Sam Raimi Page 2

We are so not looking forward to a weekend without 'Ash vs Evil Dead' now that season one has wrapped and we have no idea when to expect season two. A re-watch of the final episode may be in order, just to get a glimpse of creator Sam Raimi's last homage to his horror hero Wes Craven.

Sam Raimi shows true respect for Wes Craven

Raimi has always been a huge fan of Craven, with his movies 'The Hills Have Eyes' and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' getting honourable mentions in various contexts within his 'Evil Dead' movie series. Now with the latter newly reprised as 'Ash vs Evil Dead', featuring the return of star Bruce Campbell 30 years later, he's seemingly made one last tribute to the late Craven by featuring the glove of 'Elm Street''s Freddy Krueger in the basement of that old cabin.

Continue reading: 'Ash Vs Evil Dead' Unveils Sam Raimi's Soft Side With Wes Craven Tribute

Thor 2: The Dark World has been entertaining audiences to a variable degree since it was released this week in the US, and even earlier in some overseas markets. The film already looks on course to be a big hitter at the box office and earn Disney and Marvel even more in their already record breaking annual revenue. Still, the film has not been universally acclaimed and is a shadow of the quality on offer in some of Marvel's most beloved outings. With no end in sight to the ongoing force of the superhero movie realm, does Thor's limited quality indicate a continuing drop in quality?

Chris Hemsworth stands tall as Thor - but does he stand tall enough?

The film has had a considerable amount of negative press to go with the good reviews and positive box office gross and forced one critic to describe it as "a superhero movie that feels like it might have been made by anyone and no one at the same time, simply space-filler before the next big team-up movie."

Continue reading: As 'Thor: The Dark World' Fails To Overwhelm Critics, Are Marvel Losing Their Touch?

Horror remake Evil Dead will attempt to retain the top spot at the US box office this weekend, after its strong showing on debut. The movie, directed by Fede Alvarez and produced by Sam Raimi, tells the story of a group of five twenty-something friends who are possessed by demons during a trip to... you guessed it... a cabin in the woods. Produced on a modest budget of $17 million, Evil Dead took $26 million on its opening weekend.

Last week, G.I. Joe Retaliation tied with animated comedy Croods for second place, taking $21 million, while a 3D version of Steven Spielberg's 1993 classic Jurassic Park took $18 million. However, the horror flick faces far sterner competition this weekend, with Scary Movie 5 likely to make a serious assault on the top of the box-office. There's also Harrison Ford's baseball movie 42, which could perform well. "When you have a record box-office year like we did in 2012, every weekend in 2013 is becoming a challenge to best or even equal what we did the year before," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

"It's one crazy ride, that movie. I have to think Sam Raimi is so proud in remaking this film that it turned out so well,"' said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "It's such a visceral ride, where you're holding on to your seat or holding on to the person next to you," he added, of Evil Dead. The original movie - produced and directed by Raimi - is still considered one of the most violent films of its time. It caused huge controversy upon its release in 1981, receiving an X-rating and being dubbed a "video nasty." However, it' levels of gore and violence helped it become a cult classic. 

Continue reading: Is 'Evil Dead' Scary Enough To Retain Box Office No.1 Spot?

Oz: Great and Powerful overcame mixed reviews to take the top spot at the U.S. box office over the weekend, earning $80.3 million and an additional $69.9 million worldwide, according to studio estimates. Cynical industry insiders had claimed Sam Raimi's new movie had flop written all over it, though despite a $200 million budget, the prequel to The Wizard of Oz looks in a fine position to make big bucks.

We caught up with its lead star, the chameleon like actor James Franco, to talk why he signed on for the project. "First of all, I heard Sam [Raimi] was directing this movie. I did the three Spider-man films with him, and I've known him over 10 years. Not only is he one of my favourite directors to work with, but I'm a fan of his films. So I jumped at the opportunity to do this", he explained. Franco, who has dedicated much of time to the weird and wonderful scripts of Hollywood in recent years, revealed he'd been a massive fan of Oz since he was a child, "I read all the L Frank Baum books when I was a kid, so I was excited because I'd be able to step into that world of my childhood imagination. And when I read the script I saw that they were going to be loyal and respectful of everything we lovers of Oz expect, and that there would be familiar things that you need for it to be the land of Oz," he added.

The new movie sees Franco star as the wizard, with Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz playing the trio of witches he encounters after crashing in the magical world of Oz. Though it could retain it's No.1 position this weekend, it faces competition from Jim Carrey and Steve Carell's new comedy 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone' and another of Franco's movies, Spring Breakers.

Read our full interview with James Franco.

Continue reading: Oz Fan-Boy James Franco On Why He Signed On For 'Great And Powerful'

Oz really is great and powerful, when it comes to raking in the box office cash, it seems. BBC News reports that Oz the Great And Powerful claimed $80.3 million (£53.7 million) in box office sales over its opening weekend – making it the highest-earning debut so far this year. No mean feat for a movie that could easily have found enemies amongst die hard fans of the original Wizard of Oz movie.

Director Sam Raimi, of course, is no stranger to tackling beloved movie concepts and developing them for new audiences. Not only did he take on the Spider-Man franchise but he’s also been treading the fine line between genius and heresy for many horror fans, with his new adaptation of Evil Dead. The gamble has paid off with Oz The Great And Powerful, though, leaving its movie theatre competition choking on its dust. Starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams, the movie found no contest from its rivals. Jack the Giant Slayer, which topped the charts the previous week, languished in second place with just $28 million (£18.7 million). Melissa McCarthy’s Identity Thief slipped to third, with $6.3 million (£4.2 million), in its fifth week in US cinemas.

Watch the trailer for Oz the Great and Powerful

Continue reading: Weekend Box Office Glory For Sam Raimi's Oz The Great And Powerful

Mila Kunis became everyone's favorite Hollywood actress this week, after helping a clearly terrified rookie journalist through an interview for BBC Radio 1. The down-to-earth star was pretty much everyone's favorite Hollywood actress anyway, but, well, this just sealed it didn't it.

Kunis is coming to the end of a long promotional campaign for Sam Raimi's big-budget 3-D movie 'Oz: Great and Powerful' which hits cinemas worldwide today (March 8, 2013). The movie, a prequel to the classic 'Wizard of Oz', follows the story of a small-time magician, played by James Franco, who arrives in an enchanted land and is forced to decide if he will be a good man, or a great one. Kunis plays the wicked witch Theodora in one of her most high profile roles to date, though the former That 70's Show actress has been linked with the hottest part in Hollywood for the past 12 months. 

Kunis is the bookmaker's second-favorite for the part of Anastasia Steele in the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' movie. Though all signs point towards Gilmore Girls actress Alexis Bledel, Mila appears to be the people's choice, though she insists audiences will not see her in the raunchy drama, an adaptation of E.L. James' bestselling novel. "You will not see me in 50 Shades of Grey. I'm so sorry!" she told Contactmusic.com, adding, "I will not be in 50 Shades of Grey. I promise." Well, that's that then.

Continue reading: "I'm So Sorry!" Oz: Great And Powerful's Mila Kunis Not In 'Fifty Shades Of Grey'

Hmm, looks like the studio heads have really got one over on Mila Kunis and the 'Oz: Great and Powerful' gang here. The movie doesn't hit theaters until tomorrow (March 8, 2013) though Disney has already persuaded the Hollywood actress to sign up for a sequel. The problem is, nobody else seems to known about the potential of a franchise, especially Sam Raimi who outright denied signing on the dotted line.

With lukewarm reviews at best, the prequel to 'The Wizard of Oz' isn't going to be among the critics' best movie lists of 2013, though Disney will be hoping it smashes the competition at the box-office and recoups some of its reported $200 million budget. Mila Kunis will also be praying for big numbers after telling E! Online's Marc Malkin, "We're all signed on for sequels." Hmm, that's not what Rachel Weisz, or Michelle Williams, or Sam Raimi says.

Weisz wasn't as concrete on the possibility of playing evil witch Evanora, saying, "I hope so," before adding, "If there is one, I'd love to be in it." Maybe she should have words with Mila.

Continue reading: Mila Kunis Signs Up For 'Oz: Great And Powerful' Sequel, Nobody Else Does

The Land of Oz might be familiar to almost everyone who watches Oz The Great And Powerful for the first time, but director Sam Raimi and star Michelle Williams have been at pains to express that this prequel to the all-time great musical of 1939 won’t be too similar to the Judy Garland-tale of old.

Raimi is a man who knows how to work on stories that have already been hugely successful in the past – he was the man who directed the Toby Maguire starring Spider-Man trilogy after all. Yet even he was wary of taking on this film, which has a huge billing to live up to, aiming as it does, to tell a story before one of the greatest fantasy films ever committed to movie reel. “The original is my favorite film of all time,” the director told Entertainment Weekly. ” I didn’t want it sullied. I didn’t want to be involved in a production that might trade off the goodwill of that film, so I didn’t even want to read the script at first. Luckily I did. And then I realized that it wasn’t at all what I thought.”

Michelle Williams echoed Raimi’s sentiments when discussing how they worked on her character, Glinda The Good Witch. “We tried to think of what made Glinda in the original film, but we didn’t want to lean too heavy-handedly on that,” she insisted. The story itself will tell of how Oz Diggs – played by James Franco – arrived to the Land of Oz and eventually became its chief wizard. Only time will tell how the critics will receive it.

Continue reading: Oz The Great And Powerful Will Be Different From Wizard Of Oz, Insists Sam Raimi

‘Everyone likes a re-make’ so goes the mantra of horror movie producers the world over, so with that in mind, it’s no surprise that we’re all readying ourselves for another instalment of the Evil Dead, with some of the original producers back on board to resurrect the 1981 Bruce Campbell-starring tale of evil being unleashed in the woods.

Check out the new trailer

Continue reading: New Evil Dead Trailer Proffers Little More Than Half-Decent Halloween Costume (Trailer)

Sam Raimi and his production team have gone in hard with the trailer for the Evil Dead remake.

Branded for mature audiences only, there are moments in this teaser that are so gory, they leave you wondering what hell they’ve put in the rest of the movie. This remake of Raimi’s classic 1981 movie starring Bruce Campbell was initially met with a degree of pessimism from horror purists but he’s back on board, with Sam Raimi and indie movie darling Diablo Cody both claiming a writing credit for the remake and with Fede Alvarez in the director’s seat, they appear to have taken no prisoners with this resurrection and the trailer alone is sure to silence the cynics.

2013’s Evil Dead stars Jane Levy as Mia. Shiloh Fernadez, Jessica Lucas, Lou Taylor Pucci and Elizabeth Blackmore all join her onscreen, as does Bruce Campbell himself, albeit briefly. Campbell, of course, is a huge part of the success of the original 1980s movies, so it’s a relief to see him on production duties here as well.

Continue reading: Sam Raimi Goes In Hard With Evil Dead Remake Trailer

As always, we'll need to sift through a vast number of sequels and remakes to find something original next year. But here are a few things worth looking forward to. Of course, release dates are subject to change...

1. Star Trek: Into Darkness (May)

Continue reading: The Ten Most Anticipated Films Of 2013

Judy Garland's 1939 The Wizard of Oz was a Technicolor work of monumental cinematic genius. It somehow captured the spirit and imagination of children and adults alike, providing the right balance of wonder and terror, with a believable and endearing heroine, as well us a truly horrifying villain and her evil flying monkey minions. Oz: The Great and Powerful has just released it's theatrical trailer and in many ways it's a far cry from the original, but equally, the essence seems to remain.

Oz: The Great and Powerful stars James Franco as the eponymous accidental hero, a 'magician' from Kansas who is swept up, in a hot air balloon, in a terrible tornado and transported to the Land of Oz, where he is thought to be their fated hero. Things don't go to plan. The three good witches are played by Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz, and it is only these four main characters that appear as humans, all the rest are animated, in the vibrancy that pays homage to the original's Technicolor. The trailer gives clues and pointers that let the audience know that the movie is going to be touching and terrifying, much like the original. 

The general look of the film, as it appears in the trailer, resembles the OTT Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland. However, where Burton massacred the original which didn't really need a remake (and saying massacred really is an exaggeration), Sam Raimi's Oz has the advantage of an entirely different story with almost entirely different characters. Because of this the movie has a real chance of being a gem, and we hope it is. 

Continue reading: Star Studded Oz: The Great And Powerful New Trailer!

A new trailer for Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great and Powerful has been released online, ahead of its March release date.

This second trailer takes a more in-depth look at the story than the original cinematic trailer unveiled at ComicCon, despite the fact that it begins in almost exactly the same way as the first. The Evil Dead director has been taking his time over this movie. It started production back in July 2011, according to the Indiewire blog and Raimi will be hoping that all of the time and money spent on the movie has paid off. Not only is he toying with cinematic legend, by creating a spin off of The Wizard of Oz, but he’s doing so with some of the hottest names in Hollywood. James Franco stars as Oscar Diggs, whilst the witches are played by Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz.

The response to the new trailer has been mixed so far. Indiewire are full of praise for Raimi’s efforts, going so far as to say that he could even put Tim Burton to shame. They’re impressed by the visuals, though that seems to extend to the ‘visual display’ provided by the three witches, as much as anything else, it has to be said.

Continue reading: Are Fancy Visuals Enough To Save Sam Raimi's Oz: The Great And Powerful?

The first image of the Evil Dead remake was released at New York’s Comic Con 2012.

Bruce Campbell was belligerently confident that die-hard fans will soon be swallowing all of the criticism they have spouted at the mere thought of a remake of the classic 1981 horror. Sam Raimi is back on board with the remake, whilst Bruce Campbell (who starred in the original) is one of the producers.

These days, there is hardly a horror movie left unturned these days. Remakes keep cropping up left right and centre; Carrie is one of the latest to get the modern Hollywood treatment and, of course, Tinseltown have been re-hashing Japanese (The Ring, for example) and European (take Let The Right One In, for example…) horror for years now. You don’t need to be particularly cynical to arrive at the assumption that the horror genre might be flagging a little. Not so, says Campbell, who, according to empireonline.com, insisted “Your sh*t will be just as freaked as it was in the original. We've got some really talented people who kicked their ass off. I know you fans were pissed. Don't think I didn't read about it every single day. Just wait and see the movie. I will accept all of your collective apologies. We don't want to screw this up.” Fighting talk from Campbell, there.

Continue reading: I Will Accept Your Apologies: Bruce Campbell On Evil Dead Remake