DIABOLICAL entertainment for the wicked!

Rating: 10/10 (30 August 2005)

"The Exorcist" made you feel respect and fear to the Devil. Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead II" makes fun of the Devil and demon possession. Although there are some really scary scenes, there are some really twisted funny situations that would leave you wondering "what the f*** just happened?!". The movie is funny for the wrong reasons. I eventually don't laugh about when a man is breaking himself dishes on the head. I don't think it's funny when a man is repeatedly beaten up by grotesque characters. I would never imagine a man getting eaten by a demon locked under a cellar and throwing gallons of blood! "Evil Dead II" makes it look hilarious in a wicked kind of way. For example, when Linda's head tells Ash that "she is being tormented, and suffering in hell; you can feel a little scared but the next scene has a corpse without a head holding a chainsaw. There's no time for logic here, just sit and enjoy!
It also has the ability to make you feel tense and I must say, scared. The combination of demon possessed people, EVIL sounds (I love the weird noise in the movie), wicked laughs and chanting ("dead by dawn!"), and intrepid camera angles are the perfect ingredients to make a sui generis Horror-Comedy movie. Watch out for the "A Farewell to Arms" joke, the whole situation with the evil hand, and the eye that gets in a woman's mouth!.
Sam Raimi went too far for the good reasons. He created an unbelievable and unforgettable work that has served as inspiration for many movies in recent years. The movie is easily one of the most visually stunning Horror movies of all time, for sure. Die hard fans of gore get an eye candy for an hour and a half. Raimi created a cult movie in all the sense of the world. "Groovy!". "Dead by Dawn" will never bore you because in every scene there's a feeling of uncertainty and that makes it even more interesting. There are no rules here.
The plot is as scary as you can imagine but it's held in such a way that it isn't taken very seriously. I mean, demon possession caused by the Necronomicon is something that happens in the real world. Not exactly with that book but it can happen via satanic books and rituals. Raimi takes it to a different level of humor mixed with gore.
Bruce Campbell deserves a special mention. He delivers a wicked, solid, and totally believable performance. Something you haven't seen before mainly because of the strange situations he goes through. His performance could be described as a "solo". Easily, one of the best performances of any actor in a Horror movie. Also, one of the characters that suffers the most in any movie! Ash is beaten up by demons, humans, objects, etc. Even possessed creatures make fun of him.
The gore here is great, glorious. You get decaps, mutilated bodies, a hand cut off, bleeding demons, etc. Blood spread all over the cabin is the common denominator. One of the goriest movies of all time.
Watch "Evil Dead II" to witness one of the most creative, brave, and goriest movies of all time. It delivers something for everyone. It has action, gore, spectacular camera angles, and some action! Check out Ash V.S. possessed Henrietta. * After it, phrases like "join us!", "swallow this!", and specially "groovy!" will be part of your daily vocabulary.
Recommended for every Horror fan in the world. This movie is an obligation to watch.