EQUINOX vs EVIL DEAD: Comparing Cult Classics

There are some eerie similarities between the films Equinox and The Evil Dead, but it's not until you start to compare the two movies side by side that you really get to see some strikingly parallel imagery that seems dangerously close to one another.

I've always thought that both films felt like companion pieces to each other and after putting together this segment, I'm convinced that Sam Raimi and Company have borrowed some aspects of the earlier production and were in fact inspired by the outlandish nature and weird world of Equinox.

Don't take my word for it, because a picture speaks louder then words. The comparisons are surprisingly complementary, almost suggesting that The Evil Dead was a rough remake of the strange 1970's cult classic. So what do you think? Is The Evil Dead the long lost cousin of Equinox, or is this all just poppycock?

REVIEW: Equinox

Equinox

Director: Jack Woods

Year 1970

Equinox is a fantastically weird and atmospheric little gem that achieves a great deal, considering its meager budget and limited cast. Originally made in 1967, but then updated three years later, the film is something of an enigma. The story is told in flashback form by the sole survivor of an afternoon picnic that was anything but ordinary. The young man describes the horrific and unusual experiences of that day, filled with encounters with demonic and gargantuan creatures, bizarre possessions, ancient castles, and malevolent beings. The film may be low budget and widely accepted as amateurish, but in my opinion, this strange combination results in a highly entertaining film that captures a certain atmosphere that is sorely lacking in modern day productions. Bring on the weird, wild world of Equinox.

What a shitty one room apartment.

What a shitty place for a picnic.

When I say weird, I mean weird. There's tons of crazy, off the wall moments that kind of catch you by surprise and throw your mind for a loop. It's not exactly the filmmaker's masterful approach to the narrative that accomplishes this feat, but more of a collection of random moments that project an unexpected rash of unworldly wonders and unforgettable moments onto the viewer.

Take this for consideration. In the film, an acquaintance of the group of teenagers, an elderly professor, lives in a cabin in the woods where he studies and protects an ancient book called the Necronomicon. Now this isn't the strangest part of the story, but it's a nice start. When the group of kids arrive at the old man's cabin, they find that it has been crushed by some unseen force. The devastation is remarkable, leaving the group to wonder what could have caused its demise. Well the answer is anything but expected, when later in the film we come face to face with a giant squid. A GIANT SQUID! What the hell is happening?

I wouldn't go in there if I were you. Damn crazy kids.

On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place.

Let me explain a bit. The appearance of the giant squid is the result of old professor pants having unleashed an evil force unto the world by meddling within the texts of the Necronomicon. His innocent tampering basically gives an open invitation to all the creatures of the underworld to come and go as they please, entering and exiting through an invisible barrier that our main characters accidentally stumble upon after finding an invisible castle. Huh?

The film is as random as my ramblings on the subject, but what holds all the wackiness together is the overall feel of the movie. It's unusual and unusually put together, but in my opinion that's the charm of the film. Nothing is as it seems and the real world begins to blend with the world of the great beyond in more ways then one, mixing up the proceedings and giving the audience a feeling of insecurity and doubt on the survival of the main cast of characters. Nothing supports this anticipation of morbid events more then the appearance of the robust roll call of creatures that inhabit this upside down world contained within this barren valley.

Whoa ho ho it's magic..... you know.

King Kong's ugly step-brother.

For me the creature aspect of this film is what really shines. These unnatural abominations seemed ripped straight from Ray Harryhausen's mind, often mimicking some of his most classic works like King Kong and the various iterations of Sinbad's most vile beasts. The stop motion, for such a low budget production, is top notch and gets the job done as it gives off that creepy vibe of something both living a dead, thrust into the real world.

There's a winged demon that is especially creepy, which constantly dive bombs the group and even deals out a bit of death among their ranks. Another show stopper is a lumbering gorilla like beast that dwarfs the rest of the cast in size. I remember watching this film as a kid and being quite disturbed by its appearance and mannerisms. The filmmakers also chose an alternative method to the stop motion creations, with a much simpler depiction of a brooding ogre like menace, portrayed more or less as a guy painted in green, sporting a furry tunic and one hell of a nice blonde uni-brow. The approach for the ogre isn't as impressive as the winged demon, gorilla, and giant squid, but it gels well with the unexpected nature of the film, providing a diverse set of morbid obstacles for our main characters to run up against.

You're about to receive the mother of all bitch slaps.

This little devil will, "Swallow your soul!"

Aside from the creatures and the unexpected quality of the film, what drew me in most to the atmosphere and concepts of Equinox was its extremely eerie similarities to one of my most favorite of horror films, The Evil Dead. It's been said before that Sam Raimi, the director of The Evil Dead series, had not seen Equinox prior to the filming of his movies. It's also known that Tom Sullivan, the man behind the special makeup effects and overall design of the look of the films, including the ominous Book of the Dead, had said that he had brought the similarities up to Raimi and tweaked a few things in order to separate the two films from each other a bit, but for me Equinox just seems a precursor and inspiration for what The Evil Dead films would later become.

Truthfully, I really don't care if Raimi and company lifted their entire Evil Dead ideology from the concepts of Equinox, because their end result is one of the most interesting and atmospherically heavy cinema worlds to come across in some time, but the similarities between the two films is just uncanny. I think I'm actually going to do a piece on the comparisons of the films, provided by images and plot points, because it really is an intriguing idea that they both can share so many elements and exist in the same cinema space, yet have never admittedly crossed paths creatively.   

The power of Christ compels you! THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!

They don't pick up hitchhikers in this neighborhood.

Equinox is an original film filled with so many conceptual curiosities and otherworldly elements, that it's easy to go a little lax on the judgement of the movie's incoherent nature. The creature creations and designs are unbelievably effective, especially when you consider the budget of the production and the inexperienced filmmakers behind it. I've always had a soft spot for this film, having viewed it as a child and then later recalling its fantastically envisioned world as an adult years after. The comparisons to the Evil Dead franchise also intrigued me when revisiting my first acknowledgments of this film, forcing me to appreciate it that much more in bringing about something that could have quite possibly inspired another filmmaker into creating one of his most heralded collection of films.

Equinox may be a bit of an odd ball and an underappreciated, not to mention peculiar, film, but I believe that the strangeness of the movie is its saving grace. I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys occult cinema and the weird subject matter that rises up from those otherworldly and mysterious origins. Keep an open mind and check it out.

4 out of 5 stars        An Underappreciated Cult Classic!

FLICKS OF THE WEEK: August 28th - September 3rd, September 4th-10th

AUGUST 28TH - SEPTEMBER 3RD

I'm a huge fan of John Carpenter, so I was really hoping that his newest creation would knock my socks off or at least take me on a memorable horror ride. I have to say that I was impressed with the film and found myself getting rather creeped out and also frequently jumpy whenever that spooky ass ghost reared its ugly head. The film is centered around a disturbed young woman named Kristen, played by Amber Heard, who finds herself the newest guest at a wacky ward after setting fire to an old farmhouse. Once inside the asylum, she meets a group of fellow female patients that all have their unique quirks and personalities, yet share one singular fear. Something is haunting the halls of the ward and picking them off one by one. Carpenter does a remarkable job in building up the characters and providing a sense of dread, while the cast supports his overall vision of this late 60's insane asylum. The period look comes off authentic and adds a nice bit of atmosphere to this ghost story with a twist. Give me more Johnny boy, we've missed you.

Keeping with the theme of insane girls, Paperhouse follows the exploits of a young girl named Anna who has the peculiar ability to make her drawings a reality. Well a reality at least in her dreams. After succumbing to a strange illness that sends her into frequent fainting spells, Anna begins to have odd dreams that mimic the drawings that she has recently been working on. At first, this seems like a wonderful alternate reality where she can be herself and find peace away from her troubled life and fractured family situation, but unfortunately Anna's dream world begins to transform into something of a nightmare. The dream sequences in which Anna stumbles into are quite surreal, mostly consisting of a single farm house in the middle of a wide open and deserted field. There's a morbid and brooding sense to this world, making the viewer feel as if danger is only a moment away. I loved the child like and nightmarish quality of the film, reflecting many helpless nights as a child as I fought invisible demons and faceless monsters, all from the comfort of my cozy bed. Paperhouse definitely captures that fantasy aspect of being a kid and letting your imagination run wild. It's a special little film.

This cheap and often laughable post apocalyptic story, is actually kind of fun if you just let go and go along with it. The film depicts a world where mankind and civilization as a whole has receded back into the caveman era, leaving behind all of their technological advancements and knowledge to instead partake in the old hunter, gatherer lifestyle. This all resulted from a terrible virus that swept the world over, killing in unprecedented numbers in its wake. Only a small percentage of the population was able to survive. Some found themselves unaffected in this new world, while others were savagely turned into ravenous beasts by the virus. The film has a tremendously cheesy side to it, but what I liked most about the movie was the depiction of a modern metropolis cast into ruin and reclaimed by nature. The effects and look of the film were actually pretty impressive for such a low budget and obviously meager production. Strangely enough, Sean Bean even makes an appearance, providing that extra respectable element that makes you believe that the film isn't as impoverished as we initially have been led to believe. All in all, the film is just downright stupid fun. Nothing spectacular, but nothing at all unwatchable.

Part 2 of the subterranean horror franchise, is just as much bloody fun as the original. With the initial introduction and mystery of the cave dwelling creatures left in the first outing, the fun gets off on a quicker foot, bathing the screen in blood and gore provided by a few new faces and a couple of old ones. The film starts off right at the end of main character Sarah's supposed dream sequence from the first movie. She's rescued and then interrogated by the police on what really happened down in those caves. Having lost memory of her entire time below ground, the police form a search party, with Sarah included, and descend back down into the caves to recover the rest of Sarah's missing party. Even with the absence of director Neil Marshall, The Descent Part 2 is as claustrophobic inducing and violent as its predecessor. There really is no holding back on the gore and carnal nature of the main characters' fight for survival. I would say that the film is a great companion piece and a natural next step in the horror franchise, providing an unsuspecting ending that leaves the series open for another entry.

SEPTEMBER 4TH - 10TH

DEATHSTALKER! Well if it isn't Conan the Barbarian's poor cousin. This 80's fantasy film is just down and dirty fun. The movie follows the adventures of a muscle bound and sword swinging warrior named Deathstalker, as he fulfills a prophecy that depicts his victory against an evil sorcerer named Munkar. Boobs, blades, and blood proceed, as Deathstalker enters a tournament hosted by Munkar himself. The winner gets to inherent Munkar's thrown, the only catch is that this whole tournament has been nothing but one big elaborate trap, concocted to get all of the warriors of the land to kill each other, leaving Munkar to rule unchallenged. Of course Deathstalker screws up Munkar's evil scheme, proving that he really is that bad ass of a swordsmen, but what else would you expect from a film that is so overflowing with testosterone and BOOBS. I had a fun time with this film and I'm currently tackling the second entry in the series. Deathstalker is definitely a film that does things its own way and doesn't apologize to anyone. You go Deathstalker!

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's antics in both film and television have been a favorite of mine for years. From Big Train, to Spaced, to Shaun of the Dead, and to Hot Fuzz, I've enjoyed everything the duo has put out. When I first heard about Paul, I was initially excited, but then heard that they wouldn't be paring with their friend and frequent collaborator Edgar Wright and my expectations lowered slightly. The comedic duo of Pegg and Frost is fantastic, but add in a little bit of Wright flavor and you're bound to create something magical. With the absence of Edgar Wright aside, I still felt the film was highly entertaining, but not as funny as I first suspected and hoped for. The film actually comes off as more of an adventure with dashes of comedic elements laid throughout the story's narrative, but don't get me wrong, it was a fun ride. Also, the alien of Paul was brilliantly rendered and didn't annoy me like I feared it would seeing that he was being voiced by Seth Rogen. I've got nothing against the guy. Just never understood his appeal. All in all, Paul is a great and wild sc-fi adventure with a splash of comedy.

Sweet mother loving Christ, did I love Ironclad. I had heard nothing but horrible and scathing reviews since its first festival appearance and I just couldn't understand how a film with such a stellar cast and ballsy approach could be viewed with such disdain. Fortunately, I ignored the critics because this film kicks all sorts of ass. The movie as a whole is a siege film, pitting a small band of fighters against a Danish army led by the ruthless King John. The initial set up of the film was exceptional and put me right into the thick of what was going on during this time period. After the current events and political panderings, we're whisked off onto a highly charged adventure that barrels head long into the fray. There is a great deal of pace to this film, never stopping for a breath, as we charge bravely into battle beside a rag tag group of warriors who are as diverse as they are interesting. My favorite of the bunch was Marshal the Templar Knight, played by overall badass James Purefoy. This guy has some of the most consistent and hardened characters of any actor, yet gets zero recognition for his efforts. His portrayal of the morally conflicted Solomon Kane was simply outstanding and what he does with the character of Marshal in Ironclad is as equally engaging and as enthusiastically performed. This film is bloody, ballsy, and fuck all brutal. Ironclad is an excellent, yet sadly ignored masterpiece of sword swinging goodness.

i Spy Eurospy: Estambul 65

Estambul 65
Director: Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi
Year 1965

Estambul 65, AKA That Man in Istanbul, is an extremely enjoyable Eurospy film that showcases all the flavors of the genre that we love. The film follows a clever club owner named Tony Mecenas, played by the kick ass Horst Buchholz, and a gorgeous American secret agent named Kenny, played by the sultry Sylva Koscina, as they hunt down a kidnapped scientist in Istanbul, Turkey. The plot is as wacky and convoluted as they come, but Buchholz's performance as the wise talking and death defying Tony more then makes up for the confusing narrative. Another gem from the Eurospy archives, Estambul 65 is a delight from beginning to end.

Ciao Tony.

Give me that damn grocery list!

On the topic of the character Tony, he carries the film effortlessly. From thwarting the bad guys and dealing out a few miraculous escapes, Tony makes this film an entertaining wonder. It isn't just the action and splendor that makes the grade, but the playful nature of his character that really elevates the film from its ruin of a plot. Tony often breaks the 4th dimension and speaks directly to the audience, often bragging about how damn cool he is.

One of the most memorable scenes that showcases his swagger, happens when Tony falls into a trap at a construction site. He takes on an army of thugs who are all driving their individual cars and hoping to turn poor Tony into roadkill. Tony dodges the oncoming assault with ease forcing the cars to collide with each other in a heap of twisted metal and broken bones. After a narrow escape from one of the last vehicles, Tony turns and smirks to the camera saying, "What? Me worry?" Damn that Tony is a smug bastard, but man if he isn't the coolest.

The gang couldn't get over his Pee Wee Herman bow tie.

So are we going to do it or what?

Aside from Buchholz's solid performance as Tony, the only other memorable character of the film is Sylva Koscina's Kenny. Unfortunately though, she doesn't have much to do in this film. She often disappears for entire segments only to crop up in the background with little to no dialogue, but when she does get a chance to show her stuff, she shines. It's a shame that the filmmakers didn't utilize her talents better, because from her one performance alone in Hot Enough For June, you can see the amount of talent the actress possessed, not to mention her contributions to the film Deadlier Than the Male.

Still her appearance in Estambul 65 is not without its magical moments. Sylva gets to flaunt her athletic ability as she gets in a few scraps and hairy situations. She's a beautiful actress and I only wish they utilized her more instead of pushing the excellent performance of Horst Buchholz to the forefront and leaving her to pick up the scraps.

Hi Tony.

Tony in drag... not so convincing.

Estambul 65 is a very cleverly balanced film, teetering back and forth from its comedic elements to its more action oriented set pieces. The film is actually very impressive in its execution of a number of scenes, one especially being the health spa section of the movie. Tony must infiltrate an all women's spa in order to narrow down the lead on the missing scientist. Kenny escorts a cross dressing Tony to the baths and it's as ridiculous as you'd think it would be. The guy looks nothing like a women and the disguise is just plain ludicrous. After successfully entering the spa, Tony takes a look around for himself only to be ambushed by a gang of undercover male thugs, ensuing a crazy and chaotic series of fights that sets the whole place into an uproar. The action is fast paced and energetic and gives a great example of how the filmmakers were able to balance between the comedic aspects of the story yet at the same time be able to inject some mad cap action into the mix at a moments notice without either of the two feeling out of place.

The film does have a great sense of humor to it, never getting too serious or bogged down by real world consequences. It's a lighthearted affair that borrows heavily from some of the most iconic and memorable elements of its fellow Eurospy brethren. One of the most successful reoccurring sequences that presents itself in the film is the acknowledgement that everyone in Istanbul knows Tony, especially the female population. Every time Tony bumps into a women during one of his escapades and brilliant escapes, they turn and say "Ciao Tony." No matter what the situation is, this comedic running gag keeps popping up and each time is more funnier then the next. The technique was just a constant reminder that the film wore its heart on its sleeve and that the filmmakers realized how tongue and cheek the whole proceedings really were.

Meet the finest mustache in Istanbul boys.

 

Tony's cruising for a bruising.

Not only are the two main performers of the film at the top of their game and the comedic and action moments so expertly filmed, but the visual prowess of the film is impeccable. The location of Istanbul is breathtaking and director Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi really knows how to display the city in all its wonder and exotic diversity. One of the most impressive scenes that really demonstrates the majesty of Istanbul and at the same time the dangerous Eurospy world that plays onscreen, is the battle between Tony and the assassin on top of the picturesque spire that lies high above the city. The fight sequence is tense and dizzying as we're given some rather marvelous shots of the surrounding landscape, intermingled with the two characters' epic fight for survival.

The film is also very lavish in presentation, provided by the excellent style of the era. Vibrant interiors, stylish poolside views, and swinging retro infused decor, supply the perfect look for the film. There's really nothing like this time period of film making, both in the atmosphere and appearance of the Eurospy film, and with Estambul 65 we get the good stuff aplenty.

Someone's going down.

You know you're having a bad day when Klaus Kinski gets the jump on you.

Estambul 65 is a surprisingly great Eurospy film that relishes in the absurd situations and charismatic escapades of its main character Tony while at the same time presenting us with an outstanding view of a city lost in time. The logic of the plot may be less then desirable, but in my opinion that doesn't really matter with this film. It's a fun movie relying on moments to push the story along rather then a cohesive narrative and easily followed plot points. I'd highly recommend Estambul 65 to anyone who loves their Eurospy films entertaining, fun, and constantly winking towards their audience. Check it out. Ciao Tony!

4 out of 5 guns        A Fun Eurospy Film Starring TONY!

MOVIE MARATHON #001

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3RD

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - 12:00 PM

Seeing that I could only fit five films into my marathon for Sunday, due to the theater's packed schedule, I opted to go see Rise of the Planet of the Apes as a pre-marathon buffer on Saturday. Being a fan of the prior Planet of the Apes films, yes even Burton's unusual take, I was hoping that this one would be a worthy addition to the series. The decision to go completely CGI with the apes worried me at first, seeing that I loved the practical effects and monkey masks of the older films, but after seeing WETA's beautifully rendered Caesar and Andy Serkis' outstanding and sympathetic portrayal of the ape that would lead a revolution, my fears were laid to rest. The film was excellent and surprisingly emotional, weaving many of the original Planet of the Apes lore into the new modern take of a world soon to be dominated by talking apes. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a great introduction to what I hope will be a new series of chapters in the ongoing ape saga.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK - 12:15 PM

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark was my first film of the day and what a way to start things off. This film is oozing with atmosphere and foreboding moments that make your skin crawl. The film is a remake of a 1973 made for TV movie of the same name that starred Kim Darby. I've seen the original movie before, but it's been so long that I only remember bits and pieces of it. As for the remake, I thought it was beyond creepy. The basic story follows a couple, Alex and Kim, that are renovating an old mansion where mysterious things have happened in the past. The original owner of the mansion and his son, have both disappeared, displayed in shockingly gruesome detail in the opening moments of the film. In this opening segment, we learn that the house is home to a nasty group of creatures that feed on the teeth of children. It's demented as hell and things only get creepier when we learn that Alex's daughter has recently been sent to live with them at the mansion. You just know what's going to happen next, but the build up to the thrilling conclusion of the film is just fantastic and the ending will throw you for a loop. Creepy as all hell. I enjoyed this one a lot and felt that it was one hell of a great and disturbing fairy tale.

COLOMBIANA - 1:50 PM

Colombiana is one hell of a good revenge flick which feels like a sequel of sorts to Luc Besson's The Professional. The film begins by showing us a young girl named Cataleya as she witnesses her mother and father gunned down by the Colombian mob in Bogota. Fleeing for her life, she makes it safely to the United States where she reunites with her uncle who reluctantly begins training her to be an assassin in order to murder her parents' killer. The film is very sleek and crafted with a great sense of urgency, while the set pieces are brilliantly laid out. Zoe Saldana plays the deadly assassin Cataleya and she does it rather convincingly. There's never really a moment where you question if she can really pull off these killer moves or expert kills and that really helps the overall quality of the film. There's also a great many morale dilemmas that crop up in the storyline, provided by Cataleya's uncle who is stuck between honoring his brother's dying wish to keep Cataleya safe and allowing Cataleya herself to fulfill her lifelong pursuit of vengeance. The film was a wild ride and entertaining as hell.

(STATUS REPORT - Huge Bucket of Popcorn For Lunch... Think I'm Going to Shit Butter!)

CONAN THE BARBARIAN - 4:15 PM

Oh Conan... you Barbarian. This was a pretty fun flick that doesn't really capture the magic of the first Conan film, but it does provide some entertaining moments and gives us a welcomed introduction to Jason Momoa's portrayal of the bad ass barbarian who lives, loves, and slays. The film doesn't hold back on the gore and overabundant violence that a barbarian movie entails, and there are enough diverse and interesting characters to keep the story moving along at a steady pace. What I really appreciated the most from the film was the beautiful landscapes and outlandish locations that sprawl across this two hour epic. The filmmakers did an excellent job in creating the realm of Hyboria and making it a living breathing entity of its own. There's also a great deal of fun to be had with this film as the characters play well off of each other, especially between Conan and Tamara played by Momoa and Rachel Nichols. In the end, I came out of the film not blown away, but wholly satisfied by the fun and bloody barbarian romp through Hyboria.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 - 7:00 PM

Saddle up you Potter fans, cause it's Harry and friends last cinema fling. Well I wouldn't say that I'm a huge Potterhead, but I really dig this series of films. The fact that the main cast basically grew up around these movies is astounding and it adds to the powerful nature that the collection of films give off. If you've watched the previous films in the series, then you know what this last installment is all about. Voldemort is an evil son of a bitch and Harry has to kill him. Of course there's tons of stuff in between, but the real meat and potatoes of this story is the final battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. I have to say that I feel that they wrapped things up rather nicely, and having not read the books, I felt wholly satisfied with the conclusion of the film. There's a certain kind of magic, not withstanding the literal magic on screen, that these series of films have and I'm happy to say that the special quality of film-making that we've come to expect from the Potter movies is represented in full in the finale of these marvelous collection of films.

(STATUS REPORT - I Can't Feel My Ass!)

FRIGHT NIGHT - 9:30 PM

In my opinion, I saved the best for last, because the remake of Fright Night was a pure blast. Borrowing heavily from its 80's counterpart, the re-imagined Fright Night has a wonderful and playful nature to it that had my sides splitting as well as my blood pumping. Hell they even threw in Chris Sarandon, the original Jerry Dandrige, for a surprising cameo that I literally didn't see coming. The film has a great cast of characters and everyone pulls their weight throughout the story. I especially dug Anton Yelchin's take on Charley Brewster. He's not the horror obsessed teenager that he was in the original, but a nerdy kid trying to break free from his undesirable past in order to rise up the ranks within the high school clicks. I found the back story between himself and "Evil" Ed to be rather interesting, as it helps to flesh out each of their characters while at the same time separating itself from the original film. Also, Colin Farrell did a remarkable job as the new Jerry Dandrige. He had that cool yet dangerous appearance that is essential to the vampire's character. Last but definetly not least, David Tennant was amazing as Peter Vincent the Vampire Slayer. The original Peter Vincent, played by the legendary Roddy McDowall, is a classic, but David Tennant's version had a debauchery to it that was just so much damn fun. His performance was inspirational and added a great deal of depth to why he was considered a vampire killer and his obsession with the occult. All in all, this film was a great ending to a mind boggling night of cinema. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do another movie marathon, because it really was an experience. Till next time, happy watching.