Evil Dead II

tmdb40011370 6/23/2021 3:58:29PM 8.4

Not really much of a fan of slasher/gore films, but friends suggested I give this a try purely because the film does not try to take itself too seriously, and despite the fact there is lots of gore here, none of it looked particularly realistic and only adds to the extremely black humour of the whole affair. But what attracted me to this film was the charisma of the lead actor Ash, played by Bruce Campbell. He is not a great actor by any stretch, but he does have a rather boyish charm that moves the film along, even if the script is as creaky as the rocking chair in his cabin! Definitely made on a shoestring budget, and the sfx (no cgi here!) are not all that great, but it doesn't matter because you're just there for the ride; and to be fair there are some very good fx splashed around throughout, and the first person camera-eye of the Evil Spirit in the Wood, is also well done. Groovy!

s_for_short 8/4/2026 5:42:49AM 8.4

So this one made me laugh. That's a breather compared to the pure terror of the first one. While you can argue that this movie is better than the first because of its higher production value and grander effects, I think they're too vastly different to even compare. I highly recommend you give this movie a watch, even if you didn't like the first movie.

John Chard 5/16/2024 3:22:11PM 8.4

The Flaming Groovy! Yes indeed, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are back to shake some action with this remake of their own The Evil Dead (1981), only this time with more money and more overt humour. A quick prologue sets things up nicely, then BAM! Ash (Campbell) and his squeeze are in the cabin of doom and about to be part of a night of unholy demonic terror. It's a nightmare of the black comedy kind, where Raimi and Campbell invite us to a party and then gleefully pummel us into submission - and we sado-masochistically enjoy it! Ash has grown a pair of cojones and decides to fight back against the demonic forces, cue mucho action with chainsaw and shotgun. There's a quip on the tongue for our hero as well, even as he is battered from pillar to post to make the action work. Raimi isn't interested in extraneous scenes or exposition, he strips it bare as the pic hurtles along, all while he brings his technical skills with camera and sound design to the fore. The humour is often outrageous, dementedly so, while it's nice to find a group of film makers who don't feel the need to now throw blood and guts at the screen every other scene just to make a formulaic impact. Bonkers, chilling and devilishly funny. 8/10