The Evil Dead

Rating: 8/10 (17 June 2005)

If you were looking for the best example in the "video nasty" market, or possibly the bloodiest movie ever made, look no further than this hilarious and over the top gore fest from director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man). Basically five friends, Ashley 'Ash' J. Williams (Bruce Campbell), his girlfriend Linda (Betsy Baker), his sister Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss), Scotty (Richard DeManincor, or Hal Delrich) and Shelly (Theresa Tilly, or Sarah York) have rented a cabin in the woods for a vacation. Soon after arriving they explore, and they find the Book of the Dead along with a tape recorder with a Professor reading the incantations from the book, and unknowingly they have released the Evil Dead. Cheryl is first to suffer the consequences when she is lured outside in the dark, and she is pinned down by the possessed trees of the forest to be brutally raped before managing to escape and get back inside. Then not long later, while playing with some cards, Cheryl turns her head to reveal herself as a possessed zombie like monster warning them they will all die, and stabbing Linda in the ankle with a pencil. The four friends manage to lock the now evil Cheryl in the cellar, but then Shelley is next to be turned when something smashes through the window and possesses her. After killing Shelley with an axe, Scotty and Ash think it is a good idea to leave, but Scotty returns with severe injuries that mean he will eventually die. Unfortunately for Ash he goes to check on Linda who has become possessed by the evil spirits, she does go back to normal for a moment, but quickly turns again, and trying to kill him he is forced to stab her with a dagger. Ash can't bring himself to cut up his girlfriend with a chainsaw, so he buries her corpse in the soil, and just a moment later she rises from the grave to try and kill him. After defeating the possessed Linda by decapitating her with a spade, he goes to the cellar to get a gun and shells, and after a quick scuffle with an escaped Cheryl he barricades the doors and windows. After getting more shells and having the pipes burst with blood, Ash has to contend with the now dead and possessed Scotty, who gets his eyes gouged out, and Cheryl comes in to beat him with a fire poker. Ash notices the Book of the Dead on the floor, and he manages to grab and throw it in the blazing flames in the fireplace. This causes the bodies to fall apart and decompose with mounds of flesh, pussy liquids and blood, leaving Ash as the lone survivor, but the film ends with something speeding at him and he screams in terror. Also starring Ted Raimi as Fake Shemp. Campbell makes good as the one who endures all the violence, and the giggly creatures go overboard with their torturous intent, it is both violent and funny at the same. It should also be mentioned that the camera is surprisingly inventive as it weaves through the cabin and woods, but everyone watching will lap up the high amount of blood and guts spewing, an essential horror (comedy). It was number 12 on The 100 Greatest Scary Moments. Very good!