The Evil Dead (1981 Original film)

We can't bury Shelly.  Sh-she's a friend of ours. - Ash

When the remake to this film came out earlier this year, one of my friends suggested I do an article comparing the two versions.  The idea intrigued me, but I never got a chance to see the remake in the theater, so the idea never came to fruition... until now, that is.

So, a little of my own personal history with this film.  My first experience with it was actually from its second sequel, Army of Darkness.  I'd seen the second movie's box at the video store (with its cool-looking skull with eyes), even saw a clip from the second movie on Shadow Theatre with Robert Englund, but it wasn't until later on that I realized Army of Darkness was any relation to Evil Dead.  I finally got to see the movie after receiving it for Christmas several years ago.  So, my thoughts on it?  After the summary, of course!

The movie starts with five friends (Ash, Scotty, Linda, Shelly and Cheryl) traveling across the Tennessee border to a small cabin out in the woods (Ash and Linda are a couple, as are Soccy and Shelly, and Cheryl is Ash's sister).  After a close call with a road-hogging truck, followed by another at the rickety bridge, the fivesome finally arrive.  After an initially spooky incident Cheryl has with some automatic drawing, everything seems fine in the cabin... until a strange book and tape player are found.  All hell soon breaks loose... quite literally!

When I first saw this film, it had a major effect on me... it scared me silly!  What's more, right after seeing it, I had to go get something out of the car afterwards, a task I did not look forward to, considering how late it was (after midnight).  The visuals in the film are really effective, especially the slightly overhead shot following the car near the beginning... it's one long tracking shot following them to the cabin and as it draws closer, the sound of the porch swing hitting the wall gets steadily louder and louder.  It's a good setup for the atmosphere and mood to come.

Some differences between The Evil Dead and its sequels; for one thing, the tone.  Barring a few scenes near the beginning, this film is most definitely NOT a comedy.  It's gory, scary, nasty and it will make you uneasy.  Second, the evil book that starts the activity isn't called the Necronomicon here, it's called the Naturum De Montum.  It is the same book, however, some of the interior artwork matches glimpses of the Necronomicon shown at the beginning of Army of Darkness.  Finally, Ash here isn't as he is in later films.  It works, though, as the film shows his start into the realm of badassery.

Ash is, as always, played by the great Bruce Campbell.  One of my favorite actors, he also has parts in the first three Spider-Man films, the second Waxwork, and Oz, the Great and Powerful.  He also played the Surgeon General of Beverly Hills in Escape from L.A.  Ellen Sandweiss played Cheryl pretty well here.  Before this, she played Ellen in 1978's Within the Woods, a prototype of Evil Dead that was filmed to drum up investors for this film.  She took a 20 year hiatus after this, returning to acting in 2006's Satan's Playground.

All in all, a really great film that has stood the test of time, one that I gladly give a 5 out of 5.  Tune in tomorrow for a look at the remake, and how it compares.  Until then, this is Red Hawk signing out!