Sam Raimi's deal with The Devil.

Rating: Null/10 (7 November 2004)

Did Sam Raimi sold his soul in order to have a successful b-horror movie? Did The Devil asked for recognition and display of his power in order to give Raimi the winning formula?
The "Evil Dead" is not an easy watch. The movie starts like a standard early 80's slasher flick but after half an hour of it's running time it turns into a bizarre gore-fest.
Five friends (minimal stereotypes) rent a cheap cabin in the woods for some fun but suddenly, one by one they get possessed by an ancient evil spirit that rests in the woods. The plot sounds typical for the 80's horror but believe me, it's something you haven't seen! This movie is recognized internationally. I'm sure that the movie has been translated in many languages. Everyone knows about it. In my country, MÃ¨xico, the title translation is "The Devil's Awaken" or something like that. This is now more than an obscure cult classic, it's THE EVIL DEAD.
Adding the Necronomicon (Book of the Dead) into an early 80's slasher flick sounds a little pretentious but it isn't. It worked perfectly.
The idea was totally asked for. The whole demon possession is believable because of the Necronomicon idea. In my opinion, since the brilliant "Exorcist" (the first big budget movie about demon possession), none other movie has had the adequate treatment of the topic like "The Evil Dead". People that know a little of demon possession, evil incantations, treats with the devil (or selling your soul to him), and these kind of topics related to the occultism can tell that "The Evil Dead" is a movie that knows exactly what it's showing. The make-up (somehow related to "The Exorcist") is excellent. Descriptions about possessed people actually match with the characterization used in the movie. The voices, the wicked laughs, the goofy evil spirits, the supernatural physical strenght, and the behavior that the movie shows is a display of what happens in real life cases. I wonder if Raimi was into Satanic stuff...
Anyways, the weirdness of the situations combined with lots of gore makes this a unique cinematic experience. There are elements of horror from the 70's and the basic elements of the 80's all mixed up with Raimi's horror point of view. The black humor is present indirectly mainly because of the grotesque images that not everybody's imagination could craft. Still, there's nothing to laugh about if you're a die hard horror fan. If you want to laugh and watch an extremely gory film them watch the sequel to "The Evil Dead".
Bruce Campbell delivers a terrific performance under situations that you can't imagine. His face expressions, his yelling, and the torment expressed on his eyes, are the elements that make an unforgotten performance. The rest of the actors deliver a decent performance mainly because their acting skills were not needed at all.
The scare factor is ALWAYS present through the movie and that's why it's difficult to label this as a straight horror movie or as a cheesy slasher flick. The tension is present in every scene and the usual but effective scenes that make you "jump out of your seat" work pretty good. The truth is that the movie works in EVERY field that the horror genre can offer. There's gore in huge amounts, there's tension, suspense, and the feeling of horror that not much films can offer.
"The Evil Dead" contributed with several scenes to the genre and nowadays are labeled as infamous. For example, the pencil stabbed in the ankle, the demon in the cellar, the demons mocking, the possessed people, and the creepy but effective "join us" voices. The possessed Linda still gives me the creeps. Because of these elements and more , "The Evil Dead" is a cult classic and an important and basic movie in the genre. I wouldn't match this movie with "The Exorcist" but I would match it in a special category, the "Evil Dead" category. The trilogy (1, 2, and Army of Darkness) is a key franchise in the genre and will always be a reference for ANY horror producer. This franchise stands alone and deserves a lot of respect for it's contributions to the genre and to the industry! The Devil hasn't been very accepted in the genre but this time he looks "cool".
Anyone that has watched the movie MUST have an opinion about it; you either love it or hate it but if you're into the genre you will certainly have an objective review about it. I love this movie for what it is and I can say it changed my life and my point of view towards horror movies.
You need to watch the movie at least 2 times to understand and live to it's full this gory experience. It's a horror movie you will never forget and believe me, it will stay with you for a long, long time. The demonic images, sounds, violent images, and of course, Bruce Campbell will hunt you until you become a die hard fan of the movie. This is a fantastic horror movie with fantasy elements, disturbing elements, and the occasional correct use of gore. What else can you ask for?!
Watch it for a good scare and you will get MORE than you expect. Probably the best horror from the 80's, no kidding. Also, it's probably in the top 10 of the best horror movies of all time.
10/10. It's contribution to the genre raises it's perfect grade. A MUST HAVE FOR ANY HORROR FAN!!!