You know how it is: You’re editing together the latest in a long line of video nasties and suddenly you start losing your mind. Before you know it, you’ve tried to murder the delivery man, eviscerate your wife and daughter and are readying yourself for a blood-drenched final stand-off in a mental hospital. No? Well, that’s how poor hapless Edward handles the experience in this gore-filled mid-90s love letter to the genre that made Evil Dead and Peter Jackson household names.
To try and outline the plot in any orthodox way would be, not only almost impossible, but somehow inappropriate. This isn’t a film that was crafted for moviegoers to discuss the ins and outs of the main character’s psychosis or whether or not the monsters that we see on screen are real or inside his head. This was put together by a group of passionate horror fan filmmakers to see what they could put together with as little as possible. The result is… well, Evil Ed!
You can’t really classify a film like Evil Ed in the normal way. Is it poorly made? It’s no Scorsese, but the photography is capable and the effects and gore are every bit as accomplished as the other films of this genre and age. Is the acting awful? God yes, but then as the filmmakers explain in the documentary, they couldn’t care less. Acting wasn’t a priority, just as long as they could deliver the lines between each moment of horror. Does this do everything that the cover suggests it will? Yes, pretty much. Make-up, latex monster, sex, violence and buckets of blood are in full flow.
What Evil Ed does best is stand as a testament to a genre that simply doesn’t exist anymore (outside of the few hard-working no-budget filmmakers like MJ Dixon). While most modern horrors are more intent on having a hirsute ghoul stand in the corner to frighten you, Evil Ed reminds you that horror used to be a whole lot more fun. It also stands as a testament to any budding filmmaker that getting your friends together to make something that people will love over 20 years later IS possible.
The extra features are abundant: Two versions of the film are available – the original and extended cut (with two whole extra minutes). Deleted Scenes, Bloopers, Trailers and a Still Gallery can also be found, along with the excellent making of Documentary ‘Keep ‘Em Heads Rolling’ which features interviews with many of the original cast and crew. Reconstructing Edward is a smaller featurette on the creation of this new ‘never before seen’ version. If you still want more then grab a comfy cushion for the three hour making of documentary ‘Lost in Brainland’.
If, after working your way through that you don’t feel like you’re losing your mind then Director Anders Jacobsson and the Arrow Video team probably haven’t done their job right.
EVIL ED (3-DISC SPECIAL EDITION) / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: ANDERS JACOBSSON / SCREENPLAY: ANDERS JACOBSSON, GÖRAN LUNDSTRÖM, CHRISTER OHLSSON / STARRING: JOHAN RUDEBECK, PER LÖFBERG, OLOF RHODIN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
