Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl
Encyclopedia
Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl is a 2002
award-winning short film and black comedy
directed by Newfoundland
er Brad Peyton
. It stars Nadia Litz
in the title role, and Joshua Close
, and is narrated by Maurice Dean Wint
. The film is sometimes called Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl Ever.
living dead
girl named Evelyn who decides that she needs friends. Her gifts for other girls (including a crow's heart) only scare them. Evelyn then tries to resurrect herself through suicide
, after reading a book entitled How to Kill Yourself Back to Life. Her suicide attempts fail; part of the problem is that she wastes her bullets killing birds instead of herself, and she swings on her rope instead of hanging herself. Eventually, one boy (Close) is killed in a bus accident and becomes a living dead friend for her.
, and the film was produced by the Universal Studios
Short Dramatic Film Program. Peyton co-wrote the film and acknowledged it was "very, very Seussian
and Tim Burton
ish."
Beyond the $16,000 needed to make the film, it had no budget for actors. Thus, Nadia Litz did not receive any money for her performance, saying she instead took the role because she liked the scene where she hangs from a rope. Close explained his acting approach to the film by saying, "It was kind of a silent movie
. I had to use Charlie Chaplin
expressions and you have to be blunt."
in 2002.
The film received a music award in the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival in France
and an award in the Nodance Film Festival
in Utah
in 2003. It also won a "Slam Dance Award". In 2004, it was nominated for the Genie Award
for Best Live Action Short Drama. The film has also played on television on the Canadian series ZeD
, and has been described as a "fan-favorite."
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
award-winning short film and black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
directed by Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
er Brad Peyton
Brad Peyton
Brad Peyton is a Canadian-born film director, writer and television producer, born in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. His latest film is Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.-Career:...
. It stars Nadia Litz
Nadia Litz
-Biography:She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A former child actor, she has described herself as somewhat ambitious. She is of Russian, Polish and British descent, and the press has noted her small physical stature...
in the title role, and Joshua Close
Joshua Close
Joshua Close is a Canadian actor.-Filmography:*The Pacific as Edward Sledge*The Dead Sleep as Tim*Diary of the Dead as Jason*Full of It as Kyle Plunkett...
, and is narrated by Maurice Dean Wint
Maurice Dean Wint
Maurice Dean Wint is a British-born, Canadian-based actor who has starred in several television shows and movies; the most notable ones include "Cube", "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", RoboCop: Prime Directives, Psi Factor and the TekWar movies and television series.Wint moved to Canada in 1969 with...
. The film is sometimes called Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl Ever.
Plot
The film is about an evilEvil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
living dead
Undead
Undead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
girl named Evelyn who decides that she needs friends. Her gifts for other girls (including a crow's heart) only scare them. Evelyn then tries to resurrect herself through suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, after reading a book entitled How to Kill Yourself Back to Life. Her suicide attempts fail; part of the problem is that she wastes her bullets killing birds instead of herself, and she swings on her rope instead of hanging herself. Eventually, one boy (Close) is killed in a bus accident and becomes a living dead friend for her.
Cast
- Nadia LitzNadia Litz-Biography:She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A former child actor, she has described herself as somewhat ambitious. She is of Russian, Polish and British descent, and the press has noted her small physical stature...
... Evelyn - Joshua CloseJoshua CloseJoshua Close is a Canadian actor.-Filmography:*The Pacific as Edward Sledge*The Dead Sleep as Tim*Diary of the Dead as Jason*Full of It as Kyle Plunkett...
... Devin - Heidi Ford ... Rich Girl 1
- Sarah Kanter ... Rich Girl 2
- Sunday MuseSunday Muse-Biography:Muse launched "Sunday Muse Cartoon Voices for Kids", a workshop in Toronto, New York, California, and Vancouver, as a way to share everything she gained during her years as a lead voice actress. Her clients had roles on Family Guy, Super Why!, Will and Dewitt, Miss Spider, Rolie Polie...
... Rich Girl 3 - Maurice Dean WintMaurice Dean WintMaurice Dean Wint is a British-born, Canadian-based actor who has starred in several television shows and movies; the most notable ones include "Cube", "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", RoboCop: Prime Directives, Psi Factor and the TekWar movies and television series.Wint moved to Canada in 1969 with...
... Narrator
Production
The film was inspired by Peyton's aunt, who was named Evelyn and one day remarked that no characters are named Evelyn in great films. At the time, Peyton was attending the Canadian Film CentreCanadian Film Centre
The Canadian Film Centre is an advanced training institution for film, television and new media. Based in Toronto, Canada, CFC offers residents education, industry partnerships and production experience...
, and the film was produced by the Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
Short Dramatic Film Program. Peyton co-wrote the film and acknowledged it was "very, very Seussian
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
and Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
ish."
Beyond the $16,000 needed to make the film, it had no budget for actors. Thus, Nadia Litz did not receive any money for her performance, saying she instead took the role because she liked the scene where she hangs from a rope. Close explained his acting approach to the film by saying, "It was kind of a silent movie
Silent Movie
Silent Movie is a 1976 satirical comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976...
. I had to use Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
expressions and you have to be blunt."
Reception
The film was initially shown to Peyton's fellow classmates, who clapped in approval. A filmmaker named Jeremy Podeswa thus suggested Peyton should also show the film to a lawyer in the film business in New York. This allowed the film to be distributed among the filmmaking elite. Evelyn also appeared in the Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
in 2002.
The film received a music award in the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and an award in the Nodance Film Festival
Nodance Film Festival
Based in Park City, Utah, the Nodance Film Festival celebrates the alternative digital film culture, with an emphasis on first-time filmmakers and digital filmmaking. Held annually in Park City, Utah, Nodance holds the distinction of being the world's first DVD-projected film festival...
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
in 2003. It also won a "Slam Dance Award". In 2004, it was nominated for the Genie Award
Genie Award
Genie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...
for Best Live Action Short Drama. The film has also played on television on the Canadian series ZeD
ZeD
ZeD is a Canadian variety television program and website. The series premiered on CBC Television in March 2002 and ran to 2006. Hosted primarily by Sharon Lewis and Ziya Tong, ZeD publicized creative works from Canada and other countries, including a substantial portion of material created by...
, and has been described as a "fan-favorite."
External links
- Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl on the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...