The Way Way Back is Way Way Good.

I saw the preview for this movie a few months back and because I enjoyed movies like, Adventureland, Little Miss Sunshine & Submarine, it immediately landed on my must see movie radar screen. Unfortunately as it usually happens, when it was first released, it wasn’t in Jacksonville or even within 50 miles. Jacksonville we must work on getting limited release movies like other big cities, for cripes sake we are a metropolitan area of over a million people. I digress. Onto the movie.

TheWay Way Back is what I thought it would be going in. It’s Adventureland meets Little Miss Sunshine and I’m perfectly okay with that. In a year where the bigger the explosion the better, it’s refreshing when a movie like this comes along to remind us that life isn’t perfect, it isn’t a minion filled cartoon and that superheroes aren’t always going to save the day.

I’m not going to go into too much detail because I don’t want to spoil it for you. So here goes. Duncan (Liam James) is spending the summer at the beach with his mother Pam (Toni Collette), her new boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell) and Trent's teen age daughter. He’s not very happy about it and for good reason. This unhappiness is very evident from the first scene until about 25 minutes into the movie. James plays withdrawn, mopey & awkward so well that I almost stopped caring about Duncan, not because I didn’t feel sorry for Duncan, but because I wanted to shake him and tell him to snap out of it. However, this all changes when Duncan jumps on a pink tasseled, handle bar bicycle and finds his way to Water Wizz. The local water park breathes life into Duncan and energy into the movie.  

Although the story focuses on Duncan, I thought Sam Rockwell (Owen), as the manager of Water Wizz, stole the show. Owen is the ultimate slacker that lives at and “runs” the water park. Basically he’s just there with very little managing going on. Although he's a slacker, he seems to have his finger on the pulse of life and a soft spot for Duncan. He’s very likable and a boss that every high school kid would want to work for in the summer. After he finds Duncan just hanging out at the park one day, he offers him a job and Duncan, without telling his mother or her overbearing boyfriend, happily accepts. Soon Duncan's life begins to have meaning; he starts to open his eyes to new things and even gains a quiet confidence. The only downside to this “new world” is the hit that his relationship with his mother takes.

Collette plays a single mother (Pam) who’s trying to juggle the attention of her depressed son with the blooming relationship of her boyfriend, Trent. She’s smitten by the new love, but starts to realize that she’s losing her son and at the same time begins to recognize some disturbing warning signs in the relationship. The more attention she gives to Trent the further away Duncan gets, until an event will wake her up to the real Trent. Pam will be embraced by all of those single mothers struggling to work the dating scene into their life as mom.

Steve Carell (Trent) plays a very unfamiliar role and does it perfectly. When I first saw the trailer, Carell just looked different from previous characters he’s played in the past. He looked tan; his hair was styled differently and he's even sporting a trendy beard. This “new look” matches Carell’s character. Sorry if I offend any Trent(s) out there, but the name is so appropriate. Trent is not very likable, he’s actually a pretty big douche bag and you see that immediately after watching his opening conversation with Duncan. Throughout the movie, he says that he wants to be a “we” or a team but everything he does contradicts this. He’ll leave a bad taste in your mouth but you’ll be smiling after the closing scene.  

 
Overall it’s a pretty good supporting cast, featuring Maya Rudolph, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, Nat Faxon (Writer/Director) & Jim Rash (Writer/Director), but the supporting character who stands out the most is Betty, the hilariously drunk divorcee played by Allison Janney. Janney’s portrayal of Betty took me back to her role as Loretta in one of my favorite movies Drop Dead Gorgeous. Although Betty shines early, she disappointingly fades away as the movie shifts to the water park. I realize that she isn’t the central character but I still would’ve liked to have heard and seen more from her.

As I said The Way Way Back is what I thought it would be. It’s funny, heartwarming and sad. It is an enjoyable spin on the old story about a young boy’s coming of age. The acting is top notch and the story is very relatable. There are a few things that bugged me, the water park ending being one of them, but not enough to make me say meh. Although I didn’t think it was as good as Adventureland or Little Miss Sunshine, it’s definitely worth seeing and certainly deserves an Open Hatch.
 

                                                                                               4 out of 5

TiTs: "We can't stop here! This is bat country!"

“Let’s get down to brass tacks.  How much for the ape?”

Aloha, Hatchers!  Welcome to a special edition of TiTs here in the Hatch, where, normally, we’d update you on some kick-ass new releases now available for purchase and/or download, but today we’ve got something a little different for you (mostly because of the all the new releases this week, there’s nothing worth noting).  In a mere two days’ time, I will be on my way to sunny, sinful Las Vegas with (insert Borat impression) “MY WIFE” for a much needed getaway.   And in honor of such an endeavor, I’ve provided you with one of the many excellent scenes from Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, based on the book by the late, great Hunter S. Thompson.  If you’ve not seen the movie, stop whatever plans you made for this weekend and watch it.  It is one of the most impressive on-screen adaptations I’ve ever seen.  Speaking of which, if you’ve not read the book, stop whatever plans you made this weekend, including watching the movie, and read the book.  It’s a quick read because it is so fast paced, but also one of the funniest, most awesome accounts of the tourist spot that’s ever been written.  

I’ve never been to Vegas, actually I’ve never been that far West, but I read somewhere that whatever happens there stays there . . . not sure how much truth is in that statement, but I’m looking forward to finding out (insert wink here).  Our accommodations will find us staying at the Circus Circus – which reminds me of the scene below each and every time I think about the place – so we should have our fair share of excitement, and if not, we’ll make our own fun (most likely without ether, but who knows what we’ll find).  We’re planning on checking out Eli Roth’s Goretorium as well as (one of) the Beatles shows and Madame Tussands Wax Museum, so our love of the dead and horror in general should meet our expectations to the nth degree.  I was also assured that drinks are free even at the slot machines, so a few hours spent there will get us nice and inebriated and if you’re in town and looking for us, just look to the pool area where I’m sure plenty of our hours will melt away.  I’m not looking to gamble away my entire vacation, but hopefully we can win at least a little bit of dough, just to earn the right to say so.  Anyway, wish us luck as we travel the desert winds and be sure to check back next week . . . well, not on Tuesday to be specific, because I’ll still be out West, deeply enthralled in the fearsomeest, loathsomeest, part of Vegas.  Enjoy August folks and don’t be shy about wishing me ‘Happy Birthday’ on Monday, the 5^th, but by all means, don’t feel obligated to do so.  I’ll be celebrating/enjoying it with Vegas heat waves and may even get married again by Elvis.  Hell, why not?   

In closing, I’ll leave you with this:  “The decision to flee came suddenly.  Or maybe not.  Maybe I had been subconsciously waiting for the right moment.  The bill was a factor, I think, because I had no money to pay for it.  Our room service tabs had been running somewhere between 29 and 36 dollars per hour for 48 consecutive hours.  Incredible.  How could it happen?  But by the time I asked this question, there was no one around to answer it.  That rotten attorney of mine, Dr. Gonzo, was gone.  He must have sensed trouble.”  -- HST

Music Video Monday!: Foo Fighters - "Low"

 We all have that friend who we can confide in, someone who we can tell all of our deep dark secrets, fears, dreams and even our weirdest fantasies to. Today’s Music Video Monday is a perfect example of what best friends will do for each other. Starring Dave Grohl and funny man/rocker Jack Black, “Low” is a crazy one night bender. Originally banned by MTV in 2003, this video uses night vision at its best or worst to show us how two hillbilly friends spend a night of debauchery at the local No Tell, Motel.  Have a super Monday and if you get a little turned on, seek help. 

Favorite Scene Friday! Forgetting Sarah Marshall: "Dracula's Lament"

Well, we've made it to another Friday and that means it's time for a favorite scene...but we've got another special guest to do the honors this week! The name French Toast Sunday should be familiar around here. FTS Head Honcho Lindsay did a Favorite Scene Friday for us a few months back and today we've got Jess from FTS doing the honors! Her choice is near and dear because I actually meant to feature it for FSF at some point. I can't be mad at her, however, because she's done a better job talking about the scene than I ever could have. When you get done reading and watching Jess' Favorite Scene Friday, go check out her list of Top 6 Cover Songs Performed by Movie Characters. You can also catch Jess on Twitter at @jess_fts.

French Toast Sunday

After going back and forth about what scene I should pick for the great honor of participating in Favorite Scene Friday, I decided to go with a scene that I think of fondly and often. I absolutely love Forgetting Sarah Marshall and happen to think it's the most underrated of the Apatow-family films. Then again I have a crush on Jason Segel, am a Kristen Bell enthusiast, and Mila Kunis devotee. Not to mention, this film is the one responsible for introducing (to American audiences at least) the hilarious lunacy of Russell Brand. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the passion project of Segel and within that his less likely to prosper project of a puppet Dracula musical.

Wikipedia

About halfway through the movie Peter takes his new found love interest Rachel to a bar where she secretly signs him up to perform a song from his musical. I love how reluctant he is but Rachel (a perfectly cast Kunis) forces him to sing the song with her cheers. Almost immediately after "Dracula's Lament" starts you can see on her face that this was probably a miscalculation on her part. Segel puts on his Dracula voice and sings this brilliant song. It's actually really great (I learned all the words after rewatching this part about 10 times in a row midway through my first watch). When it kicks in with the line "And if I see Van Helsing..." it goes from being comically cute to full on hilarious.

It's also perfect because of the way it was introduced to the story. Watching the movie the first time, I thought "Wow, what a random thing to be in this movie," and later when I learned that Segel basically included this completely separate idea he'd been working on into his script because he never thought anything could come of it, I was astonished. As weird as the Dracula musical is within this movie, it actually works perfectly because of Peter's character. Not only that, but it doesn't feel shoe-horned in just because--it's actually a character driven force that becomes imperative to how the plot unfolds.



And for some extra laughs, here's Peter's depressing song from later in the film. The line "go see the psychiatrist/I hate the psychiatrist" gets me every time.

Some Place They Won't Find You: The Kings of Summer Review

The Kings of Summer follows Joe (Nick Robinson), Patrick (Gabriel Basso), and Biaggio (Moises Arias), three high school kids that abscond to their local forest one summer to live free of their parents. Before you go judging them, you should know that these are the kinds of parents that give their boys hives. The nagging, embarrassment, and rules are just too much!

Wikipedia

The Kings of Summer feels like Moonrise Kingdom infused with a coming-of-age teen comedy. There's a surreal, adventurous quality to the film that’s perfect for the genre. Life on the cusp of adulthood is nothing if not surreal.

The film starts out in the woods, about a month after the boys run away from home. Only after we get a glimpse of their “kingdom” in the forest do we jump back to an earlier time, a time when Joe and Patrick are both near their breaking points thanks to their parents. The first act of the movie builds up to a lake party, a fun scene and the closest the film gets to being a standard high school flick. It’s after this party is broken up that Joe and Biaggio (an oddball kid coming to terms with his homosexuality [or, wait, is that cystic fibrosis?]) stumble upon the beautiful forest clearing that will become the site of their forest home. The sight of the clearing sparks something in Joe, a desire to build his own house where he can be free from the rule of his father. And that’s exactly what he does.

If you fault the film for anything, it won’t be the cast. Nick Offerman as Joe’s father Frank is great casting pure and simple. He’s trying to raise his son Joe on his own as best he can, but the boy is understandably ornery, especially when Frank has a girlfriend over. Offerman effortlessly produces anger and sad frustration with equal ease. Robinson, Basso, and Arias carry the coming-of-age summer torch effectively and Alison Brie as Joe’s visiting-from-college sister was refreshingly simple and laid back compared to her role as Annie on Community.

The Kings of Summer, oddly enough, is very much a love letter to nature, featuring fantastic close up shots of the flora and fauna that Joe, Patrick, and Biaggio encounter. These shots, along with picturesque fields and sunsets, give the movie a memorable look. There’s some fun slow-motion shots in the film worth noting (slicing apples in half with giant swords and, sure, why not, brutal arm punching shenanigans) and the soundtrack is great, appropriately featuring MGMT’s “The Youth” and original synthy work as well (did anyone else notice the repetition of a tune that sounded a lot like “In the Hall of the Mountain King”?).

My only qualm with the film is that it briefly feels a little “skitty” once the gang does move out to the forest, with a lot of random shots and scenes of the guys out in the woods. A love triangle subplot between Joe, Patrick, and Joe’s crush Kelly (Erin Moriarty) develops that shifts the film back on track, however.

If nothing else, The Kings of Summer is a solid comedy that fits nicely into the summer and coming-of-age genres. It’s a film that says that it’s okay to rebel a little bit, and that it’s okay to move past your youthful rebellions as well. The final shot of the film proves that they’ll always live on.

3 Out Of 5 Stars

Music Video Monday! Little Green Cars: My Love Took Me Down To The River To Silence Me

Last week the latest music video from Dublin-based rock band Little Green Cars was released, to much excitement from yours truly.  The track, My Love Took Me Down To The River To Silence Me, is a powerful one.  

Little Green Cars' freshman album, Absolute Zero, has not failed to impress.  The natural talent displayed by the band members pretty much knocks you out at first listen, and they have a knack for producing an amazing five-part harmony (WARNING:  gives lots of chills).  I was first drawn to them when I came across The John Wayne, a track lamenting the cruelties of unrequited love.  I do have to admit, however, that my favorite songs are the ones performed by the only gal in the band - Faye O'Rourke.  Give her a listen and be amazed (and then depressed about your own life) by the fact that she's only 20 years old!   

While my ultimate favorite track from the album is the gut-wrenching Please (sorry, no official video at this time), the track linked below is right up there with it.  It's a song about the isolation of unexpected heartbreak and how such an event can leave you at an emotional standstill - one that deep down, you would rather not pick yourself up out of.  The pain is your best friend and your worst enemy.  

The video for the track is actually near and dear to my heart.  It was filmed on the Burren in Ireland's beautiful, remote County Clare.  I was lucky enough to visit there a few years ago (you can see my touristy dorkiness on the Burren in the pic displayed below).  

Just hanging next to a neolithic passage tomb, waiting to meet my maker.

The Burren is one of the most unique places I have ever seen.  Its beauty is in its isolation and its starkness.  Pretty fitting for such a song, me thinks.  

The Conjuring Review

In my humble opinion, director James Wan’s 2011 horror flick Insidious set the bar for modern horror and set it good. I can say - without reservation - that it’s the scariest film I’ve ever seen. If I had experienced it as a kid I’d most likely be in a mental institution at this point. So Wan’s follow up film, The Conjuring (coming out mere months before Insidious: Chapter 2), has a lot to live up to.

Wikipedia

A spiritual (no pun intended) sequel to Insidious, The Conjuring concerns Ed and Lorraine Warren, a husband and wife team of paranormal investigators. When the Warrens aren’t lecturing at colleges and solving legitimate cases (like one involving a demon inhabiting a fantastically creepy doll) they’re debunking supposed hauntings and laying homeowners’ fears to rest. Basically, they’re paranormal activity rockstars.

Meanwhile, the Perron family moves into an ancient farmhouse in Rhode Island and, soon after, ghastly, unexplainable events begin to transpire. That’s when they call the Warrens (it was smart to introduce the Warrens first...it really tells the audience that they’re the stars of the film). The Warrens investigate and, soon after, truly terrible things start happening. Do Ed and Lorraine have what it takes to save the Perrons from the unspeakable horror obsessed with them?

If, like me, you went into The Conjuring hoping for something that lives up to Insidious, you won’t be disappointed. The new film has it all - creepy dolls (holy shit, Wan, you have a thing for dolls and puppets, we get it, please leave us alone), witches, ghosts, demons, dark basements and attics, possessions, and exorcisms. Wan mostly makes it work, using menacing music, shadows, and his talented cast. The guy can raise the hair on the back of your neck just by showing you how afraid his characters are of something you as an audience member can’t even see. Dozens of horror films a year are churned out that make me worry about the state of the genre. Knowing that James Wan is somewhere out there behind the camera puts my mind at ease.

One of the only aspects of the film that I didn’t like revolved around the human element. Sure, Ron Livingston is great as sad, working class father Roger Perron and even Lili Taylor, returning to the big screen horror limelight after last dipping her toe in the water with 1999’s The Haunting, turns in a good performance as Carolyn Perron. And Patrick Wilson as Ed and Vera Farmiga as Lorraine have good chemistry, but there’s a “God brought us together for a reason,” motif between the two that runs throughout the film that doesn’t quite work. This is, I suspect, really part of the larger plan to make a franchise out of the Warren’s lives, something Wan has had an interest in for a while, apparently. It just feels a bit hollow and forced is all.

See this movie, horror junkies. With Wan’s now signature brand of tense-until-it-hurts terror in full force, you will not be disappointed. And if you are, you always have Insidious: Chapter 2 to look forward to.

4 Out of 5 Stars

Welcome to the Shatterdome: Pacific Rim Review

*minor spoilers ahead*

Pacific Rim takes place in a world where giant, alien monsters (Kaiju) war with building sized robots (Jaegers) piloted by a tired human resistance. Oh, and every one of those humans have names like “Stacker Pentecost” and “Herc ‘Hercules’ Hansen”. This war has been going on for a long time, and the tables seem to be turning in the Kaiju's favor.

Wikipedia

The film comes at a time when the movie-going public at large have questioned destruction in films. There seems to be a bit of a fatigue when it comes to epic devastation on screen. But the mass destruction in Pacific Rim feels pretty real. People seek shelter from the giant battles and the film makes a point to show some of the deadly aftermath.

Perhaps that’s why the public didn’t react as negatively to the destruction in Pacific Rim as they did to this summer's Man of Steel. Or maybe it’s because the carnage in the movie was better advertised through trailers and TV spots? Or because people accept that it’s more central to the story?

Whatever the reason is, the fights on display are why you see this film. At the end of the day, there’s a lot of cheese and goofiness in Pacific Rim, enough to make you long for the epic battles. But, with a film that has this much sci-fi in it, the goofiness is unavoidable and, perhaps, expected.

One thing that I absolutely loved - as usual - was director Guillermo del Toro’s style. The balance of colorful, neon set design and dark environments. The costumes and suits that the characters wear. There’s a scene at the end of the film that features a few characters out in the middle of the ocean. The scene was gorgeous and looked refreshingly real (whether it was or not, although I suspect that it was) after the non-stop CGI fest.

You’ll definitely need to suspend your disbelief for this film. I mean, duh, it’s giant robots fighting giant monsters, but there’s also a sense that perhaps the techniques, mythology, and “science” in the film wasn’t thought out as well as it should have been. How do characters survive piloting giant Jaegers on their own when it’s clear that they’re supposed to be piloted by two? And how does that “mind meld” technique (known as “The Drift” in the film) work? Why does the film make a big deal out of the fact that that the two pilots need to be compatible, but then turn around and join seemingly random people? Pilots who die while in The Drift supposedly pass their feelings and memories on to their fellow pilots. But how? I suspect that any problems or confusions from the tech in the film are due to the fact that del Toro developed it to such a degree that one two hour film won’t do it justice. In short, I’m sure there’s an answer for most plot holes.

Other than Charlie Hunnam (I was just a little unsure of him...he comes off very swaggery), I loved the cast. Rinko Kikuchi nailed the beautiful/tough/sad role of Mako Mori. Idris "Apocalypse Canceler" Elba was great as usual. Charlie Day was a wonderful mix of crazy/smart. Clifton Collins Jr. was good but looked bizarrely Rob Schnieder-like for most of the film.

Pacific Rim is one of those frustrating films that features leads that - while having good chemistry - never “seal the deal”. Kikuchi’s Mako seems to pine over Hunnam’s Raleigh throughout the film but nothing ever comes of it. I wonder if del Toro held back here because he wants to build more towards the relationship in potential sequels.

To conclude, Pacific Rim features just as much destruction as the next summer tent pole, but its story, direction, design, and cast elevate it beyond that. If you see one “monsters terrorize humanity” film this summer, (the other being Grown Ups 2) make it Pacific Rim.

3.5 Out Of 5 Stars

Batch o' Hatch: Lovely Soiree at the Bottle Rocket Motel, Filth Redband #2, JGL as Dr. Strange?, The Nerd Lunch Podcast, and the LAMB Podcast and Movie of the Month

Lovely Soiree at the Bottle Rocket Motel

Shortly after we started this blog, I posted a little piece about the possible closure of a hotel featured in Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket. A group of dedicated fans organized a fundraising event (which included a screening of the film) at the hotel to try and save it.

Wikipedia

Flash forward two years to now and, not only have they saved the film, but the get together has become an annual event. Bully for them! Read more about the third annual July 27th event here at The Rushmore Academy.

Would you attend this event?

Filth Redband #2

A second red band trailer for Filth was posted last week and it’s a doozy. I’m really looking forward to this film. James McAvoy looks to have turned in another awesome performance. I bet this would be a great double feature with The Guard.



Are you looking forward to Filth?

JGL as Dr. Strange?

In our last Batch, we reported that Marvel was looking to develop Dr. Strange as their new “Iron Man” franchise. Well, First Showing has reported that Joseph Gordon-Levitt might be up for the title role. We all know that JGL appeared in last year’s The Dark Knight Rises as a pretty major character, so this would mean that he’d be playing both the DC and Marvel fields. I’m okay with this however, because I don’t see his role in the DC Universe going much farther. Unfortunately. :(

Wikipedia

Can you dig JGL as Dr. Strange? Or would you like to see him as another Marvel character? Or continue with his DC character?

The Nerd Lunch Podcast

I met up with CT and Pax from the Nerd Lunch Podcast and Shawn Robare from Branded in the 80s this past weekend to record an actual honest to Crom Nerd Lunch Podcast! Like, with lunch and everything! We talked about the Fake Geek Girl Phenomenon, Sharknado, and a ton of other topics. We recorded the podcast in a busy restaurant so pardon the ambient noise. I think it actually adds a very cool quality to the episode. Enjoy it here!

Nerd Lunch

Did you see Sharknado??? I still haven't.

Wikipedia

The LAMB Podcast and Movie of the Month

Last but not least, I’ll be appearing on the next LAMB Movie of the Month Podcast and I get to try and pick the film as well! I’ve thrown Minority Report into the ring and I’d love for your vote, which you can fork over here.

Wikipedia

I think Minority Report is overlooked as far as Spielberg flicks go. It’s over 10 years old now, and ripe for discussion. How does the film factor into the careers of Spielberg and star Tom Cruise? How have we progressed towards the future depicted in the film and how have we not? That and more if we pick Minority Report as the Movie of the Month!

Vote for Minority Report here!

Tune in Tuesday's: Bring Out Your Dead!

Calling all Horror Fans!!!  

Are you excited for the opening of James Wan’s The Conjuring this Friday?  I know I speak for the entire Hatch when I say that we most certainly are!  In fact, we’ll be catching a special sneak preview tonight FOR FREE!  My excitement meter is officially tapped, because awesome new horror movie aside, today also grants us the Blu-ray release of director Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead reboot/remake/remaster/reawesome take on Sam Raimi’s 1981 original classic!  We were a little on the fence about this redo when it was first announced way back when, but our fears about a shitty take on a classic were pleasantly put at ease when we saw it in theaters back in April on opening night.  Marking the fourth film in the franchise (and the only one not directed by Raimi) could’ve been cause for scare also, but I’m happy to report that Alvarez did an excellent job. 

***MINOR SPOILERS***

What this ’13 version lacks in contrast to its 80s predecessor, and its two sequels, is the cheese factor and I’ve got to admit, I was the happier for it.  I love cheesy horror flicks, I really do, but even more, I love serious, frightening horror flicks.  Evil Dead is just that.  Gone from this version is Bruce Campbell’s delightfully mad Ash sporting his trusty-handed sidekick, “Boomstick Baby”, and instead we’re treated to “far cry away from the character she plays on that shitty ABC sitcom, Suburgatory,” Mia, played wonderfully by Jane Levy.  So right from the get-go we know this isn’t just a retelling; what it is though, is a bloody good shout-out to the genre in general.  Alvarez does away with the cheesy gimmicks and lines of the original trilogy, i.e. dyed green cream corn, Henrietta, the entire Army of Darkness movie . . .,

“I’m gonna break your face!” 

“Someone’s in my fruit cellar!  Someone with a fresh soooul!” 

“Well, hello Mister Fancypants.  Well, I’ve got news for you pal, you ain’t leadin’ but two things right now:  Jack and Shit . . . and Jack left town.”  

All are very funny, but Alvarez gives us what I personally wanted in the first place:  true, bloody, disgusting, gut-wrenching horror.  Now I don’t mean to lead you to believe that the movie is without its easter-eggs and shout-out’s to the originals . . . the ’73 Oldsmobile Delta 88, the loss of a hand, a chainsaw, etc., all show up in the ’13 version, only in a different light, or way.  And it totally fucking works!  The performances are believable, the blood and gore are not CGI’d, and the story makes more sense than the original.  For example, in the original, five friends show up at a cabin and all hell breaks loose – we’re never given any insight as to why they are there in the first place, but I guess in the ‘80s, that little plot detail didn’t matter.  In our updated version, five friends attend the cabin in hopes of breaking Mia’s drug habits.  A feat none of them are perceive as “easy”.  After Mia gets possessed by the trees – it’s important to point out in this day and age that the trees don’t really rape the character, in contrast to the detail of the original, but there is an entrance point for the evil and it is between the character’s legs, fortunately it happens quick – she starts exhibiting drug-abused behavior, which make our other four protagonists not feel much panic when weird shit starts happening.  A well-used set-up point new to no one, I know, but used effectively to move the story along at a believable speed.  Afterwards, all hell breaks loose.  YAY!  I hate to spoil everything about the movie, so I’ll stop here.

As of today, Evil Dead stands at #1 among my favorite 2013 horror flicks.  That may change tonight (I hope it does – my hopes for The Conjuring are simply unexplainable) or in September with Insidious: Chapter 2, but if not, 2013 will not remain a total waste in terms of the genre.  By far my favorite of the four films, I suggest this as a staple to any genre fan out there as I’m sure it will remain in high contention with pop culture horror fanatics, like myself, as it ages.  Did you have a chance to revel in this madness when it was in theaters?  If so, what's your favorite out of the four and why?  Have a great week, all, and be sure to check out The Conjuring this weekend – don’t let Grown Ups 2 win.