Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak

About the book

Getting the Girl is the third book in the Wolfe Brothers series by Markus Zusak. It was reprinted by Definitions on 4^th April and the book is 240 pages long.  

Plot Synopsis

Cameron and Ruben Wolfe have always been loyal brothers. Ruben always gets the girls though, not that he’s ever loved any of them. He uses them and throws them away when he’s ready for someone else. Cameron has never really cared for any of Ruben’s girlfriends, until he falls for one of them himself. Octavia isn’t like the others. She could be the kind of girl to really understand Cameron but would she really be the kind of girl to go for someone like him?

What I thought

Somehow, I read this book before the others in the series which should probably have made it confusing. However, even without having read the previous two books I feel as though this one stands quite well on its own.

The beginning of the book sees Cameron (Cam), Ruben and Octavia together with Cameron narrating. Cam has such a strong voice and one which is really enjoyable to read. Out of him and his brother, Cam is the one to be seen as the weaker of the two. He definitely doesn’t have the success with the girls that Ruben does. It was easy to feel sorry for him as a character, even without having read the other two books, as he is so down on himself. From the very first page, I was routing for Cam and wanted him to get his happy ending.

What I loved about Cam though is that he knows who he is, even if that isn’t accepted very much. He knows that he has to work hard and fight for what he wants, as he states in the opening pages. Cam is also open and honest about who he is and what he wants. While that is sometimes a better life or acceptance, it is also about girls and being a regular teenager. At times, Cam seems older than this though due to the beautiful way in which he narrates. He’s wise beyond his years, he has a way of saying what he wants and what he is feeling in such a wonderful and mature way and I think this helps to really set him aside from his brother.

As I hadn’t read the previous books, I was yet to learn of the relationship between Cam and Ruben and how different they were. Ruben is the complete opposite of Cam. He’s a bit arrogant, a womaniser and not nearly as thoughtful and emotional as Cam. I hated to see him put Cam down on such a regular basis. Ruben really does think that he’s better than others and especially better than his brother, which is largely due to his success with the girls. It was a shame to see that girls were the biggest thing in Ruben’s life and most of what he cared about.  

The plot mainly follows Cam and his quest to get the girl, as the title would suggest. Seeing Cam fight for something he wanted, no matter the consequences was very heart-warming. It became clear that he had never really had anything he wanted so much before, nor ever been the first choice. However, the book also follows the whole Wolfe family and shows how their reactions/ decisions affect Cam’s life and the way he thinks of things himself. I really enjoyed getting to see him in a bigger, more social environment as he definitely wasn’t the most outgoing of characters. Being around his family gives Cam the chance to show how different they make him feel and also how much better everyone else thinks they are in comparison.

Overall, even though the last in the series and with me reading in the wrong order, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters and lives that Zusak has created are extremely real and the story wonderful to read. 

Film Review: The Place Beyond the Pines

About the film

The Place Beyond the Pines is a crime/ drama film that was released at the cinema on 12^th April. The film has a run time of 140 minutes and is rated 15.

Plot

A locally famous motorbike stuntman, Luke, works for a travelling fair. After one of his shows, an ex-lover, Romina pays Luke a visit and he finds out that he is the father of her young son. Wanting to be a part of his son’s life, as his own father was never around, Luke quits his job. However, Romina lives with her current boyfriend and doesn’t want Luke around. Determined to provide for his son, Luke turns to a new friend who advises him on the art of robbing banks – a quick, easy way of making enough money for everything he needs.

The story is split half way to follow low ranking cop, Avery Cross. After an unexpected day at work, he gains hero status but doesn’t seem to be able to live well with what he has done. Avery struggles with his new found status as well as really realising what being on the police force can mean. This part of the film follows a plot about corruption and bribery within the police force.

Split again, the film then follows the sons of both Avery and Luke and how they come to know one other. Each separate part of the film intertwines and merges the three parts together, showing how one life can alter and affect another.

What I thought

Up until now, a film with Ryan Gosling in has never disappointed me. However, that isn’t only due to his insane hoteness, it is also because he is a fantastic actor. As soon as I saw the trailer for The Place Between the Pines, I had to go and see it. In this film, Gosling stars as Luke, a motorcycle stunt man who travels around with a fair. He’s pretty carefree and known for being a bit of a bad boy. Along with his bleached blonde hair, inside out t-shirts and sleeves of tattoos, Gosling definitely looks the part. He also has a certain presence about him which makes you want to know more about his life and who he is.

Soon into the film, Luke finds out that he has a young son, something he had no idea about. As he is meant to leave in a few days with the fair, he has a decision to make. Deciding to stick around and be a father, Luke worries about money and how he will support his new family because he doesn’t want to be a low-life and failure like his own father. I loved the plot line surrounding Luke and his own dad as it helped to strengthen his own reasons for doing the best he could for his own son. Gosling gives Luke’s character a deep background and make it possible to look past his appearance and attitude at the beginning of the film.

Playing the boy’s mother is Eva Mendes who does well opposite Gosling. Her character doesn’t have the best of lives although she is sharing the home of her boyfriend. She doesn’t tell Luke about his son herself and instead, he finds out from going to visit her at home. Mendes plays a hard character but a caring one at the same time. She wants the best for her son and doesn’t want his life disrupting but she still wants Luke to be a part of his life somehow, even if that isn’t going to be easy to pull off. I really enjoyed Mendes’ gritty performance and thought the role was different from what I am used to seeing her in.

So, in order to provide for his son, Luke decides to rob banks after some encouragement from a new found friend. He believes it to be easy and quick money and something that will solve all of his problems. However, this causes him to run into Avery, played by Bradley Cooper, a cop with a young son of his own. The film takes a bit of a twist here, swapping main characters and following a different family dynamic. Cooper has recently grown on me after watching Silver Linings Playbook. However, I don’t think he was nearly as good as Gosling in this film. At times, he comes over as a bit weedy and without a backbone. He seems to just go with the flow, regardless of the fact that he has a law degree and is a cop. He also wasn’t a very likeable character but I think this was to show that people with money aren’t always the nicest or the most conscientious.

The second half of the film follows Avery's life choices and how this affects his own son and relationship with his family. The contrast between the two families and their backgrounds was fascinating and not what I was expecting from this film. While there are really two different halves to this film, they are intertwined at the same time and things are affected because of each of the characters. It is quite hard to explain the set-up of the film without giving away massive plot spoilers. Trust me when I say it sounds a bit strange but it works extremely well.

The Place Beyond the Pines was a lot more gritty and raw than I was expecting for some reason. I’m not sure why I thought this though as Gosling’s films are usually quite different and a bit dark. I think the style is helped by the camera work at times. While Gosling is riding his motorbike, the camera becomes shaky and uneven, which makes the screen seem like you could be riding the bike with him. The camera technique made the film look more real for me. It made certain scenes more exciting, even when they were quite disjointed and choppy.

The setting isn’t anything amazing, as the film is set within two areas of one city. However, these two areas are completely different from one another, which again shows the comparison between those with money and those without. This film blends the boundaries of what is considered normal for each category though, giving us characters who are far from stereotypical and those who act unlike how you would expect them to. Although mostly set within a city, there are some stunning scenes which use the motorbike to the fullest. Imagine a man on a bike in the middle of the woods, weaving in and out of the trees. The colours and images were so beautiful during this part of the film.

While I was expecting to like this film, mainly because of Gosling, I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. It has a fantastic story, great cast and characters and it was utterly fascinating. This is easily one of my favourites this year so far.

Crash by Nicole Williams

About the book

Crash is the first book in the new adult series of the same name by Nicole Williams. It was published by Simon & Schuster on 6^th June and the book is 384 pages long.

Plot Synopsis

After leaving her private school, Southpointe High is the last place Lucy Larson expected to be… or even wanted to be. Well, that was until she meets Jude Ryder, a guy known by everyone but not necessarily for the right reasons. Lucy has planned her whole life around ballet and Jude’s long list of indiscretions doesn’t work very well with that. With a pretty normal and disciplined upbringing, Lucy has no idea what she’s getting into with Jude. She’s about to learn what it means to want something so badly even if she knows she shouldn’t.  

What I thought

I had heard so many good things about this series on Twitter so I was so happy when I finally got the chance to read it.

Lucy and her dysfunctional family have just moved back to where they used to spend the summers and while it isn’t that far away from home, it is still a big adjustment. Her mum is a work-a-holic, her dad a recluse and her being determined to become a dancer. I really loved Lucy from the get go. In the very first pages, she goes to some great lengths to get the attention of a guy and isn’t afraid to go for what she wants. She’s also the good girl of the story but with a bit of an edge. She’s very outspoken when it comes to saying what she thinks or feels and she doesn’t let anyone walk all over her.

When Lucy meets Jude, her heart instantly beats incredibly fast… and why the hell wouldn’t it?! Jude is the perfect bad boy and someone I couldn’t help but love completely. He has a very sketchy past (and present) and everyone in town knows his name, calls his name, curses his name. The boy has a reputation. He doesn’t do girlfriends, dates or romance… until Lucy. Honestly, there have been a few fantastic bad boys in young adult/ new adult books but Jude has quickly become one of my favourites. Jude has a really bad past and he knows his life is terrible. He never tries to deny that and in fact, he tries to warn Lucy to stay away from him because of who he is and how his life is. It was extremely sad to hear Jude put himself down so much but I liked beginning to see changes in him as he spent more time with Lucy.

Both characters on their own were amazing. They had so much going for them and so much that was interesting. However, together they were so much more. Jude and Lucy have a rollercoaster of a relationship due to the problems in their lives. With Lucy, Jude becomes so caring and compassionate and really looks out for her. Lucy tries to keep Jude in line and to keep him out of trouble. Each character totally has the other’s back and really wants the best for them, even when that might not necessarily be each other. Lucy and Jude’s relationship was a really special one for me and I really enjoyed watching it progress and change as the book went on.

While the plot of Crash does revolve mostly around the relationship of Lucy and Jude, there is also a lot more to it than that. This is a book about families and how people get over their problems. It is about accepting who you are and embracing that, good and bad parts included. It is about first loves and doing everything for that one special person in your life. Crash is also about the complexity of relationships and the things that can end up going wrong. Due to both Lucy and Jude’s personalities, they do clash numerous times on many different things. The fights and disagreements were what made this book so exciting. I never knew what was coming next in the story and Nicole Williams had me reading as fast as I could to find out how things would end up between Lucy and Jude.

While the arguments and disagreements made the book exciting, it also made me slightly annoyed with some of the characters. Both Lucy and Jude were both extremely quick to judge the other without hearing the reasons behind certain actions. For two people who are supposed to love each other, there was an extreme lack of trust from both sides. From Jude, I could maybe understand his actions a little more. He hadn’t ever been in a relationship and probably didn’t really know how to react to being in one. Lucy on the other hand, should have known better than to listen to rumours and other people’s opinions.

Overall though, Crash has been one of my favourite new adult books so far. Luckily, I had the sequel ready and waiting to be read and I picked it up immediately after finishing this one. 

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

About the book

Getting Over Garrett Delaney is a stand-alone young adult novel by Abby McDonald. It was published by Walker on 2^nd May and the book is 320 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Plot Synopsis

Since the day they met two years ago, Sadie has been hopelessly in love with her best friend Garrett Delaney. However, Garrett doesn’t look at Sadie in that way and has had other girlfriends over time. When he goes away to a writing camp for the summer, Sadie hopes that Garrett will finally see what he has been missing all of this time. When he rings to tell Sadie he’s in love, she cannot believe what she’s hearing – until he tells her it’s with someone else. Finally realising he’s never going to return her feelings, Sadie decides it is time to get over Garrett once and for all.

What I thought

Before reading this one, I absolutely loved the idea for it. As a teenager, there were plenty of times I really liked a guy I was good friends with but he didn’t the feel the same way. Before even reading a page, I could understand what protagonist Sadie was going through. She pours her heart out in the beginning of the book, explaining how completely in love with Garrett she is and how they have never been anything more than best friends. They share so many of the same interests, have deep discussions about literature and writing and she cannot imagine her life without him. When Garrett gets into a writing camp for the summer that they both applied to, she’s devastated. How is Sadie supposed to cope for 6 weeks without her best friend?

Sadie was a fantastic character. She’s full of teen angst, unrequited love and she has an awesomely witty and honest personality. Unlike some female characters in young adult books who I wanted to smack because they’re so whiney about a guy, I didn’t feel this way at all about Sadie. Instead of being incredibly annoyed with Sadie, I was cheering her on the whole way through. I wanted her to get over the guy who didn’t pay her the right kind of attention. I wanted her to get a life of her own without having to rely on him and I wanted her to get out and have fun. The thing about Sadie that I loved so much was the fact that she realised her faults and wanted to do something positive about them. Like all teens, she isn’t perfect and she knows it. She knows she makes mistakes and says the wrong thing quite a lot but these things were what I liked about her.

While I didn’t like Garrett as a character, or a guy in general, I could totally see Sadie’s attraction to him. He talks like he knows what is best about everything, he introduces Sadie to a whole range of new and exciting things, he loves poetry and she feels comfortable with him. However, he was also a humongous arse. Sadie thinks he’s the coolest guy around though (and so do loads of other girls) and she loves that he’s different to most of the other guys at school. Garrett was so up himself it was unbelievable and I couldn’t wait for the moment when Sadie realised this and that he wasn’t exactly the best match for her.

With Garrett going away for 6 weeks to a writing camp, Sadie is left to her own devices. She gets herself a job in the local coffee shop and after a call from Garrett telling her she’s in love with someone else, she knows that it is time to get over him once and for all. Help comes in the form of the fabulous range of secondary characters. Without Garrett, Sadie is free to make friends of her own, to discover what she really enjoys doing and to actually have a life. New friends come in the form of co-workers at the coffee shop and older friend Kayla who she had lost touch with. Between Kayla, Aiko, LuAnn, Dominique and Josh, there is a fantastic range of personalities and a great group of people. They all rally round to help Sadie get over Garrett and to help her realise who she really is.

The plot is extremely fun, although pretty predictable. Sadie’s whole life changes over the course of this book and it sees her doing things she never would have before. I really loved Sadie making new friends and getting to know one another. Although a great mix of personalities, each of the characters brings out something different and exciting in Sadie, due to their own interests. This creates some really fun scenes with Sadie trying new things, going shopping and changing her look, going to a hockey game etc. There is loads going on for Sadie and her new life while Garrett is away.

Overall, Getting Over Garrett Delaney is a wonderful contemporary read and I loved it completely. 

Book to Film Review: The Host

About the film

The Host is a science fiction/ romance film that was released at the cinema on 29^th March. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Meyer. The Host has a rating of 12A and a run time of 125 minutes.

Plot

Set in the future, an alien species called ‘Souls’ are taking over the human race. Once entered inside a human body, their memories are erased completely and they become part of a society who trusts each other and does not believe in murder. However, some humans still survive and Melanie Stryder is on the run with her boyfriend and younger brother. When Melanie is taken by a Seeker, and overtaken by a ‘Soul’, she fights to keep her place in her own body. As a new member of her society, the ‘Soul’ inhabiting Melanie’s body (called Wanderer) is supposed to give information about Melanie’s human friends. As there are two voices inside her head, Wanderer fights to decide on what is right. While she knows she has a job to do, Melanie fights hard to save the ones she loves.

What I thought

Stephanie Meyer is so well known for having written the Twilight Saga and for those having become very popular films. The Host is Meyer’s book for adults although not one I have read myself even though I bought it the day of release.

The Host is set in the future where the world is no longer our own. Human bodies are overtaken by parasitic aliens against their will. Not all humans have been overtaken though and some run for their lives, determined to keep control of their own bodies and minds. I absolutely loved the idea behind this film. Very early on, we are introduced to the alien species of ‘Souls’ in human form. Although a species believing in calm and trust, they go to great lengths to find any remaining humans and do anything possible to capture the bodies. The thing that distinguishes the ‘Souls’ from humans is their metallic silver looking eyes, which was both beautiful and creepy at the same time.

Playing protagonist Melanie/ Wanderer is Saoirse Ronan, an unknown actress to me. I thoroughly enjoyed Ronan’s performance throughout this film and I thought she did a wonderful job considering it being quite a tricky role to play. Throughout the film, Wanderer has to deal with Melanie’s voice in her head, which obviously wouldn’t have really been there. Never did it look like Ronan was thinking too much about who or what she was replying to and it all looked as natural as it should have. Ronan also plays both characters with conviction and she was very believable as each. What I really enjoyed about her performance was that she was able to make both characters very different.

As the plot follows Wanderer carrying out Melanie’s wishes of finding her boyfriend and little brother, the setting changes from the city and the ‘Souls’ headquarters to remote desert land. The difference in settings was really interesting as they contrasted so much. Within the city, everything is very regimented and formal whereas in the outback, it is so beautiful and remote, without the stress of anything else going on. When Wanderer does find who she is looking for, they do not treat her like she is Melanie but instead as a prisoner where again, the stunning setting is used. Wanderer is kept underground, hidden away in a place where people are self-sufficient. I enjoyed how this setting also went with the ‘Souls’ ideas of peace and tranquillity, even when the humans didn’t agree.

The plot isn’t really all that exciting apart from a couple of moments so secondary characters are what help to make this film good. Other ‘Souls’ such as the Seeker played by Diane Kruger give the plot a good chase, with her trying to track down Wanderer and more humans. The Seeker was an interesting character because you can tell something is not quite right with her. She isn’t the same as the other ‘Souls’ and has a lot more fire inside of her. While others say to let Wanderer be, she cannot let it go and goes to great lengths to find her again.

Then there are the love interests. Melanie has a boyfriend called Jared but Wanderer becomes attracted to another boy, Ian. While I think love triangles are somewhat overdone now, I loved this one although I’m not sure it is technically a triangle. Melanie gets mad at Wanderer for liking someone else other than her own boyfriend but Wanderer wants to treat the body as her own while respecting Melanie’s wishes at the same time. Explaining it is a little confusing but not when you are watching the film. The romance aspect of this film was completely new, unique and different and definitely better than other romance stories out there at the minute.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Host as it was different from everything else out there at the minute. It also made me want to pick up the copy of the book that I have had sitting on the shelf for years. 

The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton

About the book

The Blood Keeper is the second book in The Blood Journals series by Tessa Gratton. The book was published by Corgi Children’s on 4^th April and the book is 432 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Plot Synopsis

On a secluded farm in Kansas lives Mab Prowd, a witch who practises blood magic. It is everything she knows and everything she is. She spends her days perfecting healing spells and understanding the world but when one big spell goes extremely wrong, Mab doesn’t know what to do.

Will Sanger collides with Mab’s spell gone wrong and immediately he is immersed into her life, whether he likes it or not. He’s the kind of guy who has always relied on things that can be explained, logic and rules but Mab’s presence and what she does draws him in, even when he tries to ignore it. The curse running through his body grows stronger day by day, slowly talking over Will’s body. Mab knows she has to destroy the curse, and what is behind it, but is her magic strong enough to save everything she loves?

What I thought

The first book in this series was released just over a year ago, so going into this one meant barely being able to remember what had happened. The main thing I did remember though was that I loved it completely.

The Blood Keeper does not follow on exactly from that of Blood Magic, the first book. Instead of following previous characters, we get to see what life is like for Mab, The Deacon (sort of like the head) of the Blood Magic community. For those who have not read the first book, and do not know what blood magic is, Gratton goes over this in brief detail. As the magic is such a big part of Mab’s life, she explains every now and again what it is and what it means. Blood Magic is using blood as part of spells, giving a sacrifice and feeling pain in order to achieve results. Now, while this sounds a bit gross, it is not written that way at all. The way that the magic works sounds beautiful and meaningful in the descriptions of its use.

As I can’t really remember the protagonists too well from the first book, I didn’t mind this one being about someone else. For those who have read Blood Magic though, Silla and Nick do turn up again in this one which was a nice touch. Mab was a fantastic protagonist though and this book is partly told through her narrative. The way in which she describes what she does is both moving and stunning. Blood magic is Mab’s whole life and she has never known anything else. She lives to help others around her and make her world a better place. Mab has a heart of gold and it was obvious the whole way through this book that she was trying to do the right thing. She was also such a strong character, having complete command of her own life and she was confident in every decision she made.

Telling another part of the story is Will, the boy who lives in town and soon becomes a big part of Mab’s life. In her attempt to create a body, raising a curse from the ground, something goes incredibly wrong and the mud monster collides with Will. This event sets the scene for the plot of this book and also the relationship that grows between the characters. Will on his own was very different from Mab, coming from a completely different kind of life. His family are in the forces, or have been, and the strict, regimented life is all he has ever known. Never did he think that magic would or could be real. I loved the contrast between the protagonists but they also managed to complement each other well.

Mab and Will’s meeting happens quite early on in the book, making sure there is lots of time for exciting things to happen. Due to his collision with Mab’s mud monster, something strange begins to happen to Will. His body begins to change, he gets sick a lot and he has no idea what is going on. Only Mab knows and she is the only one who can fix him. The whole plot concerning the mud monster, the curse within him and blood magic was wonderfully woven together. Each thing was exciting on its own but together, it provided dramatic scenes between Mab and Will, mystery and the unravelling of past secrets.

What I liked most about the plot was that it wasn’t completely about romance. While there are moments between Mab and Will, their friendship/ relationship does not overpower the importance of the rest of the plot. The blood magic and the curse take precedence which was a great thing to see. Mab and Will having anything more between them was just an added bonus for me. I could have easily done without any romance but it was also a nice touch at the same time. I loved watching Mab and Will getting to know one another, to understand about a completely different way of life and opening up to things outside of their comfort zones.

The Blood Keeper was just as good as Blood Magic and I hope Tessa Gratton brings us more from this exciting and different world. 

Film Review: Evil Dead (2013)

About the film

Evil Dead is a 2013 horror film and the fourth film in the Evil Dead franchise. This film is a both a remake and also a continuation of the series. Evil Dead has a run time of 91 minutes and is rated 18.

Plot

A group of five friends set out to spend some time in a cabin deep within the woods. One of the girls, Mia, is a drug addict and the trip is supposed to help her with her problem and get her clean. There to help out is Mia’s brother David, his girlfriend Natalie and other friends Olivia and Eric. It quickly becomes clear that Mia will go to any lengths to get away from the cabin and back to her bad habit. However, while in the house, the gang come across the Book of the Dead and unknowingly summon a demon which takes over Mia’s body. The demon will stop through each person, one by one, until there is only one left to fight for their life.

What I thought

It has been such a long time since I saw a horror film at the cinema. This one instantly jumped out to me and my flatmate and we were determined to go and scare ourselves before the end of uni. Even the tagline for this film told us it would be ‘the most terrifying film you will ever experience.’ I love it when films say things like this because I always wonder whether or not they’re going to be right.

Evil Dead started off extremely well. Before we meet the main characters, we are shown a lost and hurt girl in the middle of the woods. She’s obviously being followed and is then captured. What I wasn’t expecting was for them to tie her to a pillar of wood and for her own father to set her on fire. It is explained that she is possessed by a demon and must be killed to free the poor girl’s soul. The opening for this film was most definitely shocking and well filmed at the same time. At this point, I thought I was going to be in for a great film and one that I would really enjoy.  

Unfortunately, it all goes downhill from here. Mia, her brother and friends are spending time in the same cabin where the other girl was burned to death in order to sort out her drug addiction. Save for maybe Mia, the whole cast come across as inexperienced and did not make me think they were going to give anywhere near good performances. The cast are all young, mostly very good looking but are given jobs etc which make them appear to be really intelligent. It’s not a good thing for a film though when most of the characters are annoying and unlikeable to begin with.

While in the cabin, Eric, the geeky/ slightly less cool guy comes across the Book of the Dead while trying to find where the gross smell is coming from. As seemingly intelligent people, you would have thought a book covered in some kind of paper and bound with barbed wire would scream out ‘Do not open’. But no, he stupidly (and surprisingly) manages to find some pliers and opens up the crazy book. Obviously, from here, all hell breaks loose and the film really begins.

Mia goes a bit out of control, running away when things get rough and while out in the woods, the demon possesses her. From here, I began to see this as a comedy film rather than a horror. The demon comes in the form of a black, slimy vine and possesses this poor girl through her lady parts. This part of the film was so funny and I couldn’t help but laugh. My flatmate was sat cringing next to me and hiding behind her cardigan. After seeing something like that, how could I possibly take any of the rest of this film seriously? Mia quickly becomes even crazier once back at the cabin in both her mind and her looks.

As I explained in the synopsis, the demon starts with Mia and goes on to each of the other characters. As it possesses their bodies, it finds new and extremely gruesome ways for them to destroy their own body and also for them to die. Although this was not scary… at all, it was particularly disgusting to watch. At one point, a girl hacks away her own face starting from her mouth with a rusty looking knife. While some of this was good in regards to gore etc, some of it was still extremely funny. What was nice to see though was that no CGI was used. It was nice to go back to old school horror film effects.

While the effects were the best part of the film, the dialogue and plot were incredibly bad. Throughout, the dialogue is extremely cheesy and quite cringe worthy at times. The plot, although a remake, was weak and just did not make sense for the whole part. As the demon gets through the characters, more is revealed about how and why it was even possible for it to possess Mia. The background and history of the demon was weak and unmemorable, with new things being thrown in all over the place without much of an explanation. I would have loved for the demon’s background to have been better described, rather than it basically just being there.

Evil Dead was so laughable and one of the funniest films I have seen in ages. That really is no good thing considering the tag line and that it is supposed to be a horror film. Unless you want a good laugh, I cannot recommend this film at all.