Evil Dead II Reviews

"The Exorcist" made you feel respect and fear to the Devil. Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead II" makes fun of the Devil and demon possession. Although there are some really scary scenes, there are some really twisted funny situations that would leave you wondering "what the f*** just happened?!". The movie is funny for the wrong reasons. I eventually don't laugh about when a man is breaking himself dishes on the head. I don't think it's funny when a man is repeatedly beaten up by grotesque characters. I would never imagine a man getting eaten by a demon locked under a cellar and throwing gallons of blood! "Evil Dead II" makes it look hilarious in a wicked kind of way. For example, when Linda's head tells Ash that "she is being tormented, and suffering in hell; you can feel a little scared but the next scene has a corpse without a head holding a chainsaw. There's no time for logic here, just sit and enjoy!

It also has the ability to make you feel tense and I must say, scared. The combination of demon possessed people, EVIL sounds (I love the weird noise in the movie), wicked laughs and chanting ("dead by dawn!"), and intrepid camera angles are the perfect ingredients to make a sui generis Horror-Comedy movie. Watch out for the "A Farewell to Arms" joke, the whole situation with the evil hand, and the eye that gets in a woman's mouth!.

Sam Raimi went too far for the good reasons. He created an unbelievable and unforgettable work that has served as inspiration for many movies in recent years. The movie is easily one of the most visually stunning Horror movies of all time, for sure. Die hard fans of gore get an eye candy for an hour and a half. Raimi created a cult movie in all the sense of the world. "Groovy!". "Dead by Dawn" will never bore you because in every scene there's a feeling of uncertainty and that makes it even more interesting. There are no rules here.

The plot is as scary as you can imagine but it's held in such a way that it isn't taken very seriously. I mean, demon possession caused by the Necronomicon is something that happens in the real world. Not exactly with that book but it can happen via satanic books and rituals. Raimi takes it to a different level of humor mixed with gore.

Bruce Campbell deserves a special mention. He delivers a wicked, solid, and totally believable performance. Something you haven't seen before mainly because of the strange situations he goes through. His performance could be described as a "solo". Easily, one of the best performances of any actor in a Horror movie. Also, one of the characters that suffers the most in any movie! Ash is beaten up by demons, humans, objects, etc. Even possessed creatures make fun of him.

The gore here is great, glorious. You get decaps, mutilated bodies, a hand cut off, bleeding demons, etc. Blood spread all over the cabin is the common denominator. One of the goriest movies of all time.

Watch "Evil Dead II" to witness one of the most creative, brave, and goriest movies of all time. It delivers something for everyone. It has action, gore, spectacular camera angles, and some action! Check out Ash V.S. possessed Henrietta. * After it, phrases like "join us!", "swallow this!", and specially "groovy!" will be part of your daily vocabulary.

Recommended for every Horror fan in the world. This movie is an obligation to watch.

Following the massive failure of 'Crimewave', apparently, Sam Raimi thought that the only thing that could revive his career was to go back to his classic directing debut. Obviously, I already saw this movie but since it was such a long time ago, maybe 20 years ago, I was really eager to check it out again. Eventually, I was surprised how much I enjoyed it and I think it is one of the rare sequels to be better than its predecessor. Indeed, they took pretty much the same elements, the horror and the comedy, but they really pushed the formula to the next level this time around. Above all, their masterstroke was to focus on Ash. Indeed, in the first movie, Ash was just some random and boring guy who just somehow survived at the end but it is with this sequel that he finally became this iconic character and easily one of the best protagonists ever displayed in a horror franchise. Seriously, the first 20-30 minutes were just so damned entertaining thanks to a pitch-perfect performance by Bruce Campbell and the look on his face thoughout his ordeal was just priceless. Unfortunately, as soon as some of other rather random characters showed up, it became much more generic and, from that point, the story went on auto-pilot which was too bad. I mean, it was still quite entertaining but it was much stronger when Ash was all alone. Anyway, to conclude, Sam Raimi delivered here a really strong sequel and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

''There's something out there. That... that witch in the cellar is only part of it. It lives... out in those woods, in the dark... something... something that's come back from the dead.''

The lone survivor of an onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits holds up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack.

Bruce Campbell: Ash

Sam Raimi went too far for the good reasons. He created an unbelievable and unforgettable work that has served as inspiration for many movies in recent years. The movie is easily one of the most visually stunning Horror movies of all time, for sure. Die hard fans of gore get an eye candy for an hour and a half. Raimi created a cult movie in all the sense of the world. "Groovy!". Evil Dead 2 will never bore you because in every scene theres a dystinctive feeling of uncertainty and that makes it even more compelling. There are no rules here, only chaos.
The plot is as scary as you let it be, but it's held in such a way that it isn't taken too serious. I mean, apparently demonic possession caused by the Necronomicon is something that happens in the real world not in a seperate plane of existence. Not exactly with that particular book but it can happen supposedly via satanic books and certain rituals. Raimi takes it to a different level of humour mixed with drench loving gore.

Bruce Campbell deserves a special mention as usual. He delivers a wicked, solid, and totally believable performance, which overshadows his previous film. Something you haven't seen before mainly because of the strange situations he goes through. His performance could be described as a solo act. Easily hands down, one of the best performances of any actor in a Horror movie. Also, one of the characters that suffers the most in any movie! Ash is beaten up by demons, humans, objects, etc. Even possessed creatures taunt him.

''Got you, didn't I, you little sucker!''

The gore here is gloriously give in spades. You get decapitations, mutilated bodies, a hand cut off (Then Possessed), bleeding demons, etc. Blood spread all over the cabin is the common denominator. One of the goriest movies OUT THERE!.
Watch Evil Dead II to witness one of the most creative, brave, and goriest movies of all time. It delivers something for everyone. It has action, gore, spectacular camera angles, and some action! Check out Ash V.S. possessed Henrietta.
Phrases like "join us!", "swallow this!", and specially "groovy!" will become part of your daily vocabulary.

The film is more of a remake than a sequel, recapping the events of the first film, dropping three characters, and generally picking up somewhere in the middle. For example in the original Evil Dead Ash stumbles upon the Book of the Dead, and he does so again in this movie. Many events are totally re-filmed as if they never occurred. It's a rare beast of a sequel – somewhere oddly in between continuation and smug self-parody.
I personally prefer the third Army Of Darkness if only because I find the horror funnier, a more epic film, and a bigger budget with wiser dialogue. Evil Dead II goes a bit too far in areas.
For Example: The dancing furniture is awful.

[Ash's Hand gains a life of it's own]

''Gimme back my hand... GIMME BACK MY HAND!

With Raimi apparently planning the three films to work directly as one continuous story, it could be quite easy for the second part to be completely at a loss to some if they haven't seen the first. To deal with this, Raimi felt the need to have a brief ten minutes at the beginning in which he explains the events of the previous film. Whilst this beginning is by no means as enjoyable as the rest of the film, it remains necessary and is a clever way of introducing newcomers to the situation at hand and poor Ash's position.

Raimi is part of what seems like an elite group of directors. Whilst some newcomers to that big chair behind the camera began working on television adverts, some of the most famous directors of the early twenty-first century began their careers making low budget films with unbelievable special effects and vast quantities of blood. Whilst Peter Jackson's earliest work includes the extreme Braindead(1992), Raimi began with this trilogy. It's quite tempting perhaps to compare and contrast just how much the directorial works of these two directors evolved. Both began with these wonderful films and eventually they both worked on huge blockbuster motion pictures (Raimi with the Spiderman films and Jackson obviously with the Lord Of The Rings trilogy). In a way it's worth wondering how the children who so adore the characters of those recent films might feel about Lionel from Braindead or Ash from this. They probably wouldn't understand.

However, no one can say this series lacks originality. Instead of presenting us with a banal representation of the original film, director Sam Raimi reunites with Campbell and creates a whole new beast – packed with excessive physical humour, self-parody, tongue-in-cheek humour, and what Campbell himself described as splatstick comedy. On top of that, Campbell is much better here than he was in the original.
Ash is still somewhat of a coward, but Campbell lends his character a great sense of irony here that if anything, only establishes Ash as one of cinema's most iconic characters.

Overall, Evil Dead II is a really fun ride, with a superior performance from Campbell. It may not be on the same level as the original in terms of horror or just general enjoyment, but it's still a blast. As Ash would say, ''Groovy, baby!''

''Let's head on down into that cellar and carve ourselves a witch.''

"There's something out there. That... that witch in the cellar is only part of it. It lives... out in those woods, in the dark... something... something that's come back from the dead."

In 1979, Sam Raimi collaborated with a young group of friends to instigate a multiple-year odyssey that ultimately became The Evil Dead. It was made on an extraordinarily low budget, but nevertheless it became an immediate hit and was rewarded with a steadfast cult following. It wasn't long before Raimi was commissioned to produce a sequel.

After The Evil Dead was released, acclaimed horror author Stephen King praised the film to the skies. He incessantly lauded it and admired the efforts of Raimi and company. Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis soon approached Raimi with a proposal to helm the cinematic adaptation of Stephen King's Thinner. The offer was eventually rejected. However, with a persuasive nudge from King, De Laurentiis agreed to fund a sequel to The Evil Dead as an alternative. As a result, Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn materialised into a highly commendable cult horror film.

Dead by Dawn is a common favourite when it comes to discussions regarding the greatest addition to the eventual Evil Dead trilogy. The film's primary strength is in its ability to generate an effective balance of comedy and horror; cleverly skating the line between the two with wonderful timing. It's a terrific combination of horror, comedy and pulp fun that manages to create a zany atmosphere that succeeds on many levels. Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and company deliver a flick that is an inspired piece of camp entertainment.

However, Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn is frankly more of a remake than a sequel. Scarce chronological obligations are established, the continuity appears pretty messed up, and Campbell's character would be extremely dumb to knowingly walk into the same demonic horrors again. Campbell, who plays the character Ash, goes to the same cabin with a girlfriend of the same name, in the same car, plays the same tape and fights the same kind of Evil Dead once again.

But I digress... Raimi had intended for Dead by Dawn to be a sequel and had wanted to include a form of recap of the events of the first movie. However, due to legal issues Raimi could not acquire permission to use footage from the first Evil Dead. Instead the first 10 minutes or so include an abridged retelling of the original film with less characters and less fleshing out. The original film concluded when Ash (Campbell) was rushed by a demonic Deadite. At about the 10-minute mark, this occurs and Ash is propelled back through the forest. It's essentially a sequel, but it effectively disregards any continuity between it and its predecessor.

I personally adore the first two Evil Dead movies, but my preference is this second instalment. Why? It's so much damn fun! The humour is considerably more over-the-top and therefore more enjoyable, Ash is a far more satisfying character, and the level of camp is upped for best effect.

Here's a more elaborate plot outline: Ash takes his girlfriend Linda (Bixler) to a secluded wooden cabin for a weekend getaway. Soon after their arrival, they discover a mysterious tape encompassing recordings by an aging professor. The professor had recorded translations of the "Book of the Dead" which awakens the demonic evil in the forest. Linda is soon possessed by the Evil Dead and is transformed into a white-faced zombie. This thrusts Ash into an intense battle for his life.
The plot is quite thin, to the point of essentially being transparent. Those familiar with the series will also realise that there isn't much plot for the original Evil Dead film either. It's a clichéd tale of friends being hunted by something, with an ensuing gore-fest soon commencing. However, unlike feeble horror crap such as Friday the 13th, this series is just so much damn fun. Genius humour is mixed with effective chills and terrifying moments.

Dead by Dawn is by far the best in the trilogy. A higher budget means better make-up and superior production vales. This sequel captures the horror elements of the first film really competently. The final instalment in the trilogy (so far), Army of Darkness, was all humour and campy action without the over-the-top gory horror. Therefore as an addition to The Evil Dead trilogy, Dead by Dawn cannot be beaten. Everything here is masterful: directing, editing, acting, make-up and script. Sam Raimi obviously wanted to get a laugh no matter how silly a situation is. He succeeds! When Ash's hand is possessed by a demon, you'll realise that this is purposely very campy and that's why we love it. One must also love the witty dialogue permeating a creative situation. Campbell delivers the one-liners with great comic timing. The highlights include the badass arming up followed by the random line "...Groovy". Or a demon who states "I'll swallow you soul!" just before Campbell sticks a shotgun in its mouth and replies "Swallow this!".

As I mentioned before, Dead by Dawn is fundamentally a sequel-come-remake. Raimi apparently opted to make this film the way he had wanted to make the original. For the original, the budget was too inadequate for his ideas. The funding for Dead by Dawn had been expanded to a few million dollars, allowing more of Raimi's ideas to be brought to fruition. Robert Rodriguez later used this technique with his trademark trilogy of action films. Rodriguez made El Mariachi on a shockingly low budget ($8,000!!!), then (when he was given an expanded budget) he reworked the film in the form of the remake/sequel Desperado. First-time directors ostensibly enjoy reworking their own ideas to suit their initial conceptions more faithfully. However, the $3.6 million given to Sam Raimi for Dead by Dawn didn't permit the director to make the ambitious medieval sequel he had envisioned - his 14th century vision was reduced to a single scene at the end (this idea was later executed in the form of Army of Darkness). Still, their modest budget allowed the filmmakers to create much more effective make-up, knock-out gore effects, bigger monsters and wackier camerawork. In a nutshell: this is the perfect campy horror/comedy hybrid.

Bruce Campbell apparently described Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn as "the mother of all sequels". It truly is! The perfect association of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell with producer Robert Tapert has created an ideal sequel. The wonderful visual style of director Raimi is certainly present here. His camerawork is first-rate, with an effective use of shadows, darkness and hilarious amounts of realistic gore. The film's only misstep would probably be the abundance of clichés. We probably wouldn't love it as much if the clichés were removed, but it's not going to be a perfect film with them included.
Dead by Dawn could be my favourite horror movie of all time. It's essential viewing for horror buffs and fans of the original movie. Ash's hilarious catchphrases and the high amount of hysterical physical comedy mixed with very effective horror scenes just cannot be topped. Followed by Army of Darkness.

9.0/10