The Evil Dead is, in the
Opinion of Many, the Classic Horror Movie of the 80s.
The
Evil Dead is low budget, heavy gore, high
imagination and lasting impact...all accurate and true when describing
this timeless film.
Review by: The Zombie
Master Lee
Roberts September 28, 2006 Afterword by BHM
Editor Don
Sumner
Release:
1981 Written and Directed by: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bruce Campbell as Ash Ellen
Sandweiss as Cheryl Richard DeManincor
as Scotty Betsy Baker as Linda Theresa
Tilley as Shelly
Before such cinema classics as Spiderman, Darkman,
and The Quick and The Dead, there was a 30 minute,
extremely low budget, film called Within
The Woods that was created by a couple of film
students to sell investors on the idea of a full length feature called Book
of the Dead. The students were Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell
and the film would eventually be released as The Evil Dead.
One of my all time favorites.
We start
our journey in an Olds Delta 88 with five friends traveling to a cabin
in the backwoods of Tennessee
for the weekend. Upon entering the cabin Scotty (Richard DeManincor)
decides to see what is in the cellar after they hear a noise. When
Scotty does not immediately return, Ash (Bruce Campbell) goes into the
cellar only to be purposefully scared by Scotty. They find a book, some
notebooks and tapes which they take back upstairs to investigate
further.
The book
turns out to be the “Book of the Dead”, an ancient
Sumerian text that is supposedly inked in human blood,
bound in human flesh,
and contains incantations that deal with demons and demon resurrection.
The tapes contain the voice of a man that not only describes the book
but also recites the incantations out loud. This in turn awakens the
evil spirits and begins fatally possessing the friends one by one
starting with Ash’s sister Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss).
Eventually
Scott, Scott’s girlfriend Shelly (Theresa Tilley) and
Ash’s
girlfriend Linda (Betsy Baker) also become possessed and it is left up
to Ash to attempt to make it through the night alive.
Stephen King once said that The
Evil Dead was “the ultimate experience in
grueling terror".
How right he was. Sam Raimi shows off the originality of his film
making skills that he will later bring to larger budget films. The
camera work is incredible. Raimi’s style will always be
distinguishable from the other directors in Hollywood. He has a love
for the fast and aggressive shots that have become unmistakable.
The blood and gore is top notch and even over the top for 1981. So over
the top, that it was one of the first films to be labeled as a “Video
Nasty”
in England and is still banned in Malaysia, Iceland, Ireland,
Singapore, and German theaters. I wonder if that is what my mother
meant when she said, “If it is worth doing then it is worth
doing
right.”
The Evil Dead
also introduced us to Bruce Campbell and the
character of Ash. The two fit together. You cannot think of one without
thinking of the other. Nobody has been able to match the ability to
portray the “abused hero” with such tenacity as
Bruce
Campbell. He will forever be known as one of the
greatest “B” movie actors of all time. The
Evil Dead
is not your typical horror movie. It is not your typical zombie movie
either. As a matter of fact, there is nothing remotely typical about
it. Though not intended for those with weak stomachs,
I highly recommend The Evil Dead for any
“discerning horror freak”.
**Note from BHM
Editor Don Sumner** Since the first time I saw
this movie in 1992 it has been one of my absolute favorites. Everyone
who knows me has seen my rendition of a dramatic moment in The
Evil Dead:
I begin by standing with my back to the “audience”.
Then
say “Ace of spades…queen of spades...four of
hearts, eight
of spades...Jack of Diamonds JACK OF CLUBS!!!!”
and then turn around to face them and scream loudly.
Of course, nobody gets it, but I know. This was the
instant that Cheryl became possessed.
When I introduced The
Evil Dead to my “Sunday movie group”,
which consisted of myself and my friends Kelly and Wendy, I was
immediately put on “movie probation”.
I was not allowed to suggest the movie for the weekly get-together for
a full THREE WEEKS afterward. They didn’t get the genius of The
Evil Dead. They clearly were not Horror Freaks.
What is the moral of this story? Well, the fans of the mass-market
horror of late may or may not appreciate the awesome nature of The
Evil Dead. I know Kelly and Wendy did not, but they are still
good people.
If, however, you are a true aficionado that doesn’t require
slick
Hollywood mega-productions to appreciate an incredible movie then I
imagine that The Evil Dead will join your list of
all-time favorites and classics of the horror genre.
Just watch out for the woods, and wear clean panties…
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We start
our journey in an Olds Delta 88 with five friends traveling to a cabin
in the backwoods of Tennessee
for the weekend. Upon entering the cabin Scotty (Richard DeManincor)
decides to see what is in the cellar after they hear a noise. When
Scotty does not immediately return, Ash (Bruce Campbell) goes into the
cellar only to be purposefully scared by Scotty. They find a book, some
notebooks and tapes which they take back upstairs to investigate
further.
The book
turns out to be the “Book of the Dead”, an ancient
Sumerian text that is supposedly inked in human blood,
bound in human flesh,
and contains incantations that deal with demons and demon resurrection.
The tapes contain the voice of a man that not only describes the book
but also recites the incantations out loud. This in turn awakens the
evil spirits and begins fatally possessing the friends one by one
starting with Ash’s sister Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss).
Eventually
Scott, Scott’s girlfriend Shelly (Theresa Tilley) and
Ash’s
girlfriend Linda (Betsy Baker) also become possessed and it is left up
to Ash to attempt to make it through the night alive. 
Stephen King once said that The
Evil Dead was “the ultimate experience in
grueling terror".
How right he was. Sam Raimi shows off the originality of his film
making skills that he will later bring to larger budget films. The
camera work is incredible. Raimi’s style will always be
distinguishable from the other directors in Hollywood. He has a love
for the fast and aggressive shots that have become unmistakable. 
The Evil Dead
also introduced us to Bruce Campbell and the
character of Ash. The two fit together. You cannot think of one without
thinking of the other. Nobody has been able to match the ability to
portray the “abused hero” with such tenacity as
Bruce
Campbell. He will forever be known as one of the
greatest “B” movie actors of all time. The
Evil Dead
is not your typical horror movie. It is not your typical zombie movie
either. As a matter of fact, there is nothing remotely typical about
it. Though not intended for those with weak stomachs,
I highly recommend The Evil Dead for any
“discerning horror freak”.
**Note from BHM
Editor Don Sumner** Since the first time I saw
this movie in 1992 it has been one of my absolute favorites. Everyone
who knows me has seen my rendition of a dramatic moment in The
Evil Dead:
I begin by standing with my back to the “audience”.
Then
say “Ace of spades…queen of spades...four of
hearts, eight
of spades...Jack of Diamonds JACK OF CLUBS!!!!”
and then turn around to face them and scream loudly.
When I introduced The
Evil Dead to my “Sunday movie group”,
which consisted of myself and my friends Kelly and Wendy, I was
immediately put on “movie probation”.
I was not allowed to suggest the movie for the weekly get-together for
a full THREE WEEKS afterward. They didn’t get the genius of The
Evil Dead. They clearly were not Horror Freaks.
Blink
Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl
Google
Simpy
Spurl
Technorati
Y!
MyWeb