Not the "scare" so many claim it to be...

Rating: 6/10 (17 June 2003)

While I can see the entertainment value in Evil Dead, I find it laughable that anyone would refer to this movie as "scary"...especially in comparison to the Exorcist. I remember feeling more fear during the flying monkey scene of The Wizard of Oz than any moment of Evil Dead.
Now, don't get me wrong. There were some good points to this movie. For example, the camera shots with the "demons" chasing and following through the woods had its potential. Unfortunately, it was linked with a bad script and even worse acting. Sam Raimi did well with never actually showing the demon, but spoiled this with his cheesy not-so-special effects of the friends-turned-demons inside the cabin. It just didn't go over well.

I've heard the "it pokes fun at the genre, all the while taking itself seriously" argument. That doesn't fly well with me...at least not when so many try to claim this film is "scary". It simply isn't so. Had Sam Raimi consistently used the scare-by-imagination route, this film probably would have been a more successful scare. Unfortunately, this was not the case. It's as if Raimi couldn't decide what he wanted to do; and in the end, made an awful attempt at horror...even campy horror. Sure there was blood and guts. But to be successful, one has to actually *believe* that it is blood and guts we're seeing...not ketchup, corn syrup, or colored water. Oh, and let's not forget the squirting milk that seems to be the chemical make-up of the demons.
I understand this was made on a shoestring budget, but that doesn't mean it had to be horrible. It *is* possible to create a good scare with little money and, like I said, had Raimi continued the assault on our imaginations, the Evil Dead would have been more successful in the fear department.
Now, the negative aside, I can see why this movie has become a "cult classic". It *is* indicative of the horror genre of the time period and does have its moments of sheer fun. By no means would I recommend watching this if you're actually looking for a good scare. However, for entertainment, a hearty laugh, and some good fun the Evil Dead does deliver. You simply cannot watch this movie without a sense of humor.