When Evil Dead (1981) first released, it wasn't something that established Sam Raimi in Hollywood. Least, not in the way that he would have liked. However it was a box office success. Honestly, I would say that was probably better for him and for the films he wanted to make. It allowed people to see that Sam Raimi and his friends were capable of making successful films. That was huge considering that Evil Dead took many years to finish. It also brought Raimi and co. to the attention of Dino De Laurentiis. And with Dino's help, they were able to make a second film - Evil Dead 2.
Back in the early 2000s, I was introduced to Evil Dead from my grandmother on my mother's side of the family. After that, my Dad and I caught Army of Darkness on SCI-FI one day when they were having a marathon. Immediately, I was interested as soon as Bruce Campbell appeared on screen. I knew it was Ash. But with that opening recap of Army of Darkness, I couldn't place what it was from. It was like there was a missing piece.
When my Dad and I went to our local K-Mart one October day, I found sitting on the shelf in the Entertainment section - Army of Darkness on VHS. Of course, it immediately caught my attention. But it was what was sitting next to it that intrigued me even more. It was Evil Dead II in a black clamshell case with an amazing cover - see the image above. I actually still have this tape to this day. But it was all new for the both of us and we brought those two VHS tapes home with us that day.
I ran to our living room before Dad could ask what I wanted for dinner. I hit the play button. And the rest was history.
Evil Dead 2 is such a special film for me. It came at a time where I honestly needed more in my life. My parents were going through a divorce. I remember I dove into watching movies, playing video games a lot, and reading a lot of comics during those times. It was a way of getting my mind off of everything, especially as it seemed like the world was crashing down around me. Batman, Spider-Man, and the X-Men were heroes that I was into at the time. But it was Ash Williams that served as my hero. He's a complete oaf of a buffoon at times. But when the times get tough, he doesn't hide or run away - least not after two or three attempts. No, he stands his ground and fights for himself and others. And honestly, Evil Dead 2 was my most watched movie during those times.
The film is an interesting experiment, if not completely ahead of its time. I mean think about it. Evil Dead 2. What does it remind you of? Well, the first quarter of the movie is a semi-retelling of the events of the first film. Ash and Linda go up to a cabin. Ash finds tape recorder and Necronomicon and presses Play. Linda is possessed. Ash has to defend himself resulting in a gruesome decapitation. That's pretty Evil Dead 1 standard fare - if not a bit more stream lined. But the remaining three quarters of the film is completely new adventure. It's filled with a lot of laughs and some scares as well as some more memorable characters. Well, except for you Ed cause no one likes you. But now thinking on the film again, it's a requel. I mean even Bruce Campbell himself has gone to call it a requel. And that's something that helps make it even more relevant today.
Funny thing is that it wasn't supposed to rehash the first film in that streamlined sequence. It only happened because there was legalities for why they couldn't use footage from the first flim. But hey, necessity sometimes makes great innovations. That's definitely something evident in these films as well.
While I have really grown to love the first Evil Dead over the years, Evil Dead 2 was an immediate love for me. It just hits a lot of the right notes. Horror? Check. Gore? Plenty of it in spades. Humor? Yes, please. I mean what other film has an entire sequence where the hero finds his hand possessed and is then thrown around a kitchen in such brilliant slapstick fashion? And then has to defend himself from that same possessed hand after he lops it off at the wrist? It's fantastic. I would say that my favorite image that I have from this film is seeing that goofy looking possessed Deadite Deer head. It's just so over the top in a lovable way. The way it cranes its head and then proceeds to laugh at Ash's suffering is so good.
With the cast in this film, everyone is fantastic. Bruce Campbell continues to be amazing as Ash. Denise Bixler is definitely an unsung hero as Linda. The whole idea of Linda as a Deadite this go around wouldn't work as well as it does without her. She just breathes so much life into the performance. Sarah Uriarte Berry delivers a solid performance as Annie Knowby. At first, I was a bit taken aback with the performance. There was just a lot there that scratched me the wrong way. But over time, I have grown to love it. It makes absolute sense for her to act like this. Especially since I feel like Annie was a bit of a spoiled child by her parents. Richard Domeier is great as Ed. This is a character that is seeking approval from Annie so much. It's great. Dan Hicks and Kassie DePaiva are fantastic as Jake and Bobby Joe. Both of them are just the right kind of suspicious at first. And then we have Ted Raimi. Ted Raimi is astounding as Deadite Henrietta. It's to the point where whenever the character is on screen - they steal the show.
The wonderful KnB Special Effects group worked on the film. Their work is always so good. It also helps bring to the screen all the fun that was going on behind the scenes. Do yourself a favor and check out the special features for the film. There are a lot of good bits from the KnB crew.
All of this culminates in such a fantastically memorable way. And hell, the ending is so good. Evil Dead 2 is just such a delight. No matter how many times I watch it, I always find myself entertained. There's a reason it's a classic. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and check it out.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
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