Amateur Filmmaking at its Finest

Rating: 8/10 (15 August 2013)

The Evil Dead is amateur filmmaking at its finest. It was directed by an amateur filmmaker at the time, Sam Raimi and had a budget of only $375,000. So we have a director who has basically no training whatsoever and only made amateur short films prior to this, a budget of only $375,000, and a cast of actors who were just friends of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell and had no acting experience prior hand. This should have been a recipe for disaster but instead we got a fun, original, atmospheric, well-shot, and spooky horror film that proves once again that small budgets can still make great films. But why is that? Let's take a look and find out!
Firstly, the story. This film tells a very simple story about a group of college friends who decide to stay in a cabin together for a few days but end up encountering all sorts of demons when they open up the Book of the Dead. It all sounds very basic and simple but it works because unlike most movies, the story isn't really the meat of this movie. Most movies would have the story continually develop the characters but here, the story is just used as a setup for all the scenarios this movie throws at us. So in a nutshell, the story isn't especially deep and complex but it's not a problem because this movie really isn't about the characters, it's about the horror and that's what this movie delivers.
This movie's horror is very effective because of the way it's shot. Sam Raimi uses a lot of POV shots for the demons in this movie and it makes the forest seem really creepy because you can tell there's something out there but you don't see it, your imagination fills in the blanks for you and it makes it way scarier than if they just had some sort of optical printer effect or an animatronic because you picture whatever scares you to be in the forest. So the fact that this movie had a baby-size budget actually made it better because it allowed Raimi to think of more creative ways to create chills rather than just throwing in some cheap special effect. Kinda like Spielberg did with Jaws.
While the film is a horror film, it still has a campy feel to it which makes it more fun than if they played it completely straight. The demons are very over-the-top here with all their manic laughs and depraved faces but it makes you feel like a kid again watching this movie and that's always a good thing.
The sound design is also quite good in this movie. It creates an eerie mood with the strong wind blowing outside and the quietness in the cabin, it's really spooky! This makes for a good movie to watch late at night, all alone in your room in the dark, with no sound other than the movie. That's probably the best way to watch it.
The special effects here are actually pretty well done for such a small budget. They look cheesy but that's what makes it fun. It's okay to be a little cheesy sometimes and this is one of those times.
So this film is actually quite good in terms of its direction, camera- work and other technicals but it is flawed in some areas. The makeup on Betsy Baker looks a little cheap compared to the other makeup effects in this movie. Bruce Campbell's acting is a little hokey at times but it's expected for a first-time actor like him and it doesn't ruin the film. And the girls here aren't well defined enough for me to differentiate them. Towards the end of the movie, I had no idea which demon was which girl but it really doesn't matter because once again, this film isn't really about the characters, it's about the scares.
This film is also not for everyone. Not everybody will enjoy its campy tone, over-the-top style, and excessive gore but if you are in the mood for a good spook show then this movie is for you. I'm gonna give it a 8/10.