Evil Dead II
1987 · Directed by Sam Raimi
Raimi remakes the first film as a half-comedy. Ash gets a chainsaw hand. The cabin gets weirder. The tone breaks the genre.
Why It's Cult
Evil Dead II is technically a sequel and arguably a remake — same setup, recast, more money, full slapstick. The shift from straight horror to horror-comedy is the most influential genre move of the eighties. Campbell's physical comedy. The dancing severed hand. "Groovy." Without this film, no Peter Jackson, no Edgar Wright, no Sam Raimi blockbuster era. Cinema's first official splatstick masterpiece.
The Plot, Officially
Ashley Williams travels to a secluded cabin in the woods with his girlfriend Linda where they find a tape recording of a professor and a book of evil. This unleashes a bunch of evil spirits that constantly terrorize Ash. Meanwhile a journalist comes to the area to study the book of evil. Ash and her end up having to survive this swarm of evil until morning comes.
Starring
Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks
Where to Watch
via JustWatch →
