The 2013 version of Evil Dead faced a LOT of hate when it was initially announced - and not without reason. The original 1981 film from Sam Raimi (Spider-Man Trilogy) has been a cult-classic for the 30+ years since its release - as has the film's star, the iconic Bruce Campbell.

When the new Evil Dead came to NYCC 2012, it faced a room full of hardcore skeptics but managed to turn the tide through a combination of gruesome footage and the overpowering charisma of Bruce Campbell; that footage was later premiered in the Evil Dead teaser trailer, and support for the remake has been building ever since. This latest red-band trailer attempts to continue the positive buzz, by drowning viewers in the full depth of horror and gore Evil Dead fans want.

...So it's not surprising that horror and gore are exactly what we get. It's hard for me to watch every moment of that trailer with my eyes open - but I saw enough to notice the many Easter-eggs that connect this new version with Raimi's original. From the severed limbs to the iconic book of the dead (Necronomicon) to that sexually aggressive tree and familiar swooping woodland camera shots, it seems that many of what people liked about the original film will be at least acknowledged.

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Director Fede Alvarez was handpicked by Raimi himself for this project (Raimi is involved as a producer along with Campbell), and it's easy to see why from this footage. The look of Evil Dead 2013 has that 'beautifully dark and gritty' sheen of one of those Platinum Dunes slasher film remakes (Friday the 13thTexas Chainsaw Massacre) - but Alvarez (with help from Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody) seems to be more wickedly imaginative and unafraid to go there with both his terror scares and gross-out antics - as opposed to the formulaic boredom of those Dunes films. Case in point: never has two girls kissing looked more unappealing...

At this point, we'd say it's fine to tap that one friend who is still huffing and puffing about this remake's existence and let him/her know that it's okay - it's okay to be cautiously optimistic that Evil Dead could be a remake that was actually worth re-making.

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Do you 'Dare to Share your Scare?'

Evil Dead (2013) Image Red Band Trailer

Want to get in on the Evil Dead experience? The studio is offering you that very chance in the form of a fun game in which you are able to record your reactions to this red-band trailer. That recording can then be shared with friends via social media.

Granted, if you've already watched the trailer, capturing an authentic reaction might be a bit difficult; but you can still lure friends and loved ones into serving as your test subjects!

Here are the instructions for the game:

  • Go to the "Evil Dead" official YouTube Page. Follow instructions to watch the trailer while recording your reaction.
  • If you want to track clicks on your own video, please use a bit.ly or other Link to Track Clicks to https://www. daretoshareyourscare.com
  • You can use the General Bit.ly Link for the entire campaign if you don’t care about tracking your own performance:  https://bit.ly/DTSYS
  • Include the Hashtag #EvilDead on Twitter mentions, or the @EvilDead for Facebook.

Trust us when we say: This red-band trailer should get some pretty...inspired reactions.

Evil Dead will be in theaters on April 12, 2013.

Source: Film District