The Evil Dead (1982)

US 85m, Colour
Director: Sam Raimi; Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Hal Delrich, Sarah York

As a hugely successful low-budget independent film, which has since attained a large cult following, The Evil Dead initially gained prominence for its graphic violence and gore. It has since been recognized for having some of the most original cinematography, direction and sound editing ever conceived and employed in the horror genre. Considering that this was Raimi’s first feature film, The Evil Dead was an extraordinary achievement and one of the more influential horror films of all time. Spawning a successful sequel/re-make in Evil Dead 2 (1987) and The Army of Darkness (1992), all starring Bruce Campbell as “Ash” (the film’s increasingly entertaining protagonist), The Evil Dead is now widely appreciated for its campy dark humour and stylized visual effects (Klaus Ming June 2011).