Army of Darkness (DVD)

Eons before director Sam Raimi was helming shiny, big budget 'Spider-Man' movies he was cutting his teeth on his murky, low budget 'Evil Dead' films. The first in the series had such a massive underground following that it practically invented its own sub-genre and inspired such future toasts of Hollywood like Peter Jackson to make their films of similar ilk. The sequel, 'Evil Dead 2' is considered even bigger within the realms of cult fandom. Picking up seconds after where the first film left off (despite a six/seven year gap), it was a glorious exercise in low budget gory excess. With fans craving more, Raimi returned in the early nineties with a third offering: 'Army ...  Read the complete review

The quality of the third part in a trilogy of films is a peculiar thing. Reserved with cynicism by many, usually prescribed by critics that each successive part is merely a cash-in on the original’s popularity and success, the third act does seem to conform to a universally held perception of something much, much weaker that undermines what has preceded. Movies with the fatal “part 3” attached to the title, invariably stand little chance against the wrath of overzealous critics. Terminator 3, lacking James Cameron’s artistic flair and tight direction from the previous two movies, is an obvious example. Audiences could have done without sitting through what has now been ...  Read the complete review

Army of Darkness is the final instalment of Sam Raimi's now infamous Evil Dead series, which is one of the most unorthodox comedy horror franchises I have ever watched. In this 1992 cult classic the ever quotable Bruce Campbell returns as Ash Williams, whose last run-in with the demonic Deadites has left him stranded in Medieval England. Savaged by war and the unholy dead the country is now in complete disarray, a state that is in no way improved by a time travelling lunatic with a chainsaw. Eventually, with a little persuasion from Ash's 'boomstick,' the locals accept him enough to strike a deal. If he goes out and retrieves the Necronomicon, the source of the ...  Read the complete review

One for all video gamers: a one-handed, shotgun-toting, chainsaw wielding hero, an army of animated skeletons marching to besiege a castle, and fearful forces ravaging a medieval land through the secret Necronomicon, a potent book of the dead bound in human skin and written in blood........ The Evil Dead series starring the blatant, pastiche heroism of Bruce Campbell and directed by the quirky Sam Raimi unearthed a winning schlock formula of dark, up-front horror-fantasy parody. Raimi is a man who can certainly add tasty relish to a thick cheese sandwich. The new Spiderman films prove this visual knack, although it is combined with more serious action ...  Read the complete review

Its funny isn’t it, you watch one movie and it reminds you of another, often infinitely superior once. I recently watched Black Knight, a supposed medieval comedy starring Martin Lawrence which offered up about as many laughs as the average funeral and was reminded of two infinitely better movies - Monty Python and the Holy Grail which I’ve seen more times than I can remember and Sam Raimi’s final movie in the Evil Dead series, Army Of Darkness which prompted me into another rental - and naturally a review because its so damn good! Obviously this isn’t a movie which is going to be to everyone’s taste, a strange hybrid of zombie ...  Read the complete review