Evil Dead II (1987) Rosebud Releasing Corporation/Horror-Comedy RT: 84 minutes No MPAA Rating (strong bloody horror violence and gore, scary images, language) Director: Sam Raimi Screenplay: Sam Raimi and Scott Spiegel Music: Joseph Lo Duca Cinematography: Peter Deming Release date: March 13, 1987 (US) Cast: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley, Richard Domeier, Denise Bixler, John Peakes, Lou Hancock, Ted Raimi. Box Office: $10.9M (US)
Rating: ****
You might not believe what I’m about to say, but Evil Dead II is even better than its predecessor. Bloody unbelievable, but it’s true. As good as The Evil Dead is, director/co-writer Sam Raimi pulls out all the stops and delivers a sequel that’s crazy good! It’s like a wild, out-of-control roller coaster ride through an insane asylum/funhouse in a universe created by Edgar Allan Poe and The Three Stooges.
Man, I LOVE this movie! Not only is it the first Evil Dead movie that I saw in a theater, it’s also the first movie I ever saw in a downtown movie theater (the now-closed Eric’s Place in Philadelphia). I’ll never forget that day (Saturday May 25, 1987). My friend and I planned to spend the day wandering around the city when it began to rain. We decided to see a movie and I convinced her to see a double feature of Evil Dead II and American Ninja II (two movies that I hadn’t yet seen!) even though she didn’t like horror flicks. She kept her face covered with her jacket for most of Evil Dead II, but I could not take my eyes off the screen. WOW! What a ride!
Now that I’m done reminiscing, let me proceed with my review. Allow me to start by saying that even though Evil Dead II contains many bloody scenes and frightening images, it’s too silly and over the top to be taken at all seriously. That being said, this is the Evil Dead movie that cemented Ash’s reputation as a hapless cult hero. He might be able to kick some serious demon ass, but not before they subject him to all sorts of physical and mental abuse. It would be fair to refer to Ash as the clown prince of demon fighters given his propensity for slapstick physical humor in the face of grave danger. It’s one of those rare instances where you might jump out of your seat and hit the theater floor rolling around in laughter.
Many people have approached me about their confusion with regards to the movie’s opening moments. The first time I saw Evil Dead II, I wasn’t sure whether Ash made a return trip to the cabin with a new girlfriend or it was a recap of the original movie. Allow me to answer that once and for all. It’s the latter. Raimi decided to provide a recap of the first movie while changing it slightly by eliminating the superfluous characters. It shows Ash and his girlfriend Linda (played this time by Denise Bixler) sharing a few romantic moments before unleashing the evil demons that took her away from him.
As you will recall, the demons took over Ash at the end of the first movie. The story continues with Ash going insane as he attempts to fight the evil demons. At one point, he’s forced to sever his own right hand when it becomes possessed and assaults him with practically every plate in the sink.
Meanwhile, the archeology professor’s daughter Annie (Berry) and her boyfriend Ed (Domeier) head to the cabin to bring missing pages from the Necronomicon to her father. Since the bridge is out (remember the first movie?), they have to take a winding trail through the woods. They’re joined by a redneck couple, Jake (Hicks) and Bobby Joe (Wesley), who agree to guide them. Upon their arrival, they discover an insane Ash in the cabin, automatically assume that he murdered the professor and his wife and lock him in the cellar. Imagine their surprise when they listen to the tape and learn that the professor locked his wife in the cellar after she became possessed. From here on in, it’s another night of extreme terror for Ash as he attempts to fight the demons once again.
Everything about Evil Dead II (aka Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn) is freaking great! It’s 100% awesome! For one thing, Raimi and producer Robert Tapert had a bigger budget ($3.6 million) to work with and it most certainly shows. The special effects, courtesy of Gregory Nicotero (Day of the Dead, Scream), are amazing and prove once again that old school effectively trumps CGI effects. It has the dizzying camera work and the crazy editing that Raimi’s fans know and love. PLUS, this is the movie where Ash first utters his famous catchphrase “Groovy!” There’s a great sequence in the final act where he and Annie modify a chainsaw so that it fits where his right hand used to be. Now that’s what I call bad ass!
I have to say I really like Bruce Campbell! This guy makes a great B-movie leading man. And he has a real sense of humor about himself that shows in this performance. For further proof of Campbell’s great sportsmanship, see the 2008 cult flick My Name is Bruce.
Mega-producer Dino De Laurentiis (King Kong) helped fund and release the movie through his now-defunct studio DEG (De Laurentiis Entertainment Group). Raimi and Tapert have a warped sense of humor as evidenced by the “laughing room” scene (the scene where all the objects in the room come to life and laugh maniacally at Ash). There are also plenty of in-jokes for horror buffs like Freddy Krueger’s glove hanging in the tool shed. This gag would be reciprocated six years later by the shot of the Necronomicon in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (if you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know what I mean).
I thoroughly, completely and unreservedly recommend Evil Dead II. It’s one of the greatest horror-comedies of the 80s. Hell, I’d even say it’s one of the all-time best. This movie ROCKS HARD! I love it, love it, LOVE IT!
