The Evil Dead (1981)

 

If you consider yourself even an occasional fan of horror, you absolutely need to see this one. In all its low budget glory, this is akin to poetry. 

Does it have faults and issues? Absolutely. But it does set the tone, not only for what horror could do, but also for a visual style that is all Sam Raimi's: often copied, seldom surpassed. 

I swear, one could wax poetically for hours singing the praises of this gem and it would still do it injustice. 

But that's not why you're here. 

A group of friends heads into the mountains to a remote cabin for a weekend away. Things aren't off to a great start, as no one has ever been there and the cabin turns out to be a little on the dingy side in a forest that doesn't feel warm or welcome. But in the company of friends, one does his or her best to just enjoy the company. But in the basement our group comes across an ancient book bound in human flesh and inked in blood. Not only that, they also discover some audiotapes and as one is wont to do, they listen to them. Turns out this all belonged to a professor studying ancient civilisations, in particular those of Candar, a now lost epoch in human history. But the incantations awaken something in the woods that is now actively gunning for our group of friends, as one by one they succumb to the ancient evil and must try to simply stay alive and not be possessed by something sinister... 

So as you can see, the setup is simple and the isolation ideal for some shenanigans. Now, most people now this series from the follow-ups and perhaps the excellent tv-series where the horror is coupled with a lot of humour, but this forst outing is in fact quite serious and might throw you for a loop expecting gags. No real gags here, no sirree. This is balls-to-the-wall uncomfortable supernatural horror at its finest. 

Also: Bruce Campbell's character is a bit of a wet sponge here and he has not yet morphed into the epitome of badassness we've all come to love. 

So get ready for some gruesome possession, as our small band of friends turn into something not quite alive, one after the other. 

The suspense is palpable, as the dark forest works to the benefit of the scares. Not only that, but this film is pretty gory, which is even more impressive if you consider the maker's paltry budget. There are scenes here that will definitely make people squirm. That pencil rammed into the foot is pretty gnarly, not to mention some other acts of evisceration and/or dismemberment.

Heck, there's a scene where a woman is raped by a tree and if you think that sounds silly, it is actually quite disturbing to watch.

But what really sells it all is the inventive camerawork and storytelling by Raimi. You get Dutch tilts, really impressive cameramotion and askew angles to further hammer home the almost otherworldly atmosphere. It actually only becomes apparent with repeated viewings how awesome the direction and camerawork is, so I hope you're ready to delve deep into this little gem a few times.

Unless you're absolutely squeamish, in which case this most definitely isn't the film for you. 

In short: if you like horror, this is an absolute classic of the genre and a must-watch. If not, then you should consider giving this a go, because this is quite the inventive film on several levels. Just be prepared to feel quite uncomfortable at times.