| The Evil Dead (1982) Dir: Sam Raimi Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Hal Delrich, Betsy Baker, Sarah York Unrated, Approx: 85 minutes Anchor Bay Entertainment Video & DVD |
| When The Evil Dead was released in 1982 it began to slowly generate a small but loyal audience of devoted horror fans that couldn't get enough of the film's madcap camerawork and outrageous gore effects. For years the film was one of horror's best-kept secrets, it's reputation increasing with each and every genre fan that would lay their eyes on it. Word of mouth continued throughout the horror community reaching genre fans who would brave the depths of the horror section at their local video stores in search of the next undiscovered 'gem'. Renting anything and everything in sight there were of course a lot worse than good, but once The Evil Dead was discovered it all seemed worth it. Since the twenty years of its release the reputation of the film would to increase to a point where it even transcended the genre, spilling over into the mainstream. It's impressive that such a gruesome little picture could win over a number of audiences outside of the horror genre even if it still hasn't obtained absolute mainstream acceptance (thank God). Now it's more than just 'one of the best films you've never heard of'', these days it's a cult phenomenon. As it is, this is easily one of the most visually arresting films you're likely to see. A wild ride loaded to the brim with over the top gore effects, astoundingly fresh camera work and of course, Bruce Campbell at the center of it all. This is a horror film that is in turn jaw droopingly gruesome, frequently creepy and often hilarious (in a mean spirited way) and if you're reading all of this than there's a good chance that you already know that.
The strength of the film lies not with the plot but is carried out in the execution. As the story goes (and it should be well known by now), five vacationing college students head out to a cabin in the Tennessee Mountains for a weekend of partying. When they stumble upon a mysterious book and accompanying tape-recorded translation of said book they discover the book to be a tool for summoning demons to our world. By playing the tape aloud they unleash demons upon themselves and one by one, the kids are transformed into cruel monsters (that can only be killed by dismemberment) until only Ash (Campbell) is left alive and forced to battle his old buddies (and ex-girlfriend) throughout a fierce evening of horror and madness. Those that are especially familiar with the two sequels (Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness) may have forgotten the overall ferociousness of this original. Whereas the sequels function more as members of the 'splat stick' sub genre (a lot more comedy and silliness), the original never really loses sight of the fact that it's a straight up horror film. There are moments throughout the film that are genuinely scary, particularly when Ash's possessed girlfriend sits Indian-style on the floor mocking him as he aims a shotgun at her face. And when it's not especially scary, it's never even close to boring. Raimi keeps things moving at such a breakneck pace that when the final credits role, it's hard to believe that you've been watching for a full 85 minutes. It's an exhausting experience that few films provide. One thing that distinguishes this from other genre gore fests of the 80's is Raimi's inimitable style. This film is loaded to the brim with unique camera tricks and clever shots that lends it a look that is truly unlike any other. Perhaps the most memorable shot being one which starts at Ash's back while traveling upward while looking down at his head and flipping over to the front of him! There are several shots like this that are simply doozies but to just say there is a definite visual brilliance belonging to the film is sufficient for this review as it must be seen to be fully appreciated. For a real low budget film, the special effects created by Tom Sullivan are quite impressive (if the stop motion work at the climax isn't the most convincing, it's still absolutely charming) and the gore always effective. There are some wonderfully warped moments in this film what will have gore hounds screaming for more and those more squeamish covering their eyes. Among the most memorable scenes being one in which a possessed victim chews off her own hand after it's stabbed and in perhaps the sickest (and darkly hilarious) scene, Ash battles his girlfriend's corpse after her head is decapitated with a shovel resulting in tons of blood spewing out of her open neck onto his face! Some will certainly be off put by the goings on throughout The Evil Dead but if twisted humor and vile grue isn�t your cup of tea, there's no real reason to be watching something like this. While one sequence, involving a woman being raped by trees, may run the risk of offending some audiences, this is largely a harmless joy ride. This has no illusions of being nothing more than an out of control, haunted house film dripping with blood and there's something amazingly unpretentious about that. Made on a budget of $400,000 and shot over the course of about a year, this film is one supreme example of a real labor of love from the core group of cast and crew (consisting of Raimi, Campbell, producer Rob Tapert and multi-task soundman Josh Becker) who practically lived, ate and slept the film for some time. Long after the cast's schedule had expired most of the crew had left the location and the film ran well over budget, director Raimi and his skeleton crew suffered through excessively long shooting schedules, flaring tempers and uncertainties pertaining to exactly how the film would end (among other things) in order to deliver a product to their investors. With the finished product at hand, it's hard to think of a more virile debut (George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Wes Craven's Last House on the Left spring to mind however) and after watching this film; it's impossible to dismiss Sam Raimi as anything less than a major talent. While obviously lucky to have been surrounded by a small group of equally committed partners during the making of the film, Raimi is the primary reason for the film's success. That's not to say that making the film was a one man show (far from it) but there isn't a film around that really resembles this one, and that's largely due to Raimi's invigorating use of the camera. |