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The Evil Dead

  • 1981
  • NC-17
  • 1h 25m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
242K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,488
193
Bridget Hoffman in The Evil Dead (1981)
Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.
Play trailer1:28
7 Videos
99+ Photos
B-HorrorDark ComedySplatter HorrorSupernatural HorrorTeen HorrorHorror

Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.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
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    242K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,488
    193
    • Director
      • Sam Raimi
    • Writer
      • Sam Raimi
    • Stars
      • Bruce Campbell
      • Ellen Sandweiss
      • Richard DeManincor
    • 1KUser reviews
    • 232Critic reviews
    • 71Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 1 nomination total

    Videos7

    U.S. Version
    Trailer 1:28
    U.S. Version
    The Evil Dead
    Trailer 1:51
    The Evil Dead
    The Evil Dead
    Trailer 1:51
    The Evil Dead
    The Evil Dead
    Trailer 1:47
    The Evil Dead
    How "Carnival Row" Gets Lovecraft Right
    Clip 3:47
    How "Carnival Row" Gets Lovecraft Right
    The Evil Dead: Makeup
    Featurette 1:11
    The Evil Dead: Makeup
    The Evil Dead: Casting
    Featurette 1:42
    The Evil Dead: Casting

    Photos329

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    + 321
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    Top cast28

    Edit
    Bruce Campbell
    Bruce Campbell
    • Ashley 'Ash' J. Williams
    Ellen Sandweiss
    Ellen Sandweiss
    • Cheryl
    Richard DeManincor
    • Scott
    • (as Hal Delrich)
    Betsy Baker
    Betsy Baker
    • Linda
    Theresa Tilly
    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
    Ted Raimi
    • Fake Shemp
    Ivan Raimi
    Ivan Raimi
    • Fake Shemp
    Bill Vincent
    • Fake Shemp
    Mary Beth Tapert
    • Fake Shemp
    • Director
      • Sam Raimi
    • Writer
      • Sam Raimi
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The cabin used as the film's set was also lodging for the 13 crew members, with several people sleeping in the same room. Living conditions were terrible, and the crew frequently argued. The cabin didn't have plumbing, so the actors went days without showering, and fell ill frequently in the freezing weather. By the end of production, they were burning furniture to stay warm.
    • Goofs
      Characters' hairstyles, as well as the amount of blood on them, change drastically from shot to shot - a result of shooting the film sporadically over several years. Note that seconds after Ash is completely covered in Linda's blood, he is clean again.
    • Quotes

      [repeated line]

      Voice of Evil Force: Join us...

    • Crazy credits
      The swing music from the old Victrola in the cabin's cellar plays during the closing credits, only to wind down and grind to a stop leaving the sound of the wind to accompany the rest of the credits. The final sound heard as the closing credits end is the fly buzzing - the first sound heard in the opening of the film.
    • Alternate versions
      When originally released to theaters in Britain, the UK censors removed 49 seconds of footage including an ankle stabbing, Shelley chewing off her own hand, an eye gouging, Shelley's body being dismembered, body blows with a poker and a wooden post, and shots of blood spurts, and it was this version that was released on video originally. Despite the cuts, it became one of the most notorious of the UK video nasties and was subject to many obscenity trials before being withdrawn on video in 1984, when mandatory video censorship was introduced to the UK. It was not until 1990 that the film surfaced on video in the UK again, due to wrangles between the distributors and the BBFC over how much footage should be cut from a legal video release. In the end, a further 1m 6s was removed, in addition to the previous theatrical version cuts. Most of the scenes depicting excessive gore were shortened or removed, with the tree rape scene being particularly targeted for cuts. The fully uncut version was finally released on DVD in 2001.
    • Connections
      Edited into Bhayam (2007)
    • Soundtracks
      Word Back Here
      (uncredited)

      Written by Bruce Reynolds

      Performed by Theresa Tilly and Richard DeManincor

    User reviews1K

    Featured review
    7/10

    A Horrific Masterpiece

    Sam Raimi proved to the world that he could not only direct a movie but that he could create a product that was not only original but that could scare the hell out of you. Since the 1981 release, Bruce Campbell has found work on many film projects due to his break out performance in the Evil Dead. Raimi, has gone on to direct many films. Both have earned much of their career based on this little horror movie, that has been re-produced / recycled by thousands of "wanna-be" film makers world wide. This is not your typical "zombie" film, let alone your garden variety horror movie as well. The Evil Dead is one of those black comedies / horror movies that overwhelms the audience to either be scared out of their wits or won over by the movie's story and over the top characters. The Evil Dead is what most, if not all horror movies should be, very real and powerful.
    • caspian1978
    • Jan 12, 2005
    • Permalink

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    FAQ25

    • How long is The Evil Dead?Powered by Alexa
    • What is a Fake Shemp?
    • Where is the location of the cabin?
    • What are the differences between the old British BBFC 18 VHS and the Uncut Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 15, 1983 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El Despertar del Diablo
    • Filming locations
      • Marshall, Michigan, USA
    • Production company
      • Renaissance Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $350,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,400,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,895,590
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 25 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1(original ratio, open matte)

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