EVIL DEAD 2

Horror movies or politicians – which one is the scariest? Well, one of them is an evil force that terrorizes nations, cities, and basically, anybody that they come into contact with. Whereas the other one is a work of fiction. Just like this classic cult horror nasty Directed by Sam Raimi; and Starring Bruce Campbell and Ted Raimi. It was made in 1987, and it lasts for 84 minutes.


Evil Dead 2


THE STORY:
Poor Ash (Bruce Campbell). All he wanted to do was to take his girlfriend, Linda (Denise Bixler), to a deserted cabin for the weekend, and then have some fun with her. So how the hell was he supposed to know that by playing a cassette which recounts a tale about a mystical novel called 'The Book of the Dead', that things would turn out so bad for him?

OK, not just him, Linda too. Because she becomes possessed by a wild entity and tries to smash Ash's face in, prompting him, in turn, to chop the living sh*t out of her, and then bury her in the woods. Moreover, once this hectic encounter seems to be over and done with, Ash is forced to cut off his own hand too, because this 'wild entity' tries to possess him in the process.

Ouch!

Now bloody, battered, bruised, and in dire need of some tender love and care, Ash’s world gets even worse, when Annie, Jake, Bobbi-Joe, and Ed, all come knocking at this door. No - don't worry - they are not 'born again Christians'. Annie is the daughter of the owner of the cabin you see, Ed is her boyfriend, and Jake and Bobbie-Joe are a couple of local hicks who they picked up along the way.

But guess what they do to Ash when they see him in the state that he is in? Help him? No - afraid not - they presume that he has killed Annie's parents, and they throw him down the cellar, until they can call the police.

Sh*t!

However, before they do 'get on the phone', Annie plays the same tape Ash did, and hears the real reason why Ash is in such a terrible way. Also, this verbal discourse additionally prompts Annie’s possessed mother, Henrietta (Ted Raimi / Lou Hancock hybrid), to suddenly turns up down in the cellar with Ash!

Worksh*d!

Well, that is most probably why what next transpires commences when all hell breaks loose. As the living turn into the damned - heads keep on getting repeatably slammed - things turn into a right mess - and Ash is ready for the Army of Darkness.

Groovy? Or not to groovy? That is the question.

THE REVIEW:
Through and though, 'Evil Dead 2' is most probably the best worst movie ever made. Now why do I say that? Simple really. The premise is plain yet stupid. The acting is mannered yet hammy. The special effects are some of the most jovial that I have ever seen. And overall, I just love it.

For example, in the first twenty minute’s or so, this film plays out like a old silent movie – with more screams screamed than words spoken. But please note, this is not necessarily a bad thing in retrospect. Because in essence, what this style does, is to lay the groundwork for things to come, both in tone and in plot. Also, in addition to this, the main man himself, Bruce Campbell, really does excel himself in this part of the movie as well! Channeling Jackie Chan with his movements, William Shatner in his acting, and Ronald Reagan in his delivery.

“OK” you might be thinking to yourself, “not the most well respected actors to channel”. But I found that within the confines of this film, these are precisely the best actors to channel, especially when you factor in that it’s a hybrid horror movie, with inadvertent links to both comedy and film homages.

More strange combinations, right? However, strangeness in this horror movie is somewhat apt – particularly when it is directed in a rather stylish way. The director, Sam Raimi, really chews this movie to its core, and is able to present it in both an artistic and entertaining manner. It’s as though this film jumped out of him one night, and he has managed to capture this on the screen with a modicum of control.

Fair enough, not everything is perfect, because as I have said previously, the special effects are really quite humorous, both advertently and inadvertently. Still, this all lends itself to the overall way that the movie is made, and in a blatant way enhances it to something quite special and unique.

Hey! Here's something else quite special and unique too, flimic facts: (1) Horror writer, Stephen King, liked the first Evil Dead so much, that he managed to convince producer, Dino De Laurentiis, to finance this flick. (2) Director, Sam Raimi, has a cameo at the end of the film, he is the first knight who speaks to Ash. (3) This movie is not a remake to the original 'The Evil Dead', the producers did not even get the rights to show footage from that movie, and had to recreate it in the beginning of this one. (4) The majority of this film was shot in a set built in the gymnasium owned by JR Faison Junior High School in Wadesboro, North Carolina. (5) Bruce Campbell got his ass handed to him in this flick. Sam accidentally broke his jaw with the camera, and he was covered in so much food coloring, it stuck to his skin for months. (6) The character of Bobby Joe was inspired by Holly Hunter, who was a housemate of Sam's during the eighties. The producers did not want her for this role though, they wanted someone 'more sexier'. (7) The line "work shed" spoken by Ash was re-dubbed in post production, making him sound like a loon. Kurt Russel liked it though. And (8) This was originally a three stooges gag...

OK, so 'Evil Dead 2' may not be everybody’s cup of tea – like the first installment wasn't. But what it is, is a really enjoyable roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, that will keep most punters on the edge of there seats, no matter how bad it may appear. A Classic.

THE RATING: A