The Dead Are Best Evil

Rating: 10/10 (16 January 2003)

What can be said that hasen't been said already of this movie? It is the most original, and truly frightening movies I have ever seen. Having had the luxury of having seen "The Evil Dead" in the theater with ED enthusiests and on the small screen, I can say that this film works well in both formats. Made on a shoe-string budget of around $350,000 dollars made by Sam, Bruce and Rob from showing thier short film "Within the Woods", the effects are cheesy but are still very well done. The camera angles, lighting, matte composite shots and sound work harmoniously together to create a truly special film which boils down to one man fighting off his recently turned zombie-esque friends in a cabin, all alone in the woods. True, the acting is a little stiff, but keep in mind that Bruce Campbell was only 21 when they shot it in 1979-1980. All of the great props of movie history are in the film such as the 1972 Oldsmobile 88 Supreme, the axe, the out of sequence costuming of artificial blood on the face and clothing, bookcases, mysterious dissappearing floodlights on the cabin roof, and a shovel to name a few.
If you'd like a good scare and a little bit of laughter, get this film, turn off the lights, light a fire in the fireplace and settle in.