31 Days of Horror--Day 26 EVIL DEAD remake

I have a soft spot for Sam Raimi's Evil Dead films, especially I (1981) and II (1987).  I'm not a fan of Hollywood Remakes, as you can tell from my post on COMA and its remake.  So I was a little upset to find out that Evil Dead was going to be remade, even if Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are producing the bugger. I guess they have to send their kids to private school.

What's worse?  Diablo Cody worked on the screenplay.  As a feminist horror scholar, I am all for more women in horror, but with this particular screenwriter, I have been previously burned (I'm looking at you, Jennifer's Body (2009)).  I fear for this film's dialogue.

The Old Ash

I also cannot imagine an Evil Dead film without Bruce Campbell as Ash.  From what Campbell has admitted at a panel on the remake at this past New York Comic.con, Ash is now a woman, "Mia," played by Jane Levy.

The New Ash

What else did I glean from the panel?  That Mia is the New Ash AND is raped by a possessed tree.  I guess Raimi and Co. thought that if they stuck in a Final Girl, then they could get away with something so violently misogynist and outdated.  Did Ms. Cody write THAT scene?

Still, like my rant about the Carrie remake, I know I'll still see this film, and while I can complain all I want, this film is a done deal, and I'm going to have to talk about it.  Here's a couple of unfunny images from the new Evil Dead.

Yikes.  I do like horror films to scare me, and I will admit, this Red Band Trailer for the Evil Dead remake looks pretty damn scary.

The original film, with its wonky special effects and hyperbolic acting, is positively quaint in comparison.

31 Days of Horror--Day 25 Graham Annable's THE HIDDEN PEOPLE (2008)

Graham Annable's 2008 animated short The Hidden People is a nice variation on the "cabin in the woods" narrative.  Everyone seems to believe that gnomes, garden and forest, are relatively benign.  Well, watch this short, and then go take a look at your garden gnome.  He IS watching you.

31 Days of Horror--Day 24 Eugenio Receunco's Haunted Images

I am an enormous fan of Eugenio Receunco's fashion photography.  In fact, every time you visit my blog, you see a piece of his work, as a still from his Regione Campania ad is the iconic image for my site.  Here is the ad from which it comes:

I'd keep the video small, though.  It looks a little wonky blown up to full screen.

His set-pieces are intricate and unsettling, and he has a wonderful sense of space.  As I have been exploring many dark fairytales over the last week or so, I thought that I should give this visionary his due.

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast 2

The Pied Piper

Sleeping Beauty

Cinderella

The Princess and the Pea

Snow White

Of course, one of my favorite images is really scary and disturbingly sexual.  He certainly puts Alice in Wonderland in a different light.  Innocence Lost.

31 Days of Horror--Day 23 Jorge Jaramillo and Carlo Guillot's RED (2012)

Jorge Jarmillo and Carlo Guillot's stunning animated short Red harkens back to some of Lotte Reiniger's shadow puppetry films. 

Still from Lotte Reiniger's Hansel and Gretel

Red is now in the running for my favorite version of the Little Red Riding Hood saga.  The film's dark artistry elicits a sweeping rage of emotions, from delight to despair, with fierceness in between.

I, of course, love Neil Jordan's adaptation of Angela Carter's take on a Grimm story, The Company of Wolves (1984).

Red wanders the forest in The Company of Wolves

My other two favorite takes are David Slade's contemporary take on the Red Saga, Hard Candy (2005) starring Ellen Page before she was Juno.  The big bad wolf that she faces is far too real.

Promo image for Hard Candy

And finally, another proto-feminist take on Red Riding Hood, but this time, Red's a misunderstood juvie played by Reese Witherspoon before she bacame super-Mom and romantic comedy's sweetheart.

Bad Girl Reese in Freeway

31 Days of Horror--Day 22 Rodolfo Loaiza's Disasterland

Never Sleep Again

For those of you who prefer "Final Girls" to Disney Princesses, Pop Surrealist Rodolfo Loaiza's "Disasterland" series hits the sweet spot.  This show premiered in early August at the La Luz De Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles.  The show unsurprisingly sold out, so we'll just have to wait until Loaiza's next slaughtering of a sacred children's franchise.

Bloody Forest

Kill Mulan

31 Days of Horror--Day 21 Lee Hardcastle's Clay Horror in 60 Seconds

Lee Hardcastle, in a mere 60 seconds, can whittle down some of the best parts of classic horror films, and he accomplishes this feat with Clay.  His animation is bloody hilarious, and yes, I start writing in a British accent whenever I watch his shorts.  He's a young punk (not yet thirty) with loads of talent.  Uncle Creepy at Dread Central announced that Lee will be making a film with Ben Wheatley, who directed Kill List (2011), entitled Megaevilmotherfuckers.  We'll have to see if they are compelled to change that awesome title.  Here are some of Lee Hardcastle's finest works, and a great interview here if you'd like to know more.

He was also invited to join the filmmakers participating in The ABCs of Death (2012), a film about which I am beyond excited.  26 Filmmakers contribute to this anthology!  Here's Hardcastle's submission T is for Toilet.

31 Days of Horror--Day 20 Travis Louie's Dapper Monsters

Uncle Six Eyes

Okay, I'll admit, Travis Louie's adorable monsters are not really scary.  They are actually quite charming as they pose for their portrait.  Louie replicates the kind of sepia-toned shots of ancestors some families hold onto for generations--with a little bit of a twist.  If I had a proper hallway, I would love to line it with these gems, as if one could trace my heritage through some of the painting's details.  I might have Frank's ears.

Frank

Or Bill's smile.

Bill

Phineas

But not Phineas's nose, I'm afraid.  I definitely have more than a passing resemblance to the Vamp circa 1873.  I'm practically the spitting image!

The Vamp Circa 1873

These two lovelies are her best friends.  She tends to outshine them a bit when they spend time together.

Pals

One cannot forget the family pets!

Wilbur and his Hypnotic Gaze

Herman and Morris

Aunt Sarah always insisted on taking Emmett everywhere that she went.

Sarah and Emmett

Then there are those mysterious portraits that are clearly, CLEARLY no relation.

Charles Meek

Gill

You might recognize this gentleman.  He's a descendant of the famous Lynch family.  Although he and his wife, Mary, had a kid that looks quite a bit like Gill.

Infant from David Lynch's Eraserhead (1977)

Again, my motto of no kids, just kittens comes to mind.  At least one doesn't have to suffer from an affliction like Oscar's.

Oscar and the Truth Toad

To find out more about Pop Surrealist Travis Louie, visit his website, his blog, or this marvelous interview.  Here's a terrific video interview as well!