The Evil Dead

Rating:
Summary: A Totally Bogus Tale Of Like...Necromancing, Dude!
Review: when i rented this instead of buying it, i was expecting a lot of gore or nudity or something because it wasn't rated (and this was past the times that they didn't rate things just because). i also figured it would be extremely scary. well, it had little nudity, some scare-factor, and bucket loads of gore! so that, parents, is what you should base this on. and as for the movie itself? i don't think it should've been as big as it was with the private cult crowd, but it was well worth a timeless spot in cinema history. the story goes that bruce and company set out for a fun weekend at a cabin in the middle of unknown woods (gee, that doesn't sound like a plot for terror and blood at all does it, brucey?). once they arrive, they realize that they're friend ripped them off with a run-down hillbilly shack cabin. still, they choose to make the best of it. and upon that darkened night, they hear a few bumps. so they follow what looked like a creature from the formerly-black-but-now-a-more-subtle-blue lagoon down into the basement (well, one guy does anyway and then bruce). once they conclude that there is nothing down there to be afraid of, they discover a book. mother humphrey's fairy tales? no--the necromonicon(book of the dead). sadly, though, they don't know what it is because it's in some other language. they also find a tape recorder. they bring the two up stairs and give the girls a scare as they play the recorder out loud. there's a man--who was probably in the unshot prequel to this movie--who had encountered demons. and as he read off incantations in the necromonicon, beasts silently arose from the woods. once the girls get too scared, the boys agree to turn it off and go to bed. mistake? terrible mistake. one of the girls can't help her curiosity (you know, that chap that killed the cat) and followed an unseen monster into the woods. to all of our suprise and guilty pleasure, she is raped by the trees. she barely makes it back alive, but she does. next thing ya know, she's another friggin linda blair! she's possesed with some demon (pazuzu?) and she can't let it go. soon, they all (except bruce, of course) get their share of demons inside their now useless bodies. bruce has got to fight them off with shovels, chainsaws, and anything in between. personally, if i were in the situation, i would've taken the shotgun to myself, by then there wouldn't be much of a movie would there? bruce realizes this, and fights till the end. he finally gets rid of the demons and the bodies. or does he?
this film may seem too common at the thought of it, but non-stop horror action and so much unrealistic gore will hold this baby up to the spotlight till the day we die.
now, i do have one question: if the demons had to be summoned through the book of the dead, why were they already active in the house and the woods before the incantations were read? i know you evil dead die hard fans would know that one off the top of your head, but i've never figured it out.
and that's all i can say. at least rent the thing.

Rating:
Summary: Evil Dead(1983) *****
Review: "The Evil Dead", a low-budget horror film directed by the great Sam Raimi, and staring the "amazing" Bruce Campbell, is by far my favorite horror films of all time. Even though the acting and stuff was really bad, you have to admit that alot of the effects where really good for there time. The story begins when five college friends are traveling up to an abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere(literally).When they arive there, they find this recorder with incantations of an ancient book of the dead.On the recording when a certain spell was said, this awoke demon spirit , that would stop for nothing.One by one the colledge kids are possesed and/or killed. Ash(Bruce Campell) plays the hero and takes them out armed with a shotgun and ax. In the end he kills it, but the ending of this movie leaves you on the edge of your seat getting you ready for the sequel. If you like extremely gorey movies, this a must see.

Rating:
Summary: Great Film, Not so Great Limited Edition
Review: I Totally like the film. Ever since I saw the original VHS tape version. And to my knowledge there are a few different versions that exist. The Limited Edition "Book of the Dead" version, Latex cover and all really falls into the "Absolutely got to have it because I am an insane fan" category.
If someone at Sam's production House actually worked up a proper copy of the Book of the Dead ( Necronomicon? ) together with a copy of the film dagger prop, then people would likely part with bundles of cash to get it, well ... tops for me might be 150 dollars.
Anyways, the content of the book of the dead is fairly lame. Nice to have as a prop .... scares the hell out of anyone who sees it in my collection ( alongside of Eddie's Archives ).
The added items in the DVD make it worth the money in some ways, but if people on the production side maybe thought like a fan, and produced fan based products ( i.e. some sort of decent quality, and maybe even asked some fans what they wanted) then perhaps these special editions would bring in more, since the price would be appropriate.


Rating:
Summary: one of the most grueling horror films... ever
Review: i have to admit that i first saw this movie about two years ago, so i can't say that i'm a hardcore fan. but what i do know is that this is one of the best well made movies in cinema. even to this day and age full of remakes (some morons think this movie should be remade too) and crappy movies full of special effects and multi-million dollar actors, this is one of those movies that still astounds the eyes. and the guts.