The Evil Dead (1982)

[slayrrr666]

Part three of my never-ending shame series:

“The Evil Dead” may be the greatest horror film ever made.

**SPOILERS**

Five friends, Ash, (Bruce Campbell) Scotty, (Richard DeManincor) Cheryl, (Ellen Sandweiss) Linda, (Betsy Baker) and Shelly (Theresa Tilly) head on up to an old cabin for a fun weekend. As they settle in for the night, there’s the opening of a cellar door in Linda’s room that draws everyone’s attention. Scotty descends into the basement and finds a secret room full of artifacts and special treasures, including a strange book and recording that details the resurrection for an ancient species of creatures that feast on human flesh. While listening to the recording, strange things begin to happen. During the night, Cheryl is brutally assaulted and raped by the trees surrounding the cabin. Trying to take her away, Ash finds out that the only road out is no longer useable. Returning back to the cabin, she begins to show symptoms of being possessed by demons. Soon, Ash is the only one not possessed, and he must fight them off to save his insanity.

The Good News: Oh, my god, this was the best movie ever. “The Evil Dead” has to be the best horror film ever. There was so many times that I was jumping during this film I loved it. That is the way a true horror film should be. It holds nothing back, and just throws ordeal after ordeal at the viewer. What makes the film so appealing is that jumps/suspense and gore can go together in a film. This is one gory film. We get one body completely dismembered, with no two body parts connected together, one is stabbed in the foot with a pencil and two are melted down in a long, unbelievably gory way. Both last for a long time as well, so the gore is even more intensive. First, the skin melts away, then the bone starts to melt away and then it just becomes like a giant pool of blood on the floor. There is even more gore inside, and is possibly one of the goriest films of all time. There are very few movies that might be gorier than this one. What makes the gore work so well is that this has so many creepy moments in it that it just makes the gore that much more potent. Anytime the possessed Linda appears on screen, I get freaked out. She is easily the creepiest thing about the movie. Her look, with those blank white eyes, dead man’s look make-up and that voice all combine to make her creepy. God, I think that voice alone, though, is more than enough to creep me out. That song she sings all the time is creepy. Even scenes without her are creepy. Ash descending into the basement to look for Scotty after he disappeared is pretty creepy. The low-light in the room, the music playing in the background, Ash’s slow, cautionary movements and the odd noises heard from inside the room are perfectly handled, and you are just on edge waiting for the moment when something will pop out and startle someone. That does happen a few times in the movie, and here it works because the viewer is expecting it and it doesn’t happen when we think it will. The others are pretty great, as when a pair of hands break through a door and grab Ash around the chest, but the other scene is far better. Everyone knows this is where Bruce Campbell was introduced to the world, and here we get one of his better performances. He is the smart aleck in the later movies, and this one plays it straight. The amount of blood spilled on him throughout the movie is phenomenal that he had to subject himself to that in his first film. All this aside, one of the best things about this movie is the constant use of filming scenes from the demon’s point of view. The way that it was filmed is pretty legendary, and the practice of it has become pretty revolutionary and inspirational. By tying the camera to a block of wood and then carrying it on either side, we get tons of great, creepy scenes including the opening and ending shots, where we crawl over landscapes in a supernatural way. The ending is great, as we arise from the ground, travel past several nearby trees, into and through the cabin, and then we hit a screaming Ash in the face. That is a perfect way to end a movie. It sends you out on a high that not too many movies do.

The Bad News: Nothing.

The Final Verdict: One of the best horror films of all time. I can’t see how any horror fan will not want to see this one. Required viewing for everyone considered a gore-hound or a horror fan. See it at once or don’t call yourself one.

Rated NC-17: Extreme Graphic Violence, Rape, and Brief Nudity

[Quorthon]

My all-time favorite movie. Welcome to the world of horror, Slayrrr. I'm guessing you slapped the NC-17 rating on there just because it's not rated. The sound, the sights, the pace, the gore, the action--only the acting is poor and it's so easily overlooked here.

In fact, it was never even submitted to the MPAA and was, as I recall, released theatrically and on video almost simultaneously. It took just under 3 years to make and was often worked on in freezing Tennessee winters--with almost no money. This is why I view Craven's "Last House on the Left" as rather poor--it's all shock and nothing else. This is just a far, far superior film--especially for being Raimi's first!

It's often up to debate about which is the goriest film ever, I think it's this, my wife thinks it's Dead-Alive (Braindead).

[slayrrr666]

quorthon said:

My all-time favorite movie. Welcome to the world of horror, Slayrrr. I'm guessing you slapped the NC-17 rating on there just because it's not rated. The sound, the sights, the pace, the gore, the action--only the acting is poor and it's so easily overlooked here.

In fact, it was never even submitted to the MPAA and was, as I recall, released theatrically and on video almost simultaneously. It took just under 3 years to make and was often worked on in freezing Tennessee winters--with almost no money. This is why I view Craven's "Last House on the Left" as rather poor--it's all shock and nothing else. This is just a far, far superior film--especially for being Raimi's first!

It's often up to debate about which is the goriest film ever, I think it's this, my wife thinks it's Dead-Alive (Braindead).

Not really, Q. Look it up on the IMDb. It says NC-17 when it was submitted in 1994 (or some year around there.) That's the rating I took for it. IF I ever get around to Braindead, it will have the R because that's its rating. Unless it's never been rated, then I'll either imply a rating or simply say so and rate it how I would if I was the MPAA regulator rating it. But it actually is rating NC-17. Huh, who would've thought "Alien" would cause up quite a stir?

[Quorthon]

slayrrr666 said:

quorthon said:

My all-time favorite movie. Welcome to the world of horror, Slayrrr. I'm guessing you slapped the NC-17 rating on there just because it's not rated. The sound, the sights, the pace, the gore, the action--only the acting is poor and it's so easily overlooked here.

In fact, it was never even submitted to the MPAA and was, as I recall, released theatrically and on video almost simultaneously. It took just under 3 years to make and was often worked on in freezing Tennessee winters--with almost no money. This is why I view Craven's "Last House on the Left" as rather poor--it's all shock and nothing else. This is just a far, far superior film--especially for being Raimi's first!

It's often up to debate about which is the goriest film ever, I think it's this, my wife thinks it's Dead-Alive (Braindead).

Not really, Q. Look it up on the IMDb. It says NC-17 when it was submitted in 1994 (or some year around there.) That's the rating I took for it. IF I ever get around to Braindead, it will have the R because that's its rating. Unless it's never been rated, then I'll either imply a rating or simply say so and rate it how I would if I was the MPAA regulator rating it. But it actually is rating NC-17. Huh, who would've thought "Alien" would cause up quite a stir?

Well, the initial release of Evil Dead wasn't submitted to the MPAA, and my versions aren't rated. WHEN, not IF, you watch Dead-Alive--go for the unrated, uncut version. It's not NC-17, it's not uncut. Then you get the full effect of the lawnmower scene.

[Bartwald]

Quorth - I, just like your wife, think that Dead-Alive has more gore than Evil Dead; as far as the ED series is concerned my favourite is part II: the funniest and weirdest of all - part III was trying to outdo II in the humour department and, for my taste, it missed the mark more than once.

And by the way: I like Last House On The Left much more than Evil Dead; it's just meaner and more realistic - the ED shocks seemed too cartoony for me to tremble there.

Hope we're still friends, Quorth? First Alien, now this...

[slayrrr666]

quorthon said:

WHEN, not IF, you watch Dead-Alive--go for the unrated, uncut version. It's not NC-17, it's not uncut. Then you get the full effect of the lawnmower scene.

I've already seen Dead Alive, I just don't have it, Q. I said that in the Grievances list. I thought I made that clear. Sorry if I didn't.

[Quorthon]

slayrrr666 said:

quorthon said:

WHEN, not IF, you watch Dead-Alive--go for the unrated, uncut version. It's not NC-17, it's not uncut. Then you get the full effect of the lawnmower scene.

I've already seen Dead Alive, I just don't have it, Q. I said that in the Grievances list. I thought I made that clear. Sorry if I didn't.

My bad, oopsy.

[Quorthon]

admin said:

Quorth - I, just like your wife, think that Dead-Alive has more gore than Evil Dead; as far as the ED series is concerned my favourite is part II: the funniest and weirdest of all - part III was trying to outdo II in the humour department and, for my taste, it missed the mark more than once.

And by the way: I like Last House On The Left much more than Evil Dead; it's just meaner and more realistic - the ED shocks seemed too cartoony for me to tremble there.

Hope we're still friends, Quorth? First Alien, now this...

Oh of course! I know you're a Craven fan, so I watch my tongue and keep my rants about him in place.... (lousey sell-out!!)

Much of my consideration of ED being gorier comes in part from the fact that the gore is so much nastier. Dead-Alive is mostly just blood with some organs. ED is blood, that white stuff, bile-looking stuff, chunks--it's just nasty.

But Dead-Alive does have an old woman trying to swallow a dog...

[slayrrr666]

No problem. I said it before, and I stand by it: We're all human, and allowed to fuck up every now and then.