Ash Versus The Evil Dead!

Watched the debut episode of Ash Vs. Evil Dead this past weekend on Starz, and I have to give it an unabashed "Groovy"! This one does an exceedingly nifty job of picking up a story that has lain dormant for nearly twenty-five years since the release of Army of Darkness in 1992.  But the elements are still all there, and Bruce Campbell still has that quixotic charm which has made him a favorite movie and TV star now for several decades. Never an "A-List" celeb, Bruce is the king almighty and high overlord of "B-Listers".

Groovy Trio - Pablo, Ash, and Kelly

There's not much to announce about the story but I will attempt to avoid too many spoilers. Ash Williams has fallen victim to time, and now an aging one-handed denture-wearing wannabe Don Juan, he trolls the bars right at closing to pick up the desperate and the lonely to fulfill his base needs. That's the hero of this yarn, which shows us a world which quickly comes under attack by "Deadites" from another dimension, who invade the bodies of human beings and transform them into hideous and leering monsters bent on death and destruction. At the center of this is the Sumerian Book of the Dead made literally of flesh and blood, and in the keeping (so to speak) of Ash. Ever the "hero", Ash's first response to the "Deadite" invasion is to run away. But Pablo, a fellow employee who rather idolizes Ash tries to talk him out of that decision. Then fate takes a hand (so to speak) and things really start to slide into the gutter and by the end of the first episode we know that it will be Ash and company to the rescue. We are in so much trouble.

The power of Bruce!

Bruce Campbell is as funny as ever, blending that special dash of classic heroics with a heavy smear of sarcastic cowardice, he never does exactly what you expect, but always what you fear he might do. But in the end he is forced to do the right thing, but how long that lasts is anyone's guess. Sam Raimi makes this TV show look and feel just like the later installments of the Evil Dead franchise, a weirdo blend of gross-out horror and gross-out humor blended with just enough actual real suspense to make me yearn for the days when movies were actually a little bit scary.

This one is a winner, at least based on the pilot. Give it a chance. Bruce needs your support. For my thoughts on the Evil Dead movies check this out from many years ago now. Sheesh!

Now we need a big-screen adaptation of Brisco Country Jr. 

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