'Evil Dead' Series Coming to Starz and Bruce Campbell Will Star

Campbell looking suave as usual (IMDB)

Some damn groovy news just broke and yes, it has to do with Bruce Campbell and some dead that's... evil. An "Evil Dead" TV series is coming to Starz and not only will Bruce Campbell star as "Ash" but, according to Entertainment Weekly, "Original franchise director Sam Raimi will executive produce the series and write and direct the first episode, with Rob Tapert also executive producing." Excited yet? This isn't just pillow talk, baby.

Here's the logline:

“Bruce Campbell will be reprising his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead. When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons –personal and literal. Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its ‘Evil’ grip.”

Campbell knows what fans of the franchise like and stated, “I’m really excited to bring this series to the Evil Dead fans worldwide — it’s going to be everything they have been clamoring for: serious deadite ass-kicking and plenty of outrageous humor."

According to Raimi, who teased this possibility at Comic-Con in July, “Evil Dead has always been a blast. Bruce, Rob, and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to tell the next chapter in Ash’s lame, but heroic saga. With his chainsaw arm and his ‘boomstick,’ Ash is back to kick some monster butt. And brother, this time there’s a truckload of it.”

Did he say boomstick? Hell yes he did! The series will debut on Starz in 2015 and the network's managing director Carmi Zlotnik added, “Starz first worked with Sam and Rob on Spartacus, and we are thrilled to be back in business with them. With Sam writing and directing and Bruce Campbell returning to the screen, we are certain the show will give Evil Dead fans around the world the fix they’ve been craving.”

Let us know what you think of this endeavor. Will it work? Are you looking forward to it?

-Larissa Mrykalo

Own a Replica of Your Favorite Horror Film Home with 'Horror Houses'

"The Amityville Horror' House

When you think of horror movies, some of the locations are just as memorable as the villains themselves. It's near impossible to talk about "The Amityville Horror" without picturing those eerie, eye-like attic windows or "The Overlook Hotel" when discussing "The Shining." If you're a fan of horror homes, artist John Stewart may have something you're interested in.

Available on his website, Stewart has recreated some of the most iconic locations in horror with handmade scale models. Each model is completely sculpted, carved, textured and painted by the artist, who uses no pre-made materials. To keep the models structurally sound, each piece is framed with metal and wood. They even light up!

Stewart's pieces are all exact replicas and include locations from "The Amityville Horror," "The Shining," "The Evil Dead," "Poltergeist," "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and more. The replicas are available to purchase on his website and vary in price depending on the haunt you desire.

-Nowal Massari

Check out these examples:

The Overlook Hotel

"The Evil Dead' cabin

'Evil Dead' Blu-ray/DVD specs announced

The day has finally come where the artwork and specs for the DVD and Blu-ray release of the Evil Dead remake have been unearthed! Swallowing your soul on July 16, Evil Dead is going to be packed with extras and really digging that cover art, with the old school horror vibe.

When five friends visit a remote cabin for a weekend of rehab, they discover a nasty Book of the Dead that summons demons from the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them and pits them against one another and when you pick up the disc for at-home viewing, you'll get:

• Commentary featuring stars Jane Levy, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Director Fede Alvarez and write Rodo Sayagues (Blu-ray exclusive)
• “Making Life Difficult” – The Intense and Physically Exhausting Creation of the Film
• “Being Mia” – The Physical and Psychological Transformation into “Evil Mia”
• “Directing the Dead” – Director Fede Alvarez re-imagines a cult horror classic
• “Unleashing The Evil Force” – Exploring the origins of the new Book of the Dead (Blu-ray exclusive)
• “Evil Dead the Reboot” – Cast Rehearsals, Bruce Campbell, Deadites and more! (Blu-ray exclusive)

-Andrew Peters

Assessing the property value of 'Resident Evil' Spencer Mansion

Certain homes in the horror genre are iconic, for example, the residence from The Amityville Horror, the cabin from The Evil Dead and the Spencer Mansion from the game, Resident Evil.

The Amityville home is real, the Evil Dead cabin can easily be built, but what about the zombie-infested mansion in the popular video game? Have you ever wondered what it would look like for real and what it would cost? Have no FEAR because uber-fanboy and novelty real estate blogger Randy Nelson broke it all down for us.

This may have been a fun task but, damn, he took this very seriously! Taking into account all the rooms (not including mutants and zombies) and the most important factor in real estate ... location, location, location. Nelson broke down the mansion located in the fictitious Arklay Mountains outside of Raccoon City. He also made the argument that this location was most likely in Missouri vs. Pennsylvania because it has the most features in common with Springfield, MO.

With this location identified as Springfield, MO, the Arklays would be the Ozarks. This is how Nelson got the price for the square footage. Before we give you the price, what does the house include and how big is it?

The Spencer Mansion is "known to have 28 rooms" says Nelson, "including its expansive dining room, a gallery, a room of armor, and a library, all full of traps and puzzles."

He adds, "Oddly enough, the mansion only has one bathroom, and it’s occupied … by a zombie."

By taking speculated measurements, he estimated that the square footage of the main structure (not including the underground passageways, lab or guard house) totals 10,125 square feet.

Nelson continues to get really detailed: “I found four mansions in the 10,000 square foot range in the area, ranging from $1.5 to $2.5 million. After calculating their individual price per square feet, I ended up with an average price per square foot of $173.”

With this price estimated, the total cost of the Spencer Mansion would be a mere $1,751,625. That, of course, doesn’t include move-in costs.

Not too bad -- unless you get lots of unwanted and undead visitors!

Check out other fun breakdowns over at the Novelty Real Estate section of Movoto.com.

-Larissa Mrykalo

Artist gets Seussian with 'Evil Dead,' Lovecraft and more

What do you get when you take the covers of beloved Dr. Seuss books and combine them with literary and film horror classics? The answer is, some creatively cool art by Australian artist DrFaustusAU.

A few of the covers actually evolved into Seussian re-tellings (for beginning readers) of H.P. Lovecraft favorites. Namely, Dagon, The Tomb and The Call of Cthulhu. We’re not sure if Lovecraft would approve of these versions, but we sure do.

In the spirit of the Evil Dead reboot, check out "The Evil Dead are in My Shed." Ash as a Seuss character is truly inspiring.

I chained and locked the cellar door--
There's something strange beneath the floor.

And who wouldn’t love to venture to the horrifying abandoned mine town of Silent Hill in “Some Time to Kill in Silent Hill?”

What is this place?
I cannot tell.

Is it just fog,
or is it hell?

Check these and more out at Dr. Faustus' work at his site.

One fan's 'Evil Dead' reactions

BY LARISSA MRYKALO


For the past six months, I've been anticipating the new Evil Dead, the remake of the Sam Raimi, 1981 horror flick. Since October the trailers and mini teasers have possessed the Internet and fueled the fire for the project, written and directed by Fede Alvarez (and shepherded by Raimi and Bruce Campbell).

Having seen the original several times, I was also wondering if it would satisfy die hard fans (like me) while also being unique in its own way. Like a lot of people, I am skeptical of remakes. To quote the great Roger Ebert who we just lost, and wasn't a big fan of remakes, "Every great film should seem new every time you see it." That’s a big expectation.

The premise is the same as the original (cabin in the woods, two siblings and three friends) but the names have been changed and there is much more back story, including a shocking first few minutes. I love how the first scenes sets the tone of the film. Like, "Oh shit, what did I get myself into?"

'Evil Dead' remake possesses top box office spot

Courtesy Ghost House Pictures

We love it when a paranormal film takes the top spot at the weekend’s box office, especially when it’s one we’ve been covering for so long. Fede Alvarez’s reboot of Evil Dead raked in an impressive $26 million domestically across 3,025 theaters this weekend and $30.5 million worldwide. It just edged out G.I. Joe Retaliation which took in $21.1 million.

For a film with such a limited audience, this is impressive. Horror films aren’t for everyone, especially ones that contain such massive amounts of gore.

The film cost only $17 million to produce so it’s already turned a nice profit. We have a feeling that it’ll do well next weekend as well since social media buzz has indicated that many are waiting until the hype dies down a bit before seeing the Bruce Campbell-produced film.

Were you brave enough to see Evil Dead this weekend? We’d love to know your thoughts.

-Larissa Mrykalo

Cringeworthy 'Evil Dead' clip gives you a last taste before premiere

Many thanks to our friends at Dread Central for posting this new clip for Ghost House Picture’s horror reboot Evil Dead. We all know the story by now and from now on, we will probably think twice about heading to that cozy little cabin in the woods with our buddies.

The Fede Alvarez-directed flick has a strong R-rating for intense gore and violence and opens April 5. Be warned, this scene is intense. Intrigued? Well, we warned you.

'Evil Dead' news from SXSW

Promoted as "The Most Terrifying Movie You Will Ever Experience," the April  5 Evil Dead reboot has been building steam since the July 2011 announcement from original director Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures. The red band trailer kicked up a little more excitement, and the hope is that those who haven't even seen the original will show up for the gore-fest, while also appealing to horror fans of the original.

And while he is a producer on the film, which makes him an invested cheerleader, Ash Williams himself Bruce Campbell has promised, "The remake's gonna kick some ass — you have my word."

Dread Central recently snagged an exclusive interview with the dynamic young cast of the Evil Dead remake -- embedded after the jump -- including Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas and Elizabeth Blackmore, who stopped to chat at the 2013 SxSW Film Festival. All fans of the original films, the stars dished on their respective characters as well as their experiences on set, which ranged from comical to strenuous and intense, not unlike the movie itself.

The accompanying article sums up the film, which was co-written by director Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues. Sticking close to the plot of its predecessor, the movie features a group of friends who unwittingly summon demonic forces after they find an ancient (and seriously ominous-looking) book during a remote cabin retreat. And as the reviews start trickling in, things are looking pretty positive for the flick.

-Virginia Fasulo

SXSW yields FANtastic news

Breslin in 'Haunter,' courtesy EW

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas, offers a nifty hodgepodge of music, indie movies and tech. It's kind of like a Texas comic-con for the cooler kids, and this year, which has run from March 8-17, has been pretty swell for nerds like us.

As promised, much has been discovered, namely, news announced that the remake of the Evil Dead is just the beginning. The film opens April 5, but a lucky few got to enjoy the film at its world premiere this past weekend. Ash himself, producer Bruce Campbell, was present and although he is not in the remake, he expressed pride for its 35-year-old director, Fede Alverez by saying, "We’re like proud uncles of this young man."

Alverez then announced that he and his co-writer, Rodo Sayagues, are already working on penning Evil Dead 2 and potentially completing the trilogy. This is pretty exciting news ... although they do know that part two of Sam Raimi's series is just a remake, right? So would that be a remake of a remake?

Anyhow, judging by the audience’s reactions of cheering and gagging, April 5 can’t come soon enough for horror fans.

Another bit of recent news is that IFC Midnight has purchased the film Haunter starring Little Miss Sunshine star Abigail Breslin. The horror flick that premiered at SXSW is described by Entertainment Weekly as a "reverse ghost story" in which Breslin stars as a girl who, along with her entire family, was murdered in 1985. She works to "fight the evil spirit of a serial killer." We don’t have a release date yet but we’ll keep you posted.

-Larissa Mrykalo

Watch the movie that became 'Evil Dead'

Remake poster, courtesy Deadites.net

Most people may not know this, but before it was Evil Dead, Sam Raimi and his usual cast of friends made a short film called Within the Woods back in 1978. This short has never been included on any release of either Evil Dead or Evil Dead 2 (or Army of Darkness for that matter, which premiered 20 years ago today), which is a shame.

I’ve always wondered why, but I’m sure there is a slew of legal reasons that are beyond me. The short was only available through bootlegs and tape traders, but now you can enjoy the entire short film right from your computer (via Dread Central). Although the quality is nothing great, I encourage you watch this piece of history while you can. It was originally shot to sell investors to fund the full length feature that would become Evil Dead.

Running as just under half an hour, this is truly a treat for anyone who loves Sam, Bruce and the Evil Dead trilogy. Interesting enough, you can see elements that were omitted in the first Evil Dead and later used in Evil Dead 2. So stop reading and watch (after the jump).

And don't forget, the Evil Dead remake (which initially received an NC-17 rating) is opening April 5.

'Evil Dead' red band trailer hits

The new red band trailer for the Evil Dead remake is here and it gives a bloody fantastic, ahem, taste of what we can expect from the theatrical release on April 12. Jane Levy looks both terrified and terrifying, and the shots here offer something that's fresh but also doing a damn good job of staying true to the original.

We dare you to check it out. Make sure you’re not eating while you watch this...

'Evil Dead' trailer debuts in bloody red-band goodness

It debuted to a select few at New York Comic-Con, but now all of us finally get a decent glimpse of the horrifically-gory new red-band trailer for the Evil Dead remake. The remake stars Suburgatory's Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Elizabeth Blackmore, Jessica Lucas, Lou Taylor Pucci and it's produced by the grooviest dude in the entire universe - Bruce Campbell.

The official synopsis: "Five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin. When they discover a Book of the Dead, they unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival."

And, as we mentioned before, this is true-blue (true-red?) horror with some splendid gore on display, along with naughty language - so we know you'll be watching it.

Check it out and let us know what you think! Will you be seeing the movie next April 12?

-Larissa Mrykalo

'Evil Dead' news from New York Comic-Con

Courtesy EW from 'Evil Dead' trailer

In 1981, a low-budget horror film directed by an unknown 22-year-old named Sam Raimi shocked theater goers with its graphic violence and gore. The Evil Dead has since become a cult-classic and has prompted a remake that will involve the eternally-groovy Bruce Campbell as a producer - but his iconic "Ash" is apparently nowhere to be found.

A panel at last weekend's New York Comic Con featured the remake's star, Jane Levy (Suburgatory), director Fede Alvarez and Campbell. And an extended trailer left viewers in shock and awe, and gave a glimpse into just how much and how little of the original film will be a part of the new release. Also, the film will be a straight horror, without the comedic elements the franchise came to be known for.

According to Entertainment Weekly:

"The beats of the film are familiar: A group of young people go into a remote cabin. But the trailer quickly descends into extremely visceral violence. Some of it looks familiar, including the saw-assisted removal of a demonic hand and a frisky tree. Some of it is all new: The trailer ended with one of the female characters cutting into her own mouth with what appeared to be a box cutter. Aesthetic-wise, it looks like they're going for something in the neighborhood of 'an orgy of bloodshed.'"

Over at Ain't It Cool, they report that Campbell said he and Raimi would still be up for an Evil Dead 4 one day, but that it's time to pass the torch for now. He added that it makes more sense, in his opinion, for a female to be the protagonist, and that he worked hard to make certain fans aren't screwed over by the film.

Will The Evil Dead appeal to fans and purists? Will you miss comedic deadites? It's scheduled to be released on April 12, 2013, so you have a little time to think it over.

-Larissa Mrykalo

Horror Pop Culture Sept. 21

BY ANDREW PETERS
Editor's Note: Horror Pop Culture is a weekly round-up of horror genre news, reviews and rumors

Return to Class of Nuke ‘Em High first look

I haven’t heard much about this one. Come to think of it, I don’t know if I’ve heard anything about it besides that it was going to happen eventually. Well, it looks like it did happen and fans of Troma should be more than pleased!

'Evil Dead' animated tribute: Amazing love letter to Raimi films

This just kicks all kinds of ass.

From the artistry of Daniel Kanemoto and Ex Mortis Films, this animated tribute to Evil Dead takes us on an all-too-brief, brilliant journey through the worlds of the Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell trilogy (The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness).

Kanemoto said he created all the artwork in the sequence, with the final image directly inspired by an incredible Evil Dead poster created by Olly Moss.

"The moment I saw it, I only wanted to see it move – which is how I feel about all great posters. The new wave of artists working with Mondo have made movie posters worth collecting again, and that’s a great thing. I hope to someday join their ranks."

Kanemoto is looking forward to the new Evil Dead remake, currently being filmed by Fede Alvarez with Raimi overseeing. He also says he would not-so-secretly like a chance to pitch his approach for the upcoming film.

Here you go, Mr. Raimi. This is the next wave of talent. Pick it up now.

-Aaron Sagers

Horror Pop Culture: June 8

BY ANDREW PETERS
(Editor's Note: Horror Pop Culture is a weekly round-up of horror genre news, reviews and rumors)

NECA Reveals ‘Hero From the Sky’ Ash Figure!
Horror collectors rejoice! The first series of Evil Dead 2 figures, featuring ‘Farewell to Arms’ Ash and ‘Deadite’ Ash, were huge hits and Series Two - which is to feature the first-ever Henrietta figure - has yet to hit shelves. But NECA has revealed photos of their third exclusive figure for the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con! Straight from the end of the Evil Dead 2, after traveling back in time to the Dark Ages, it’s ‘Hero from the Sky’ Ash! Judging from the photos, Ash comes equipped with his boomstick, chainsaw and a pretty cool display base, as well as that confused looking mug of his. The figure is painted in sepia tones, capturing a unique old-school horror look in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary. Although it’s a shame you’ll only be able to pick this up at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego (and probably eBay afterwards for a jacked-up price), if you’re going, it would definitely be worth picking up… or giving it to someone (hint hint).

‘Walking Dead’ man: Three days before Frank Darabont was fired

As good as Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic book zombie series has been, it was Frank Darabont who brought the show about living with the undead to life.

The mastermind behind The Mist and The Green Mile, The Walking Dead showrunner – who also directed the pilot episode of Dead – adapted the comics into a compelling drama that drew 5.3 million viewers for the premiere on AMC and grew into six million for the finale.

The Walking Dead brought zombies into a high quality class of entertainment, and when asked about why that is, producer and makeup effects master Greg Nicotero (of KNB EFX Group) said simply, “That’s because of Frank.”

Which is why it was so shocking when Darabont was replaced as showrunner on July 26 by AMC. The Hollywood Reporter writes Darabont was fired during a one-day visit by AMC execs to the Dead set. The firing was the latest in some very unpopular moves by the network of Mad Men and Breaking Bad, which has riled fans and Hollywood creators alike. There are currently a lot of rumblings within the Dead army about the future of the show.

But when ParanormalPopCulture.com spoke with Darabont and Nicotero about Season Two of The Walking Dead on July 23 at San Diego Comic-Con International, he didn’t seem to be aware of his fate. In fact, we found two guys enthusiastic about their new season who wanted to offer juicy tidbits and fun anecdotes about the show – including some info on zombie Easter Eggs that call out Jaws (Nicotero’s favorite movie), Evil Dead, Jon Hamm and Christina Hendricks (from Mad Men) and others.

Check out the videos below, along with the Season Two trailer for Dead. And try not to get too depressed that Darabont (appearing in the right side of the frame, sometimes obscured by an Arrowhead water bottle) has exited from this great show.

The Walking Dead, Season Two, premieres Oct. 16 on AMC.

Bruce Campbell talks Comic-Con and 'Evil Dead 4,' remake

Four days after we last interviewed Bruce Campbell on July 8 and he said an Evil Dead sequel was unlikely, the genre actor took to Twitter (GroovyBruce) and tweeted on July 11, "Believe in the remake, dawg! The project is real. In the works."

That was interpreted to mean a sequel was happening.

Not true, says The Chin. 

We spoke to him again on July 21 at San Diego Comic-Con International, where he cleared things up. In short, a remake is happening, not a sequel, and "chances are reasonably good" he'll star in it. Make note, this doesn't necessarily mean he'll be appearing as Ash or any character Ash-like. 

Watch the video below for more on this developing story. 

Bruce Campbell's B-list: 'Burn Notice,' 'Bubba,' books & back to 'Evil Dead'

BY AARON SAGERS

Campbell in 'Burn Notice,' Courtesy USA

He is Ash, the wisecracking hero with a chainsaw hand from the Evil Dead movies. He is Autolycus, the comical “King of Thieves” from the Hercules: The Legendary Journies and Xena: Warrior Princess television series. He is an aging mummy-battling Elvis Presley in the horror-comedy Bubba Ho-Tep. And among nearly 100 other characters, self-proclaimed B-movie actor Bruce Campbell is now retired Navy SEAL Sam Axe from USA Network’s hit spy show, Burn Notice.

Instead of gaining fame as a pretty marquee face in blockbuster movies, Campbell’s notoriety is the result of years spent in the blue collar world of acting. Originally from the suburbs of Detroit, he is a work-for-hire performer who just happened to appear in enough movies and TV shows he got to be well known. It didn’t hurt that his roles in the aforementioned cult favorites (not to mention his turns in Maniac Cop, Escape from L.A., The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.) made Campbell a pop culture stalwart. Campbell has even traded in on his working-class cult actor status in those Old Spice commercials, a meta movie My Name is Bruce – where he played himself – and two books, If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor and Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way.

But it is getting more difficult for the 53-year-old to claim “B” status.

Since the show’s premiere in 2007, Campbell has appeared in Burn Notice on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. as Sam, a beer-drinking, ladies man who uses his espionage knowledge as a do-gooder private investigator in Miami alongside disavowed spy Michael Westen (played by series star Jeffrey Donovan) and former IRA operative Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar). A fan favorite, Campbell’s character received the stand alone treatment in the TV movie, Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe and the fifth season premiere of Burn Notice net 5.2 million viewers. His current success also involves appearing as the voice of “Torque” Redline in Cars 2, in theaters now and an upcoming appearance at the Comic-Con International in San Diego.

While taking a break from filming the sixth season of Burn Notice in Miami, Campbell discussed his work on Burn Notice, as well as involvement with Evil Dead and Bubba Ho-Tep sequels, and more books.