'Ash vs Evil Dead' Premiere: Everything You Want in an Unrated Splatter Horror Comedy
“How’s it feel?”
“Groovy.”
There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who stood up and cheered when they heard that line, and those who didn’t. If you’re the latter, there’s nothing wrong with you — you’ve just never experienced the grotesque magic of the Evil Dead series. If you’re the former, you’re a fan, and whether you’ve been one for 34 years or just a day (and watched the entire Starz Evil Dead marathon Friday night), that catch phrase is carved into your black little heart.
Related: ‘Ash Vs. Evil Dead’ Review: Bruce Campbell Can Do No Wrong
Ash vs Evil Dead is a fan’s dream, but if you’re not one, here’s a quick rundown. In 1981, Michigan buddies Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi (who went on to direct Spider-Man), and Rob Tapert (who went on to produce Xena: Warrior Princess) made Evil Dead, a low-budget horror flick so violent that it received an X rating and was banned in many places. The gore belied its inventiveness though, and when they remade it as Evil Dead II, much of the violence was replaced with slapstick. By the time they made Army of Darkness — complete with its stop-motion skeletons and faux-Arthurian knights — it had become an adult cartoon.
At the center of it is Ash — a sleazy, oafish, but ultimately goodhearted cad. Think Han Solo if he lived in a trailer park, drove a 1973 Delta Oldsmobile 88 (yes, “The Classic” that appears in nearly all of Raimi’s films), and worked in the dumpiest Sears knock-off imaginable. His love of trashy women leads him to once again accidentally read from the Necronomicon ex Mortis, which summons an army of demon-possessed zombies called Deadites.
Ash is joined this time by his own little Scooby Gang — played by Ray Santiago and Dana DeLorenzo. Their alternating skepticism and awe are a great counterpoint to Ash’s own wavering heroism. In addition to the task of deciphering the book so he can send the Deadites back to Hell, he has to deal with an ex-cop (Amanda Fisher) looking for answers and another woman seeking revenge. That last woman is played by Lucy Lawless, which kind of makes this season Ash vs. Xena. We have yet to see their on-screen chemistry, but there are any number of panels and interviews available online that demonstrate the delightful sparks between them in real life.
Working with Starz was a good choice for the franchise. Because it’s a premium cable channel, it’s allowed them to feature all the gouts of fake blood and ludicrous mid-air decapitations that you want to see in a show like this. There’s no genuine terror — the horror comes primarily in the form of jump scares and squirms, like when Fisher’s cop gets a pair of scissors run through her hand. Also, there’s an occasional f-bomb and a sex scene in a dive bar bathroom that rivals a Three Stooges episode for sensuality and sexiness.
Having a budget hasn’t appeared to hurt them much — though now, instead of the famous “shaky cam” effect used for the demon’s point of view (done by strapping a camera to a board and having two cameramen run through the woods with it), they can afford a genuine Steadicam for the shot. Some of the charm is lost, but there are probably two camera ops out there glad to have avoided sore backs.
Related: If 'Ash vs Evil Dead’ Does Well, Bruce Campbell Wants Freddy Krueger for Season 2
If you’re a fan, this show is everything you’ve ever asked for — and the recent announcement of a second season means you’ll get even more of it. If you’re knew to the franchise, you’ll know within the first two scenes — with the comedy of Ash strapping himself into a girdle followed immediately by the ghoulishness of two zombies having their heads blown off in a maximally grotesque and sticky fashion — whether or not it’s for you.
Ash vs Evil Dead airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Starz.
