International '90s Trash?: Evil Ed (1995)

A man goes crazy from watching too many Horror Films- should I be worried?  This is 1995's Evil Ed, a Horror Comedy that sure is strange.  Despite its silly nature, the Film is actually a form of...political protest?  Am I reading that right?  Yes, yes it is.  In this Film's home Country (Sweden), Films- especially Action and Horror- were being brutally-chopped up to meet some sort of strange standard.  Basically, the Films had to be okay to be seen in the Pence Household or on a Mormon Campus.  I can see why people had a problem with this.  The Film is about the titular Ed being forced to edit a series of fictional films.  As time goes on, his insanity grows with his isolation and he just plain loses it.  It would have helped to see his girlfriend and kid...but all of her Scenes were cut to make the Film run faster.  Wah-wah!  Fun fact: the Co-Writer of this Film would go on to work in Special Effects and Make-up, leading to such Film Credits as Prince Caspian, Star Wars: Rogue One and The Last Jedi.  No, really.  Is this just an excuse to mock Censors and show lots of gore?  To find out, read on...

In the Cold Open, a Film Editor has clearly gone crazy, cutting up Film in a locked room and blowing himself up with a grenade in the mouth.

In his place, Ed is called up from the European Art Division to finish Editing Loose Limbs 5.

I'd make fun of how silly of a Title that is for a Series, but the Violent Shit Series exists.

He has no choice to edit the Films- which are terrible compilations of gore scenes- and he has to do so at the Boss' Cabin, since 'they are out of Office Space.'

Yeah, that's the face I'd make at that logic too.

At the Cabin, he starts to see things- weird things.  This guy- also played by a Writer- tells him to kill people and purify the World.

Consider he had to watch a woman be raped by a Beaver (not shown- just to be clear), this seems like a fair statement.  Go, Bad Guy from Star Trek: Insurrection!

After more Films and more freak-outs, the Boss comes over and appears to transform into...the Albino version of The Devil from Legend?

It's that or he's from Nightbreed- decide which stolen design you think is best.

He goes more and crazy after killing the Boss, finding time to kill people that broke in to rob the House.

On the plus side, the Film has great Props.  You really need to give them, well, props.

He's eventually shot enough to be taken in by the Cops...to a Hospital...but he freaks out again.

How Ed now has super-strength is anyone's guess.  Is it Voodoo?

The whole Third Act goes in a weird, Peter Jackson-style direction as the Delivery Guy (also at the Hospital due to Ed) has to become an action hero.

The SWAT Guys can't kill Ed, but he can.  He suddenly becomes a Narrator and the Film ends.

A good time, even if it only has so many ideas.  The concept of the guy going crazy is good.  The Movie bit we see are especially ridiculous and silly, even for '90s Slasher fare.  This random guy- dubbed by Bill Moseley!- is cutting up Hookers and chopping off feet for fun.  The Film makes reference a few times to a Scene where 'A woman is raped by a Beaver and then has her head blown off by a Bazooka.'  To be clear, it is not in the Film and they never actually shot it.  No conspiracy theory about lost footage- it just isn't real!  The freak-out scenes are definitely the best part of the Film.  You get unique creatures (see below), strange ones (like 2 above) and familiar, but good ones (the Albino Devil).  When it is at its weakest is when it suddenly switches to an Action Comedy a la Bad Taste at the end.  The SWAT Team can't take down one Editor.  Should I be more worried about how bad-ass my Editor is now?!?  There are good moments, but it feels drawn out.  I think a longer build up to actual murder would have been better personally.  As a Horror Satire, the Film works well.  As a Three Act Film, Evil Ed has issues.  Movies like this or I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle have this same issue, as do many others.  Nobody quite nailed it as well as Dead Alive, did they?  This weird Gremlins thing is my favorite part all the same though- bar none!

Next time, I cover an infamous Film from long ago.  Is it actually that bad if you give it a chance though?  Stay tuned...