The Evil Dead (1981)

Written by Axemaster on May 4 2011
Rating 9 out of 10

Director   -   Sam Raimi

Cast
Bruce Campbell    -    Ashley "Ash" J. Williams
Ellen Sandweiss    -    Cheryl
Hal Delrich           -     Scott
Betsy Baker          -     Linda
Theresa Tilly        -      Shelly




   Hey there all you Creepy Cabin Crawlers !! Axemasters back in the dungeon on this fine morning with a horror treat from the golden age of Gore !! The Evil Dead !!!

"Flossing really makes my gums bleed !!"

(work shed !) Way , way back , before Spider Man , before Hercules , before Xena . There was a group of friends with a dream ! A dream to scare the Bejesus out of people ! Sam Raimi , Bruce Campbell and Robert Tapert . They wrote the story , got the film financed and never gave up ! Its a simple story really , and has been redone countless times since in one way or another ,  here's the story line in a nut shell ......

   Its the weekend and five friends head up into the woods to spend a couple days of R&R time (not!!) away from the city ! They drive up into the hills , cross an old rickety bridge and head down a veritable cart path to get to the "Cabin" They've rented . (More like a shack !!) They pull up and everybody gets out of the car (ash mobile ! )
and scott goes to the front door to unlock it . The swing on the porch is swaying back and forth , banging into the wall all the time he is fumbling with the keys . The second he gets the door open , the swing ..... stops !! (Gulp!) This sets the mood for the events to come .

"7 , 8 , 9 , 10 !! Ready or not ! Here I Come !!"

   They go in , get unpacked and start to unwind . Cheryl , has a few moments and decides to do some sketching . While she's at it , she hears a strange voice saying ....... Join Us ...!!!!  (Double Gulp !!) . She loses control of her sketch hand , and starts scribbling and tearing up her sketch pad !! Hhmmmm . Reason to , Oh I don't know .... LEAVE  maybe !?? Apparently not ! (Sheesh !) She brushes it off , and heads to dinner with the rest of the gang . They sit down for dinner and as the conversation picks up , a trap door in the living room ...... Blows Open !!! (Triple Gulp and more reason to Leave !!) . Of course , they don't leave ...... they investigate !! (Jinkies !) Scott takes a flash light into the gloom of the fruit cellar and disappears for a while . Spurred on by Betsy , Cheryl and Shelly , Ash (who's kind of a pansy at the start really ) goes down to look for Scott ! Scott scares the hell out of him , and shows him some stuff he's found . An old reel to reel Panasonic tape deck , (if you remember these , then you're as vintage as I am and this flick is !!) A single barrel shot gun , and a n eerie old book , bound in some Rude Ass looking leather (Hhmmm !) The two dudes take this weird booty back upstairs to share it with the girls !

"Linda your such a Cut Up !!"

   They all gather around later , and press play on the tape machine . This is when we find out that the last tenant was a professor , who was studying ..... Candarian Demons !!
Okay , if thats not reason to leave ... then we have a Horror Movie ! The prof starts to recite some creepy lines and incantations ..... Conda Conda.......... and that when A window blows inward !! Needless to say , an unspeakable Evil is unleashed upon our hapless gang of granola munchers ! And a battle ensues against the forces of darkness and sorrow , of such Epic proportions , that it spilled over into two sequels !! ( and god willing ... a forth ! Although Bruce's famous chin is in competition with his other chins these days !!)
   Now bare in mind . When The Evil Dead came out , this was one scary film . People have become far harder to scare nowadays ! I have one friend who was about 16 years old when he saw it at the show (back in the days when sneaking underage was an art form !)  . He said it freaked him out so bad , he walked alone , looking over his shoulder every couple of seconds , hurrying along the dark and windy streets to get home ! The film is chocked full of blood and guts with a vintage , No CGI look that true horror fans will love ! Its a wild ride and weather it scares you or not , is still great to watch on a dark windy night (in a cabin in the woods perhaps ! Yikes !)

"Dam Nose Bleeds driving me Nuts !!"

  As always Horror hounds I leave the final decision up to you .
Watch and enjoy .

      And Remember .......... if you come across an old reel to reel Panasonic tape deck down in a creepy fruit cellar ..............


                                  DON"T .......... hit play !!