"Evil Dead II"...what's up with the beginning?
#1
Inane Thread Master, 2018 TOTY
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Are any of us really anywhere?
Posts: 49,741
Received 974 Likes
on
813 Posts
"Evil Dead II"...what's up with the beginning?
It seems that it recreates events from the first film and leads into how it originally ended, but at the same time erases almost everything that happened in the first film as if it never existed. Isn't that correct?
So what the hell is that about?
So what the hell is that about?
#2
DVD Talk Legend
I've only seen the first movie once, but by then I had already seen II lots of times. I looked at the first movie and basically saw the second movie, only not as good. It's like they made II to improve on what they did the first time...not really a sequel at all. Therefore I never understood why they consider II a sequel, since it essentially tells the same story, with pretty much the same sequence of events.
Or did I miss something?
Or did I miss something?
#5
DVD Talk Gold Edition
I believe Sam Raimi did not have the rights to I, and was therefore forced to reshoot scenes to create an intro into II. I do agree however that by doing this, Raimi pretty much negates it from being a sequel. It's a remake.
Of course, in similar fashion, the intro to Army of Darkness screws up the continuity of the way part II ends. But I've never heard a reasonable explanation as to why THAT happens.
Of course, in similar fashion, the intro to Army of Darkness screws up the continuity of the way part II ends. But I've never heard a reasonable explanation as to why THAT happens.
Last edited by rennervision; 10-04-05 at 11:33 AM.
#6
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Originally Posted by rennervision
I believe Sam Raimi did not have the rights to I, and was therefore forced to reshoot scenes to create an intro into II. I do agree however that by doing this, Raimi pretty much negates it from being a sequel. It's a remake.
DJ
#7
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
consider it a 'condensed' version of the the EDI story right up until the camera barrels thru the cabin and into Ash, as soon as the camera pulls back and we are flying thru the air with him as he spins and hurls thru the forest, we are now in EDII territory.
Last edited by Cygnet74; 10-04-05 at 12:14 PM.
#8
DVD Talk Special Edition
Originally Posted by Cygnet74
consider it a 'condensed' version of the the EDI story right up until the camera barrels thru the cabin and into Ash, as soon as the camera pulls back and we are flying thru the air with him as he spins and hurls thru the forest, we are now in EDII territory.
#9
Moderator
Originally Posted by djtoell
Reshooting a recap was an accomodation that Raimi saw as necessary, but it does not convert the entire film into a remake, any more than, say, having some different actors in the Back to the Future sequels makes those remakes. At the end of the recap, ED2 picks up the exact moment the first film leaves off. It's a sequel. Raimi explains this on the Army of Darkness commentary.
DJ
DJ
Question:
I just rewatched EDII with the commentary the other day and they make mention of the extended fight scene with chop-top, did footage for this scene ever survive - I know that Fangoria showed stills of the deleted scene - is it gone forever, or is shown or talked about in further detail in the DVD's supplements?
#10
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 3,818
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
See, what they did was recreate the events from the first film and lead into how it originally ended, but at the same time erased almost everything that happened in the first film as if it never existed.
#11
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 5,919
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by The_Infidel
I looked at the first movie and basically saw the second movie, only not as good.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Michigan
Posts: 344
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Giles
or as I like to call EDII - it's a continuation. It's definately not a remake.
Question:
I just rewatched EDII with the commentary the other day and they make mention of the extended fight scene with chop-top, did footage for this scene ever survive - I know that Fangoria showed stills of the deleted scene - is it gone forever, or is shown or talked about in further detail in the DVD's supplements?
Question:
I just rewatched EDII with the commentary the other day and they make mention of the extended fight scene with chop-top, did footage for this scene ever survive - I know that Fangoria showed stills of the deleted scene - is it gone forever, or is shown or talked about in further detail in the DVD's supplements?
#13
Moderator
Originally Posted by Evil
I remember that!!! They actually had a poster of the deleted scene in Fangoria, which hung proudly on my wall. (Much to my mothers dismay)
the movie poster I owned that my mother hated was the Near Dark one with Bill Paxton all crispy and with shards of light coming out his head and body.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Sweden
Posts: 653
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Giles
or as I like to call EDII - it's a continuation. It's definately not a remake.
Question:
I just rewatched EDII with the commentary the other day and they make mention of the extended fight scene with chop-top, did footage for this scene ever survive - I know that Fangoria showed stills of the deleted scene - is it gone forever, or is shown or talked about in further detail in the DVD's supplements?
Question:
I just rewatched EDII with the commentary the other day and they make mention of the extended fight scene with chop-top, did footage for this scene ever survive - I know that Fangoria showed stills of the deleted scene - is it gone forever, or is shown or talked about in further detail in the DVD's supplements?
#15
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Originally Posted by caiman
See, what they did was recreate the events from the first film and lead into how it originally ended, but at the same time erased almost everything that happened in the first film as if it never existed.
DJ
#16
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
Originally Posted by djtoell
It doesn't erase anything from the first film. It is a shorthand recap of the events, and fans of the first film who know what happened in should continue to remember those events. As Raimi describes on the AOD commentary, the films can be made into a single story by removing the recaps. The recaps aren't meant to affect the continuity (which is quite purposely questionable, at best).
DJ
DJ
#17
DVD Talk Legend
I've always seen it as a remake, but I understand why die-hard fans would want to insist it's a sequel. Doesn't Army of Darkness have similar problems at the beginning (although not as bad as the difference between I & II?). It's been a while since I've watched any of these...
#18
DVD Talk Limited Edition
It's a good flick
#19
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Just saw Evil Dead 1 over the weekend with Tom Sullivan doing a live commentary (!!) and he says (tongue-in-cheek) that the story is being told by Ash and he's gone completely mad so he tells it differently each time.
#20
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by caligulathegod
Just saw Evil Dead 1 over the weekend with Tom Sullivan doing a live commentary (!!) and he says (tongue-in-cheek) that the story is being told by Ash and he's gone completely mad so he tells it differently each time.
#21
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
Originally Posted by Shannon Nutt
I've always seen it as a remake, but I understand why die-hard fans would want to insist it's a sequel. Doesn't Army of Darkness have similar problems at the beginning (although not as bad as the difference between I & II?). It's been a while since I've watched any of these...
#22
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Originally Posted by Cygnet74
but do you go with the end of ED2 where Ash is immediately a hero in the past, or with AOD where he is captured and put in chains?
This isn't me rationalizing and it's not me making this up as I go along because I am some kind of rabid fan. Listen to what Raimi has to say about it on the AOD commentary track, for example.
Originally Posted by Shannon Nutt
I've always seen it as a remake, but I understand why die-hard fans would want to insist it's a sequel.
DJ
Last edited by djtoell; 10-05-05 at 11:17 AM.
#23
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Djotell - there's no denying if you skip the intro to Evil Dead II, it picks up where Evil Dead I left off. However, there's a big difference between Back to the Future II having a shot-for-shot recap of the ending to Back to the Future I because the original Jennifer couldn't return, and showing a recap at the beginning of Evil Dead II that completely eliminates three of the characters, changes the context as to how the incantations were played on the tape recorder, etc., etc.
#24
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Originally Posted by rennervision
Djotell - there's no denying if you skip the intro to Evil Dead II, it picks up where Evil Dead I left off. However, there's a big difference between Back to the Future II having a shot-for-shot recap of the ending to Back to the Future I because the original Jennifer couldn't return, and showing a recap at the beginning of Evil Dead II that completely eliminates three of the characters, changes the context as to how the incantations were played on the tape recorder, etc., etc.
I see no dividing line between the two. Anyone who demands that EDII is a remake because of the changes in the recap must also logically claim that BTTF2 is a remake, as well. Trying to make some kind of rule that "changing one actor in a recap makes it a sequel, but anything more than that makes it a remake" doesn't really make much sense.
With all due respect, the insistence that ED2 is a remake borders on being silly. Even considering the recap to be a completely extreme destruction of the events of the first film, it constitutes about 2% of ED2's running time. The other 98% pick up at the exact moment the first film leaves off and can be seen as a direct sequel. Furthermore, the writers and director are on record describing the reasons for and intent of the recap and story structure of the film as being a sequel. At best, all you've got is 2% of a film indicating a remake. Seeing a modified recap and then suddenly deciding that your mind has been polluted and that the rest of the film cannot be considered a sequel is a bit much. It is possible to, as an audience member, put a little thought into considering what you see beyond simply that which is presented within the four corners of the screen. Continuity gaffes aren't magical moments that destroy films. Audience members can muster up the ability to ignore them and treat the film as if continuity was never ruined. Indeed, in the face of the entire rest of the film and the filmmakers themselves indicating that its a sequel with some necessary accomodations, maintaining that ED2 is a remake doesn't seem to me to hold any water.
DJ
Last edited by djtoell; 10-05-05 at 01:33 PM.