The Evil Dead (1981)

Director:

Sam Raimi

Writer:

Sam Raimi (written by)

Release Date:

24 April 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

They got up on the wrong side of the grave.

Plot:

Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.

Plot Keywords:

Woods | Evil | Cabin | Tape | Cabin In The Woods

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Bruce Campbell	...	Ashley 'Ash' J. Williams
Ellen Sandweiss	...	Cheryl
Richard DeManincor	...	Scott (as Hal Delrich)
Betsy Baker	...	Linda
Theresa Tilly	...	Shelly (as Sarah York)
Philip A. Gillis	...	Fake Shemp (as Phil Gillis)
Dorothy Tapert	...	Fake Shemp
Cheryl Guttridge	...	Fake Shemp
Barbara Carey	...	Fake Shemp
David Horton	...	Fake Shemp
Wendall Thomas	...	Fake Shemp
Don Long	...	Fake Shemp
Stu Smith	...	Fake Shemp
Kurt Rauf	...	Fake Shemp
Ted Raimi	...	Fake Shemp
Ivan Raimi	...	Fake Shemp
Bill Vincent	...	Fake Shemp
Mary Beth Tapert	...	Fake Shemp
Scott Spiegel	...	Fake Shemp
John Cameron	...	Fake Shemp
Joanne Kruse	...	Fake Shemp
Gwen Cochanski	...	Fake Shemp
Debie Jarczewski	...	Fake Shemp
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Dorian	...	Person on Recorder (voice) (uncredited)
Sam Raimi	...	Hitchhiking Fisherman / Evil Force (uncredited)
Robert G. Tapert	...	Local Yokel (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Raimi

Writing credits
Sam Raimi		(written by)

Produced by
Bruce Campbell	....	executive producer
Gary Holt	....	assistant producer
Sam Raimi	....	executive producer
Robert G. Tapert	....	executive producer (as Robert Tapert)
Robert G. Tapert	....	producer (as Robert Tapert)
Irvin Shapiro	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Joseph LoDuca		(music composed by) (as Joe Loduca)

Cinematography by
Tim Philo		(photography)

Film Editing by
Edna Ruth Paul

Makeup Department
Tom Sullivan	....	special makeup effects

Art Department
Steve Frankel	....	construction supervisor

Sound Department
Josh Becker	....	sound: second unit
Dolores Elliott	....	assistant sound editor
Jerrell Frederick	....	dialogue re-recording (as Jerry Frederick)
Lou Kleinman	....	dialogue editor
Joe Masefield	....	supervising sound editor
John Mason	....	location sound recording
Mel Zelniker	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Sam Raimi	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bart Pierce	....	photographic special effects
Alastor Arnold	....	digital intermediate remastering colorist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Josh Becker	....	lighting: second unit
Mike Ditz	....	still photographer
Tim Philo	....	lighting

Editorial Department
Joel Coen	....	assistant film editor
Chris Innis	....	16mm original negative restoration and conformation (2010 re-release)
Bob Murawski	....	16mm original negative restoration and conformation (2010 re-release)

Music Department
Joseph LoDuca	....	conductor (as Joe Loduca)
Ed Wolfrum	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
David Goodman	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Don Campbell	....	production assistant
Bridget Hoffman	....	photographic model (uncredited)

Thanks
John A. Gallagher	....	special thanks
Simon Nuchtern	....	with special thanks to
Sheila Roberts	....	with special thanks to
Carol Valenti	....	with special thanks to

Production Companies

• Renaissance Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• Favorit Video (????) (Hungary) (VHS)
• Palace Pictures (1982) (UK) (theatrical)
• Citadel Films (1983) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (1983) (France) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Ecran Distribución (1984) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Film 2 (1984) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Future Film (2003) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Japan Video Distribution (JVD) Co. Ltd. (2003) (Japan) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Nippon Herald Films (1985) (Japan) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (1997) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Big Sky Video (2002) (Australia) (DVD)
• CMV Laservision (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Congress Video Group (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Elite Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmways Home Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Future Film (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• HBO/Cannon Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Japan Video Distribution (JVD) Co. Ltd. (2000) (Japan) (DVD)
• Japan Video Distribution (JVD) Co. Ltd. (????) (Japan) (VHS)
• LW Editora (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Look Filmes (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Look Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Magnum Video (1984) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• Manga Films (2003) (Spain) (all media) (re-release)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2010) (Japan) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)
• SubTV (2005) (Finland) (TV)
• Sveriges Television (SVT) (2004) (Sweden) (TV)
• Video Screen (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Audiographics  music engineered at
• August Films  title design
• Dynamic Effects  optical negative
• J.G. Films  negative matching
• Sound One Corporation  post-production sound (as Sound One Corp.)

Also Known As:

"Book of the Dead" - USA (première title)
"Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead" - USA (complete title)
"The Evil Dead, the Ultimate Experience in Grueling Horror" - USA (closing credits title)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for substantial graphic horror violence and gore (rated 1994)

Runtime:

85 min | Germany:70 min (FSK 16 version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | DTS (re-mastered version)

Certification:

Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Québec) | France:12 | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:(Banned) | Ireland:(Banned) (original rating) | Ireland:18 (re-rating) | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 (DVD rating) (2004) | Portugal:M/16 (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/18 (original rating) | Singapore:(Banned) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 (re-rating) (1997) | USA:NC-17 (rated 1994) | Germany:BPjM Restricted | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1990) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2002) | USA:Not Rated (DVD rating) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Germany:16 (heavily cut) | Germany:Not Rated (SPIO/JK) (uncut) (2001) | UK:(Banned) (1984-1990) | UK:18 (re-rating: 1990) (cut) (re-rating: 2001) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating: 1982) (cut) | USA:R (edited UMD version) | Netherlands:16 | Germany:18 (re-rating) (1995) (court decision) (cut) | Argentina:16 | Canada:14A (rated 2006) | USA:X (original rating) | Chile:14 (2006 DVD Rating) | South Korea:18 | West Germany:(Banned) (1984) (uncut) | Sweden:15 (1988) (heavily cut) | Italy:VM14 | Canada:18A (Ontario) (Re-rated 2008) | Mexico:B

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Company:

Renaissance Pictures

Trivia:

A closet is opened and a T-shirt with the word "Tamakwa" is visible. Director Sam Raimi went to Camp Tamakwa as a child (see trivia for Indian Summer (1993)).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The large moon that looms over the cabin is an obvious projection. You can see a square outline around the moon which is lighter that the rest of the background.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Scotty:Hey, Ash, where are we?
Ash:Well we just crossed the Tennessee border...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Angry Video Game Nerd: The Wizard and Super Mario Bros 3 (#3.7)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Charleston

You don't need a big budget to make an accomplished film

Sam Raimi's feature length debut "The Evil Dead" is truly one of the greatest horror films of all time and the start of a magnificently entertaining trilogy of hilarity and some real scares. Made on a budget of only $375,000, the film is surprisingly accomplished on a technical level. The effects, although they do look fake by today's standards, hold up a lot better than you might have expected, and the stop motion sequence at the end, which looks a lot faker than anything else in the movie, was accomplished for its time and budget.

"The Evil Dead" is about a group of young adults who travel to a cabin in the woods and discover a 'book of the dead'. No prizes for guessing what happens next as each character is possessed (except for Ash) and disposed of via an intriguing variety of methods. Considering its budget, unknown director (at the time), and typical slasher plot "The Evil Dead" would almost certainly seem headed towards forgotten B-movie status, and yet it has stood the test of time and remains one of the most widely acclaimed horror films of all time. Why? It's simple. Although "The Evil Dead" is nowhere near as funny as its sequels, it's still a humorous self-satire while also being terrifying despite its age. This odd combination (only perfected in this film's sequels and "Creepshow") works because Raimi crafts a tense and moody environment, puts his characters in there, and then ruthlessly disposes of them, sometimes doing so several times for the same character. What's worse is that there's nowhere to go. Raimi creates a claustrophobic feeling in anyone watching, he wants you to think about being in a situation where you're trapped with nothing but death and destruction surrounding you. For most people, he probably succeeds. As far as acting goes, none of it is really very good but Bruce Campbell is instantly likable as Ash, who just has to be one of the most memorable horror film characters of all time.

Gory, desolate, hopeless, and still funny, "The Evil Dead" is a horror masterpiece that isn't quite the strongest entry in the series, but is shockingly accomplished and entertaining despite its low budget and inexperienced cast and crew. This is a film everyone must see, along with its sequels.

9/10