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Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Hal Delrich, Sarah York ... see more see more... , Theodore Raimi , Ivan Raimi , Sam Raimi , Scott Spiegel , John Cameron , Richard DeManincor , Theresa Tilly , Bob Dorian , Robert G. Tapert

This auspicious feature debut from Sam Raimi -- shot on 16mm in the woods of Tennesse for around $350,000 -- secured the young director's cult status as a creative force to be reckoned with. The nomin... read more read more...al plot involves five vacationing college kids -- Ash (Bruce Campbell), his girlfriend Linda (Betsy Baker), and their classmates Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss), Scott (Hal Delrich) and Shelly (Sarah York) -- making an unplanned stopover in an abandoned mountain cabin surrounded by impenetrable woods. Before settling in for the night, they come across an ancient-looking occult tome filled with dense hieroglyphics and macabre illustrations, a dagger fashioned from human bones, and a reel-to-reel tape recorder. The taped message, dictated by a professor of archaeology, describes the contents of the Sumerian "Book of the Dead," filled with incantations used to bring otherworldly demons to life, giving them license to possess the living. The message goes on to explain that those possessed by these demons can only be stopped by total bodily dismemberment. When played among the group later that evening, the professor's recorded translations of the ritual chants traumatize the strangely prescient Shelly ... and simultaneously release an ominous presence from the depths of the forest. The evil spirits take to their dirty work with gusto, first assuming control of Shelly and transforming her into a cackling, murderous hag with superhuman strength; the others imprison her in the fruit cellar and chain the trapdoor shut. The spirits then begin to possess the other women, including Linda -- who immediately turns on Ash with a barrage of punches and sadistic taunts. Unable to bring himself to chop up his lover's corpse, Ash gives her a more customary burial in the woods -- which proves to be a big mistake. As the others succumb to demonic influence, Ash's horrific predicament becomes increasingly grim until, when all hope seems lost, he stumbles upon a final, desperate solution to the ghoulish onslaught ... well, maybe not. Despite the shoestring production values, Raimi has fashioned a tight, lightning-paced fever dream of a movie, filled with operatic overacting and outrageously gory effects that give the project a comic-book feel. Based on an earlier 8mm short titled Within the Woods, this feature version was fraught with distribution difficulties before finding its first audience overseas. After considerable word of mouth (and a glowing endorsement from horror author Stephen King), the film became a hit on home video, where it achieved further notoriety thanks to its highly-publicized banning in Britain amid the notorious "Video Nasties" censorship campaign. Raimi, along with producer Robert Tapert, writer Scott Spiegel and much of the same crew, cranked up the story's comic aspects several dozen notches for the rollicking semi-remake, Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

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81% liked it

170,269 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

47 critics

R, 1 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Release Date: October 15, 1981

Keywords: cult, horror, scary, budget, zombie

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DVD Release Date: January 19, 1999

Stats: 10,020 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (10,020)

  • itsjustme2004
    May 27, 2012
    itsjustme2004
    I am rating this movie for when I saw it in 1981. I just watched this again. If this was my first time I would have probably hated it...BUT. I know that back in 1981, this movie was awesome!! Crazy. Funny. Scary (yes, I was scared). This definitely has to be viewed now as a movie... read more to just have fun with, and realize that it was some crazy, crazy, crazy stuff in 1981....
  • Deano78
    March 31, 2012
    Deano78
    A very good horror film for its time and easy to see why it became a cult film. It's very creepy and despite the low budget and simple plot is quite entertaining. The horror effects do look very poor and dated now, making it more funny than scary. The camera work is very good and... read more adds a great deal to the atmosphere of the film. Just would have been a bit better if it had more plot depth to it and the acting is far from great.
  • fb100002384654145
    October 31, 2011
    fb100002384654145
    Sam Raimi's theatrical debut delivers a wildly original film that gives the right amount of gore, horror, suspense, and comedy. One moment, you'll be laughing and the next moment you'll be screaming in horror. The cinematography is kinetic and wild, giving a sense of craziness,... read more like one is losing their mind. The music and the home-made look of the cabin setting give a true sense of dread. The movie does use gore, a lot of gore, but it never gets to the point were it feels excessive. The cast serves their purpose although B-movie King Bruce Campbell stands out among the rest. Campbell gives a nice amount of charisma while still coming off as believable. Considering the films low budget, it is hard not to appreciate it. The Evil Dead shows that creativity and inspiration can transcend a low budget.
  • fb733768972
    October 26, 2011
    fb733768972
    The Evil Dead is one of the scariest films I have ever seen in my life. Definitely my choice for best horror of all time. It delivers on it's gruesome and disturbing chills throughout. I found myself covering my eyes at scenes, which I have never once done in a film before. From ... read morethe gory realism, to the formalistic over-the-top chase sequences, to the cheesy but awesome dialogue, to the terrifying creatures, "The Evil Dead" stands alone in it's genre. I loved this movie from start to finish, and it is a movie that I will never forget!
  • fb1712996683
    October 22, 2011
    fb1712996683
    The movie may be a little cheesy but its old filming makes it extremly creepy and thrilling. It also has hints of humor when the main character gets drenched in blood (Which happens about 10 times.) There is always something happening when you think everything has calmed down, so... read more don't even think about getting off the edge of your seat. The ending is a humongous cliff hanger on what happens in the second.
  • Stickykk
    September 1, 2011
    Stickykk
    Grade: A- (91%)

    "The Evil Dead" might be one of the most weirdest/goriest/sickening movies I have ever seen in my life. There is a whole lot of gore in this film that probably defines "excess gore" in film making. It might be one of the weirdest films just due to one scene wit... read moreh a character and tree branches (people who have seen the movie will completely understand).

    "The Evil Dead" follows a group of friends who decide to spent a weekend in an old cabin in the middle of the woods away from civilization. Some of you can probably see what is about to unfold. A floor door opens all of the sudden and they find a book covered in human skin that will soon be called "The Book of the Dead" by a tape recorder. But when the tape speaks a magical spell from the book, the group begin to be infected and turned into zombies. Then a gore fest occurs for the rest of the film. Whatever you can think of, most of it will be in this film. Whether it's gouging out eyes or dismembering zombies, you will find it in this film. The film is disgusting but funny as well. The extremely violent executions are disturbing as well as funny to watch.

    The movie can be quite eerie at times. One scene is just the main character beating the crap out of the zombie while it just giggles and laughs for no apparent reason.

    With all this you are probably asking yourself if this is a good movie? Well even though I can't fully explain why, "The Evil Dead" is a great movie. Not for one second was I not entertained by this horror flick. Once the zombies come, this becomes a nonstop thrill ride that will shake you and make you sick to your stomach and in the end you'll be asking to watch the sequels.

    Saying that this is not a movie for everyone is a huge understatement. "The Evil Dead" requires a really strong stomach to watch through it fully. This is not a movie for anyone under the age of 13. This is a film that could make you sick by the gallons of zombie gore. Hell, even the non-gory scenes will disgust you; it gets that heavy.

    With all this "criticism" on the gore, "The Evil Dead" is a great movie to watch. Its fun, sometimes laughable and always disgusting. If you are a true horror fan, you should watch this film the next chance you get. Just make sure you have a bucket as a precaution, you never know.
  • deano
    August 11, 2011
    deano
    Director Sam Raimi's cult-classic and low-budget zombie flick is good and scary. His camera work is truly masterful. By using fast camera work and aggressive shots, Raimi has created an eerie world that is sometimes hard to look at but too entertaining to turn away from. His styl... read moree from behind the camera is absolutely unmistakable.
    The special effects are as laughable as they were in the rest of the series, but there's something to be said for a film that takes its chances and goes to the extreme in lieu of lacking resources.
    The acting is terrible, but again in that way that it's so obviously bad that it's hard to tell were the actors just plain bad or were they doing that deliberately to serve the purpose of mocking the genre. Bruce Campbell's introduction into the world of abused heroes is interesting since his character is actually less of a chauvinist in this one than he ultimately became famous for. But it works, and the horror on his face when his friend has no reservations about chopping up his possessed girlfriend is actually believable.
  • CreedsDelight
    August 8, 2011
    CreedsDelight
    Sam Raimi appears early in the film as the fisherman, keep your eyes out!
  • sergioogarcia
    June 23, 2011
    sergioogarcia
    I keep a very vivid image of a demon flying around the living room and counting cards. I was 8 years old. Thanks cousins!
  • stevenecarrier
    April 24, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    There is a very specific audience for "The Evil Dead" and I am certainly not it. While I completely understand the appeal of Sam Raimi's gross out opus, I couldn't find it any more unlikable- and I've had to sit through it twice. "The Evil Dead," and it's equally obnoxious sequel... read mores, are beloved films, there is no disputing that, so I won't bother with a full fledged deconstruction, but I will say this, I have never seen a nastier, noisier, numbskull of a horror picture. Yuck!

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Critic Reviews

Pat Graham
September 24, 2007
Pat Graham, Chicago Reader

Sam Raimi directed this 1983 horror feature fresh out of film school, and his anything-for-an-effect enthusiasm pays off in lots of formally inventive bits. Full Review

Variety Staff
September 24, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

While injecting considerable black humor, neophyte Detroit-based writer-director Sam Raimi maintains suspense and a nightmarish mood in between the showy outbursts of special effects gore and graphic ... Full Review

James Berardinelli
October 15, 1981
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

To say that the Evil Dead movies are not for everyone is an understatement. A strong stomach is required. Full Review

Rob Humanick
May 27, 2011
Rob Humanick, Projection Booth

It's Raimi's keen eye (and ear) for audiovisual intoxication that makes this creeper a home run. Full Review

Scott Weinberg
January 9, 2011
Scott Weinberg, FEARnet

Everyone tries to make a horror flick this way. Few succeed like Raimi did. Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.
May 27, 2010
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed

In the league of "Night of the Living Dead" and "Jaws" where it continues to be immortal and outlive other horror classics in the face of changing movie going sentiment... Full Review

Nick Schager
March 25, 2010
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

No serious subtext to be found here, just vigorous love and respect for the simultaneous horror and humor inherent to the genre. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
July 5, 2009
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

An inspired gross-out horror pic. Full Review

Lucius Gore
June 20, 2008
Lucius Gore, ESplatter

No, they don't make 'em like this anymore, folks. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
December 20, 2007
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Director Sam Raimi attacks the movie with a brutal kind of kinetic creativity, moving the camera in truly unique patterns. Full Review

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    • Person on recorder: I have seen the dark shadows moving in the woods and I have no doubt that whatever I have resurrected through this book is sure to come crawling... for me.
    • Linda: We're going to get you. We're going to get you. Not another peep. Time to go to sleep.
    • Linda: We're going to get you. We're going to get you. Not another peep. Time to go to sleep.
    • Scott: An animal? An animal? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
    • Scott: It's the trees, Ash. They know. Don't you see, Ash? The trees are alive!
    • Shelly: (about Cheryl) Why does she keep making those horrible noises?
    • Ashley "Ash" J. Williams: I don't know!
    • Shelly: Look at her eyes. Look at her eyes! For Gods, sake what happened to her eyes?!
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The Evil Dead Trivia

  • What Wes Craven classic horror film had a poster in the basement of the creepy old cabin in Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead"?  Answer »
  • Name the movie from this antonym. The Good Alive   Answer »
  • Which cult film did the legendary George A. Romero NOT direct?  Answer »
  • Before making the Spiderman movies, Sam Raimi was best known for making what B-horror movie cult classic?  Answer »
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