Here we go, to that cabin in the woods

Rating: 8/10 (25 September 2005)

From such humble aspirations and low-rent resources, near-greatness is achieved. "The Evil Dead" takes its place alongside another seminal horror classic, "Night of the Living Dead"(68) as one of the most influential groundbreaking spikes of terror ever committed to film. With nearly no money, using 16mm film, Raimi and his crew devised a non-stop relentless barrage of horrific images and building dread. The film actually shows some influence by the afore-mentioned earlier film. It takes place in a very isolated location, a choice spot selected by the filmmakers. The setting manages to be very creepy from the outset, before anything even happens. I never really thought of the woods as creepy until I saw this pic. Well, maybe I did, but this is the picture that confirmed my fears.
There is a limited amount of characters, reflecting the tiny budget, including a very young Bruce Campbell, who's still very active as a 'B' movie actor. If you've never seen this film, your first thought is that the group of 5 young people, stuck in a cabin in the woods, will be attacked by exterior forces from outside. In one sense, some of this is the case, but the story amps up the horror when the threat manifests itself from within. The story just gets more and more ugly and disgusting, to the point where most viewers will be shaking their heads in disbelief near the end point. But it's not disbelief in the story - you have that sensibility going in - it's a difficulty in grasping the extent to which the filmmakers went to. What were they thinking? you might think to yourself; what a bunch of crazed lunatics. Some of the FX at the end, resembling limited stop-motion animation, may not look too impressive but, by that point, most viewers are already impressed.