The Evil Dead - Evil Dead 2 - Army of Darkness |
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The Evil Dead |
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Director – Sam Raimi |
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Cast: Bruce Campbell – Ash Ellen Sandweiss – Cheryl Betsy Baker – Linda Sarah York - Shelly |
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Reviewed by Yankee |
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Five friends go to spend the weekend at a secluded cabin in the woods. While there they inadvertently awaken something. Something truly evil! As the night grows older and the evil more powerful, it’s a fight for survival till dawn… when they can all be saved…or can they? |
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Hey you Dead heads! This is the movie that not only launched the careers of some big named people in the industry, but also set the standards for 80’s horror and beyond. While there wasn’t much in this movie that hadn’t been done before, this one was done in a way that made everyone go home to rethink their strategies. All on a shoestring budget of $375,000 no less! A quarter century later, this movie is still regarded as one of the all-time horror classics and has a dedicated cult following like no other (you can count me among that legion). Now pay attention here: This is NOT a zombie movie! I really do not know why I keep reading things all over the Internet that suggest that this is a zombie movie. It’s not even close! I was once one of the sheep that believed this before seeing it. You could imagine my shock when I didn’t see any zombies. Thankfully this movie was a masterpiece or I would have been disappointed. |
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Shelly: There’s something down there. Scotty: It’s not gonna let us leave! Ash: Shut up, Linda! |
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Review Extras: |
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Most of the concepts here are borrowed from classics like Night of the Living Dead, stories from HP Lovecraft and even the obscure horror flick, Equinox. However, while the palette is a “common color” the work itself is a strong, unique rendition of what horror was and what it should be. The Evil Dead is a movie that is often imitated but never duplicated. |
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I cannot get into details without spoiling the whole thing for you. The real antagonist is not any particular being that you can see on screen. The antagonist is the actual evil that is woken by these kids. In and of itself, it used everything around to deliver the goods and to show you why NOT to play with things that you do not understand. |
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Sometimes the best stories are the ones that are just simple with little plot. A big part of what makes this story scary time and again is that there is very little background to go on. Even after seeing the film, most of what happened is a big mystery and that’s why it keeps its impact. Little holes in the logic keep it from earning a full pie. I cannot let go of the idea that these kids woke something up by playing a tape. Didn’t the act of recording those words on tape set the evil free? Yes, and obviously what was unleashed had not been defeated; so why then did it have to be woken up again to cause problems? Holes, I tell you! |
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Some of the cast had used temporary stage names to avoid trouble with the acting union. Maybe that was a good thing because the quality of their performance here would have tarnished their names. The exception of course was Bruce Campbell, who not only stole the show but also forged his way into the B movie hall of fame with this very role. Bruce Campbell is a god and The Evil Dead trilogy is his bible! |
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Sam Raimi cut his teeth as a director here and showed amazing promise. The camera work is top notch with Sam’s unmistakable style that he keeps building on with everything he touches. A lot of the great directing techniques and tricks found in countless Xena episodes (even though he wasn’t behind the camera) and the Spider-man movies all started here! |
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The music here is all but non-existent. When you do notice the music, it tends to be effective but otherwise we are often left with a very empty soundtrack. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the silence adds to the eeriness of the film, but sometimes the music is so subtle (quiet) that it is distracting. It’s like listening to the radio with the knob set to one. You can hear it, but it takes your focus away from everything else. |
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I think MacGyver was on the special effects team. How else do you explain doing so much with so little? I’ve seen movies with a higher F/X budget than what was used to make this entire movie fail to match its quality. |
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Gore hounds unite! You want to see a ton of blood and guts? Look no further! There is so much liquid goodness here that it’s almost refreshing! Actually, any more would have bordered on too much gore, but hey, it’s gore like this that makes me proud to be a horror fan! |
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“Make it stop! Make it stop!” These are the words that you hear in the film but not what you will be saying (unless you’re the girlfriend that was tricked into watching this). This one never gets old! |
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A text book example of what a great horror movie should be; made by people who relied on their creativity rather than their wallets (which I hear were very empty in those days). |
Unfortunately, there are times when the low budget is felt, especially when it comes to the soundtrack. |
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This movie is a must see/own. See what all the fuss is about. Watch what used to be banned because it was too violent and scary. Witness a movie that delivers on its promise to bring you “the ultimate experience in grueling horror.” Join us… |
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©2011, 2008-2010 Yank-Lime Pie. All rights reserved. |
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