Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead

The Evil Dead: New Line Cinema/ Renaissance Pictures
Rating: USA: Unrated/ UK: 18/ Australia: R

Horror author Stephen King called it "the most ferociously original horror movie I’ve ever seen". And while that comment probably falls into the hyperbolic blurb category that King has become so infamous for, his praise is single-handedly responsible for attracting initial audiences to Sam Raimi’s (The Evil Dead 2, Darkman, Army of Darkness) audacious film debut, 1982’s The Evil Dead.

Shot over the course of several years, and on a budget rumored to be in the $3,000 range, The Evil Dead is a shining example of low budget filmmaking at its finest. The story centers on five young adults renting an isolated cabin for a weekend of partying. After arriving, they discover an odd book and some audio tape. Our heroes play the tape, only to discover that it was made by the cabin’s prior occupant—a scientist working on a translation of the Necronomicon AKA The Book of the Dead. When the translations are played aloud, they awake an ancient and unspeakable evil that lives in the woods—an evil intent on possessing the living.

While the plot of The Evil Dead sounds pretty generic, what really makes the film work is Raimi’s inspired direction. What could have easily degenerated into a grade Z schlockfest is buoyed along by the young auteur’s highly stylized camera movements, odd and intriguing shot selection, and the manic, over-the-top glee that he takes in showcasing the film’s onscreen carnage. Raimi achieves maximum effect from everything at his disposal—be it the isolated and small cabin location, his actors, or the hilariously gruesome gore FX work in the film. It becomes clear early on that Raimi and the entire cast and crew love what they’re doing—and that while they know it’s not art, they’re having fun nonetheless.

The cast is comprised of actors who, for the most part, vanished from the acting scene after the film’s completion—all save for star Bruce Campbell (Army of Darkness, Xena: Warrior Princess, Evil Dead 2) who took the role of Ash and used it to catapult himself to genre stardom. Campbell’s not great in this film, but you can certainly see the signs of his impending brilliance. He has an everyman quality that makes him easy to identify with, and a great comedic sensibility. While later installments in the series would turn Ash into more of an ass-kicking oaf (sort of like a tough guy Homer Simpson), Campbell plays the role here with more reluctance and vulnerability, which seems to ring true since this character has never battled hordes of the undead in the past.

The film features some fine FX work throughout. Despite the low budget, the gore is gruesome, gross, and abundant. Bodies are hacked into pieces while spurting geysers of blood and bodily fluids, a woman is raped by tree vines, a #2 pencil is stabbed into a girl’s ankle and so on…gore fans will be more than satisfied.

The Evil Dead was followed by two more installments: the pseudo sequel/remake Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn and Army of Darkness. While both follow-ups are immensely entertaining, both have a more comedic, slapstick approach to the subject matter. The first film, on the other hand, is more of an all out horror film—one looking to disturb and frighten viewers with its gore, it’s imagery, etc. It’s for this reason that I think The Evil Dead is the best of the three films in the series.

It’s doubtful that even Sam Raimi and company could have envisioned the cult following that their little no budget horror film would garner over the years. The Evil Dead is a classic horror film, made by people who clearly value and love the genre. It’s a monumental work in the field of low budget filmmaking that all wannabe directors and cult movie fans should check out. The Evil Dead gets my highest recommendation.