One Of The Greatest Horror Films Of All Time. Sam Raimi And Bruce Campbell's Best Film.

Rating: 10/10 (13 February 2013)

The Evil Dead is one of the greatest Horror films of all time that is not only a Cult Classic,but a Horror Classic as well.Made on a low budget of 350,000$ and filled with Great direction,great special effects,originality and Dark Humor,The Evil Dead is in my opinion the best and my favorite of The Evil Dead trilogy,Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell's best film and is not only one of my favorite Horror films of all time,but one of my favorite films all time.
The Evil Dead tells the story of five college students who are on vacation and rent a cabin in the woods. While there the five students unintentionally bring back evil demons from the dead that wants to possess the students one by one. Now,it's all up to Ash(Bruce Campbell)who has to fight off the demons and survive...The Evil Dead.
I think one of the reasons The Evil Dead is a Horror classic was because when the film came out in the early 80s slasher films were all the rage at the time,but The Evil Dead was a different animal. Instead of making another slasher film,director Sam Raimi,decided to make a movie about demonic possession and give viewers a scary,horrifying and original experience. One of the reasons ED is such a scary and frightening film is because like some of the best Horror films you never know what to expect and don't know what's coming,with the scary situations in the film are insane,wild,creepy and frightening. The scares in the film are done with great timing,imagination and effect,using creepy sound effects for the demons and strange noises outside in the woods giving viewers an uneasy feeling because with ED there is great build up to the to the Horror and once the Horror starts it never ever stops and for 85 minutes you are put on a terrifying and scary thrill ride that doesn't quit until the very end. The atmosphere in the film is excellent,showing the woods not as a beautiful place you want to be at for a vacation,but a place that's ugly and evil filled with fog and smoke and pulsating with darkness and dread. What also makes the atmosphere in ED scary and excellent is the POV shots of the demons and the unique camera angles smartly not showing the faces of the demons when they're chasing and stalking the main characters but showing the faces of the main characters when they're being chased. The camera angles and shots from Raimi are unique and stylish with tilted angles and over the head shots adding to ED's brilliance and making the film rise above most low budget Horror films. Ash in this film is a character we can relate to because while Ash is the hero of the film Ash goes through a lot of pain and terror that most human beings can stand to bear. Although Ash isn't the tough guy(he's still scared in the other films)he became in the sequels Ash still finds a way to fight the evil demons but still realizes he's in way over his head and that's one of the things that makes Ash an iconic character The violence and gore in the film is not for the weak at heart,it's effective,bloody, gory and disgusting and when the blood and gore comes into the film the blood flows and never stops. ED is one of the most politically incorrect and craziest Horror films ever made and I don't know if it was intentional or not,but the film has a dark sense of Humor about itself because while the film is pure Horror there are some things in the film that are so over the top you can't help but laugh whether it's the demons taunting the main characters or the slapstick suffering the characters go through. The dark Comedy and Humor were pushed even further in the sequels Evil Dead 2:Dead By Dawn and Army Of Darkness and it's one of the things that makes this series great and unique. The ending of the film is insane,bloody,twisted and full of energy and will be something you'll never forget and is one of the great things that makes ED a Horror classic.
The cast does a good job with their roles. Bruce Campbell does a wonderful job as Ash,the hero of the film,bringing sympathy and likability to the role. Ash isn't the tough-talking shotgun using hero he became in the sequels,but Ash still does heroic things in the film. Ellen Sandweiss does a good job as Cheryl,Ash's frightened sister. Hal Delrich does a fine job Scott,Ash's friend. Betsy Baker is good as Linda,Ash's girlfriend. Sarah York does a fine job as Shelly,Scott's girlfriend.
The direction from Sam Raimi is just excellent and stylish,using great angles,POV shots,intense close-ups and also does well in the scary scenes. Great direction from Raimi.
The score by Joe Doluca is scary,effective,frightening and fits in with the film's creepy tone. A great score.
The special effects by Tom Sullivan is amazing,disgusting,frightening and unforgettable and are well done for a low budget.
In final word,if you love Horror Films,Cult Films,Sam Raimi,Bruce Campbell or cinema in general,you'll love The Evil Dead,a brilliant Horror classic from beginning to end that will stand the test of time. Highly Recommended. 10/10.