Somebody please explain the popularity of Army of Darkness

I just watched this show, which is supposably one of the top ten gamer's movies, and quite frankly I don't understand why.

The protagonist was unlikeable, the villian was laughable, the set-up looked like it was spawned by a DM who would have taken the Improved Railroad feat, but didn't have the necessary Intelligence or Charisma, the hazards were ridiculous, the mood was like a Monty Python sketch that tried to take itself seriously and failed miserably, and the final punchline, , was utterly lame.

So, can someone please explain to me why this waste of time is so popular? Is there something that I did not get?

FireLance said:

So, can someone please explain to me why this waste of time is so popular? Is there something that I did not get?

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I'm guessing you watched the bootleg version (judging by your "last punchline" comment). The theatrical release (and there are like, 3 or 4 versions of this on dvd now, btw) had a different "happier" ending.

Anyway, I saw it in the theater (having never seen the Evil Dead movies at the time) and enjoyed it as mindless entertainment. Not as funny as I'd hoped, but enjoyable. Having watched it again not too long ago (and about 12 years later), I didn't find it quite as fun. In fact, the best part about it was listening to the audio commentary by Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi. I thought that was a lot funnier (and more insightful) than the actual movie itself.

What I personally love about the movie is that the cast and crew obviously enjoyed themselves while working on it (at least Bruce and Sam did) and that comes across on the screen, which is kind of rare, IMO.

I like the movie as camp- bad camp, yes- but campy fun, and the conclusion of the Evil Dead "trilogy". Plus, I think Bruce Campbell is a genuinely charismatic guy (even if his character, Ash, isn't).

Funny note on that, even Bruce agrees that Ash is just a despicable character, and doesn't really get the hero worship that rabid Deadites have for him.

All that being said, I really did enjoy Evil Dead (the first one). I just saw it for the first time recently, and was very surprised by a) how well done it was (especially given the crew's lack of budget and relatively small experience), and b) that it was actually kind of scary. I was especially impressed because, having seen Evil Dead 2 not long before Evil Dead 1 (yes, I actually saw the trilogy in reverse order), I found Evil Dead 2 to be even campier and more hackneyed than Army of Darkness.

So, in conclusion, if you didn't like AoD, *don't* watch Evil Dead 2, but you just might enjoy Evil Dead 1.

Yes, Ash is a jerk.

But it's got weapons, undead, explosions and great one liners.

"Hey, what's that on your face?"

What more do you want from mindless entertainment?

I suppose it is a matter of the frame of mind you have when watching it. I went in expecting campy over the top stuff, and had my expectations fulfilled. The movie is meant to be ridiculous. It succeeds admirably. It is full of great catch phrases and inside jokes to those who watch a lot of sci-fi and fantasy. I'm certainly not going to claim it is some form of masterwork, but I found it to be damned funny. I also found Evil Dead 2 to be quite funny as well. It's the same sort of campy silliness. Evil Dead OTOH actually tried to be a horror movie. I wouldn't make any real claims that it succeeded.

buzzard

FireLance said:

So, can someone please explain to me why this waste of time is so popular?

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Bruce Campbell chewing the scenery and delivering one-liners as only He of The Mighty Chin can. Sam Rami's impecible sense of comic timming as expressed from the director's chair. The fact that every time you think they have outdone themselves and it can't get any more bizarre they go and do it again.

Is there something that I did not get?

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I doubt it, from your post it sounds as though you saw the movie for what it was. Comedy is quite possibly the most subjective of all art forms. If you didn't laugh you ass off the first time you watched it I doubt anything will change that fact for you in the fututre.



Oh and BTW, I agree with Cthulhudrew's assesment re: Evil Dead 1+2.

I'm not a big fan of it. IT was fine once but the more I watched it the less I liked it. The Evil Deads I liked much better then Army of Darkness.

Cthulhudrew said:

I'm guessing you watched the bootleg version (judging by your "last punchline" comment). The theatrical release (and there are like, 3 or 4 versions of this on dvd now, btw) had a different "happier" ending.

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I watched it on cable. I didn't know there were other versions.

I love the Evil Dead films myself, but number two is easily the best.

"Who's laughing now? Hunh!? WHO'S LAUGHING NOW!!??"

I was pretty disappointed in the director's cut of AoD as it cut out one my favorite lines: "Good... Bad... I'm the guy with the gun" and replaced it with something completely weak like, "I'm not that good." I like the theatrical "Hail to the King, baby" ending much better as well.

Mog Elffoe said:

I love the Evil Dead films myself, but number two is easily the best.

"Who's laughing now? Hunh!? WHO'S LAUGHING NOW!!??"

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Evil Dead 2 also has the single best comeback line ever. The demon possessing his girlfriend cackles: "Linda's soul is in hell! She will burn for eternity!"

To which Ash responds:

"You're going down!"

Mog Elffoe said:

I was pretty disappointed in the director's cut of AoD as it cut out one my favorite lines: "Good... Bad... I'm the guy with the gun" and replaced it with something completely weak like, "I'm not that good." I like the theatrical "Hail to the King, baby" ending much better as well.

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MAJOR DITTO, DUDE! The theatrical release is much, much better.