The Evil Dead (1981)

The Evil Dead

• Sam Raimi is my guy, and this is one of the biggest reasons why. If there’s anything I love, it’s a classic, iconic horror movie with great use of practical effects. I’ll go ahead and get the negative stuff out of the way first. My two biggest gripes are the story and the time it took for me to get into it. I didn’t really think the story was all there for me, and there wasn’t too much that stuck out to me. Not that it was bad at all, it just didn’t feel like anything new. But, it’s not about the story, it’s about the awesome, gory, bloody fun. Am I crazy? Maybe. The second gripe, as said, was pretty much the first half of the movie. It wasn’t bad, but it took me quite a few minutes to REALLY get into it. I think it just felt slow, but once it picks up, it’s freaking awesome. The biggest highlight was the makeup and effects. You can totally feel the low budget vibe, which is the charm of the movie. All the different colors of blood and guts were great, with fun possession makeup and creepy zombie looks. I absolutely loved it, and it’s one of the best horror movies out there that deals with practical effects. Absolutely beautiful. Finally, I loved the legendary Bruce Campbell in this, and though all the characters weren’t super great, I can immediately understand why Ash is so iconic. Overall, this movie was pretty great, and though the plot is a little lame and it took me a few minutes to really get absorbed, it’s totally great once you get into it. I’d definitely recommend it to all horror fans, especially if you love movies with practical effects such as ‘Hellraiser’ or ‘The Thing’. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!