summary of my comments: great comments, really well written ;)

Rating: 9/10 (4 May 2002)

i obtained the uncut version of this film, and i don't know why it was remade -- the original is far superior than evil dead II -- apart from the strange play-do effects at the end, the effects were great for the budget - the demon/shemp(?) makeup was very good,, the blood was not tacky (and there was an abundance of it), and the acting just the right tone of facetious seriousness (bruce campbell was great as he progressed from '70s slasherflick actor to manic overzealous demonkiller.
one of the reasons that the film is so effective is this: even though we know that a hand is about to come through a door, or up through the ground, Raimi hits us with it a half-beat early, so we still jumps with surprise - he takes our expectation and uses it against us; i think that is one of the main reasons that this film is so well-loved