The Evil Dead poster & wallpaper

Betsy Baker, Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss

In the fall of 1979, Sam Raimi and his merry band headed into the woods of rural Tennessee to make a movie. They emerged with a roller coaster of a film packed with shocks, gore, and wild humor, a fil...( read more  read more... )m that remains a benchmark for the genre. Ash (cult favorite Bruce Campbell) and four friends arrive at a backwoods cabin for a vacation, where they find a tape recorder containing incantations from an ancient book of the dead. When they play the tape, evil forces are unleashed, and one by one the friends are possessed. Wouldn't you know it, the only way to kill a "deadite" is by total bodily dismemberment, and soon the blood starts to fly. Raimi injects tremendous energy into this simple plot, using the claustrophobic set, disorienting camera angles, and even the graininess of the film stock itself to create an atmosphere of dread, punctuated by a relentless series of jump-out-of-your-seat shocks. The Evil Dead lacks the more highly developed sense of the absurd that distinguish later entries in the series--Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness--but it is still much more than a gore movie. It marks the appearance of one of the most original and visually exciting directors of his generation, and it stands as a monument to the triumph of imagination over budget. --Simon Leake

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81% liked it

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NC-17, 1 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Release Date: October 15, 1981

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DVD Release Date: January 19, 1999

Stats: 8,637 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (8,637)

  • SirPant
    September 8, 2009
    SirPant
    King of the video nasties, Evil Dead is horror at its finest!
  • stopitgoaway
    September 6, 2009
    stopitgoaway
    Sam Raimi is currently getting a lot of attention and acclaim for directing the over-hyped blockbuster 'Spider-Man'. That movie has introduced him to mainstream filmgoers, no bad thing in itself, but to many of us Raimi is already a legend, because he created 'The Evil Dead', wit...( read more)hout a doubt one of the greatest horror movies of all time. Made on a shoe string budget as a labour of love, it still remains Raimi's best movie. He has subsequently worked on bigger projects with bigger names but it is arguable whether he has ever surpassed the invention, thrills, energy and sheer fun of this. And why Bruce Campbell never became a genuine movie star after his debut here, and not just a much loved cult figure, is a complete mystery to me. 'The Evil Dead' is a modern horror classic and absolutely ESSENTIAL viewing for any self-respecting movie buff! It doesn't get much better than this!
  • QueenCityFilms
    March 17, 2009
    QueenCityFilms
    Sam Raimi makes his debut with this disgusting, gory gory gory GORY GORY (wow I love repeating words and then using ALL CAPS a lot lately) movie.

    Acting sucked (except Bruce Campbell - he rules) and the script wasn't anything special, but Raimi does a great job with cinematograp...( read more)hy and creating a creepy environment.
  • rubystevens
    March 2, 2009
    rubystevens
    i wondered how this film had aged but it's still highly inventive considering the budget limitations. the cheese fits the mood and bruce keeps you interested. join us!!!!!
  • AgentLexi2132
    November 11, 2008
    AgentLexi2132
    ''I know now that my wife has become host to a Candarian demon. I fear that the only way to stop those possessed by the spirits of the book is through the act of... bodily dismemberment.''

    Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-p...( read more)ossessing demons.

    Bruce Campbell: Ash

    While Evil Dead obviously was never in the running for an academy award, it has touched two generations of fans now in the last 35 years or more. It was made by college kids as nothing more than a B-movie/home made effort but it turned out to be one of the most original and gruesome movies in the last quarter century.

    Evil Dead is a tale about 5 college kids taking a vacation in a secluded cabin among the woods somewhere in Michigan. During their stay they stumble upon the centuries old Necronomicon, the book of the dead. (Not to be confused with the book of the dead from The Mummy).
    After stupidly reading from the book, the ancient evil the book possessed, comes to life and begins attacking the 5 kids (including one scene where a woman is raped by a tree) until they are either killed or possessed. One by one they are dispatched by the one remaining survivor named Ash and by daylight the evil is gone....or so we are led to believe.

    This movie took the possession concept from The Exorcist to a brand state of mind. This was supposed to be an Amateur effort orchestrated by young students yet the special effects are not bad for 1981 and non-Hollywood standards. If you see this movie and not the next 2 in the series, its quite amusing to see Ash play the role of the normal, afraid everyday nobody as opposed to the hero he'd become. If you look at the movie from the perspective of it was a low budget flick run by unknown actors, actresses, directors, etc you can truly appreciate its lasting effects on the world and the sequels spawned from it.

    ''We're going to get you. We're going to get you. Not another peep. Time to go to sleep.''

    The POV shots are used with such innovative bravado and technical efficiency. Shots used in the manner of Dario Argento. One of the first people to use the shaky Cam effect. The use of POV in Evil Dead would influence a number of film directors. Sam Raimi is one of the best American filmmakers when it comes to these specific shots.

    Ash in the first Evil Dead is a tragic figure. Here he is a far cry from the heroic figure of Evil Dead 2(1987) and Army of Darkness(1991). Ash in Evil Dead is tormented by the loss of his friends and girlfriend. Ash is pretty much patterned after the main character of Sammo Hung's Encounters of the Spooky Kind. Ash is a simpleton who fights to survive against the demons that possess his friends.

    One of the best elements of this movie is the subplot involving Ash and his girlfriend, Linda. Its this element as well as others that makes The Evil Dead(1982) my favorite of the trilogy. Bruce Campbell and Betsy Baker are wonderful in the scenes they do together. Its heartbreaking and sad to see Ash dismember and kill a woman he loved so much. The sequence where Ash gives Linda the necklace is one of the movie's lighter moments.
    The humor is blended into the horror scenes without being overly ridiculous. Evil Dead is full of dark, gruesome humour that is both funny and scary. Mixing horror and humor is a tricky thing to pull off because there has to be a balance for the combo to work. The Evil Dead is successful in combining the two together in a combined effort. Fun to watch horror with funny proceedings and dialogue, as opposed to humour with unsuppressed gore.

    ''You will die! Like the others before you, one by one, we will take you.''

    Notorious for the rape in the woods scene, Evil Dead becomes a daring picture at this point of the film. Scene like this separates the first from the next two as a masterful horror picture. Ellen Sandweiss is very brave in going through with this scene. A terrifying sequence to observe and watch. Sam Raimi reuses this scene in Evil Dead 2 without the unrivaled viciousness of the one here.
    The gore here is fantastically displayed. For a low budget film the make up effects are impressive. Was not popular with the MPPA because of the extreme colour used to portray typical blood.
    The filmmakers use a stylish and crude approach to make the gore scenes work. Joel Coen must have learned something about filming gore scenes from Evil Dead when he directed Blood Simple.

    Unlike alot of other horror film examples, there is no sex scenes(Branch scene doesn't count). Which makes the film that bit more professional, although Raimi still flashed a girl topless just for laughs. Raimi tried to capture what real teenagers would do in a cabin miles from the nearest town, But when Bruce inhaled real marijuana smoke in front of the camera for a scene, he was totally senseless. But still the totally untrained actors tried there best to do every stunt, every emotion, everything that Raimi threw at them for as little pay as $100 a week. One of the hardest scene to shoot was the last. How are we to end this film with a good kick? how about the supernatural energy running through the house and into Ash. True non-acting locals were called in to do the sequence of doors, noises and Sam himself was behind the camera. He started at a shot of a leaf on the ground, then started running through the woods, through the back door, through the closed doors of the house, out the front door and straight into Bruce. Although there was a rumour that Sam did the whole scene on a motorbike because of the speed the camera seems to be going. The Evil Dead, a real good start for Bruce Campbell and for Sam Raimi if what abit dated and rough round the edges now, a true classic, for most, for its impact on low-budget film history.

    ''Now the sun will be up in an hour or so, and we can all get out of here together. You, me, Linda, Shelly. Hmm... Well... not Shelly, she? We'll all be going home together. Wouldn't you like to be going home? I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you? Scott?''
  • holocaustoinfer
    November 5, 2009
    holocaustoinfer
    THis film made me realize how much i love horror-comedy-gore movies!!!
  • gcerda88
    November 4, 2009
    gcerda88
    Really good horror movie. I may have seen Army of Darkness first, but this is where it all really starts.Very creepy and chilling in most places. Not a movie to miss for horror fans.
  • adunas
    November 3, 2009
    adunas
    funny, but evil, too
  • tyguy1882
    November 1, 2009
    tyguy1882
    This movie is a horror classic. I know.

    This movie is entertaining and fun, it is good... well made. For the most part.

    It's also intensely gory, and its very horrific. It was a triumph when it came out, and theres a good reason for that. If you havent seen it, then see it.
  • outlandishflamingo
    November 1, 2009
    outlandishflamingo
    Out of all the horror movies I've seen, this was one of the creepiest.

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Comments

  • freddykreuger3456789
    July 22, 2008
    freddykreuger3456789
    Groooooooooooooooooooooooooooovy
  • lovecyn4ever
    June 7, 2008
    lovecyn4ever
    Vote On My Poll!

    skull candle

    Best choice to direct "Evil Dead" remake
  • TheDemonHunter
    November 3, 2007
    TheDemonHunter
    You should try and get a copy of Bruce's book 'If Chins Could Kill' - it's got a lot of great behind-the-scenes and general making-of chapters of Evil Dead. Most of the cameras were nailed onto small planks of wood and ran with to achieve the 'chased-by-spirits' scenes but really does make the film even more interesting to watch after you notice everything.

    Oh, if you buy the special version in the form of the 'Book of the Dead' (cost me £7 in a sale), you get a free copy of his bank robbery film 'Running Time' inside. The cover is spongey and the inside is paper with an introduction, art from the actual films' Necronomicon, a booklet and the two movie. Was well worth it.
  • PinstripeShirt3
    September 7, 2007
    PinstripeShirt3
    Thanks. That makes much more sense.
  • Kanionite
    August 18, 2007
    Kanionite
    Ash gets taken over (as you said) in the second one. But he cuts part of his arm off to stop from being totally possesed. Wich explains why he has a chainsaw for an arm!
  • PinstripeShirt3
    July 29, 2007
    PinstripeShirt3
    Does ash get taken over at the end of the first one? Cause if he does how does he come back in the sequels?
  • Kanionite
    June 29, 2007
    Kanionite
    Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
  • lovecyn4ever
    May 4, 2007
    lovecyn4ever
    Join us!



    Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
  • timewellwasted
    April 1, 2007
    timewellwasted
    ok thanks 4 telling me now i get why he gets hit from the thing in the woods again
  • MightyShort
    March 20, 2007
    MightyShort
    He didn't go back, it's a sequel set directly after this happens. Okay, so the first ten minutes are partly a remake - they suggest that Ash only came with his girlfriend. But do you *really* think he'd be dumb enough to come back?

    Having said that, he is quite dim...
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