A Franticly Satirical and Endlessly Innovative Gorefest Which Launched A Thousand Ships

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 2007)

Infamous for a variety of reasons, The Evil Dead remains a landmark for cinema as a whole. In 1981 the film was banned, cut or had a delayed release in many countries as it was deemed both sadistic and gratuitously explicit. In the UK the film was originally released cut like in many other countries, yet when the film was due to hit video it was banned by the BBFC. It became notorious for being one of the first "video nasties" and it was not until 1990 that the film became "unbanned" by the BBFC. Fortunately, when released on DVD in 2001 all the cuts were waved, and since then the film has been widely available in its uncut and intended form. When viewed in the new era most of the film's material is fairly tame in comparison to the content of today's horror films.
The premise of The Evil Dead is one which is so basic that it enabled Sam Raimi to create something so blissfully unique and absurd. The film kicks off with introducing five friends who are journeying to an isolated cabin. On arriving, they find a mysterious book (The Book of the Dead/Necronomicon) and a tape recording from a professor. Out of curiosity they decide to listen to the unsettling recording, which reads out an ancient curse. This results in "the evil dead" being released and wreaking possessive havoc on the innocent group of friends.
Though The Evil Dead follows a simplistic story, and one which might even seem clichéd to viewers today, it was still a glaringly unique film for its time and has spawned influence across cinema. Arguably, the lack of a complex or even recognisable narrative structure acts as a way of making the film focus and succeed in all its other areas. Due to the lack of narrative, Sam Raimi is able to emphasise the "exploitation" side of the film and let his astonishing array of imagination flow through the picture. Some might dispute that The Evil Dead should not follow a story anyway, as it is a film whereby the aim is to depict survival through "gruelling terror".
When you break-down The Evil Dead (analysing each area of the film); I find it hard to comprehend how anyone could refuse to respect the painstaking effort which went into achieving the best out of a tiny budget. The attention to detail in factors such as make-up, camera-work, animatronics, editing, lighting and atmosphere remains an astonishing achievement. Sam Raimi litters the film with B-movie flourish and classic horror references. This is a mark of respect for the films which helped to inspire many areas of The Evil Dead.
The use of quick-cut editing focusing on tiny details is something which became extremely stylish in the sequel, yet not quite as raw. This is an example of how The Evil Dead is supposed to be scary at times. One of the film's most famous factors is the first-person camera shots of "the evil" rushing through the woods and around the key set-piece (the cabin). This has become a trademark style for the series; The Evil Dead is both amusing (yet this became much more apparent in the sequels, which ultimately became self-parodies) and fairly creepy. Yes, some moments may seem horribly corny and dated now, but it is something you should expect from such a film. My favourite aspect of the film is Bruce Campbell's performance as Ash, which although extremely cringe-worthy at times is indisputably bursting with panache and charm. Bruce Campbell established himself as a cult favourite due to the series, and rightly so. He honestly is one of the finest character-actors of all-time, a genius of physical comedy and an expert in the art of exaggeration. His acting talent is something which improved as his career progressed, but he is still widely recognised for being the lovable imbecile and protagonist of The Evil Dead.
The Evil Dead kicked off a cult following and introduced what was to become one of the greatest trilogies of all-time. There is no denying the sheer fury and excitement The Evil Dead carries with each viewing. Ultimately, it is the low budget that enables the film to still pack an unnerving jolt of exhilaration.