Movies
You Know What’s Awesome? Practical Effects. ‘I Am Legend’s Practical Effects.
I’m not 100% opposed to CGI work, in fact it can be a great tool when used to fix an unsolvable problem (on set or in the budget), but it drives me insane when studios toss aside physical product for a fully CGI feature. It’s just plain lazy, and cheap. Case in point, Francis Lawrence’s I Am Legend, which was a pretty solid movie sans the gag-inducing computer generated vampires.
But did you know there were make-up tests for practical bloodsuckers? I didn’t. Makeup FX artist Steve Johnson just pulled a major “cool” by posting video footage from the early I Am Legend makeup tests — and they’re AWESOME. Had these creatures been on Will Smith’s ass, I think we may have had something quite different in theaters.
This is some mind-blowing footage. It’s frustrating as a fan to know that we could have (should have) seen this beautiful work in action. You’ll find even more behind-the-scenes goodies, like the unused suit from Tim Burton’s Superman, by clicking 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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