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Both the original DVDs and final VHS copies of 1 and 2. the collector's edition of Army of Darkness. The Anniversary Edition of both Evil Dead and Dead 2. The Blu-ray of Evil Dead. Damn... Now I wanna wach Evil Dead 2
What is it about this gory black comedy that creates such high demand and is it really a gateway drug into the world of horror and cult cinema? I've first hand experience with the demand side of the equation; as a host of 35mm horror screenings, Evil Dead 2 is easily the most requested film. It frequently makes me stop and wonder: Could we show it every month and draw a big crowd and would they start shouting back at the screen ala The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Friends of mine have been in the horror screening business for fifteen years now. If my rusty memory serves me correctly, they've run it a total of seven times over that span (they're more worn out on it that an octogenarian marathoner's knees). They've only continued to showcase it as a way to bring folks in to see other, incredibly rare horror fare, such as The Asphxy: a creepy little number from 1973.
The draw Evil Dead 2 holds over horror crowds forms an inescapable riptide; you can't over power it, you can only hope to swim along it's parameter until the credits roll. But why do we love it so much? I'll totally include myself among the masses here, having watched this flick hundreds of times. On display within its frames we find chiseled chin nerd super hero, Bruce Campbell, doing what he does best: being abused by Sam Raimi for our perpetual amusement. Along the way, possessive demons are given free run of hapless cabin dwellers, time portals are opened, Oldsmobiles are dropped, limbs are removed (to puns aplenty) and swimming pools full of blood and gore are sprayed with reckless abandon (the cleaning bills must have been astronomical).
The secret sauce here is that this truly isn't a horror movie to the same tune it's predecessor, The Evil Dead is. The back (side?) story is that Stephen King loved the original so much that it was he who convinced Dino De Laurentiis to fund a sequel. Instead of a straight laced, gruesome sequel, Raimi gives us equal measures of gore comedy and black satire. He puts Ash (go to buddy Campbell) through a hellish ringer of physical and mental anguish. Of course, Ash is a charismatic and lovable goof, so we're with him from the outset; we're invested. So when shit takes the leap from weird to insane faster than a 60's Batman spinning dissolve, we're ready to Rambo up right next to our hero. Bringing an obvious love of Three Stooges physical comedy to the table only expands the sample size of potential cult devotees; the scene where Ash battles his own possessed hand really showcases' Campbell's physical comedic range. That he never made Hollywood leading man status is both frustrating and infuriating. It's a subject he tackles satirically in his second book, Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way (which I highly recommend).
Both the original DVDs and final VHS copies of 1 and 2. the collector's edition of Army of Darkness. The Anniversary Edition of both Evil Dead and Dead 2. The Blu-ray of Evil Dead. Damn... Now I wanna wach Evil Dead 2
This is by far my favorite cult horror film of all time. The secret is simple. It was totally original and Campbell is a god.
Evil Dead, nor AOD hold the same allure to me. Enjoy them, but my first love is ED2.
There have been so many versions out there, I can't keep count. I've owned several. My first was on VHS.
Love Evil Dead 2. And just for the record some places show RHPS more than monthly.
As much as I do love this film and enjoyed the writeup I think you missed a golden chance to do a topical (?) review and cover the recently released Father's Day. Got the chance from Troma Entertainment to review this one myself and it is a glorious tribute to the shock/exploitation genera. Sadly it sounds like the BD release was stripped of its most promising features but if you have the chance give it a watch.
@Betenoire- I haven't been able to see 'Father's Day' yet but I've heard similar things about the promised goodies being stripped.
I have two different versions of ED2 on Blu Ray, one version on regular dvd, one on vhs, and I used to have one on laserdisc until I sold it.