Ash vs Evil Dead, currently exclusively available to view in the region on the Starz Play streaming service, is the latest instalment in Sam Raimi's long-running and ever-popular Evil Dead franchise.
Raimi, who serves as executive producer of the 10-part series, also directed the first episode, and is joined as executive producer by the original movie’s co-creators Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell, who reprises his role as the franchise’s hedonistic anti-hero Ash.
The new series, which also stars Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess) and Ray Santiago (Meet the Fockers), sees another Deadite plague threaten to destroy mankind, with Ash forced to confront his demons – personally and literally – to save the world. Lawless's mysterious Ruby, meanwhile, remains convinced that Ash is somehow the cause of the outbreak.
Following major box-office success with the original 1981 Evil Dead movie, as well as its sequels, it could seems a strange decision to move the franchise to the TV world, particular the nascent online streaming world, but Raimi told the audience at San Diego Comic Con earlier this year that the platform is the ideal place for his latest project: "My brother, Ivan, and I were writing a movie and um, it got really big," he said. "We wanted to really spend more time with Ash than we were able to in the picture because as those Evil Dead movies developed he became more and more important and, finally, by the third, Army of Darkness, [Ash was] all anybody wanted to see.
“It was a natural place to expand the storyline. It really delves into the character, spends a lot of time with Bruce”.
It may be more than 20 years since the last official Evil Dead sequel, but Raimi seemed certain that audiences will be pleased with the latest instalment: "What is great working at Starz is they really recognise that the fans wanted to see this and they didn't want to change it. They wanted us to really go to town, no holds barred, really deliver the gore, the laughs, the insanity of the Evil Dead movies."
Campbell agreed with Raimi: "That's why Starz makes sense for this show. Because we have virtually unrestricted content, the first two Evil Dead movies had no rating whatsoever. They functioned best in that environment. They need to be let loose like the savage beast that they are. And the only way that we can bring you the carnage and mayhem that you truly deserve is to be on a network where they don't have a problem with anything."
• Ash vs Evil Dead episodes are uploaded every Sunday. To register for a free seven-day trial, visit www.starzplay.com
cnewbould@thenational.ae
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
