A bloody, demon-summoning, chainsaw-wielding primer for ‘Evil Dead’

With almost every great slasher flick and horror movie getting the Hollywood remake treatment, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to reboot the cult “Evil Dead” franchise. Thankfully, though, the folks doing the rebooting this time out are the same people behind the originals: director Sam Raimi (“Spider-Man,” “Oz the Great and Powerful”) and series star Bruce Campbell. Raimi and Campbell are producers on the upcoming “Evil Dead,” a blood-soaked, ultra-gory re-imagining of the 1981 cabin-in-the-woods movie being directed by up-and-comer Fede Alvarez (“Panic Attack’).

While Alvarez’s “Evil Dead” is not a sequel to Raimi’s original movies (“The Evil Dead,” “Evil Dead II,” and “Army of Darkness”), there are a few things you should know if you’re a newcomer to the series.

Who’s in it?
“Suburgatory” star Jane Levy and “Red Riding Hood” heartthrob Shiloh Fernandez headline as estranged siblings Mia and David, and are joined by Vancouver native Jessica Lucas (“Cloverfield”), Lou Taylor Pucci (“Girls”), and Elizabeth Blackmore (“Legend of the Seeker”).

What’s it about?
“Evil Dead” follows a group of 20-somethings who, in classic horror tradition, retire to a creepy cabin in the woods for the weekend. While most movies in this genre would focus on college kids looking for a good time (see: sex, drugs, and alcohol), the group is actually visiting the secluded cottage to help Mia (Levy) kick her destructive drug habit. Getting clean and sober is soon replaced by kill or be killed when the friends unintentionally release a demonic force by reading from a mysterious book they find in the cabin.

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Who's making it?
Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Alvarez, 35, makes his feature film debut with “Evil Dead.” Alvarez attracted the attention of Hollywood after his short film “Panic Attack” went viral on YouTube. Made on a budget of just $300, the short film (which has over 7 million views on the popular video sharing site) depicts director’s hometown of Montevideo being completely destroyed by a group of skyscraper-sized robots. Despite Alvarez's relative inexperience, fans of the originals shouldn’t worry: along with producing the “Evil Dead” remake, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell handpicked the director and have given the movie their full endorsement.

What do newcomers need to know?
Familiarity with Raimi’s trilogy of movies isn’t required to enjoy Alvarez’s “Evil Dead” movie, but it certainly won’t hurt your enjoyment of the film. There are plenty of references, nods, and in-jokes relating to the previous films in “Evil Dead,” but it’s mostly stuff that only longtime fans will notice or appreciate.

Structurally, the remake is almost identical to the 1981 version (five friends, a cabin in the woods, an evil book, lots of death, etc.), but the characters and their motivations are very different in the new movie. According to Raimi, this “Evil Dead” is closer in tone to what he had originally envisioned for the series. Where the “Spider-Man” director’s original film contained many darkly comic moments, Alvarez’s remake works hard to create an atmosphere of tension and terror.

See also: 'Evil Dead' star Jane Levy was buried alive -- and worse -- for the brutal horror film

But who cares about boring stuff like structure and tone? The real reason you want to see “Evil Dead” is for the blood and gore! “Evil Dead” is easily one of the most blood-spewing, limb-severingest films to come along in a while. Director Alvarez recently told Yahoo! that the movie is “right on the border” between a hard R and the dreaded NC-17 rating. Horror fans who like their movies full of memorable murders and cringe-inducing dismemberments are in for a treat. “Evil Dead” is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Full of clever nods to the original series and genre-challenging changes to make it relevant for modern audiences, “Evil Dead” has something for horror fans of all stripes -- whether you’re a complete series noob with no idea what a boomstick is, or an old school die hard who can quote Ashley J. Williams verbatim. Groovy!

"Evil Dead" possesses cinemas on April 5.