Thirty years have passed since Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) faced the sadistic demons in that remote cabin in the woods. The sole survivor, Ash still retains a position of seniority in retail where he is able to mask his ineptness by bedazzling one of the clerks, who sees Ash as a great legendary hero. Of course not everyone sees Ash in quite the same way. Some, one might say, are over him the minute they meet him, but like a pimple on a teenager, Ash has a way of growing on people and he is just smarmy enough at times to charm a woman any way possible and enjoy an evening of indiscretion. On one such night Ash recites a few words of "poetry" from the Necronomicon to impress his guest and in the process sets forth a chain of events that force him to once again take up his chainsaw and sawed off shotgun as he seeks to undo the damage caused and end the threat of the evil dead taking over the world once and for all.
Overall, Ash VS Evil Dead is everything one would expect an evil dead film to be and while he is a bit older, Bruce still manages to combine charm, humor, and physical action in his signature role like no other. The pilot was quite entertaining and when it was over, I can honestly state I did not want it to end. Everything you would expect from the combined talents of Bruce Campbell, Director Sam Raimi, who returned to direct the series premiere, his co-writer Ivan Raimi and Produced Rob Tapert is here in a truncated form, but no less intense, bloody and funny than fans of the series will recall. Lucy Lawless has a brief appearance in an important character role that will recur throughout the series and the new cast members introduced all work well on screen together.
While there is a bit of CGI used to enhance certain sequences, Raimi has not forgotten that part of the charm of the feature film trilogy was using practical effects including some dated techniques that elevate Ash VS Evil Dead to pulp graphic novel like status while solidifying Raimi as still being an auteur of the fantastic with a unique visual edge and style that can be imitated, but never equaled.
STARZ proves to be an excellent home for the continuing adventures of Ash VS. Evil Dead, giving fans more of what they loved from the feature films with a far longer running time than a theatrical release would allow while providing a shorter wait time between installments and developing the characters and world more because of it's greater running time in a format that is uncensored and arguably better than most feature films playing at cinemas all year round. Ash VS. Evil Dead is another example why television is rapidly surpassing the big screen as a place where both new stories can be created and old stories can be revisited in unique and exciting ways.
Ash VS. Evil Dead will premiere on STARZ on Halloween, Saturday, October 31 at 9:00pm ET/PT. The series is executive produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell, the original filmmakers of the franchise, and Craig DiGregorio who serves as executive producer and showrunner.
In addition, Ash VS. Evil Dead will premiere globally in more than 100 countries/territories for a same day world wide premiere with a schedule noted below.
Select major worldwide broadcasters and digital providers offering “Ash vs Evil Dead” on October 31 include (alphabetically):
Amedia (Russia/CIS)
C More (Scandinavia)
FOX Action on FOX+ Premium service/FOX Latin America Channels (Latin America/Brazil)
SKY TV (New Zealand)
Stan (Australia)
STARZ PLAY Arabia (Middle East/North Africa)
Super Channel (Canada)
Stay tuned here at GenreOnline.net for my interview with Ash VS. Evil Dead Star and Executive Producer, Bruce Campbell. It will be the third time I have interviewed Mr. Campbell in ten years and I am greatly looking forward to it. Thank you.
(C) Copyright 2015 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
