As a lifelong cinephile who’s had the pleasure of witnessing the evolution of horror cinema, I can confidently say that the Evil Dead franchise has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. The original film was a game-changer, setting the stage for over-the-top gore and a performance by Bruce Campbell that was leagues beyond the norm for low-budget films at the time.
In 1981, Sam Raimi’s movie “The Evil Dead” stood out from the crowd of horror slashers that flooded the market after Halloween’s success in 1978. It was unyielding in its portrayal, with extreme gore and a stellar performance by lead actor Bruce Campbell, which wasn’t common in low-budget films at the time, as many chose to prioritize body counts over acting talent (like Friday the 13th). However, when “Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn” was released six years later, there was a clear change in tone, a shift that Campbell claims was crucial for its longevity.
In a lively chat with Variety (as shown), Campbell elaborated on the shift between the two films, noting that Evil Dead 2 embraced its comedic aspects and produced a humorous yet terrifying horror movie. This blend retained the gruesome elements, resulting in an outstanding genre film that has endured over time and is still regarded as a classic. Interestingly, Campbell attributes this transformation to both the audience’s response to the initial movie and their desire to avoid being labeled solely as “horror directors” for the rest of their careers.
“We coined the phrase ‘Splatstick’ from Evil Dead 2. It’s horror and comedy, but it’s a tricky dance. We only got into comedy, adding it to horror films, because we were tired of seeing people faint at the first Evil Dead. I mean, there’s some nasty stuff in that. It’s an unrated movie.
In our minds, we pondered, ‘Are we bound to horror forever?’ But we admired The Three Stooges immensely. Thus, we decided to incorporate some of their humor. Scripts can become too heavy. Writers often take themselves too seriously over their own work. ‘My words are flawless.’ Many brilliant dialogue lines never made it onto the script.
Evil Dead Has Been Dividing Fans Lately
It’s fortunate for Campbell that he’s been known as the “horror specialist” throughout his career, a label that has given him a long and prosperous time in Hollywood and made him popular among many who continue to quote from the original Evil Dead trilogy and dress up as Ash Williams at conventions. Some might say that his success was entirely due to Raimi’s sequel/remake transitioning to comedy, making it more mainstream and culturally influential, which also resulted in the equally comedic Army of Darkness in 1993.
In essence, the 2013 and 2023 versions of “Evil Dead” have rekindled the franchise’s horror focus, a shift that has sparked debate among fans who were accustomed to a mix of terror and humor. Despite their success at the box office due to their quality and long wait between releases, many fans felt something was amiss. Even Bruce Campbell, who is known for his lighter approach, expressed a preference for comedy, but the creative team, including Raimi, decided to go back to pure horror. This change in direction seemed more fitting with the styles of directors Fede Álvarez and Lee Cronin.
At present, there are two additional “Evil Dead” films being worked on, with Sébastien Vaniček and Francis Galluppi slated to direct. It’s intriguing to consider where these movies might head next. Given Vaniček’s history of horror films like “Infested” and “Mayday”, we anticipate his movie to be another straight-up horror production. On the other hand, Galluppi’s project could potentially incorporate some dry humor, as he’s fresh from the acclaim of the film “The Last Stop in Yuma County”, a production that successfully blended laughter and tension.
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2024-10-09 22:31