So to gear up for the Halloweeny-mood we watched the above two films over the past two nights.  All the lights out and just a couple of candles to add to the drama – not that you really need any such effects!

Evil Dead was a low budget horror movie directed by Sam Raimi at the tender age of 21 (I think? but correct me if I’m wrong!).  It has developed something of a cult status with it’s puss-oozing zombies, bad acting, excessive gore and poor and, now, dated effects.  But, that being said it’s a great film – so long as you’re not squeamish that is.  I must admit that over the years I’ve tended to think that this particular film was made almost tongue in cheek as though it was taking a mocking look at horror.  And, yet, watching or reading other people’s reactions that doesn’t seem to be the case.  Evil Dead basically takes the concept of a group of friends spending some time in a lonely cabin in the woods, they unwittingly unleash a demonic creature into the forest and one by one they become possessed.  This probably all sounds very cliched nowadays and yet for me personally I think this film had some ground breaking moments.

Evil Dead II on the other hand definitely is meant to be a comedy horror and succeeds extremely well in that. It’s not actually a sequel to the first film however but more of a remake without as much gore and with some undoubtedly funny scenes.  As with the first film, we have the cabin in the woods – and how big is that cabin – it’s like a bijou mansion!  Room upon room with strange little corridors and never ending doors and yet from the outside it’s tiny – it’s lika a tardis.  I love the scene where we have the rushing through the trees of some demon like beast, before crashing through the cottage and snatching Ash (played by Bruce Campbell) up and hurtling him through the trees then dropping him into a puddle (a rather large and deep puddle).  Bruce Campbell does play such an excellent role in this film – much more so than in the first!  My favourite part of this film is of course ‘the thing in the cellar’!  Sweet Henrietta!  She’ll swallow your soul (before morning apparently!)

Without a doubt these films are not for everyone but they do bring a new meaning to ‘not going to the woods alone’.

In the words of Bruce Campbell “groovy”.

I think this definitely qualifies for Stainless Steel’s RIP event.