Usually, I’m against classic horror movie remakes. However, the new Evil Dead changed my perception. Given, it’s considered a “reimagining,” but who’s counting?

   For anyone who has watched the original Army of Darkness movies, you will notice the references and similarities right away. The girl clawing at the roof of the cellar, the book, the camera shots (a little fun fact: the car that Mia is sitting on in the beginning while sketching is the car from the original movie that gets demolished by the forest), the chainsaws, the various gruesome deaths, even the quotes can be taken and traced to the original. Most of the characters in the remake can be related to a character from the original. For example, I spent the vast majority of the movie calling the character with blonde hair and glasses “Scotty,” because that’s who I thought he was representing from the first Evil Dead. Turns out his name was Eric the whole time. The new Evil Dead will surely leave any devoted fan jumping up and down in their chair, trying not to squeal at all of the references that are sneakily executed in this movie.

   As I said before, remake isn’t exactly the correct term for this, though. It’s just easier to use. It’s a reimagining. Basically, even those who decided to revive this horror flick knew that they couldn’t come anywhere close to redoing everything perfectly – and they didn’t try to. They knew that the original is untouchable, but they took a new approach to it and brought in some new twists. This time, the story revolves around a group of friends that go to a cabin in the woods to help their friend Mia in her journey of sobriety after her trip to drug rehab. After a walk into the woods to calm her nerves, she slowly begins to lose her mind. All of her friends just think that the insane visions she’s talking about are just part of withdrawal. However, the group shortly finds out that they have awoken the dead with spells from a book called the Necronomicon, or “Book of the Dead.” Filled with new twists, different characters and a unique approach, the movie will keep anyone with a strong stomach and love for horror flicks satisfied. I give this movie an 8.5/10.

   Oh, and one more thing…if you’re REALLY a die hard Evil Dead/Army of Darkness fan, stay after the credits. I promise, it is totally worth it.