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:

Bruce Campbell twisted his ankle on a root while running down a steep hill, and Sam Raimi and Robert G. Tapert decided to tease him by poking his injury with sticks, thus causing Campbell to have an obvious limp in some scenes.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Scotty is fighting with Shelly in front of the fireplace, Shelly is holding the Kandarian Dagger, however, when the shot cuts to Scotty trying to get his buck knife out of the sheath, you can see the Kandarian Dagger lying on the floor on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Re-Animator (#3.22)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Charleston

Interestingly good...

For a film that was made on a budget that would make Steven Spielberg die laughing, "Evil Dead" was one for the most interesting pieces of horror cinema I've ever seen. I watched the series backwards, so "Army of Darkness" was the film I saw first, then "Evil Dead II." While "Evil Dead II" is probably still my favorite, it was interesting to see where it all started.

The camera work is incredibly good, and the fast motion sequences showing the demon's approach was pretty well done, if not completely original. Though also interesting, and kinda funny to note is that we see the characters running away, but when the camera switches away from the demon's view, we don't see the demon, and that seems like a touch of genius...we know it's there, but we can't see it, and while it probably was a limitation of the budget, it actually proved to be a great method of suspense.

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. People complain about this a lot, but I have to say to them "get a sense of humor." The whole point of the "Evil Dead" series was to mock horror films and show how campy they were and that they could get even worse. It's humor is in that the film tries to take itself seriously, but the lack of a big budget makes this not only impossible, but even funny in spite of the fact that it could conceivable be a serious film.

The acting is also 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.

Overall, this movie is a great piece of cinema. It's humorous, but serious as well, and its greatest strength is its ability to draw the line between being part of the genre and mocking it. There are plenty of moments of original horror (I don't think anybody could keep their composure during the "Tree Rape" scene, which they repeated to lesser effect in "Evil Dead II," but let's face it that movie was supposed to be a rehash and extension). Give the film a chance and don't take it too seriously. Otherwise you're missing the point.