Movie Review(s): “Evil Dead Burn” and “The Invite”
By Bob Garver
Quite understandably, major studios didn’t want to schedule any new releases for the weekend between “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” I had to go down past fifth place at the domestic box office to find some also-rans that I hadn’t reviewed yet.
“Evil Dead Burn”
“Evil Dead” is a horror franchise that started out low-budget and shlocky in the 80’s, and has grown to be trusted with more resources as its films take themselves more seriously. It sounds like a welcome form of maturity, but it isn’t. The films aren’t fun anymore, and “Evil Dead Burn,” which insists on wedging a domestic violence storyline into its gross-out horror narrative, is the least fun yet.
Alice (Souheila Yacoub) was married to the abusive William Price (George Pullar) until he was killed by a Deadite, an evil entity that sometimes kills people, and sometimes turns them into zombies. Now she has to survive William’s funeral and a dinner with the dysfunctional Price family at their dilapidated lake house. The definition of “survive” goes from figurative to literal when the Deadite starts infecting various family members, forcing Alice to turn violent against the people that arguably made William violent long before the Deadite.
“Evil Dead Burn” is just ugly, with washed-out browns and grays everywhere. The special effects are shoddy, but not in an endearing practical way like the “Evil Dead” of the 80’s. The violence is occasionally inventive, but more often just pointlessly excessive. And the domestic violence angle just comes off as an attempt to give the film substance as a requirement, as opposed to a necessary part of the creative vision. At this point, I’m ready to just let “Evil Dead” as a franchise burn.
Grade: C-
“Evil Dead Burn” is rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, and language. Its running time is 110 minutes.
“The Invite”
“The Invite” is one of those movies that is basically just a filmed stage play. An unnecessary prologue aside, the whole thing takes place in a single apartment with four actors doing things that don’t require movie magic. For a movie like this to work, it needs to be really funny or powerful. It… comes close.
Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde, also the film’s director) are an unhappily-married couple. Their interactions with one another range from “snippy” to “hostile.” They don’t get a divorce ostensibly for the sake of their daughter, but it’s really more about complacency and laziness. And their sex life has been nonexistant for years.
They invite their upstairs neighbors, Piña (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) over for dinner to thank them for putting up with some recent renovations, and to maybe have a word with them about the noise from their very active sex life. The new friends are willing to keep the noise down, but also willing to let Joe and Angela get in on the fun. The titular invite is to swing. Shenanigans, arguments, and all manner of awkwardness ensue.
Almost all of the pieces are in place for “The Invite” to work as a viewing experience. The cast is certainly funny, talented, and most of all, game. But there’s one hurdle that the movie can never quite overcome, and that’s that it isn’t very cinematic. It’s not that I’m incapable of recommending a movie like this, but I need everything verbal to practically set my soul on fire. Sadly, like Joe and Angela, this movie is missing a certain spark.
Grade: C
“The Invite” is rated R for sexual material, language throughout, and drug use. Its running time is 107 minutes.
Contact Bob Garver at [email protected].
