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The Evil Dead (1981)

NC-17 | | Horror | 15 April 1983 (USA)
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Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.

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3 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Ashley 'Ash' J. Williams
... Cheryl
Richard DeManincor ... Scott (as Hal Delrich)
... Linda
... 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
... Fake Shemp
See full cast »
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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. Written by Miss Murder

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

cult film | evil dead | necronomicon | supernatural rape | book of the dead | See All (269) »

Taglines:

They got up on the wrong side of the grave. See more »

Genres:

Horror

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for substantial graphic horror violence and gore | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

15 April 1983 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Book of the Dead  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (FSK 16)

Sound Mix:

| (re-mastered version)| (5.1)

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

After Scott says, "They know, they're not gonna let us go!" he screams higher than his normal voice register. This was actually Sam Raimi's voice meshed in with Scott's scream. See more »

Goofs

The giant piece of wood Ash is beating his girlfriend in the head with is obviously foam and actually breaks in half while he's doing it. You can see that he is desperately trying to hold it together. See more »

Quotes

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

Crazy Credits

The Evil Dead, the ultimate experience in gruelling horror, was filmed in Morristown, Tennessee, and in Detroit, U.S.A. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Crush (2001) See more »

Soundtracks

Charleston
(uncredited)
Music by James P. Johnson and lyrics by Cecil Mack
Performed by Traditional
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where does the Evil Dead musical fit in with all of this?
Q: What are the differences between the old British BBFC 18 VHS and the Uncut Version?
Q: What is a Fake Shemp?
See more »

User Reviews

An indisputable horror classic, still as fresh and frightening as the day it was made.
8 July 2002 | by – See all my reviews

Sam Raimi is currently getting a lot of attention and acclaim for directing the over-hyped blockbuster 'Spider-Man'. That movie has introduced him to mainstream filmgoers, no bad thing in itself, but to many of us Raimi is already a legend, because he created 'The Evil Dead', without a doubt one of the greatest horror movies of all time. Made on a shoe string budget as a labour of love, it still remains Raimi's best movie. He has subsequently worked on bigger projects with bigger names but it is arguable whether he has ever surpassed the invention, thrills, energy and sheer fun of this. And why Bruce Campbell never became a genuine movie star after his debut here, and not just a much loved cult figure, is a complete mystery to me. 'The Evil Dead' is a modern horror classic and absolutely ESSENTIAL viewing for any self-respecting movie buff! It doesn't get much better than this!
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