One of the best horror films ever made.

Rating: Null/10 (4 June 2005)

The 1980s was the best decade for horror films. There was AN American WEREWOLF IN London, CHILD'S PLAY, POLTERGEIST, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, and lastly there was THE EVIL DEAD. What made these horror movies so great was that they were very creative pictures that were cleverly directed and had generally impressive writing. Out of the five films mentioned above, THE EVIL DEAD is easily the most shocking and disturbing. We see a woman get raped by tress, hacked up limbs, and gore galore. Still, for those people with strong stomaches, THE EVIL DEAD is considered a classic and rightfully so. It contains all the key elements a well made horror flick should: a believable performance from the lead actor (Bruce Campbell), effective music, fantastic camera work, genuine suspense, and excellent (albeit dated) special effects. On the minor downside, the aforementioned tree rape scene goes a bit too far. Sam Raimi has said himself in interviews that he regrets the way he shot the scene and if he could go back and change it, he would. Too bad he didn't think about changing the scene earlier otherwise THE EVIL DEAD would be the perfect horror motion picture. As it is, I give it 9/10. Highly recommended for all horror fans.