Unleashing the Demons of The Evil Dead (1981)

Getting possessed by demons wasn’t on the weekend-away list.

The Evil Dead possessed theaters in 1981. A group of friends go away for the weekend to a secluded cabin in the woods, only to unleash demonic forces from an ancient Book of the Dead. As the evil forces possess each friend, they face unimaginable horrors.

It took me this long to watch the first Evil Dead movie and I wasn’t disappointed. Evil Dead is a terrifying horror movie. The film stars a villainous being that hasn’t merited enough attention - demons. The film that started the franchise, The Evil Dead defines horror as a blood bath of murders and rituals.

Bruce Campbell, Ellen Dandweiss, Richard DeManincon, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly star as the five friends who don’t get the weekend away they were expecting. Most actors have two roles, their normal selves and possessed demons. Sandweiss and Baker were terrifying in their eerie vocals.

Bruce Campbell became quite a horror icon among fans of his involvement in Evil Dead. Campbell’s portrayal is intense, embodying a man driven to the brink by forces beyond his understanding. The role demands an exhausting physicality, requiring Campbell to endure countless scenes of gruesome torture, from gouged eyes to buckets of fake blood.

Now to talk about the behind-the-scenes because it was a nightmare to film The Evil Dead from 1979-1980. First, Sam Raimi has an eye for horror. He turned twenty years old while making his first movie! Using his blood, sweat, and tears, Raimi was persistent in bringing his vision alive.

He perfected the possessive camera takes for the movie’s now iconic perspective. Part of what makes The Evil Dead so enduring is its ingenious use of practical effects and inventive cinematography. Raimi used a variety of camera tricks to amplify the horror, including low-angle shots and rapid tracking shots to represent the demonic forces pursuing the characters.

‘Normal days’ of shooting consisted of Campbell returning home covered in fake blood. Blood soaks the cabin. The blood you ask was a combination of Karo syrup that dried up on clothing. Clothes were so shriveled up that they actually crumbled into pieces!

The cabin used was a real cabin. It lodged most crew members during filming, but the living conditions were awful during the time. It was reportedly so cold in Tennessee that they were burning furniture to stay warm. The cabin has since been destroyed with only the fireplace still intact.

All hands were on deck in every department for this film. The makeup team had an important job turning actors into possessed demons with white contact lenses. Actors commented about how uncomfortable they felt.

Most scenes took a while to get right since Raimi was meticulous about everything. The film didn’t have a big budget, thus having to borrow money to finish. Filming ran past scheduling, resulting in several crew members leaving the production. Various crew members or actors stepped in as ‘fake shemps’ or to help finish the shoot.

Horror author Stephen King endorsed the film into the horror genre. The Evil Dead is a heart-pounding 80-minute nightmare of terrors. I admit that when I started watching I had it on as background noise. The sheer terror pulled in my attention and I was glued to the screen until the end. Now I will watch the rest of the franchise.

Despite its modest beginnings, The Evil Dead has carved a lasting legacy in horror, captivating audiences with its blend of scares, surreal visuals, and audacious special effects. Watch The Evil Dead franchise if you have not seen it.