♆♆♆- I have already seen this movie.

The classic of camp, Sam Raimi’s prized possession, The Evil Dead kicked off this year’s Halloween MASSACRE MARATHON trilogy! That’s right! I am not only reviewing the masterpiece that launched Raimi’s career, I’m taking on both sequels that followed! First, I would like to thank everyone that stopped by this season, whether it was for one review or you’ve been following my whole horrific journey this past month. I’m obviously not making any money from this, I’m not promoting for some company, I’m doing the MASSACRE MARATHON for myself and for my readers! It’s great fun to have a whole month dedicated to my favorite genre of film, but it is also hard work writing reviews for every day in October. I am proud to announce this year is the first year I have successfully written a review for every day and every movie in the MASSACRE MARATHON and let me tell you it feels great looking at that calender and seeing every single DAMN DAY highlighted! Now, without further ado…

The Evil Dead stars Bruce Campbell in his breakout role as Ash, Deadite slayer. Of course, he wasn’t always an expert in killing the damned. This is the story of how the legend came to be. Five friends journey deep into the woods on spring vacation. When they reach their destination, a small, deserted cabin in the middle of nowhere, they find an old book made of human flesh and blood and a voice recorder containing an archaeologist’s notes.

The group listens to the recording, inadvertently unleashing the evil souls from the ghastly book of the dead, the Necronomicon. One by one, the characters fall prey to the spirits by form of possession. At first, Ash is hesitant on battling his demon-hosting friends, but soon learns it’s the only way to stop the madness.

Let me start off by saying this is my favorite entry in the franchise. The other two movies were cool, but this was definitely a notch above the others. Like with most sequels, it is hard to recapture the special magic of the first installment. Also, The Evil Dead was by far the all-around scariest film in the series. There are many techniques used in the film that made this so.

The actual demonic spirits of the Necronomicon are never shown on-screen, leaving it up to the viewer’s imagination. Instead, they are represented by showing the audience the world through their eyes. Basically, it’s a camera rocketing through the woods and into the cabin. Though simple, I find this one of my most beloved aspects of The Evil Dead.

Another thing I enjoyed was how crazily fierce and frightening the possessed were. The first time I laid eyes on the original cellar Deadite invoked true horror in me. For a dirt-cheap budget, the effects in this movie are top-notch (at least for 1981) and still scare to this day. Their slowly morphing, fiendish faces and supernatural screams will forever be burned into my memory.

The Evil Dead is considered by many to be the definition of campiness and the example of a cult classic. The trilogy has spawned comic series, video games, and even a musical. Bruce Campbell is a regular favorite at conventions signing autographs and still works alongside Sam Raimi in his films to this day. If you want a lesson in classic horror, look no further than Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead. It’s guaranteed to show you a good time!

★★★★★

5 disturbingly diabolical Deadites out of 5

Part 2: Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn

Part 3: Army of Darkness