Film Review: EVIL DEAD RISE (2023) *** out of *****

In 1980, Sam Raimi and company created a singular filmmaking experience that was visceral, stylish, and a bit insane. The Evil Dead, released in 1981, was a commercial and critical hit, launching the careers of director Sam Raimi, producer Robert Tapert, and actor Bruce Campbell. Two sequels followed, each wilder than the one before it, followed twenty years later by a stunning remake/sequel in 2013, directed by Fede Alvarez, and with creative input from Raimi and his team.

Now, more than forty years after the release of the original, comes Evil Dead Rise (2023), a loose sequel/reboot set in a crumbling high rise.

Written and directed by Lee Cronin, Evil Dead Rise is a disappointment on almost all fronts, taking a franchise that is known for its originality and energy, and delivering a competent but bland and forgettable entry that seems more interested in subtext than scares.

A few years ago, when it was announced that Cronin would be the next filmmaker chosen to play in the Evil Dead sandbox, I was genuinely surprised. Cronin’s only feature, The Hole in The Ground, is a depressing, dour, and pretty style-less horror drama. Watching it, you never get the sense that Cronin - whose humorless, neo-goth style is pretty at odds with everything Evil Dead is known for - is not the right filmmaker for the job. Evil Dead Rise proves it.

Cronin’s script transports the proceedings from a cabin in the woods, to a dilapidated high rise in a bad neighborhood, another isolated setting in which the deadites, the evil spirits of the unholy book, the necronomicon, can wreak havoc.

But the setting is never used to its fullest potential. Instead, Cronin presents us with a single mother, whose tattoos and snarky attitude is supposed to make her “a strong female character”, I suppose. But since she isn’t developed in any meaningful way, and seems bored of her own children, she just comes off as extremely unlikable. As for the rest of the characters, they barely make a dent in one’s memory. Just more fodder for the cannon.

And Cronin seems to be intent on taking the franchise into a sort of po-faced, emo direction, resulting in one dour viewing experience. Because, as any good storyteller knows, if you want to get serious, you need to have likable, relatable characters that the audience can root for, that the audience can feel for when they get hurt, or maimed, or dismembered, things that Cronin subjects his cast of characters to relentlessly.

And then there’s the muddled subtext about feminism, fear of motherhood, “the male gaze”, and other heady subjects, which have no place in The Evil Dead franchise, which has alway been about terror, imagination, and style over substance. As for gender-swapping, The 2013 Evil Dead remake already did it, and did it wonderfully, under the guidance of writer/director Alvarez, who delivered a sleek, punchy Evil Dead entry that hit all the right notes and then some, while exuding plenty of energy and originality. In other words, it was both contemporary and timeless. Both respectful to the original, and intent on creating something new. Cronin’s film doesn’t have any of that. Instead, it’s just another well-made horror movie with plenty of gore and technical trickery, but no heart or soul. Just plenty of posturing, faux sentimentality, and one hell of a downer streak.

Evil Dead Rise is not a worthy addition to the series. Hell, it barely feels like an Evil Dead movie at all.

And while The Evil Dead movies have always been more about style than substance, Evil Dead Rise ends up having little substance, and even less style.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

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Book Review: The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson *** and a 1\2 out of *****

Almost everybody knows the story of Superman and the planet Krypton with its red sun. Everybody knows that Superman is the only son of Jor-El and Lara, who shipped him off to Earth moments before the planet Krypton was blown to smithereens. But Kevin J. Anderson's novel, The Last Days of Krypton, proves that there is much more to the story. And what a story it is!

From political shenanigans, to sibling rivalry, to the plots of the evil dictator Zod, to the mute villain Nam-Ek, to the true nature of Brainiac, to earthquakes and flash floods, Anderson's Krypton has to be one of the most unfortunate planets in the universe. And that's what makes this book so entertaining and flawed at the same time.

With straightforward prose and a quick pace, Anderson tells the story of Krypton in an exciting, never-lagging manner, with one disaster after another, while the endearing characters try to overcome those ordeals. The novel is full of adventure, romance, villains and action, which makes it an almost epic tale that sheds new light on the whole Superman mythos.

But in trying to combine all the different mythologies that have been created over the decades, Anderson also creates a novel that doesn't leave the reader room to breathe and suspend his/her disbelief. As Anderson crams his 400+ pages with disaster after disaster that the story becomes more of a space opera than anything else, which, of course, might have been Anderson's intention in the first place (the book begins with a list of all the characters in the novel - Dramatis Persoane - as if it were an opera or a play). And, also, the stilted dialogue surely doesn't help.

But, overall, the flaws don't take away from the fact that this is a hugely entertaining book, with enough imagination and forward momentum to make it an addictive read and a must for fans of The Man of Steel. And on the long run, it's probably going to become the final word on the story of Krypton.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2023.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

Film Review: Into The West (1992) *** out of *****

Written by Oscar nominated filmmaker Jim Sheridan, and directed by Mike Newell, the director of Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, and Four Weddings and a Funeral, Into The West (1992) , released in 1992, is a charming little family film that comes across as something Anthony Trollope might have written, with a dash of magical realism thrown in for good measure.

The story follows two young boys, Tito and Ossie, and their adventures when a beautiful white pony suddenly emerges out of nowhere and into their lives.

This was Director Mike Newell’s first foray into fantasy, years before finding massive success with Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire (2005).

The film’s first half is almost flawless, depicting the poor with humor, humanity, and a dignity rarely seen in mainstream movies and the score by Patrick Doyle is gorgeous. But the second half stumbles quite a bit, with the villains coming off as mere caricatures, and the plot getting more and more far fetched and lazy.

But this is a sentimental, warm-hearted film for all the family, and one which has many moments of true magic.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2022.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

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New Episode of THE DARK FANTASTIC PODCAST now available

 In this special episode, Ahmed Khalifa pays tribute to Peter Straub, the acclaimed dark fantasy author of such novels as Ghost Story and Floating Dragon.

Khalifa also discusses the work and legacy of Stuart Woods, most famous for his Stone Barrington thrillers, who also passed away this year.

Discovering The Thing From Another World. The True Sequel To John Carpenter's Classic.

Although John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) wasn’t a critical or box-office success, when it first came out in 1982, over the decades, it has become a cult favorite, and has received reappraisal by mainstream critics.

With its foreboding tone, startling and stylish visuals, deliberate pacing, and terrifying special effects, The Thing, is now considered John Carpenter’s greatest film.

With its belated success on cable and home video, there has been talk of producing a sequel to The Thing, since the 1990s, including Return of the Thing, a four-hour miniseries, and a direct sequel to the Carpenter movie, for the Sci Fi network. It was to be produced by Frank Darabont, the acclaimed director of The Shawshank Redemption, and The Mist, and written by David Leslie Johnson McGoldrick, of The Conjuring franchise.

But the project was shelved, partly due to budget concerns, and Universal Pictures decided to go for a big screen feature, unimaginatively called The Thing, a 2011 prequel set at the Norwegian camp featured in John Carpenter’s original.

But before that, a sequel was made, taking place mere hours after the events of Carpenter’s film.

The Thing From Another World, written by Chuck Pfarrer, was released by Dark Horse Comics, and is, arguably, the only true sequel to John Carpenter’s The Thing.

The graphic novel begins after the destruction of the U.S. Outpost 31, where the events of the film took place, by the shape-shifting extraterrestrial creature.

The only survivors are MacReady and Childs. MacReady is found and picked up by the crew of a Japanese whaling ship, and is held captive after a hysterical outburst. But soon after, he escapes, and tries to find out whether he is human, or just another version of the thing.

Pfarrer, a self-avowed student of Carpenter’s original film, writes a tense story in a hard-boiled, straightforward style, that propels the reader headlong into a series of set-pieces that never let up. He also ingeniously gets around the problem of dealing with the ending of Carpenter’s original, which basically painted the story into a corner.

In the novel, Pfarrer slowly reveals what happened to MacReady and Childs, and introduces a new complication that could have apocalyptic consequences.

The Thing From Another World is a dream come true for fans of Carpenter’s original. It picks up right after the events of the film, the characters remain true to their portrayals in the original, and Pfarrer's tone and style capture, to a large extent, the mood of the original.

The only caveat is that the headlong pace and grim tone, leave little room for character development, as this is pure story, with no real revelations about the main players. But this too, it could be argued, follows Carpenter’s original approach, which stuck to basic survival psychology, rather than delve deep into the minds of its characters.

With great artwork by John B. Higgins, The Thing From Another World is a treat for fans of the original, and it serves as a worthy sequel to Carpenter’s film.

Carpenter himself has endorsed the graphic novel on many occasions, to the extent that, according to him, if he ever got a chance to make a sequel to The Thing, he would closely follow Pfarrer's story.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2022.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

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Book Review: BATMAN: MADE OF WOOD (2003) By Ed Brubaker and Patrick Zircher *** and a 1\2 out of *****

(c) DC.

Released in 2003 by DC Comics as Detective Comics number 784 to 786, Made of Wood is one of the most underrated Batman storylines of recent years.

Building upon the revelation in Post-Crisis DC Comics continuity, that Alan Scott’s Green Lantern was Gotham City’s protector in the 1940’s, veteran comic book writer Ed Brubaker creates a layered, deeply nostalgic, yet hard-hitting storyline about a vicious enemy from Green Lantern’s past, who seems to be brutally killing a select number of people for a reason known only to him. On the victim’s chests he carves the words, “Made of Wood”.

Batman, with the help of retired police commissioner Gordon, tries to solve the case, but it is soon obvious that without the help of Green Lantern\Alan Scott, the killing will continue.

So Batman and Green Lantern have to team up to hunt down the elusive killer, and, in the process, unearthing a forgotten dark episode from Alan Scott’s past.

Brubaker writes in his usual hard-boiled style, but with an added retro twist that gives the tale a winning 1940’s bent.

Brubaker’s stellar writing aside, Patrick Zircher’s gorgeous artwork also deserves a lot of the praise, as his style here is a loving tribute to artists from the 1940’s, with rich designs, shadowy backgrounds, and art-deco architecture, making Batman: Made of Wood a visual feast.

Near forgotten, and undeservedly so, Batman: Made of Wood is captivating, fun, and ultimately moving, and a worthy read for fans of Batman, Green Lantern, Noir, or just good, old storytelling.

Note: the storyline is collected in the Batman: The Man Who Laughs paperback.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2022.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

Film Review: LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR (1977) ** and a 1\2 out of *****

 

(C) Paramount.

Released to much critical acclaim and box-office success, Looking For Mr. Goodbar (1977) encapsulates everything that was wrong with the excesses of 1970's cinema. Adapted from the controversial novel of the same name, Looking For Mr. Goodbar tells the story of Theresa, a young schoolteacher in 1970's San Francisco, who rebels against her strict Catholic upbringing by slowly descending into a life of casual sex, drugs, and bohemianism.

Richard Brooks, who adapted the novel for the screen, directs with a grimy, uncontrolled style, delivering a film that is morally and psychologically shallow, shrill, and borderline repugnant. Exploitive to the core, every minority under the sun is portrayed as either a victim or unstable, and Brooks' attempt at being "hip", by drowning the film in disco tunes and jump cuts, made the film look dated as soon as it was released.

Much has been said about Diane Keaton's performance as Theresa, the sexually adventurous/aggressive protagonist, and it is true that Keaton delivers a mesmerizing performance, but it is also a smug one, and a portrayal that doesn't wholly gel with the writing, producing a character that is equal parts unlikable and tragic. A young Richard Gere as a hyperactive gigolo, and Tom Berenger as a troubled and sexually confused ex-con, are the true scene-stealers in the film.

The epitome of 1970's "socially-conscious" dramas, this is a dated and unredeeming descent into nihilism and ugliness that is not deserving of its praise. Maybe that's the reason why the film has been so hard to find for many decades.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2022.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. He is also the host of The Dark Fantastic Podcast. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @DFantasticPodcast

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