Stars: Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi
Director: Sam Raimi
Who says a weekend away to a cabin in the woods in relaxing…
Brief synopsis:
All Ash Williams wants is a quiet romantic weekend away at a cabin in the woods with his beloved girlfriend Linda. They arrive and he pops open the wine while she slips into something more comfortable. Linda discovers a reel-to-reel tape player in the bedroom and turns it on. It turns out that the tape is a recording from Professor Knowby, detailing his discovery of the Book of the Dead. Unfortunately, Professor Knowby decided to translate the pages, releasing soul possessing creatures onto Earth called deadites.
Spoilers below (you have been warned):
Linda is grabbed by the deadites in the woods and possessed. Ash finds her but is forced to behead his now deadite-possessed love. He buries her in the woods and attempts to escape but he is stopped when he discovers that the deadites have destroyed the only bridge out of the woods. He returns to the cabin after getting briefly possessed himself, only saved by the sun. Eventually, night returns and he is forced to battle the demonic forces again. Linda returns to bite his hand. He uses a chainsaw to destroy her body and head. The hand becomes possessed and Ash is forced to saw off his own hand. The demons then possess the house and try to drive Ash crazy.
Meanwhile Professor Knowby’s daughter and her boyfriend are on the way to the cabin with the missing pages of the Book of the Dead. Annie and Ed discover the destroyed bridge and trick two hicks, Jake and Bobby Jo into carrying their luggage and leading them on a trail to the cabin. They arrive just as Ash hits full manic mode and accidentally shoots Bobby Jo in the arm. The new group throws the deranged man into the cellar while they try to figure out where Annie’s parents are. They play Professor Knowby’s tape and discover his wife was possessed by the demons and he locked her in the cellar, right where Ash is. They rescue him but everyone is slowly possessed or killed one by one by the deadites until it is just Annie and Ash left. Annie reads the first missing page, which makes the demons flesh. Then she reads the second passage to create a portal to another realm, banishing them demons there. Unfortunately, she is stabbed by Ash’s possessed hand and killed before she can close the portal and Ash is sucked into it with the deadites. He finds himself in Medieval times and screams in horror at this new reality.
My thoughts (with spoilers):
Ok, so this is not my most verbose review but that is because this film has to be seen to be appreciated. I could not even do justice to the many sight gags, surprises, fun lines and crazy effects with my writing. Some films are true visual feasts and this is definitely one of them. Sam Raimi knows how to use every inch of the frame, every drop of blood, every lighting setup in a way that is unusual, crazy, and completely captivating.
This is one of my favorite films of all time and, every time I watch it, I find something new I have missed or maybe just forgotten about. The original Evil Dead trilogy is interesting in that each film has their champions. It is all based on personal preference more than anything. If you are a fan of rough and tough horror, the original Evil Dead is for you. If you are more of a comedy person, check out Army of Darkness aka Evil Dead 3. Me, I love a good mix of the two and Evil Dead 2 is the perfect balance. There is enough horror to satisfy the horror geek in me while also giving me some true laugh out loud moments. Ash and his hand fighting, a real tour-de-force for Bruce Campbell, will always make me laugh. The acting is cringeworthy sometimes, but it strangely works for the low-budget film this is.
It is also a mix of a sequel and a remake. Due to licensing rights issues, they could not use any footage from the original film so Raimi decided to just cut out everyone but Ash and his girlfriend and create a new storyline. This gamble works because Evil Dead was an underground film that never saw wide distribution so most people probably had not seen it before the sequel was sent out to theaters. These were midnight movies with a decidedly small audience that became cult classics. Video stores helped give them more recognition but there would not be a wide release for an Evil Dead film until Army of Darkness a few years later.
Evil Dead 2 is a classic. It is perfect for a cool night with a fireplace, some Fireball, and great friends. Turn out the lights, have a few drinks, and go on a wild ride with the deadites.
More films from 1987 to check out:
The Stepfather – This film may be one of the reasons I never remarried after my husband passed. A young widow gets remarried to a man who only wants the perfect family. Too bad he will kill to make it happen. Terry O’Quinn is absolutely terrifying in the title role.
Raising Arizona – Nicolas Cage is an ex-con who marries cop Holly Hunter. When they discover they cannot get pregnant, he kidnaps one baby from a set of quintuplets to give his wife. May not sound like it but this is a fun film with lots of laughs from the Coen Brothers. Includes a great supporting role for John Goodman.
Hollywood Shuffle – Richard Townsend’s episodic film about the life of a young black actor in Hollywood. Fun skits with a meaningful message about typecasting. Includes early appearances from Damon Wayans and Keenan Ivory Wayans.