Mayor Annise Parker does the "Tighten Up" with Archie Bell at the concert Mondaynight.
Photo by Annie Gallay
Yvonne Washington
Braving the cold weather Monday night for Annise Parker's innaugural concert at Discovery Green were a few handfuls of what she called "the intrepid, the hardcore Houstonians."
For those that made it out, the concert headlined by Houston-based acts Mango Punch, Yvonne Washington, Roy Head, Archie Bell and Jennifer Holliday did not disappoint. Yvonne Washington got the crowd going with her wicked humor, and her voice caused as many chills as the weather. Roy Head seemed to have kept warm with a spiked beverage or two (or five), and had the band jumping nervously away from his flailing microphone tricks. But despite (or because of) his sore throat and sometimes rambling intercessions, the man put on a show.
A highlight of the program was Archie Bell doing his famous tighten up, even getting the Mayor herself onstage for a tutorial. My mom saw Archie Bell and the Drells at a fraternity party in college, and swears the man hasn't changed a bit. A close second for favorite number was his duet with Miss Washington; the duo sang "Stand By Me."
By the time the evening concluded with an impressive fireworks display that emitted some serious heat, the crowd had warmed themselves up with some fancy footwork. Thanks to Archie, we couldn't stop dancing.
Horror franchises tend to endure because of several reasons. First and foremost, the title conjures up nostalgia for older viewers, as the many of the most popular ones started in the 1970s or ‘80s. Sequels can recycle key elements of past films as long as they tweak the formula enough to offer something original. And they’re also relatively cheap to make, as new films can bring in young or lesser-known actors to be terrorized.
All of those reasons make Evil Dead Burna smashing success, giving viewers reminders of the past while still becoming its own thing. The film is almost non-stop from the jump as a series of people, known colloquially as “deadites,” get infected by a malevolent force. A long, 15-minute opening set piece introduces the main characters, including Alice (Souhelia Yacob), her brother-in-law Joseph (Hunter Doohan), his girlfriend Thya (Luciane Buchanan), and his parents, Susan (Tandi Wright) and Edgar (Erroll Shand).
They’re all mourning the death of Alice’s husband Will (George Pullar), who they think died while driving drunk. However, the infection in Will’s corpse soon latches on to Edgar, whose descent into murderous rage is initially masked by his intense grief. With the family all gathered together in an older, decaying home, no one is safe from the rampage of the supernatural force.
Written and directed by French filmmaker Sébastien Vanicek and co-written by Florent Bernard, the film is aimed directly at horror fanatics who are used to copious amounts of blood and gore. From the opening scene to the film’s final intense moments, Vanicek and his team come up with numerous hide-your-eyes sequences that test the stomachs of weak-willed viewers. But for those who can’t get enough of such things, they also indicate a creativity and willingness to push boundaries that is both thrilling and entertaining.
While some previous entries in the Evil Dead series leaned comedic, this entry follows the previous two films in 2013 and 2023 as as a pure horror. However, that doesn’t mean that the film is devoid of lightness. One of the most enjoyable aspects is Vanicek comically adhering to the concept of Chekhov’s gun. So many different potential weapons are introduced and later used that you can’t help but laugh when they come into play.
Ultimately, it’s the performances by the lesser-known cast that make the movie what it is. Doohan (Wednesday) plays a mild-mannered character who seems to be the main protagonist early on, but he cedes the spotlight to Yacob as the film goes along. The French actress knows how to hold the screen through both her actions and line deliveries. Shand, with his craggy face and bald head, turns into a superior villain, able to chill with just his intense stare.
Evil Dead Burn is not for everybody, but it’s another great addition to what’s turning out to be a banner year for horror movies. With highly effective, cringeworthy action sequences, moments that lighten the mood when needed, and a cast that carries the story, it’s an announcement of bigger things to come for all involved.
Mayor Annise Parker does the "Tighten Up" with Archie Bell at the concert Mondaynight.Photo by Annie Gallay
Yvonne Washington
