04-29-2017, 07:41 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-29-2017, 07:46 PM by Oedipussy Rex.)
Just finished Ash vs. Evil Dead seasons 1 and 2. Starz had a free weekend a couple months back and a AvED marathon, which I recorded. As far as I'm concerned, Bruce Campbell may not be considered an A Lister but he's an A- in my book, B+ at worst.
I bring this up to relate an anecdote and to resurrect a zombie thread, which seems appropriate.
~30 years ago, back in the late '80s, Doug, my roommate, came in with a couple tapes from the video rental place. This was back in the days before Hulu, before RedBox, before Netflix mailed DVDs, before Blockbuster was everywhere. Even before "Be Kind; Rewind" became common. So I take a look at what he rented. Something I don't remember and Evil Dead 2. "Evil Dead 2?" "I like scary movies," he says defensively. (Yes, within an anecdote that statement is an example of dramatic irony.) Now, I don't have a problem with horror movies in general, but understand that horror movies in the eighties were, with a few exceptions, just bad, focusing more on the gore than on, well, anything that makes a movie not suck like characterization, plot, production values, talent.... But I didn't have anything better to do so in goes Evil Dead 2.
The scene: Me slouching in a chair, looking forward to 90 minutes of tedium. Doug eagerly leaning forward in his, ready for the scary.
The movie: Pure Sam Raimi-directed Bruce Campbell camp complete with possessed hand slapping himself in the face.
The twist: Me getting more and more interested, slowly sitting up then leaning forward. Him increasingly disappointed turning toward angry such that when Ash cranks up the chainsaw ("Groovy"), he gets up and leaves.
And that was my introduction to Bruce Campbell. Unfortunately, I didn't reconnect with him until The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
I bring this up to relate an anecdote and to resurrect a zombie thread, which seems appropriate.
~30 years ago, back in the late '80s, Doug, my roommate, came in with a couple tapes from the video rental place. This was back in the days before Hulu, before RedBox, before Netflix mailed DVDs, before Blockbuster was everywhere. Even before "Be Kind; Rewind" became common. So I take a look at what he rented. Something I don't remember and Evil Dead 2. "Evil Dead 2?" "I like scary movies," he says defensively. (Yes, within an anecdote that statement is an example of dramatic irony.) Now, I don't have a problem with horror movies in general, but understand that horror movies in the eighties were, with a few exceptions, just bad, focusing more on the gore than on, well, anything that makes a movie not suck like characterization, plot, production values, talent.... But I didn't have anything better to do so in goes Evil Dead 2.
The scene: Me slouching in a chair, looking forward to 90 minutes of tedium. Doug eagerly leaning forward in his, ready for the scary.
The movie: Pure Sam Raimi-directed Bruce Campbell camp complete with possessed hand slapping himself in the face.
The twist: Me getting more and more interested, slowly sitting up then leaning forward. Him increasingly disappointed turning toward angry such that when Ash cranks up the chainsaw ("Groovy"), he gets up and leaves.
And that was my introduction to Bruce Campbell. Unfortunately, I didn't reconnect with him until The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
Getting me free admission into gaming conventions for a decade