45 Years of THE EVIL DEAD: How Sam Raimi Redefined Independent Horror

THE EVIL DEAD (1981) d. Sam Raimi (USA)
EVIL DEAD II (1987) d. Sam Raimi (USA)
ARMY OF DARKNESS (1992) d. Sam Raimi (USA)
EVIL DEAD (2013) d. Fede Alvarez (USA)
EVIL DEAD RISE (2023) d. Lee Cronin (USA)

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Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise is a cornerstone of independent horror cinema, redefining what low-budget filmmaking could achieve. Beginning with The Evil Dead (1981), Raimi combined raw ingenuity, kinetic camerawork, and extreme gore to create a relentlessly inventive horror film that left a lasting impact on the genre. Shot on a shoestring budget with collaborators including star Bruce Campbell, the film’s manic energy and iconic “unseen force” camera movements distinguished it from the slower horror of the late 1970s.

The franchise’s legacy is equally shaped by its bold tonal evolution. While the original film plays as a brutal, nightmarish experience, Evil Dead II (1987) and Army of Darkness (1992) fused splatter horror with slapstick comedy, transforming Ash Williams into a chainsaw-wielding, wisecracking antihero and helping define the modern horror-comedy.

From comics and video games to the Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series to reboots like Evil Dead (2013) and Evil Dead Rise (2023), the series continues to evolve.

Join AC and his awesome panel of horror enthusiasts (Krisy Jett, Anna Maurya, Daniel Millhouse, Ryan Olson, Jennifer Olson, Joseph Wycoff) as we celebrate 45 years of THE EVIL DEAD!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avD5-JP1q0M

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