Lower the budget, lose the comedy, add the gore, you have The Evil Dead

Rating: Null/10 (16 July 1999)

The first of this classic trilogy. To compare all three would be a mistake however. Whilst the plot and characters flow through the sequels, the tone of ED1 is quite unique.
Unlike 2 and 3, The Evil Dead 1 cares not for laughs, instead delivering a gritty, no budget, daringly crafted shock-fest. Shot on 16mm by a group of college kids, the direction and mood keeps you gripped in a way that modern horror rarely does. Sam Riami clearly thought hard about each and every sequence he shot - some work well, some less well, but his efforts overall pay off.
It's the kind of movie that will make your girlfriend do the old pillow over the eyes trick. Of course, you've seen it a thousand times before, so remember to casually laugh as she jumps at the scary bits.
Incidentally - this was the first movie to inspire a computer game - get out that old ZX Spectrum and kill some demonically possessed friends!