Before going on to basically re-invent the superhero genre; and make it what it is today; by launching the immensely successful Spider-Man franchise, director Sam Raimi released the obscenely low-budget horror movie, The Evil Dead; a film that has generally stood the test of time, and still manages to resonate with the audiences of today, despite the fact that it was released nearly 30 years ago; way back in 1981.
The basic premise of the film is extremely simple; as it follows five teenagers, who decide to spend their vacation together, by renting a small cabin in the middle of nowhere, and have their plans for enjoying each others company, and having a peaceful getaway, ruined, when they find that they become trapped in the cabin, and begin to get hoarded by all manner of evil spirits.But it’s the teens themselves that provoke the spirits, as Ash (Bruce Campbell, My Name is Bruce), and Scott (Richard DeManincor), find a book in the cabin basement, along with a number of tape recordings; which they play; and find that not only is the book (known as The Book of the Dead) bound in human flesh, and written in blood, but that if the words written inside are spoken aloud, they will awake the viscous and powerful demons from the nearby woods; which is exactly what happens after they listen to the archeologist on the tapes read the ancient incantation aloud. Following that, viewers are treated to the usual horror fare; including half-dressed girls running through the woods on a dark and stormy night; amidst a backdrop of violence, fear, and possession; as the demons don’t simply spring to life with all the might and vigor of Ghost Rider style enemies, but take control of the elements, and the bodies of their victims, in order to torment, torture, and terrify, the appropriately edgy teens, who are obviously scared out of their minds.
However, unlike a number of other films in the genre, The Evil Dead doesn’t simply settle for slowly killing off each of the five travelers one-by-one; as even though the characters are predictably thick-headed and stupid, they remain believable in their panic, when trying to escape, find a reason to let their former friends live, or believe that they have somehow transformed back into their former selves; and keep the movie organic (as opposed to a series of death sketches, as many horrors become) as they bash each other about, seem to come back from the dead, and try to come to terms with their predicament.
And that organic feeling is a treatment to the work of Sam Raimi, who managed to create such a strong and long-standing horror is a testament to the work of Sam Raimi, who managed to create such a long standing horror movie with a basically non-existent budget (complete with stunning visual effects and make-up that obviously looks dated, somewhat comical to younger viewers seeing the film for the first time, and doesn’t hold up against the scrutiny available under high-definition, but is nevertheless impressive, and a mind-boggling achievement considering the picture’s budget), and using just about every horror cliche imaginable; something he manages to make a strength rather than a weakness; and still creating a truly immersive, organic picture, that’s genuinely frightening, and filled with all manner of gore, tension, and nastiness, from the beginning.
The nastiness is something that really sticks in the viewers minds; because it’s done on a level that is hard to match even today (because where else have you seen a tree rape an unsuspecting young girl?), and contains the graphic use of all sorts of weapons, and torturous fights, as well as showcasing the psychological terror induced by having your friends turn on you, hearing their maniacal, child-like, laughs, and feeling totally isolated; making it one of the best video nasties ever made, and a true testament to the horror genre, and the talents of Sam Raimi.
However, despite the brilliance of Raimi’s work, it’s impossible to watch The Evil Dead and not be drawn in by the power of Bruce Campbell’s performance; as he plays his role much more serious than the Ash he plays in both of the movie’s sequels, and is suitably worried and confused throughout (making him not only the most believable character in the film, but the only actor worth noting); a performance that led the way to making him a household name (and probably the world’s most note-able b-movie actor), and one that truly enhances Raimi’s seminal horror film, and makes it what it is; a film that still proves to be essential viewing for any real horror fan.
Picture:
Being nearly 30 years old, and having been produced for roughly the cost of a postage stamp, there was no way that The Evil Dead was ever going to look pristine, or hold up against the most lavish modern Blu-ray release; and it certainly shows both its age and budget; but is still, by far, the best the film has ever looked; as despite holding a fairly large amount of grain (which actually adds to its charm), and having far from the sharpest level of detail, it contains fairly deep black levels that are more than acceptable (and never swallow too much detail), solid contrast, and actually does a surprisingly respectable job of bringing all textures and details to life (especially considering that the movie was shot on 16mm film rather than higher quality 35mm).
Flesh tones are also accurate and lifelike throughout (obviously discounting the colouration after characters become possessed; as they don’t appear too healthy afterwards), and any noticeable print damages, transfer errors, or random issues, are extremely rare, and while there was inevitably going to be a handful of shots that look softer than others, there’s no denying that this is clearly the best that The Evil Dead has ever looked, and remains leaps and bounds ahead of the latest DVD transfer.
Audio:
Coming by way of a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD mix, the audio quality for The Evil Dead is also surprisingly high; as it contains plenty of environmental ambient noise (that does a good job of helping to draw listeners into the film; and freak them out; as it’s mostly naturalistic, and thoroughly engrossing), some decent elements of bass during some appropriate sections (although some effects that may have benefitted from some increased bass are sometimes left wanting), and perfectly reproduced dialogue throughout, that’s always clear and intelligible, and never gets drowned out by the eerie chaos contained within the cabin.
The mix does have it’s issues; as not only are some effects left lacking a little weight), but several others don’t sound completely natural; however it’s still a surprisingly clear, clean, and absorbing track that fills the space well, enhances the film, and is sure to impress all of the film’s fans.
Extras:
The Evil Dead comes to Blu-ray with a fairly hefty selections of special features, kicking off with an all new audio commentary that was recorded in late 2009, contains input from Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert (who worked on the picture as a producer), and Bruce Campbell, and is an excellent listen that’s sure to please fans, as it provides and interesting retrospective look at filmmaking in the ‘70s, the origins of the film, creating the make-up and gore, and the people that made the film possible; making it a real fan must.
There’s also an excellent documentary featurette (titled ‘One by One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead’); which covers everything from the making of The Evil Dead, to it’s effects, reception, and more; ‘Treasures From the Cutting Room Floor’; which is a rough collection alternate takes, and footage from the making of the movie; a look at how the film became a true horror classic, make-up and effects test footage, and footage of the cast giving away free copies of The Evil Dead on DVD at a screening of the film (which gets extremely tedious, very, very, fast), as well as a picture-in-picture option, and other featurettes; including a detailed and interesting cast interview.
For such a low budget film, that’s now just a shade under three decades old, to have such an array of extras, is extremely impressive, and a feat that shows not only how well it must have been made, but that it still works to reward its fans, and was made by a team that really care about the fate of the movie, look back upon it fondly, and do everything they can to ensure a solid release; something that is achieved here, as while several of the features are a little too lengthy or raw, and some are downright dull, there’s a plethora of knowledge to be consumed; ensuring that while there’s even something for casual viewers to appreciate, the long time fans won’t feel shorted; and will probably put up the extra cash for the new commentary track alone.
The Bottom Line:
While the make-up, and effects (which were actually pretty decent at the time of the original release), may seem comical to newcomers, The Evil Dead is, and will remain to be, a classic horror film that has a poor plot, average to questionable acting, and is basically one giant cliche, yet embraces all of its faults, turns them into strengths, and manages to still be a thoroughly engrossing, video nasty, with a huge amount of gore, and some disturbing scenes that are still shocking to this day.
And although the picture and audio quality might not be reference material, or comparable to the latest studio releases, it’s far superior than any previous release of the movie, and accompanied by a host of bonus content that provides just about every snippet of background information anyone could possible hope for, and shouldn’t fail to satisfy the appetites of even the most hardcore fans.
There’s little else to say about The Evil Dead, than the fact that it’s a truly classic horror film; one that truly is essential viewing for any real horror fan (despite the aging effects); and is not only a brilliant example of Sam Raimi’s work, and the film that launched the career of the world’s most recognizable b-movie actor, but one that is the perfect example of horror (exhibiting every genre-applicable cliche imaginable), and while it might not be quite as fear evoking now, as it was 30 years ago, it’s still eerie, engrossing, and excellent viewing.
