• The Evil Dead (1981)

    Ashley "Ash" Williams (Bruce Campbell), his girlfriend and three pals hike into the woods to a cabin for a fun night away. There they find an old book, the Necronomicon, whose text reawakens the dead when it's read aloud. The friends inadvertently release a flood of evil and must fight for their lives or become one of the evil dead. Ash watches his friends become possessed, and must make a difficult decision before daybreak to save his own life in this, the first of Sam Raimi's trilogy.

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The Evil Dead
71
metacriticBased on 11 Critics
85
Based on 221 Users

Release Date: 1981

DVD Release Date: January 19th, 1999

NC-17 |1 hr 25 min

Plot Summary

Ashley "Ash" Williams (Bruce Campbell), his girlfriend and three pals hike into the woods to a cabin for a fun night away. There they find an old book, the Necronomicon, whose text reawakens the dead when it's read aloud. The friends inadvertently release a flood of evil and must fight for their lives or become one of the evil dead. Ash watches his friends become possessed, and must make a difficult decision before daybreak to save his own life in this, the first of Sam Raimi's trilogy.

Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Richard DeManincor, Theresa Tilly

Director: Sam Raimi

Genres: Horror

Production Co: Renaissance Pictures

Keywords: 1980s, Revenge, Dark, Escape, Transformation, Girlfriend, Survival, Friend

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Ratings & Reviews

  • 75
    Slant Magazine

    Raimi's script is riotously deadpan, his compositions undeniably breathtaking and inventive. [6 March 2002] show more

  • 25
    Philadelphia Inquirer

    Too bad it's hog-tied by a ridiculously familiar plot, uneven direction and characters of such dizzying simplicity that you wish the demons would get to them just to smack some sense into their heads. [26 Sept 1983, p.D3]

  • 75
    James BerardinelliReelViews

    The extreme nature of the gore isn't beside the point - it is the point. Raimi goes so far over the top in presenting these displays that they take on a campy, almost humorous appearance. It's impossible to take all this blood seriously. So, instead of being sickened, we're strangely amused - and this is all intentional. show more

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