Released: April 15th, 1983
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor
Writer/Director: Sam Raimi
[Review may contain spoilers. Please watch movie before reading, unless you don't care. Most of these films have already been released for a while, so they should be readily available.]
***
They don't make them like they used to, huh? After watching a guilty pleasure, it was nice to see a cult classic come up next, as the two are sometimes interlocked. But not in this case, as this is one of those rare movies that is both, and for the genre, is legitimately good.
"The Evil Dead" follows the same template that a lot of horror movies of today attempt to use. Teens are abandoned in a cabin, and they unknowingly unleash a demon, or are attacked by an evil for in the woods. "Evil Dead" showcases the former, and because of the time period of its release, it is much more believable than, say, "Cabin Fever". As technology has advanced so has the inherent scariness of isolation. Every film has the eye-rolling moment where the cast's cell phones all get no service, or their battery dies.
This is why the horror boom of the 70s and 80s provide a much better selection of films, and to be even more specific, slasher films. Horror isn't my favorite genre, but I appreciate it when the movie is generally scary. I'm not talking jump-scares, which is the easy way out, I mean the proper use of a steady cam or a tracking shot. The fright should come from the chain of events, not because of a noise or visual cue. The scene where the woods attack in the beginning is the perfect example because the scene's primary scare is the fear and confusion of the unknown.
One of the reasons "Evil Dead" and others of it's ilk have stayed relevant is that despite the low production quality (mostly due to funding), the films are very well made. Sam Raimi, probably best know as the director of "Spiderman 1 and 2" (we don't talk about 3), wrote and directed the film, and you can see the talent just in the way he creates a classic film with a budget just under $400,000; compared to the $1.5 million "Cabin Fever" wasted.
"Evil Dead" is a low-budget horror film for the horror fan. While I have enjoyed it each time I've watched it, I never go out of my way to watch it. Like I said, horror is not my genre, but I know a well made film when I see it. Sure, the make-up is ridiculous and the acting isn't top notch , but the film does what its supposed to do: make people scream and cause a nightmare or two. That is all you can ask, and something many of the remakes of today forget.
Rating: 6/10 -- The genre isn't my cup of tea, per se, but I enjoy a campy horror film that draws a scare from within. A must have for a horror fans.
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