covers Vampire Diaries and any other films, books, etc that come her way. She reads everything from Lonesome Dove to Game of Thrones and loves epic tv series like Doctor Who and Star Trek: TNG. Michele also loves a good horror film and was able to channel that love as a judge for Shriekfest 2012. Follow her on Twitter at @GirlInRowB and check out her blog at http://www.girlinrowb.com.
Comments are closed.