I honestly didn't know what to expect from Live Evil. Because it was listed as a horror/comedy I went in thinking it was going to be something along the lines of Scary Movie or Deathgasm. It's not. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to really call it a comedy. There were some funny moments, well, a lot of funny moments, but horror has always been a genre that can fuse horror and comedy but still be a straight-up horror movie. I think that's more where Live Evil falls.
The cast was great together. I particularly loved Hancock (Charlene Amoia) and Sheriff Pete (Vladimir Kulich). They were awesome together and had a wonderful chemistry. Not a romantic chemistry but more like very good friends/mentor relationship. In fact, I was very pleased at the lack of romance between them. It was very refreshing. Most Wanted #11 and Most Wanted #12 were great as well. I honestly don't remember if the movie says they were brothers or not but for some reason that's the impression that I got. Either way, it worked well.
Live Evil is split into chapters, which I'll admit threw me at first. But it's clear from the start that it sets out to have its own, unique style. I particularly liked the black and white aesthetic with the splashes of red. For those who aren't keen on back and white the movie does go to full color later in the movie. The effects work well for the most part. I loved the look of the Not-Zombies (I still have to wonder if they weren't inspired by Iron Maiden's 'Eddie' just a smidgen). I would love to say more about their eyes but since it ties into the plot I'll let you see for yourselves.The only effects that seemed a bit off to me were the gunfire. It looked kind of weird.
I would have loved to give it a five but there were some things I was a little less than enthused about. The plot was a little looser in spots than it should have been. While some of the unexplained things fit in with the mystery of it, others could have/should have been more explained. One of the bigger disappointments was the end. It seemed very abrupt and I'm not really a fan of movies (or books, or video games) that just end. To me it seems to be a cop-out to where they don't have to think of an ending. It doesn't have to be a big ball of Happy Ever After but I want some kind of resolution. Unfortunately I can't go into many of the others as they are mostly plot related. The one thing I can wonder about is the bell. It seems important but I'm not sure why or what it does or what it did. There was a semi-twist to it that I thought was set up well. There are hints to it (I started wondering mid-way through) but it's not so telegraphed that it's disappointing.
All in all while I wasn't "I have got to get this!" I was not disappointed, either. And I can't stress enough how much of a role the cast played in that. The actors give their characters their all and it shows. With a weaker cast and less chemistry between Hancock and Sheriff Pete it could have easily flopped. If you go in expecting slapstick you will most likely be disappointed. If, however, you appreciate a more quiet humour then you'll be pleased with Live Evil. Probably Evil.
