 The
Evil Dead films are some of the most popular horror films of all time. All
three were directed by Sam Raimi, whose credits include Darkman, A Simple
Plan and the upcoming Spider-Man. The Evil Dead story begins in 1978 when
Raimi and his high school buddies produced Within the Woods, a short
horror film. Sam wrote the script and raised $1,600 with the help of Bruce
Campbell and Rob Tapert. The trio used the 30-minute splatter film to
raise money for a full-length feature. In 1979, after raising nearly
$90,000, Sam shot The Evil Dead with a cast and crew of 37 people. The
main location was an abandoned cabin in the mountains near Morristown,
Tennessee. The Evil Dead lived up to its billing as "The Ultimate
Experience in Grueling Horror": it featured beheadings, dismemberment and
lots of squirting bodily fluids. The film opened to mediocre success in
the US, but it was a huge hit in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Over the next few years, The Evil Dead became successful enough as
a underground hit to warrant a sequel. In 1986 Raimi and his friends
reunited to make Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn. The film featured the return
of Bruce Campbell as "Ash" and featured a fresh batch of victi--I mean,
actors. Being a big fan of the Three Stooges, Sam threw in some slapstick
along with the usual gore. The film became less scary than its
predecessor, but more entertaining. In the film's most famous scene, Ash's
hand is possessed by evil, and after it gives him a brutal beating he's
forced to saw it off with a chainsaw.
Six years later, Raimi and
the Evil Dead crew decided to finish the trilogy with a third installment.
Entitled Army of Darkness, the film picks up right where Evil Dead 2 left
off, with Ash landing in a medieval kingdom. More a swashbuckling action
comedy than a horror film, Army of Darkness is best known for Ash's
memorable lines such as "Hail to the king, baby," and "Give me some sugar,
baby." For more information about the Evil Dead trilogy, click on the
links below. |
