The Evil Dead (1981)

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

Director:

Sam Raimi

Writer:

Sam Raimi

Stars:

Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Five college students take time off to spend a peaceful vacation in a remote cabin. A book and audio tape is discovered, and its evil is found to be powerful once the incantations are read out loud. The friends find themselves helpless to stop the evil as it takes them one by one, with only one survivor left with the evil dead and desperately tries to fight to live until morning.

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Plot Keywords:

cult film | evil dead | necronomicon | supernatural rape | book of the dead | 

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Taglines:

Can They Be Stopped?

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for substantial graphic horror violence and gore

Did You Know?

Trivia

Irvin Shapiro, the film's producer, was the one who helped sell the film and its eventual success. He mentored Sam Raimi on how to sell the film properly, as he was inexperienced as a filmmaker at the time and the only way the film could have been sold was through brochures (in multiple languages), press kits, etc. Once this was done, the film eventually found a distributor.

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Goofs

Linda's pendant changes from shot to shot as Ash gets ready to use the chainsaw.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

The opening credit for The Evil Dead shimmers like a ghost.

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Alternate Versions

The uncut UK and US Anchor Bay DVD releases in 2001 had a Dolby Digital 5.1 and a 6.1 DTS-ES remix. The image is also matted to 1.85:1 aspect ratio from the original 1.37:1 frame, by the request of 'Sam Raimi (I)'.

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Connections

Referenced in Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)

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Soundtracks

Old Baby Moses And The Thrillers Song
(uncredited)
Written by 'Baby Moses and the Thrillers'
Performed by Theresa Tilly and Richard DeManincor

User Reviews

My teenage self would have loved it. I didn't.

A group of friends spend the night in a cabin in the mountains

and it doesn't go well.

Starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker and Theresa Tilly.

Written and directed by Sam Raimi.

I think my age has a lot to answer for.

I'm guessing that if I'd watched this as a teenager I would have loved it or at least enjoyed it more than I did now as an old bloke. It definitely had lots of creepy moments and funny moments.

But from an old gits perspective I was actually a little bored watching this. I suppose when it was first released this movie would have been cutting edge and the ultimate horror flick. But I got that bored feeling in my stomach that I get when I'm reading a really boring book that I can't wait to finish so I can start the next one. It was all so repetitive. One demon possessed person attacks and then another and then another and then another. there was nothing new here and it's all been done before.

The acting was okay but a bit hammy and the special effects ( although probably brilliant in 1981) showed their age.

I'm giving it a 6/10 but my teenage self would have given it much more.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 April 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead

Filming Locations:

Michigan, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$350,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$2,400,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,955,571

Company Credits

Production Co:

Renaissance Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min 70 min (FSK 16)

Sound Mix:

Mono DTS (re-mastered version) Dolby (5.1)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1