Evil Dead Fans Wanted

**CornishCorpse** · 09-Dec-2007

Hey there guys and girls, Im currently working on my film coursework. The reason I need evil dead fans is because Im doing research into Sam Raimi and how his skills as an auteur have developed.

Would anyone be up a chat at somepoint so I can get a bit of response from evil dead fans? Im jus going to ask some general questions about what you like about the film and how you can see Raimi`s style in comparison to an average hororr.

Rememeber the good ole days when you were film students? well help a brother out

**Skippy911sc** · 09-Dec-2007

I think the first thing that comes to mind is in most of his work (early) the shot of the main character in agony arms in the air camera zoomed into the character then quickly zooms out staying focused on the character. I had a friend in film school some time ago and he used a shot like that...it was instantly recognized as a similar shot to evil dead 2...this was before Evil dead was the popular films and Raimi was the up and coming...think pre-darkman.

I like the humor mixed with the terror...he scares ya and then makes ya laugh...although the army of darkness is not high up on my list of great Raimi films. I just thought it was a little stupid. Darkman, Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2 were FANtastic flicks...

**CornishCorpse** · 09-Dec-2007

Yeah I thought number three sucked, I liked a few moments but generally it was a whole new movie. There was no edge in at all.

Thanks very much skippy, think Im gonna use youre response as a quote in the coursework if you dont mind?

**Skippy911sc** · 10-Dec-2007

NP

If ya have any other direct Qs I would be happy to let you know my personal opinions

**slickwilly13** · 10-Dec-2007

I first read about the movie back in '82-'83 in a Fangoria magazine. There was an advertisement for back issues and one of the issues shown had The Evil Dead on the cover. It showed a bloodied Ash holding up a chainsaw with his girl behind him and 2 skeletonal arms reaching out for them. And I had been drawn to the movie since then.

**dannoofthedead** · 10-Dec-2007

I have to say the "unseen evil" constantly chasing them through the woods was a great bit of camera work. I like the old Hitchcock movies as well as all sorts of other old B horrors and while the demon possessed Cheryll was great, that constant unknown is what gave it a real sense of terror. To see the characters running, all the while this ominous "thing" keeps gaining. And the close ups as well in both the original and 2nd ED were great. You hear a bang on the door and then the camera does that sweep up to the character's face. The whole thing makes you get close to a small cast of characters and then gradually picks them off. It makes you feel like a part of it.

Hope that helps a bit.

capncnut · 10-Dec-2007

I was worried that I would have to plough through this story again but luckily I did a search and found it.

Originally Posted by capncnut

Well in 1982, The Evil Dead was released at the cinemas and on video simultaneously (back in the good ol' days). I was maybe 8 or 9 when I first saw it at my mum's friends house and I was absolutely traumatised with fear. I couldn't look at the TV but I had to, I closed my eyes when Scotty chopped up Shelley but kept opening them. Frozen to the spot and unable to speak a word. I was so shocked that instead of going to the toilet I wandered into another bedroom in a daze and took a piss right there and then on the floor (unfortunately the occupant of the room - a five year old girl - was still awake and looked at me from under the covers with a terrified expression). Horror movies just don't do that these days and anyone below the age of 25 will never know what it's like to be truly terrified by a movie as The Evil Dead and The Exorcist are considered tame by today's standards. I wish I could go back to 1980, beats the s**t out of the era we live in now...

**CornishCorpse** · 10-Dec-2007

Thank you all muchos, this is all good stuff that I can use in the coursework. Sources from around the world, perfect.

Gah today during a showing of the extra features on the evil dead Fan something there was a scene with campbell talking about responding to his emails and the floods and how he tries to respond to em all. After he says the words "try to get back to as many as possible" my lecturer paused the freakin video and stared at me pointed her finger and went " Peri have you emailed Bruce campbell?" and with a sea of eyes watching me I said yeah. Who wouldnt want to make contact with the chin?!

**clanglee** · 12-Dec-2007

Bruce is indeed the man.

I always loved the active camera work in Evil Dead 2. The camera is it's own character in Rami's movies. The scene with all the sounds running trough the house, with the camera following them. . . creepy, unique, and great.

**ZombieGrrL** · 16-Mar-2008

How did your research go CornishCorpse?

**axlish** · 16-Mar-2008

If you haven't yet, you really need to pick up two books

1. The Evil Dead Companion
2. If Chins Could Kill

Also, you should read Josh Becker's diary from the film posted on his website.
http://www.beckerfilms.com/evil.html

(wow this thread is kinda old, sorry for the late response)