Featured Audience Ratings

• Alexander D

  
  "Evil Dead II" - Where cabin fever becomes hemophilia. Full review at themoviefreakblog.com

• Samuel R

  
  I was told by some that it was pure horror, others told me it was a clever comedy. I then discovered it was both. And the film had moments that made my nerves go mental, or even made me burst out with laughter. While it easily reflects what movies were like from the 80s, its more… More
  I was told by some that it was pure horror, others told me it was a clever comedy. I then discovered it was both. And the film had moments that made my nerves go mental, or even made me burst out with laughter. While it easily reflects what movies were like from the 80s, its more than understandable that it holds a strong cult status. Evil Dead 2 is so over the top at certain scenes, you can't help but laugh so much. Its more than worth a watch, its almost an essential for any horror fan.

• KJ P

  
  The original "Evil Dead" film represents classic terror in it's finest hour, and while this film does not disappoint in that area, it does come off as a weird twist to the entire series. For the first half hour of the film, we are left alone with Bruce Campbell in a… More
  The original "Evil Dead" film represents classic terror in it's finest hour, and while this film does not disappoint in that area, it does come off as a weird twist to the entire series. For the first half hour of the film, we are left alone with Bruce Campbell in a much similar home to the first, but with very strange happenings, it does not live up to the true-to-life horror that the first provided. This one is a bit over-the-top when it comes to gore and creatures. It may have the classic hollywood horror cheese like the first, but I was terrified for days after I watched the original, and this instalment just left me shrieking throughout, but I found no difficulty in shrugging my shoulders and forgetting about it once it is over. Although, I must admit that the whole story does redeem itself into a very clever plot once other characters are present in the film. With everything being said, the illusion of the film is hard to get into, but the cinematography makes the film all-the-more horrifying, the acting has the same level of corniness that I loved in the first, and when it's get's scary, it's really terrifying. This is in no way as much of a classic as the original is and the ending is very random. Still, it's a great horror film that, since I am a fan of the first, I will never forget!

• Everett J

  
  "Evil Dead 2" is more of a comical remake of the first movie than a sequel. It's the same premise. Ash(Bruce Campbell) goes to a cabin and the book of the dead is read, only this time it's all slap stick humor instead of a horror movie. This works out great as… More
  "Evil Dead 2" is more of a comical remake of the first movie than a sequel. It's the same premise. Ash(Bruce Campbell) goes to a cabin and the book of the dead is read, only this time it's all slap stick humor instead of a horror movie. This works out great as it's a truly original movie. It's over the top and like a three stooges movie with a horror spin(well, one stooge). Campbell is amazing. Hilarious, goofy, and badass. The man has it all. It's been over 20 years since this came out, and it's very dated, but still funny. Fans of horror and comedy movies should enjoy this as it's a much better "horror comedy" than say something like "Scary Movie". Actually, if you don't find it funny, then you just don't get it, at which point I'd say, just stick with whatever boring movies you do enjoy.

• Eugene B

  
  The sequel to the cult-horror classic delivers in more ways than one. Exceptional special effects along with the one-of-a-kind charisma in Bruce Campbell made Evil Dead 2 more gorier, more delusional and overall more horrifying. Though somewhat cheesy, the film is able to deliver its… More
  The sequel to the cult-horror classic delivers in more ways than one. Exceptional special effects along with the one-of-a-kind charisma in Bruce Campbell made Evil Dead 2 more gorier, more delusional and overall more horrifying. Though somewhat cheesy, the film is able to deliver its slapstick-aura. 4/5

• Dean !

  
  A very strange and gory horror, comedy. This was made quite a few years after the first but feels very similar, although the technology for the effects has greatly improved during that time, it really shows in some scenes. It has a very similar story line as well to the first, so if… More
  A very strange and gory horror, comedy. This was made quite a few years after the first but feels very similar, although the technology for the effects has greatly improved during that time, it really shows in some scenes. It has a very similar story line as well to the first, so if you liked that you should like this.

• Daniel M

  
  Much of Sam Raimi's early work is tied up in his relationship to the Coen Brothers. After Joel Coen served as editor on The Evil Dead, the Coens utilised Raimi's techniques of creating short films to get money for their directorial debut, Blood Simple. Where Raimi had made… More
  Much of Sam Raimi's early work is tied up in his relationship to the Coen Brothers. After Joel Coen served as editor on The Evil Dead, the Coens utilised Raimi's techniques of creating short films to get money for their directorial debut, Blood Simple. Where Raimi had made Within the Woods, a 32-minute short which became The Evil Dead, the Coens created a fictional trailer for Blood Simple and played it in theatres. The trio collaborated again on Crimewave, a live-action comic-book romp which flopped due to studio interference. While the Coens weathered the storm and went off to make Raising Arizona, Raimi was faced with the knowledge that another flop could curtail his directorial career. Eventually he gave in to pressure from acclaimed producer Dino DeLaurentiis and signed on to make a sequel to The Evil Dead. And it's a good job he did, because in Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn we have what is arguably his best film - a film that was not only treated better by the censors, but which is darker, scarier, funnier and more thrillingly demented than the original. There has been much debate among fans of The Evil Dead as to whether Evil Dead 2 is technically a sequel or a remake. There have been many sequels to successful films which have retained the setting or scenario while inserting new characters, but the film is so similar to The Evil Dead in terms of plot and character development that it has to be a remake. The best way to think of the film is through the comic book principle of retroactive continuity, otherwise known as retconning. We are seeing a familiar storyline relayed with new additions and new emphases, to take account of the larger budget, Raimi's maturity as a director, and acknowledging the knowledge and interests of the original movie's fans. The guiding principle for Evil Dead 2 is to remove all the bad stuff and make the good stuff better. To be fair there wasn't an awful lot of bad stuff in The Evil Dead, but the film immediately benefits from the lack of another tree rape scene. The make-up effects are more ambitiously gross, the camerawork is more kinetic, the slapstick is much better integrated, and the ending is a lot funnier. The first instance of this principle being put into practice is the first five minutes, which effectively recaps The Evil Dead right up to the point where Ash was possessed by the demon running at him in the famous final shot. All the important elements in the original story remain - Ash and his girlfriend Linda making out, the tape recorder reciting incantations, Linda becoming a deadite and Ash becoming possessed. But while the original was a take on the final-girl scenario, where Ash emerged as the hero by being the only one left, Evil Dead 2 recognises that Bruce Campbell was the best actor and had the best character, so the focus shifts much more onto him. The shift in character emphasis also has a positive impact on the tone of the film. The Evil Dead was immensely terrifying because it how unrelenting it was: the nameless Lovecraftian force was contrasted by the number of protagonists, any of whom could be attacked and subsequently prey upon the others. With the sequel, we are forced to focus on Ash until the archaeologists arrive in the second half. There feels like there is more at stake because he has no-one he can turn to and we have no hope if he gets killed. While The Evil Dead functions like a supernatural slasher movie, Evil Dead 2 is like a slasher movie that's been started twenty minutes before the end. It's the equivalent of doing Alien with only Ripley on the Nostromo, or The Haunting with only Nell in the house. Raimi has a habit of putting his stars and audience through the mill; in the scenes where characters get punched, bashed or covered in blood, he's often standing just off-camera pressing the buttons and throwing the dangerous objects. By having the focus on Ash, the amount of pain and misery concentrated on the character becomes intensified to absurd degrees, and this absurdity in turn makes the film much funnier. Because Campbell is a great physical actor, he takes all this punishment in his stride, knowing exactly when to laugh and when to scream. There is no better example of this then the sequence of Ash battling his possessed hand. Having tried to drown it in the sink, the hand starts bashing Ash over the head with plates and punches him in the stomach until he slumps unconscious into a pile of smashed crockery. On top of the initial absurdity (his hand being possessed and not the rest of him), the hand then proceeds to drag Ash's body towards a meat cleaver lying on the floor. We get a 'hand's-eye view' as it inches closer, only for Ash to stab it, and then cut it off with a chainsaw screaming "Who's laughing now?!". Having delivered the perfect blend of horror and slapstick comedy, Raimi gives us a cracking punch line, as Ash puts the hand in an upside-down metal bin, and weighs the bin down with a copy of Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. Evil Dead 2 also cranks up the humour by taking all the jokes in the first film to their logical conclusions. Instead of a small rickety old bridge that gets destroyed, we have a massive bridge over a vast, gaping chasm. Instead of sweet, awkward small talk between Ash and Linda, we have a goofy line about opening the champagne. Instead of simply wandering down into the cellar to get the pages of the book, we have Bruce Campbell fitting a chainsaw onto his severed arm and fooling around with a sawn-off shotgun. And instead of one pipe bursting and covering Campbell in blood, the whole cabin fills with gallons of blood when Ash shoots through the wall. Evil Dead 2 also fleshes out some of the horror aspects which were explored in the first film. The Book of the Dead is now officially called the Necronomicon, in reference to H. P. Lovecraft's work of which Raimi was a big fan. The evil force rising up in the woods feels more malevolent, as it not only batters the cabin but manipulates objects in side of it, such as the deer's head and the laughing lamp. Even the zombies make a little more sense than the first film: not only do the humans keep mistakenly seeing them as people they love, so some of the monsters find their last remnants of humanity coming out, such as Annie singing a lullaby to her possessed aunt. The make-up and special effects are also much better constructed. This isn't too great a surprise, since the original effects had no budget whatsoever and were done with whatever the actors could get hold of. But the rubber effects in particular are brilliant, whether in the distorted face of Ash as he emerges from the puddle or the grotesque zombie torsos that are so intricately disgusting. The stop-motion effects are better too, paying homage to the work of Ray Harryhausen while still feeling scary in their own right. Proof of this comes in the revelation of the evil force before it is sucked into the portal; it could look ridiculous, being essentially a tree with a face, but even after 25 years it's still pretty creepy. As with the previous film, Evil Dead 2 just wouldn't work without the performance of Bruce Campbell. It's fair to say that he did all his own stunts, and looks for every moment like he has been put through the mill, but still keeps coming back for more. Not only is there the goofy, B-movie charm of the original Ash, but the film uses its jokes to show the psychological trauma he is going through. One of the funniest moments finds Ash is staring at his reflection in the mirror, and mutters to himself: "I'm fine." Then his reflection comes out of the mirror, grabs him and says: "I don't think so. We just cut up our girlfriend with a chainsaw. Does that sound... fine?" Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn is a horror-comedy masterpiece and the pinnacle of Sam Raimi's career. Everything about the film is better, darker, smarter, funnier and scarier than the original, with Raimi marrying the horror and slapstick perfectly and avoiding any unnecessary awkwardness. It's a fantastic crowdpleaser which just keeps on delivering, with Campbell in his prime and the film firing on all cylinders. And for those who said the original simply couldn't be improved - well, "who's laughing now?!".

• Thomas B

  
  Groovy. Full review later.

• Spencer S

  
  My new favorite in the Evil Dead trilogy, this film bridges the awkward gap between the first and the third, which are as different as night and day. While the first is a low budget, tangible horror film with a sick, twisted sense of humor and truly gory effects, the third is a… More
  My new favorite in the Evil Dead trilogy, this film bridges the awkward gap between the first and the third, which are as different as night and day. While the first is a low budget, tangible horror film with a sick, twisted sense of humor and truly gory effects, the third is a ridiculous, blundering film set in a different century and barely containing a horrific characteristic. This film has both the irregular humor and broad idiocy of the third while trying to stay true to the original storyline and keeping the concept true, including the curse that spawned the entire series. The best thing about Evil Dead is that the films are all goofy and yet morbidly horrific. They all have gruesome special effects, ghouls that double as possessed souls, and multiple instances of grotesque horror, including the ghouls changing back to their previous owner's forms and pulling on loved ones heart strings. That sickness is heightened by the effects, which are at times explosively rapid, using camera angles and wide lens shots which have been described as "splatstick gore" which I find to be appropriately accurate. The entire thing works perfectly because of the performance of the trilogy's singular hero Ash, played by the always insanely good Bruce Campbell. Campbell, who is the only person to star in every one of the Evil Dead films, is always manic, ruthless, and hell-bent on survival. Compared to the first film, where he's a frightened horror victim, here he's a crazed survivalist who is just trying to escape the woods and make it back to humanity. The ending sets up the third part of the trilogy and is the only thing tying it all together. A particularly different brand of gross out humor and horror, this is certainly the best of the genre, and a good example of balance within it.

• Emil K

  
  This is in a way a remake of the original Evil Dead-film, with bigger budget. It has also similar plot as the first one, but this time director Raimi turns it all more closer to a comedy. It is quite a manical ride.

• Dan S

  
  A hilariously over-the-top film all the way through, concerning a couple who escape to the woods for the weekend only to encounter the wrath of the dead. Without a sense of humor, this film would be nothing more than a forgettable slasher flick with no reason to exist. However, thanks… More
  A hilariously over-the-top film all the way through, concerning a couple who escape to the woods for the weekend only to encounter the wrath of the dead. Without a sense of humor, this film would be nothing more than a forgettable slasher flick with no reason to exist. However, thanks to Sam Raimi's self-aware meter being on an all-time high, this film is ridiculously funny, badly acted on purpose, and definitely worth it if you love B-grade horror films. Bruce Campbell's hysterically bug-eyed performance is perfect for the film's direction, and the film's pace could not be better. I didn't love it as much as a lot of others do (it is a huge cult classic), but I still very much enjoyed it, despite the film's tendency to sometimes pat itself on the back for being so outlandish and ridiculous. Just as solid as the first 'Evil Dead', and definitely worth a view.

• Tim S

  
  Remember the good old days of movie watching? Remember when you could go to your local video store and pick up a bunch of VHS tapes for about $5 and watch a bunch of stuff you hadn't ever seen before? Well that's what I used to do, and Evil Dead II was one of those rentals -… More
  Remember the good old days of movie watching? Remember when you could go to your local video store and pick up a bunch of VHS tapes for about $5 and watch a bunch of stuff you hadn't ever seen before? Well that's what I used to do, and Evil Dead II was one of those rentals - forever changing my film appetite. It's one of the most amazing horror comedies out there, and makes the original Evil Dead, the masterpiece that it is, look like a mild skirmish. You'll instaneously laugh and be scared all at once at with this goofy but brilliant horror film that continues to entertain generations of horror fans. Absolutely and positively one of the best horror films ever made.

• xGary X

  
  A group of strangers are trapped with a malevolent demonic force in an isolated cabin in the woods. Evil Dead 2 is more of a bigger budget remake of Evil Dead than a sequel and its where Sam Raimi perfected his trademark comic strip style. It's obviously still made on a… More
  A group of strangers are trapped with a malevolent demonic force in an isolated cabin in the woods. Evil Dead 2 is more of a bigger budget remake of Evil Dead than a sequel and its where Sam Raimi perfected his trademark comic strip style. It's obviously still made on a shoestring by today's standards but the hysterical over-acting and amusingly ropey effects actually add to the madcap vibe of the film that's a bit like a ride on a ghost train through a fun house. It's actually far too silly to be considered scary, relying more on sight gags and slapstick than atmosphere or tension; a lot of the humour is straight out of old school Vaudeville, Raimi including an homage to the Marx Brothers' mirror gag and the plate sequence is straight out of the Three Stooges. There's little in the way of characterisation or even plot, the opening film basically consisting of "this is Ash, this is his girlfriend...oops he's beheaded her" and when the cast are not laughing hysterically, they're screaming hysterically. But what it is, is wildly inventive and breakneck in its pace which may not be the work of genius I was convinced it was when I was a teenager but is sure as hell still worth a beer'n'buddies night every Halloween. A cult classic.

• Christopher H

  
  It's more of the same, but Raimi puts the films bigger budget to great use. Their is more gore, more horror, more slapstick, and more insanity. Bruce Campbell is still awesome as ever playing Ash.

• Graham J

  
  Horror/comedy classic. I showed this to my wife, who is not a horror fan, I thought she was going to jump through the roof when shit starts popping out at you.

• Cory T

  
  Sam Raimi is an acquired taste and if one has an affinity for derisive campiness, they will absolutely adore his 'Evil Dead' series. I, on the other hand, have a limit on how much cartoonish gore and a lack of a cohesive plot I can take. Thankfully, the direction is… More
  Sam Raimi is an acquired taste and if one has an affinity for derisive campiness, they will absolutely adore his 'Evil Dead' series. I, on the other hand, have a limit on how much cartoonish gore and a lack of a cohesive plot I can take. Thankfully, the direction is energetically delirious enough that it didn't completely revolt me. The film is all anarchic goofiness and Campbell is the hammy lead who is abused relentlessly in Jerry Lewis slapstick. A few of the set pieces are exceptionally nonpareil (from the cackling montage of the lamp, deer head and books to Campbell spinning over the tree canopies). Overall, I admire this reboot more than I unabashedly enjoy it.

• Mike S

  
  Freaky splatter-fest with all kinds of ghosts, ghouls, demons and dark entities. Pretty much a repeat of the original, except with more monsters and different victims. Doesn't quite live up to its popular acclaim, but it's good fun nevertheless. Major kudos to the… More
  Freaky splatter-fest with all kinds of ghosts, ghouls, demons and dark entities. Pretty much a repeat of the original, except with more monsters and different victims. Doesn't quite live up to its popular acclaim, but it's good fun nevertheless. Major kudos to the stop-motion and make-up department; given the budget and the time it was made, their work is quite brilliant. A shame though that the same word can't be applied to the rest of the film as well.

• Dean M

  
  This <i>Evil Dead</i> sequel is getting impressive than the first series as one of finest, most imaginative comedy-horror films ever made. Director Sam Raimi does an excellent job of keeping us scared in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, with the dead surrounding us. The… More
  This <i>Evil Dead</i> sequel is getting impressive than the first series as one of finest, most imaginative comedy-horror films ever made. Director Sam Raimi does an excellent job of keeping us scared in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, with the dead surrounding us. The script is inventive, highly original, and funny as all hell. It's a mix of horror, laughs, and gore. The camera work and sound effects are pulsating, and the timing is perfection. And Bruce Campbell gives an exceptional performance as Ash Williams, a supermarket attendant who suddenly finds himself thrown into the unusual situation of having to defend himself against, zombies, evil spirits and even his own possessed hand, just in order to survive the night. I laughed and gasped when I watched the totally outrageous scenes.

• Lewis C

  
  "We just cut up our girlfriend with a chainsaw. Does that sound 'fine'?" Did you like The Evil Dead? Then my friend, you are in luck! Evil Dead 2 is a bigger, better sequel in every way. After a quick re-cap/revision of the events of the first movie, Evil Dead 2… More
  "We just cut up our girlfriend with a chainsaw. Does that sound 'fine'?" Did you like The Evil Dead? Then my friend, you are in luck! Evil Dead 2 is a bigger, better sequel in every way. After a quick re-cap/revision of the events of the first movie, Evil Dead 2 is off and running, and it never slows down. The movie picks up immediately after the original ended, with Ash shaken, alone, and still under attack from the terror unleashed by the Book of the Dead. Evil Dead 2 is more over-the-top (if that's even possible) than the first Evil Dead, and it's more hilarious, as a result. The fake blood flows by the gallon and the Deadites are more gruesome. This is a movie that's just fun, fun, fun to watch. There's a bit of a trade-off, as there's less "genuine" horror, but as far as pure entertainment goes, there is no real contest about which movie is better. If you liked the first, you should love the second. If you loved the original, well, get ready to meet your new soul-mate.

• AJ V

  
  This amazing horror sequel takes off right where the first movie left us. Ash is the only survivor of the last one, so another unfortunate group ventures out to join him. This one is much more hilarious than the first one, and has a fantastic ending. I love this one even more than… More
  This amazing horror sequel takes off right where the first movie left us. Ash is the only survivor of the last one, so another unfortunate group ventures out to join him. This one is much more hilarious than the first one, and has a fantastic ending. I love this one even more than the first!

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