STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
Unmissable
Excellent
Good
Poor
Tragic

FILM DETAILS

Certificate 18

Cast Bruce Campbell Ellen Sandweiss Betsy Baker.

Directors Sam Raimi.

Screenwriters Sam Raimi.

Running Time 85 minutes

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The Evil Dead
Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead reigns supreme as the knock-off drive-thru cheapie that became an iconic, oft-imitated classic.

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Plot
Five teens go into the woods and accidentally release evil by playing a taped translation of the Necronomicon. One by one they turn into zombies - the evil dead.

Review
Punk kids with no formal film training (and more ambition than money) have always been drawn towards low-budget horror movies, most of them destined for Kim Newman's dungeon. But Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead reigns supreme, the knock-off drive-thru cheapie that became an iconic, oft-imitated classic.

Its reputation is deserved. Darker, and scarier, than its hyper-kinetic remake/sequel, Raimi's movie melds chunks of Night Of The Living Dead, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and - bizarrely - The Three Stooges, into a tense, gory whole. Unbound by cinematic convention, Raimi unleashed his free-range camera, and ghoulish, omnipresent sound effects to create a bleak, paranoid atmosphere and a raft of sudden, effective shocks.

There's even a hint of the grungy edge that condemned the film to the infamous Video Nasties list in the mid-'80s: namely, the still-shocking tree rape sequence. And, if you can overlook the mostly lame-o acting, cheeseball effects and fumbling drama, there's enough fledgling genius here to fill another thousand horror movies.

Extras

Evil Dead, The Released: 03 September 2001 An incoherent trailer; photos. But the real Deadite juice is the inclusion of two great commentaries, first by Raimi and producer Robert G. Tapert, and then Campbell. Both are packed with wonderful anecdotes, self-deprecating humour, and affectionate potshots (Campbell condemns Raimi as “senile”; elsewhere Raimi derides Campbell’s hammy acting). Hugely entertaining.

Verdict
The punk kids did good.


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Average user rating for The Evil Dead

Love this. Simple snd very effective ... More

Posted by monodogg83 at 00:22, 25 March 2013 | Report This Post

Raimi's Masterpiece

This is by far Sam Raimi's best work to date. Fun, creepy, silly and insanely entertaining, The Evil Dead may be the greatest horror film of all time. Bottom line is you'd be hard-pressed to find a more original and energetic scary movie. Long live The King! ... More

Posted by movienut707 at 10:10, 07 December 2012 | Report This Post

Silly Fun

The Evil Dead is one of the simplest films ever committed to celluloid. Yet, despite this, it's still one of the most influential, grotesque, and (still) hilariously and gleefully enjoyable horror flicks of the last 50 years. Everything, no matter how clich� it may be by modern standards, feels perfect within the context of Evil Dead; the violence, the care-less characters, the makeup, the setpieces, the effects- everything. Evil Dead is the last word in indie zombie movies. ... More

Posted by blaud at 09:16, 28 November 2011 | Report This Post

The Evil Dead

A highly influential film for budding filmmakers, showing that you don't need money to make a good movie, just brains, ambition and enthusiasm. The Evil Dead may not be as good as its sequel but it is more of a horror and does have that aforementioned minuscule budget. The special effects are impressive for the budget available, except for some scenes which are simply a man moving a stick passed the camera. The movie is highly enjoyable and while the acting is poor you still feel attached to th... More

Posted by stevolegendbauer at 11:36, 07 July 2011 | Report This Post

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