The Evil Dead

But we fans of "Evil Dead" certainly don't care. It's not his singing skills we're interested in. What we want to know is this; can the man still decapitate with the swing of a shovel? Well, of course he can! As long as you own this or "Evil Dead II" you'll get to watch him do it over and over as often as you want. For me, this is the scene that defines what "Evil Dead" is all about in a nutshell:-Creative camera work.-Spirited if not talented actors.-Audacious, imaginative gore.-Spook-house fun.With one swing of a shovel, Ashley (Ash/Bruce Campbell) defines the mood of this film. But maybe I should start at the beginning and slice this film up into little pieces. Only then will I truly bring honor to Sam Raimi's seminal film of the horror genre.-5 WHEELS HEAD FOR THE RICKETY OLD CABIN.This film moves at a blindingly fast pace. If you ever get bored watching "Evil Dead" regardless of what you think of it, then I don't want to be you. About 3 minutes into the film, we get POV (point of view) shots through the woods watching our 2 couples, Ash and Linda (Bruce and Betsy Baker), Scott and Shelly (Richard DeManincor and Theresa Tilly) along with Ash's sister, Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss); the fifth wheel I eluded to, driving up to the isolated and run down cabin. It doesn't take long for all hell to break loose after a recording found in the cellar is played with magic words in it. The words in German are: "Sam and Rob, Das ist Hikers Dan dee Roadsa" translated to mean "Sam and Rob are the Hikers on the road". Of course, this references Raimi and executive producer Robert Tapert who were portraying local yokels on the road leading to the cabin. Regardless of Raimi's goofy devices, fifth wheels are usually where all the trouble begins and those magic words aren't ones to ignore the rules. This thinnest of plots becomes one of the great scaffolds of horror ever put to film.-WHEN SETTING THE STANDARD IS NO STANDARD AT ALL.If there was a gorier, sloppier more audaciously violent film prior to "Evil Dead" I want to know what it is (because I want it!). I believe this film set the standards for eliminating standards in a horror movie. Even by today's "standards", "Evil Dead" can still hold its own for balls-out gore and grossness while still being a load of fun. Though the demonic makeup is a bit goofy by today's measurements, I still admire the vision of the work. At the very worst you see seams, wrinkles and flaws. At the very best, it is still very creepy and grotesque. The only standard this film didn't stretch was in the nudity department (as there really isn't any). However, when getting raped by a tree is ok, well... ...enough said.-SCARY? OH YEA!As horror films age, they tend to lose their visceral impact. Even horror classics fail to scare people most of the time with few exceptions. After nearly 30 years this film still holds up very well to its modern rivals. Though more over-the-top than anything that preceded, "Evil Dead" could still disturb the uninitiated. For me, few things are scarier than demonic possession. A demon is invisible, moves indiscriminately, is deceptive by nature and is in a hurry to get your soul. So, anyway it can get you dead is fair game. This movie plays on all those angles to the hilt. The big surprise with "Evil Dead" was the physical state possession left people in. This took "The Exorcist" to a different level. The funny and great thing is most of the actors are better at being possessed than human. Of course, Raimi's POV camera shots might be the scariest innovation employed in this film. Regardless, it all adds up to a nearly timeless horror experience.-HI I'M BRUCE CAMPBELL. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER ME FROM "DOG SOLDIERS".Yea, I'm kidding. That was a characters name in "Dog Soldiers"; clearly a case of a director paying his respects to a horror icon. Needless to say, Bruce is the undisputed king of camp and B-movie horror. He's even had his "A-movie" cameos (Spider Man films etc.). But this is where it all started for him. In retrospect, he was an awful actor in "Evil Dead", yet he brought a sense of slapstick to horror that was both fun and refreshing. He'll never win an Oscar (for what it's worth) but he has had a long and storied career since his initial portrayal of Ash. Amazingly, the other actors in "Evil Dead" may have actually done a better job than Bruce, but they lacked his persona. They have all become legendary for this film but have never translated that into successful film careers for a bunch of different reasons. To learn more about this, particularly the women, a little book is included with this version of "Evil Dead" titled "The Ladies of the Evil Dead". Boy, that's clever marketing,-WHICH VERSION IS THE BEST?I have no freaking clue! The "Evil Dead" series may be the most reproduced and exploited horror series ever. If you can find a series of titles more reproduced in more varied levels of quality (excluding Star Wars), then I'd like to know what it is. Given this, I don't know if one version is more complete than another. I have the one with the green outlined letters with Bruce Campbell's kisser poking through and the girl reaching up. This version has the little book in it. It's good enough for me.-PUTTING MY SOUL ON THE LINEAs low as the budget is, as clunky as the acting gets, as thin as the plot is, "Evil Dead" is a landmark horror movie. Horror films that came before could be viewed as sluggish. Much of what came after could be viewed as derivative. Regardless of these iconic traits, "Evil Dead" is just flat out entertaining. Who cares where it came from or where it's going. Forget my fan-boy rambling and just sit down on Halloween night and watch "Evil Dead", "Evil Dead II", and "Army of Darkness". If you enjoy audacious, in-your-face, balls-out horror done on the cheap, then this will do it for you.Story.......3 starsGore........5 starsActing......3.5 starsCreativity..5 starsFun factor..6 starsAverage....4.5 Stars

If you haven't seen you really need to. This is a classic and the OG!

Ya know I’m watching the original Evil Dead tonight, and I’ve got to say, the original is better.I’m fully aware of how cliché that is to say, but it is but the fact remains that THE Evil Dead is, creepier, more unique, and more memorable than the decent but forgettable 2013 remake Evil Dead.1. The original has more “unusual” moments, moments that set it apart from anything else on film.2. It has more of a mood; the harsh white lighting, the fog, the cabin itself. The low production values in actually give it a look like nothing else.3. Better sound: Scenes like the iconic POV shots, the tape, the crazy unnatural noises the deadites make, the weird ghostly sound that is heard at some level in almost every scene.4. It even has better dialog; and the fact that that dialog was recited by actors who learned their trade by reject actors of the ‘50s somehow made it creepier. And then there’s Bruce Campbell.5. The cheap special effects actually added something. We’ve all seen red-colored liquid as blood a billion times; but the original Evil Dead used oozing yellow puss, a milk-like fluid, and I’m pretty sure I even saw cottage cheese coming out of one. While there isn’t anything inherently scary about cottage cheese; it’s “unusual” to say the least to see it oozing from a human body; and that’s the charm of The Evil Dead.Perhaps my biggest complaint in the new Evil Dead is that they re-make all the easy scenes, but left out the complicated ones; the ones I really wanted to see re-shot with modern technology and a budget. To quote: “I fear the only way to stop those possessed by the spirits of this book is by the act of bodily dismemberment” See the original deadites where the horror equivalent of the Terminator; hard to kill. In the remake one apparently dies of natural causes! Sure she had lost a couple limbs and had a few nails in her; but come on, that’s nothing. I wanted to see the full dismemberment. I wanted to see the dissolving deadite.The remake wasn’t all bad. I enjoyed the film; I’ll buy it; it was still better than 90% of the horror films released. Over all the special effects are more realistic; the actors are better, especially Jane Levy, and the film did have some moments. But honestly; if it weren’t for the original the new Evil Dead would be entirely forgettable.

I have been a fan of the Evil Dead trilogy for years and this was the first movie that started it all and today is still a classic to watch. I had a blast watching it over the Halloween week along with other flicks I had ordered which were perfect for the Halloween season. Definitely the scariest film out of the whole trilogy. A really creepy atmosphere for the cabin and the feeling of isolation sends shivers down your spine. Anyway thank you again Amazon for another wonderful gift.