NECRONOMICONIFESTO

QUOTES REGARDING THE EVIL DEAD MOVIES:

"For me, the first film was frankly about learning how to act. I can watch the first Evil Dead from about halfway on without cringing....When Army of Darkness came around, we decided to make a different type of movie altogether and made an action-adventure picture with the same imbecile." (Axcess, April-May, 1996)

"...what character deserves to be left alone more at the end of the world than that idiot Ash?" (G.A.S.P., Summer 1993)

"Evil Dead II will always have a special place in my heart. It hit a weird connection between horror and comedy. It was really hard to do though. Army was hard too and was satisfying because of Sam, but there were more studio politics involved on that one." (AOL Interview, April 1994)

ON THE FANS:

"I spend most of my time on the Internet trying to convince people that I'm really me....So now I'll tell someone to quiz me. Ask me something you don't think I could or would know. Then I'll answer with such excruciating detail that they have to know it's me." (Axcess, April-May, 1996)

"I got an e-mail from someone who found an actual S-mart, somewhere in Texas. Supposedly, they'll give you the Army of Darkness tour of the store, including housewares and the area where they stock the shotguns." (Axcess, April-May, 1996)

"Never forget the power of the individual. Your comments DO matter and occasionally, your support makes a difference. I appreciate every letter I get, every call, every verbal reinforcement." (AOL Interview, April 1994)

Q: WILL THERE BE AN EVIL DEAD 4?

Q: THERE'S AN "EVIL DEAD 4" SCRIPT POSTED ON THE WEB. IS THIS OFFICIAL?

A: Absolutely not. It's "fan-fiction," which I cannot condone. It really isn't anyone's place other than ours to even think about making an Evil Dead. Besides, IT'S ILLEGAL! People should channel their creative energies into original stuff.

Q: YOU'RE WELL KNOWN FOR THE EVIL DEAD FILMS THAT YOU STARRED IN AND HELPED PRODUCE. THESE FILMS ARE VERY POPULAR WITH CERTAIN GROUPS OF FANS, AND NOT REALLY MAINSTREAM HITS. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE A BIG "CULT" FOLLOWING LIKE THIS?

A: I have made my living primarily on television in recent years. That is about as mainstream as you can get. As far as the "cult" thing goes, I appreciate the fans very much but I don't really think about the Evil Dead films much.

I will always think of them fondly in creative terms, but they are no longer responsible for the work I am currently getting.

Q: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO THE SUBJECT OF SUCH SPECIALIZED POPULARITY? IS IT A LITTLE KOOKY TO HAVE WEB SITES DEVOTED TO YOU AND YOUR WORK?

A: No, not at all. The freakshow that is called entertainment comes in many forms. Web sites are a logical extension of fandom...

Q: HAVE B HORROR TYPE FILMS ALWAYS BEEN A LOVE OF YOURS OR ARE THOSE TYPES OF FILMS JUST ANOTHER GIG FOR YOU?

A: I think it should be known that I never intended to be a horror/genre actor. I simply intended to be an actor. When we made the first Evil Dead, we had made the decision to shoot a horror film because at the time it was a very marketable and successful genre. Granted, because of the Evil Dead films, I ended up doing other genre pictures.

Now, I'm trying to do as many different types of roles and receive as much exposure as I can. Don't get me wrong, I will do another genre film as long as and only if it's a good script or has a really good role.

Q: IN LATER YEARS THE OUTPUT OF HORROR-DIRECTORS HAS BEEN SPARSE AT BEST, BUT WHEN YOU GOT STARTED HORROR MOVIES WERE BIG BOX-OFFICE AND VIDEO RENTAL SUCCESSES. DO YOU THINK HORROR MOVIES HAVE A FUTURE?

A: It's a cyclical thing. Horror movies haven't really gone away. If you think about it, the villains have changed. Now, they're tornadoes, alien ships, volcanoes, and the like.

People are getting the old edge-of-you-seat feeling from different movies now, you know the ones with the colossal effects. But stay tuned, horror will be back! I think "Scream" is a good example of this.

Q: DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A CULT ACTOR? WHY OR WHY NOT?

A: Not really. People tell me I have a "cult following," so I guess I have to take their word for it. Having worked consistently in the post-"Evil Dead" years, I think I'm past that.

Q. HOW TIRED ARE YOU OF HEARING ABOUT "EVIL DEAD" AND ASH, AND DO YOU FEEL THAT YOUR FANS SHOULD SEE YOU MORE AS A CHARACTER ACTOR THAN JUST A CHARACTER?

A. I prefer the term "actor." You have placed your own opinion on your question. I let my e-mail take the pulse of the folks out there. It's now pretty much split between Evil Dead, Brisco and Hercules/Xena and that sits very well with me - gotta keep 'em guessing.

Q. DOES IT BOTHER YOU IF THEY DON'T?

A. To those that don't, yeah it bugs me. It also is a frustration because there are so many channels to watch that a lot of the different things I've done simply have not been watched by folks - or the shows never make it out of our country.

Q. IN AN ANSWER TO A QUESTION SOMEONE ASKED YOU ON YOUR WEB-SITE, YOU SAY THAT "ASH IS AN IDIOT AND HE ASKS FOR EVERYTHING HE GETS." YOU ALSO SAY THAT ASH DESERVED TO BE LEFT ALONE AT THE OF THE WORLD. LATER, YOU SAY THAT "ASH WAS NO SMARTER THAN THE AVERAGE AUDIENCE MEMBER WAS." ARE YOU SAYING THAT ASH CHARACTERIZES YOUR FANS, AND THAT YOUR FANS DESERVE THE SAME FATE?

A. You're saying that, but okay, I'll run with it for a minute. I'm saying that Ash, whoever that is, was "the guy next door." He's no different than Joe Blow garage mechanic watching the film. Two things result: audiences can identify with him since he's not an ex-CIA, FBI, Special Forces or anything, and he suffers the tortures of the damned as a result...go figure...

Q. A LOT OF YOUR FILMS HAVE BEEN BASED ON SUPERNATURAL EVENTS AND STORY LINES. DO YOU YOURSELF BELIEVE IN THE SUPERNATURAL?

A. No, not in the basic sense. I'm far more interested in the "real guy" caught in a fantastic situation. You need to root the fantasy on something real.

Q. IF SO, HOW FAR DOES THAT BELIEF EXTEND?

A. Not far.

Q. HAVE YOU EVER HAD A SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCE YOURSELF? A. No, but I do believe in Metaphysics which I believe to be "natural" as opposed to "supernatural."

Q: THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN ASH AND THE DUDES FROM DOOM AND DUKE NUKEM 3D CANNOT BE MISTAKEN. WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT THIS?

A: What can I say? Maybe they're just cheese-balls who can't conceive of an original idea and feel compelled to rip off Ash. Imitation is indeed a form of flattery, but coming up with an original idea is even better.

Q: ARE YOU IN ANY WAY INVOLVED WITH OR ARE YOU EVER GOING TO WORK WITH SAM RAIMI AGAIN?

A: I would definitely want to work with Sam again, but we have both been pretty busy in different areas. We have always worked together indirectly. I acted in their shows "Hercules," "Xena," and "American Gothic," and I've directed two episodes of "Hercules."

Q: CAN LOYAL FANS EVER EXPECT A RETURN OF THE EVIL DEAD SERIES IN ANY SHAPE, FORM, OR FASHION? MAYBE AN "EVIL DEAD 2: SPECIAL EDITION," A LA LUCAS...)

A: I think not. Most of these "special edition" films were REALLY successful, mainstream projects. The ED flicks were popular, but not enough to warrant that kind of time and attention. Plus, a different distributor released each film, so the rights are a mess.

Q: NOW THAT THERE IS MORE COMPUTER GRAPHICS TODAY THEN THERE WAS WHEN THE EVIL DEAD TRILOGY WAS MADE, DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE COOL TO MAKE ANOTHER EVIL DEAD, OR TAKE THE FUN OUT OF IT?

A: We were always kind of proud that the films display so many different types of special effects. I'm sure we wouldn't mind incorporating the latest thing into some new film, but going back? Naaa -- been there, done that.

Q: WHEN YOU STARTED OUT, YOUR FIRST PROJECT WAS EVIL DEAD. WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE A HORROR FILM AS YOUR DEBUT?

A: We chose horror because in the late 70's, that genre was very popular, and we figured we could reduce the risk of losing our investors money if you picked one of the great industry "staples" -- horror.

In addition, horror flicks don't always demand name actors and the basic premise of "kids trapped in a remote cabin" wasn't that hard to pull off, economically speaking.

Q: DID YOU EXPECT THE EVIL DEAD TRILOGY TO BE AS POPULAR AS IT IS TODAY?

A: No, we only hoped that they would be successful enough to get our investors' money back. That way, we could make another film. We really just wanted to "go the distance" as Rocky would say.

Q: WHICH OF THE THREE EVIL DEAD FILMS DID YOU ENJOY DOING THE MOST? WHY?

A: Probably "Evil Dead II." It connected with audiences in a weird way and we were still able to make it in a very controlled atmosphere, relatively free from studio intervention.

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SCENE IN ED2?

A: Probably the same as everyone else's -- the possessed hand stuff...

Q: WHY ARE THE BEGINNINGS OF EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD II, AND ARMY OF DARKNESS EACH DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE BEFORE?

Well...it's like this:

When it came time to do ED2 (7 years later), we couldn't get the rights to the original footage from ED1 (to do re-cap stuff), and the original actors had all gone off to do other things. So, in our infinite wisdom, we decided to "lie" about how Ash got to the cabin and who he was with (i.e. just Linda).

This, indeed, confused a lot of people and caused them to think Ash was dumb enough to return to the cabin with another girlfriend (as well as fuel the useless debate that ED2 was really a "remake" and not a "sequel" -- pardon me while I fall aslezzzzzzzz). Granted, Ash IS dumb enough to return to the cabin, but that was not our original intent.

When AOD rolled along (5 years after ED2), we felt that the re-cap could again be "diddled" with, especially since Universal Studios wanted the film to "stand on its own," without any relation to the other sequels -- hence the different title (as opposed to ED3). This time around, Bridget Fonda expressed an interest in playing a small role in the film, so what are we gonna say -- "No?"

So, she became the new Linda and the audience (the ones who had been following along) became confused all over again!

Q: DO YOU MISS PLAYING ASH?

A: No. To be honest, I never really think about "him." I enjoyed playing the idiot and I always enjoy working with Sam Raimi, but I don't really need to reflect about the guy.

Q: WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST IN ASH'S CHARACTER?

A: That he was certainly no smarter than the average audience member was (that is not meant to be an insult, by the way), but that ultimately his shortcomings were made up by sheer determination. I also like the fact that he was not an ex-Navy Seal, CIA, FBI, etc.

Q: IT'S BEEN POINTED OUT THAT ASH IS SORT OF RAIMI'S (AND THE AUDIENCE'S) PUNCHING BAG. WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE THIS GUY GET BEAT UP?

A: Because he's basically an idiot, and he asks for everything he gets. Also, Ash represents everything that people would like to see happen to a "hero," but normally don't get to see. Studio films usually frown upon their heroes being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people.

Q: AS ASH, YOU WERE IMMORTALIZED AS A VINYL MODEL. WHAT'S IT LIKE TO HAVE A 12-INCH VERSION OF YOURSELF ADORNING BOOKSHELVES?

A: You'll have to ask him, he's in a box in the attic.

Q: IN MAKING THE EVIL DEAD, YOU, ROB, AND SAM EACH RANGED WELL BEYOND YOUR OFFICIAL ROLES AS STAR, PRODUCER, AND DIRECTOR, IN ORDER TO STRETCH LIMITED RESOURCES AND ENSURE COMPLETION OF THE MOVIE. WHAT DO YOU RECALL ABOUT YOUR EFFORTS FOR THE PRODUCTION, IN ADDITION TO PLAYING ASH?

A: As one of the Executive Producers, I was involved as a partner from the beginning and lasted through the four-year process. We all really had to "wear a lot of hats" on that film because our crew kept getting smaller and smaller.

I did my own "Foley" (recorded footsteps) for the film. I was the Music Editor, and Sam and I recorded a lot of the sound effects for the film. We also edited our own "trailer" (the theatrical Coming Attraction) for the film and came up with most of the initial advertising concepts ourselves.

Q: DID YOU THINK THAT EVIL DEAD WAS GOING TO BE A ONE-TIME THING AT FIRST? DID YOU EXPECT SEQUELS?

A: Basically, we never really thought about any sequels when we were shooting the first. Remember, technically speaking, Ash was killed off in part one, but big Box Office resurrected him!

Q: WHAT WERE YOU'RE THOUGHTS WHEN "EVIL DEAD" BECAME A SUCCESS? HERE YOU CAME RIGHT FROM SCHOOL, HAD LITTLE EXPERIENCE AND NOT THAT BIG A BUDGET, AND SUDDENLY YOU PLAYED THE MAIN CHARACTER IN THE MOST RENTED MOVIE IN ENGLAND IN 1983.

A: Well, we were cushioned a tad by the long process. From start to finish, that film took 4 years to make, so the success wasn't "over night." It took our investors about 6 years to "break even."

When it became a success, naturally we were all excited, and the fact that everyone was renting it in England really helped it get sold in the US. We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to Stephen King for his support of the film and a heck of a quote on the poster. This helped separate us from the pack.

Q: DID YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS PITCHING THE SECOND EVIL DEAD SCRIPT AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST FILM?

A: No. We actually needed to get back to doing a successful film again because our second film ("Crimewave") bombed horribly.

Q: WHEN DINO DELAURENTIIS PUT UP THE MONEY FOR "EVIL DEAD 2", WHERE YOU FORCED TO DOWN-SCALE BLOOD AND GORE FROM THE ORIGINAL MOVIE TO GET THE MOVIE BIGGER MASS-APPEAL (AND PERHAPS A BIT NICER RATING FROM THE MPAA)?

A: The fact that we had to downplay some of the gore had nothing to do with Dino DeLaurentiis. We did it so we could get that "R" rating. Ironically, even after filming a more "tame" film, it was still released "unrated."

Q. WOULD YOU EVER PLAY ASH AGAIN IF THE OPPORTUNITY CAME UP? HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF ANOTHER PERSON WAS OFFERED THE ROLE OF ASH OVER YOU?

A: Yes, I would play Ash, but only if Sam Raimi was director. As for someone else playing him, I pity the fool!

Q: IF YOU COULD REMAKE ED2 TOMORROW WITH A WORKABLE BUDGET, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENT OR WOULD YOU LEAVE THE FILM AS IT IS?

A: Leave it, baby, leave it -- why re-hash yesterday's celluloid? This "fiddling" business, in my opinion, is against the rules!

Q: IF THERE WAS ONE THING YOU COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENT IN ARMY OF DARKNESS, WHAT WOULD IT BE? WHY?

A: We wouldn't have let anyone change the ending. We also could have fought harder for the "original cut" of the film. I have to say, the problem with making what I would call a "dumbbell" film is that it is very hard to defend.

Q: I'VE HEARD THAT ARMY OF DARKNESS IS KNOWN IN JAPAN AS "CAPTAIN SUPERMARKET." WERE YOU AWARE OF THIS?

A: Yes, I know all about it. It's not uncommon for titles of movies to change when they enter foreign markets. A film we did called "Crimewave" is called "The Two Craziest Killers in the World" in Italy and "Death on the Grill" in France. Go figure.

Q: HOW WAS THE "ARMY OF DARKNESS" EXPERIENCE?

A: It was a very difficult, yet rewarding shoot. I'm proud of the work we did on that film. 103 days of grief, torment, and agony. There were, however, some politics at play on the studio level, which delayed the film, and it's always hard to get excited about that...I would like to clear something up, however. There are hundreds of rumors on the net about how I don't like this film, or how I don't like being associated with it. That's all a load of bull. I have no problem with the film, just the crap that surrounded it.

Q: WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO SEE YOUR ALTER EGO, ASH, APPEAR AS A COMIC CHARACTER IN DARK HORSE'S "ARMY OF DARKNESS" ADAPTATION?

A: It was a hoot. John Bolton is a master. I would like to have a few of those pages as pieces of art!

Q: WILL WE EVER SEE A DIRECTORS CUT OF ARMY OF DARKNESS WITH THE ORIGINAL "PLANET OF THE APES" ENDING THAT HAS YOU LOOKING UP AT BIG BEN IN A DEVASTATED LONDON?

A: Nope, not unless you get your hands on the Japanese laser disc or a bootleg copy -- the demand currently doesn't exist for it right now.

Q: WITH REGARD TO SAM RAIMI, I HEARD YOU TWO HAD A FALLING OUT. IS THAT TRUE?

A: How come I'm always the last one to know these things? No, Sam and I did not have a falling out, as some people have erroneously reported.

Q: IN "EVIL DEAD 2," WHEN ASH IS LISTENING FOR HIS HAND IN THE WALL, HE DOES THIS NEAT EAR TWITCH. CAN YOU REALLY DO THAT OR WAS THAT DONE WITH A STRING?

A: I can really do that. I'm highly trained.

Q: I KNOW THERE WERE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE THIRD INSTALLMENT OF THE "EVIL DEAD" TRILOGY. I. WERE YOU HAPPY WITH THE LAST MOVIE?

A: Pseudo. The studio made it into a different beast. Either way, though, to be fair, it was always going to be a dumbbell film.

Q: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN FRIENDS WITH SAM RAIMI, AND WHEN DID YOU GUYS START WORKING TOGETHER?

A: I met the poor sap in 1975 in drama class. His pantomime sucked and we became pals.

Q: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE TITLE, "ARMY OF DARKNESS," OVER "MEDIEVAL DEAD?"

A: The studio wanted to keep the name different than the other two films.

Q: DOES YOUR PERSONALITY REFLECT AS ASH?

A: Yep, on a really bad day.

Q: THERE WAS SO MUCH DARK HUMOR IN THE DEAD SERIES. WHOSE IDEA WAS THE "FAREWELL TO ARMS" THING?

A: I think that was the brainchild of the co-writer, Scott Spiegel.

Q: CONCERNING "ARMY OF DARKNESS," WHICH ENDING DID YOU PREFER? THE "S-MART" ENDING OR THE "I'VE-SLEPT-TOO-LONG" ENDING?

A: The "I've-slept-too-long" one. It's more appropriate for the idiot, Ash.

Q: DID YOU THINK UP ALL THE ONE-LINERS IN THE "EVIL DEAD" TRILOGY?

A: No, Sam Raimi really was behind most of the zingers, but we'd confer about a line or two.

Q: BRUCE, LAY THIS ONE ON ME. EXACTLY WHY AGAIN WAS ASH TEACHING THE MEDIEVAL DORKS HOW TO FIGHT WITH THEIR OWN WEAPONS WHEN HE WAS AN S-MART CLERK? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW.

A: Because he's the coolest guy on the planet, that's why. Lame speller, though.

Q: BRUCE, MY FAVORITE LINE IN ED2 IS WHEN YOU SAY, "NOW I GOT YA, SUCKER!" (REFERRING TO YOUR HAND). WHAT WAS YOURS?

A: "Swallow this!"

Q: IS IT TRUE SAM RAIMI ALMOST KILLED YOU WITH A MOTORCYCLE IN THE FIRST "EVIL DEAD?"

A: Yes, it was the last shot of the film and the camera was mounted on the front of it, and the maniac rammed me.

Q: BRUCE, WILL YOU BE RETURNING TO THE REALM OF LOW-BUDGET HORROR, NOW THAT YOU'VE GONE "LEGIT"?

A: It really, truly depends on the part. I have made no hard, fast rules about types of films.

Q: IN "ARMY" - THE SCENE WHERE THE SKELETON ARMY FINALLY BUSTS DOWN THE DOOR, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE SAYING "KILL THEIR CHILDREN FIRST!" WHAT ARE THEY ACTUALLY SAYING?

A: They aren't saying anything - they're skeletons...

Q: DOES THE CULT FOLLOWING OF EVIL DEAD SURPRISE YOU?

A: Not really - they are very extreme - things like that get noticed in our kooky society.

Q: IS IT TRUE THAT YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THE EUROPEAN ENDING OF ARMY AS THE REAL ONE?

A: False - that is the real one. These internet rumors are MADDENING!

Q: HOW DO YOU PSYCHE YOURSELF UP FOR SHOOTING INTENSE PHYSICAL ACTING LIKE IN EVIL DEAD 2?

A: Sam Raimi beats me with a stick...and I'm almost not kidding...

Q: I WAS JUST WONDERING WHY YOU PUT FREDDY'S GLOVE IN THE BASEMENT OF THE COTTAGE IN EVIL DEAD 2?

A: It's a long story - there is a history of secret "on camera" communication going between Sam and Wes Craven.

Q: IN "ARMY," WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO USE THE WORDS FROM, "THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL"?

A: Most likely Mr. Twisto - Sam Raimi.

Q: WHERE DID THE IDEA OF "EVIL DEAD" COME FROM?

A: Sam Raimi claims it was "One hot summer night in a dream."

Q: HAVE YOU KEPT ANY PRIZED PROPS FROM THOSE FLICKS?

A: No, I kinda want to move on when I finish stuff - my brother has the original ED shotgun.

Q: SOONER OR LATER, YOUR KIDS ARE GOING TO SEE THOSE VIOLENT PICTURES. HOW WILL YOU EXPLAIN YOURSELF TO THEM?

A: I won't. As soon as my kids are old enough to drive to the video store, there's nothing I can do.

Q: DO YOUR EVIL DEAD FANS THINK YOU'RE A SELLOUT DOING HERCULES AND XENA AND DISNEY FILMS?

A: Some, sure. They say I've gone soft. Sold out. Gone Hollywood. I tell them, "Get real, man." Why not be in something that more people will see? More people will see one episode of Hercules on one night than all of the Evil Dead movies in a theater combined. And you know, some of these movies are used as drinking games, which is a little -- that disturbs me a little bit. My character gets physically, really beaten up in these movies, and every time I get hit by a monster or something, they'll take a drink. They really get into it.

Q: How long did it take you to complete Evil Dead 1?

A: 4 STINKIN' LONG YEARS.

Q: WERE YOU JUST THE LEAST BIT FREAKED FILMING THE ORIGINAL EVIL DEAD OR WAS IT ALL JUST FUN...SEEMED LIKE IT WOULD BE SCARY JUST BEING ON THE SET.

A: It was all a bunch of baloney - Karo syrup for blood, etc.

Q: HOW MUCH PRACTICE DID THE SWORDPLAY IN AOD TAKE?

A: I practiced for about a month.

Q: I'VE HEARD YOU REFUSE TO SIGN COPIES OF THE ALTERNATE ENDING ARMY OF DARKNESS...WHY?

A: Because it was ripped off by some traitor in the post-production process.

Q: I HEARD EVIL DEAD I WAS ACTUALLY A COLLEGE PROJECT....IS THIS TRUE?

A: No - made for profit.

Q: DO YOU THINK THEY WILL MAKE A VIDEO GAME OUT OF THE EVIL DEAD SERIES?

A: They have - in England, many moons ago.

Q: WAS BRIDGET FONDA'S PART IN "ARMY" SUPPOSED TO BE BIGGER? IT SEEMED EDITED DOWN.

A: No, it was always small like that. She did it as a gag.

BC Quotes originally assembled by BC Gazette.