Ash vs Evil Dead: Season 1

Sidebar: I don't know how I feel about all these "dumps." It's like we're literally shitting on the blog. What ever happened to thoughtfully crafting out individual posts for our respective content? Then again, I seem to clearly lack the amount of content everyone else is devouring. Moving on!

The man. The legend. The chainsaw. Groovy.

Evil Dead was the movie that really made me consider getting into movies. Paul Berard first showed me these films back in middle school. I watched it in glee with the realization that if a bunch of schmucks from nowheresville Michigan can follow their dreams and make a campy horror film, then anyone can. (Much easier said than done.) Still, for better or for worse, the Evil Dead franchise will always stand near and dear to my heart for inspiring me to follow my foolish whims and earning a useless screenwriting degree. Thanks fellas!

This past Halloween we were welcomed back to the world of Ashley J. Williams... only to find out that after nearly 30 years, Ash has not changed in the slightest bit. Still on the hunt for the next easy woman he can bed. Still working retail at dumpy department stores (sadly, no longer S-Mart). Still the same old shitty person. Then one night, while trying to woo some poetry-chick, Ash smokes a joint and has the brilliant idea to read from the Necronomicon Ex Mortis (roughly translated, the Book of the Dead). And, sure enough, Ash accidentally releases the Evil back onto Earth. Teaming up with two young employees from the department store he "works" at, Ash must put a stop to the Evil, once again. Or at least think of a really good escape plan.

This show has three things going for it: blood, humor, and more blood. When you watch this show (and I encourage everyone to do so), you'll get the same ol' cocky Ash that only Bruce Campbell can delivery on. Throwing out quippy one-liners to slicing off deadites' heads, no one does it quite like Bruce. And in between all of the fights scenes -- or even during them -- you'll be laughing at how ridiculous the stakes become. 

Is this show perfect? Far from it. You'll spot plot holes coming at you a mile away. But, then again, none of the movies were "perfect" either. They were about entertainment. Let's take you to a dark, eerie cabin far, far away where we'll watch some clueless buffoon get relentless tortured by all the things that go bump in the night. That's what the films always represented to me... and that's exactly what show delivers on. 

For diehard fans (such as myself) you'll be excited to hear that the original director of the films, Sam Raimi, also directs the pilot episode to this series. You'll also be saddened to hear that's the only thing he directs. While I wish he would have left his thumbprint on more of the series, I wont complain about what we have here. The rest of the crew really steps up and the season carries the same energy that Sam first lays down in the pilot. 

Even if you've never been interested in the franchise, I would still encourage you to give this show a try. Sure, I'm biased as all hell, but it's also something truly original for television. A slasher/horror/dark-comedy TV show?! Where else will you find this concoction of entertainment. (Ok, people have told me of another slasher/horror TV show, Scream Queens. But where Ash vs. Evil Dead scores a 98% on RottenTomatoes, Scream Queens pulls in a measly  59%. Enough said.) Support the arts -- or lack thereof --  and watch Ash vs. Evil Dead.

With a second season already confirmed, it shouldn't be long before we see our bumbling hero back up and running away from his responsibilities like the hero he isn't.