By: Kyle Groulx
Its day two of our Top Ten Horror Movie Countdown and next up is the timeless classic “The Evil Dead."
The Evil Dead always stuck out to me as one of those movies I’d always enjoy. The movie was released in 1981, and to this day I still feel the same way. Written and directed by Sam Raimi, The Evil Dead is an American horror film that stars Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams.
The film focuses on five college students who travel to a remote cabin in the woods of Tennessee for a spring break vacation. Soon after the group arrives, they find the “Naturo Demonto”, an iteration of the book of the dead. The group also finds a tape recording with translated incantations from the book. After playing the incantations, the book releases evil spirits and demons that spend their time possessing and torturing our band of misfits throughout the rest of the film.
As a horror film, I believe this was one of the early greats. It had a darker sense of humor than many movies that came before it, and it executed the delivery of this humor perfectly. Ash Williams is a hero we can all root for, because he’s fighting to save his friends from an evil he can’t possibly understand. He tries his best to assess the situation, and most times it doesn’t work out in his favor. Its an interesting watch, and although the special effects are dated, any fan of the horror genre should find this a instant classic. If you have yet to see The Evil Dead, check it out.
I saw this movie when I was 9, and I’ll always remember the moment when Cheryl, Ash's Sister, comes face to face with “that” demonic tree. If you have yet to see the movie, this particular moment is not for the faint of heart.
There were two sequels made after the original The Evil Dead reached critical acclaim. The sequels were The Evil Dead 2 : Dead by Dawn, and Army of Darkness. In 2013, Fede Alvarez co-wrote and directed a remake of the original The Evil Dead which is a must see for any fans of the original, or fans of the horror movie genre in general.
All of us at Atomic Geekdom couldn’t be more excited for the month of October. Ghost Stories, Horror Movies, and Costumes! What's not to love? The Evil Dead sticks out to us as one of our favorites, what do you guys think? Would The Evil Dead have made your top ten horror film list?