Geoff’s countdown to Halloween DAY 2: Evil Dead II

It’s Halloween, and Geoff’s getting in the spirit by looking back at the scary movies he grew up on. If you haven’t seen these movies, you should. You really, REALLY should.

DAY 1: The Wolf Man (1941)                              

DAY 2: Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn (1987)

This is one of my favorite movie posters of all time. I still haven't bought this on DVD because the cover of the DVD box just isn't as cool .

I realize it's kinda weird to only talk about the sequel and not the original, but you really don't need a running knowledge of the first film to get you up to speed. They do that (very well) in the first 10 minutes of the story.

For those who haven’t seen it: Ash Williams (played by Bruce Campbell) takes his girlfriend on a romantic weekend to the creepiest haunted cabin in the world. Along the way he kills his girlfriend, gets possessed, cuts off his hand, is accused of the murder of three people, and so much more. Also, it’s hysterical.

The Plot: Ash and his girlfriend go on a sexy romantic weekend in the woods, crashing in an old deserted cabin. Ash finds an old tape recorder and plays it. That wakes up the evil spirit/ghost/demon/Rasheed Wallace who lives in the woods and proceeds to get his grump-on on Ash, his girlfriend, and the rest of the people who make their way to the cabin. Ash and the gang must figure out a way to defeat the monster/force/Phil Donahue and make it out of the cabin and surrounding woods alive.

I'm Darkman.

Why I Love It: For most of the horror enthusiasts I know, this is it.

Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn is the best of the best. It’s funny, it’s gross. It’s scary. It’s got a guy with a chainsaw for a hand and a book of evil bound in human flesh. It's got eyes popping out of their sockets, severed hands running amok and a wall that bleeds in every possible color (blue, black, red, yellow....)

In short, it’s awesome.

In fact, on the awesome-meter, this movie is an 11. Almost too scary to be funny, almost too funny to be scary, it's the perfect mix. Those familiar with the trilogy know that the first film played strictly for scares, and the third, Army of Darkness, is so silly and ridiculous it's almost a spoof of itself. For me Dead by Dawn is just right. Long before Wes Craven made Scream, or Edgar Wright made Shaun of the Dead, Evil Dead II was already breaking ground: Commenting on the ridiculousness of the genre, while at the same time perfecting it.

Evil Dead II is one of those movies that most normal people probably don't know about (though I suspect that's changing), and one that every horror-buff SHOULD carry with them at all times. I've got to say, if you're not into horror movies (and you're reading this because...) this movie probably isn't for you. There's enough blood and dismembered body parts in this bad boy to fill a swimming pool. But if you ever do sit down and watch it I promise you won't be disappointed.

This is how much I love this movie: On my desk at work is a framed, signed poster of Evil Dead II, I met Bruce Campbell in Portland some years ago when his book came out and got the chance for him to sign it. It's my Rosebud.

You WILL DVR the next season of Burn Notice, dammit!

Why You Should Love It, Too: It's funny. This is the film that made director Sam Raimi (who went on to make the Spider-Man movies) famous, and where he first showed off his visually stunning use of the camera. What separates this film from other horror films (and, indeed the first Evil Dead) is the camp and sillyness of the thing. The deaths are so over-the-top, the gore and carage so outrageous, that you can't help but laugh at times. It's a morbid Three Stooges gag, and it works perfectly. If you're not much for horror films you might take a look at gore like this:

I would elaborate, but yeah. That's exactly what it looks like.

And say that it's just unnecessary. But's it's soooo necessary. The film is a perfect example of the genre, a hyperbole of every horror movie that ever came before it, while at the same time proving that blood and guts can be used just as much for laughs as they can for screams.

Along with the horror (and the cheesy acting and special effects) there are genuinely creepy moments in the film. I still have dreams about that deer head on the wall, laughing, or Ash's creepy possessed face. Raimi (and his cinematographer Tim Philo)'s use of the camera is perfect, and gives an unseen, unheard, invisible villain a presence and personality that actually seeing the creature never could (as evidenced by the end of the film).

This basically sums up the entire film in one single frame.

It's a movie for those who love horror movies, and a fantastic parody all at once. It's visually inventive, non-stop, and truly original. It's a movie that sparked the career for Raimi and his lead actor Bruce Campbell, and is by far the work that both are still best known for. Evil Dead II is ridiculously influential, and more than 20 years later, you can still see the impact that the film has had on the genre and the filmmakers who watched it as children.

Donald Duck, in real life.

If that's not enough for you. If you're not a fan of Bruce Campbell, he hurts himself a lot in this movie, and at one point he may or may not cut off a part of his anatomy.

You have no idea how badly I want one of these...

TOMORROW: Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Warning in advance: This is not the Nicole Kidman one, the black and white one, or that one in the 1990s that I totally forgot existed...