Review: Evil Dead (1981)

Evil Dead (1981)
Cert: 18 / 85 mins / Dir. Sam Raimi



Let's not get all precious about it; The 1981 version of Evil Dead looks pretty terrible and is acted appallingly*¹. That's not to say it isn't a massive amount of fun*², but don't put it on a pedestal while you're berating the remake.

As much as I love this film, it hasn't aged very well, although obviously it wasn't really intended to be shown on today's technology. With shots that are slightly out of focus and patchy sound in places, this is best suited to your living room (although isn't that where we all originally saw it anyway?*³).

Oh, and for those of us (myself included) noting that the remake is lacking the humour of the original? You/I/we're thinking of Evil Dead II. There's the odd dark chuckle here and there, but it's pretty much on-par with Alvarez's version in terms of laughs.

And yet for all my grumbling, it really is an outstanding achievement, and I can feel the love and dedication in. every. frame. Even the ones with the plasticine models. Dammit, especially the ones with the plasticine models.

Join us...

Kinda. I mean, that tells you what you're going to get, yes.



Hand on heart? Mostly laughing and wincing.



Yes.



DVD*⁴.



Probably not.



Absolutely.



Not that I heard.






*¹ Although Bruce is giving it his all, I'll admit, he just hadn't sharpened those tools at this point.
*² Okay, apart from The Tree Sequence. That never becomes comfortable.
*³ Not in MY living room, obviously. Yours. We all saw it in YOUR living room. I think you were out that night?
*⁴ Obviously, I saw this in the cinema, hence the review, and hence my opinion on the DVD being better. And for the record? I sat in a room with 8 (eight) other people to watch it. Horror-fans of Berkshire and the surrounding areas, you should be fucking well ashamed of yourselves. Don't say they never give you anything ;)

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• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
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