'Evil Dead II' review by Captain Raptor

'Evil Dead II' review by Captain Raptor

Because I'm such a professional, today I'll be reviewing a sequel to which I've never seen the predecessor. Again. However, my sources tell me that Evil Dead II is essentially a remake of the first Evil Dead movie but with a higher budget, so I don't think I'll be missing any context. Besides, how could I pass up the opportunity to watch the film that inspired Joss Whedon's practically perfect The Cabin in the Woods? Evil Dead II chronicles the dramatic tale of a young man's slow descent into insanity in an isolated cabin after the death of his lover. Oh, and there's also some stuff about slaying the undead hordes with a chainsaw. 

The most immediately noticeable thing about Evil Dead II is how dated all the special effects are. However, that's not a complaint. I understand the film didn't exactly have a lot of funding, and it was made in 1987. So, yes, the CGI looks about as convincing as Pamela Anderson's breasts, but if anything this adds to the film's psychedelic charm. The movie is a head-trip through and through, combining nonsensical humour, anarchic and gory violence and sense of unpredictability unrivalled by any other film I've seen. The film's loose plot of 'people attempting survival in a forest full of the dead' allows director Sam Raimi to fill the screen with lunacy and enough fake blood to drown a giraffe. It's really hard to eloquently capture the insanity of Evil Dead II, reaching ridiculous levels of overwhelming madness while mostly sticking within its simple cabin setting. Despite the over-the-top exuberance that dominates the film, there's also some really intelligent directing present, in particular the tense scene where protagonist Ash is chased by some unseen creature, shot entirely from the point of view of the monster.

Speaking of Ash, I would like to congratulate him on being the most capable character in horror movie history. There's no hesitance, no confusion, no running around shouting 'OH NO WHAT'S HAPPENING', Ash just gets shit done. Within 5 minutes of being on screen he's happily beheading the possessed body of his girlfriend and drenching himself in blood. Bruce Campbell deserves his cult hero status for his brilliant performance as the semi-deranged badass; there's no doubt that he's overacting, but the way he half-laughs half-screams when being covered in blood or mutters a taciturn 'Groovy' when loading his shotgun fits in perfectly with the film's schizophrenic manner. The film's other characters are all forgettable and bland, but they're only there to serve as fodder for the various fiends lurking in and around the cabin. The only flaw I can think of is that the film doesn't spend enough time with Mr Ashley J Williams - the best section of the film is the 20-30 minutes in which we see Ash survive a night in the cabin being tormented by all manner of evil, during which the film never fails to provide laughs with black comedy (probably cinema's funniest dismemberment) or shocks with gore galore. When the other characters arrive later and things start murdering them, it's neither as funny nor as entertaining.

It's a little cheesy, not particularly scary, and the visual effects are more outdated than a ZX Spectrum, but I implore you to watch this film, unless you have an aversion to blood, in which case you'll hate it. It's a madcap romp, an insane blend of ridiculous gore and smart humour. It's highly revered amongst the horror community, and serves as the masterpiece of director Raimi and star Campbell. Rarely have I had such an invigorating and memorable experience with a movie.