Movies
[Review] ‘Straw Dogs’ an Interesting Variation, Almost Works
In theaters tomorrow, September 16th is Straw Dogs, the Rod Lurie directed remake of Sam Peckinpah’s 1971 classic. Replacing Dustin Hoffman and Susan George as David and Amy Sumner are James Marsden and Kate Bosworth. Replacing Del Henney as Charlie Venner is Alexander Skarsgard. Replacing Cornwall, England as the setting is Blackwater, Mississippi.
And replacing a singular classic is… actually a decent movie that is simply done no favors by the comparisons it invites upon itself.
“ ‘Straw Dogs’ almost works. It’s just that, by the very nature of its existence, it invites comparisons to something more iconic and singular and it doesn’t always stack up…It has some interesting variations on the original, but in the end it’s not as satisfying or filling…”
Rounding out the cast are James Woods, Rhys Coiro, Walton Goggins, Willa Holland and Dominic Purcell. Click here for the full review. Write your own here.
Just three years after Evil Dead Rise set the box office on fire with a $147 million worldwide haul, Evil Dead Burn was unleashed into theaters this past weekend. Unfortunately, the opening weekend for Evil Dead Burn wasn’t quite as strong as the debut for its predecessor.
Evil Dead Burn debuted in 3,004 theaters across North America and scared up $13.7 million in its domestic debut, about $10 million less than Evil Dead Rise‘s $24.5 million opening.
Worldwide, Evil Dead Burn debuted with $25 million. Given the film’s production budget was somewhere in the ballpark of $20 million, all is certainly not lost for Evil Dead Burn. That said, Warner Bros. and New Line no doubt hoped that Burn would top or at least match the domestic opening of Rise, but instead we’re looking at a case of diminishing franchise returns.
The good news for fans? Next installment Evil Dead Wrath has already wrapped production for expected release in 2028, so there’s no danger of the franchise ending with Evil Dead Burn.
Evil Dead Wrath from director Francis Galluppi (The Last Stop in Yuma County) is currently set for theatrical release on April 7, 2028, though that could change in the coming months.
Will the Evil Dead franchise be taking a break after Evil Dead Wrath? That all depends on how Wrath performs at the box office. But for what it’s worth, the post-credits scene at the end of Evil Dead Burn suggests that the franchise’s creators are hopeful for a bright future ahead.
The critical reception for Evil Dead Burn was a bit less positive than the reception to Evil Dead Rise, with Rise hitting 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and Burn currently sitting at 71%. It’s interesting to note, however, that the “Popcornmeter” on Rotten Tomatoes is a bit higher for Burn than it was for Rise, with Burn‘s currently at 80% and Rise‘s sitting a tad lower at 76%.
The site’s “Popcornmeter” scores are decided by users, rather than verified movie critics.
Which do you prefer? Evil Dead Rise or Evil Dead Burn? Sound off below.
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