5 out of 5

Director: Sam Raimi

Whoosh. Yknow, sometimes its hard to pinpoint about whats NOT good in a movie. You watch it, and its just not great, though you have to scramble to say why. But when you watch something like Evil Dead, you know right away youre watching something great. Theres so much to be praised about this movie. Its plot, while a simple horror plot – teens stay in an old cabin and wake up evil spirits – is executed smartly and interestingly, and shows how even the most tired story can be given life in the right hands. Raimis hands, apparently, were the right ones. Everything syncs here: the shooting style, the music, the characters, the low-budget gore. I saw this just when I was getting into film and thus didnt appreciate how truly revolutionary Raimis camera was/is. Even today, where computers and smaller cameras make this kind of work easier, the controlled insanity he captures (its not shaky-cam) with some really wild shots is so amazing, especially here at his young age. Combine this with the perfect blend of music and just the right balance of low-budget gore/makeup effects, and you have yourself a freaking classic. Whats the best thing about this? Its actually creepy. Raimi does the genre right by putting the creepy clues in there from the start, but keeping the force simply a malevolent force until at least halfway through. Sigh. Sorry – rewatching this for the first time in years makes me remember why it had such a big impact.