The Evil Dead (1981)

Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor

Synopsis:
A group of friends go up to an isolated cabin in the woods, unaware of the dark secret it holds.

Impressions:
My first exposure to the franchise was Army of Darkness and it wasn't until a few years back that I first saw the movie that started it all. If you had a similar experience, there's quite the mood shift. This is more of a conventional horror film. As the feature debut of both Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, it's an interesting display of their early development. Being so early in both of their careers and made with a budget scrimped, saved, borrowed and begged wherever it could be gotten, it's definitely on the rough side. There's a reason why Evil Dead II is something of an enhanced and expanded remake. There's one scene in particular that's uncomfortable to watch (if you at least know the movie by reputation, then you know what I'm talking about) and even Raimi himself has expressed some regret of having it in there (though it apparently gets a reprise in the more recent remake, so you have to wonder just how sincere that regret is). That scene and the general roughness of the quality may be enough to turn away some viewers, which is why I'm not rating it higher. However, if you're a fan of Sam Raimi and/or Bruce Campbell and want to see their early work, then give this a shot.

Rating:
50/50