The Evil Dead (1981)

Director:

Sam Raimi

Writer:

Sam Raimi (written by)

Release Date:

15 April 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Can They Be Stopped?

Plot:

Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.

Plot Keywords:

Evil | Woods | Tape | Cabin | Friend

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Bruce Campbell	...	Ashley 'Ash' J. Williams
Ellen Sandweiss	...	Cheryl
Richard DeManincor	...	Scott (as Hal Delrich)
Betsy Baker	...	Linda
Theresa Tilly	...	Shelly (as Sarah York)
Philip A. Gillis	...	Fake Shemp (as Phil Gillis)
Dorothy Tapert	...	Fake Shemp
Cheryl Guttridge	...	Fake Shemp
Barbara Carey	...	Fake Shemp
David Horton	...	Fake Shemp
Wendall Thomas	...	Fake Shemp
Don Long	...	Fake Shemp
Stu Smith	...	Fake Shemp
Kurt Rauf	...	Fake Shemp
Ted Raimi	...	Fake Shemp
Ivan Raimi	...	Fake Shemp
Bill Vincent	...	Fake Shemp
Mary Beth Tapert	...	Fake Shemp
Scott Spiegel	...	Fake Shemp
John Cameron	...	Fake Shemp
Joanne Kruse	...	Fake Shemp
Gwen Cochanski	...	Fake Shemp
Debie Jarczewski	...	Fake Shemp
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Dorian	...	Person on Recorder (voice) (uncredited)
Sam Raimi	...	Hitchhiking Fisherman / Evil Force (uncredited)
Robert G. Tapert	...	Local Yokel (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Raimi

Writing credits
Sam Raimi		(written by)

Produced by
Bruce Campbell	....	executive producer
Gary Holt	....	assistant producer
Sam Raimi	....	executive producer
Robert G. Tapert	....	executive producer (as Robert Tapert)
Robert G. Tapert	....	producer (as Robert Tapert)
Irvin Shapiro	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Joseph LoDuca		(music composed by) (as Joe Loduca)

Cinematography by
Tim Philo		(photography)

Film Editing by
Edna Ruth Paul

Makeup Department
Tom Sullivan	....	special makeup effects

Art Department
Steve Frankel	....	construction supervisor

Sound Department
Josh Becker	....	sound: second unit
Dolores Elliott	....	assistant sound editor
Jerrell Frederick	....	dialogue re-recording (as Jerry Frederick)
Lou Kleinman	....	dialogue editor
Joe Masefield	....	supervising sound editor
John Mason	....	location sound recording
Mel Zelniker	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Sam Raimi	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bart Pierce	....	photographic special effects
Alastor Arnold	....	digital intermediate remastering colorist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Josh Becker	....	lighting: second unit
Mike Ditz	....	still photographer
Tim Philo	....	lighting

Editorial Department
Joel Coen	....	assistant film editor
Chris Innis	....	16mm original negative restoration and conformation (2010 re-release)
Bob Murawski	....	16mm original negative restoration and conformation (2010 re-release)

Music Department
Joseph LoDuca	....	conductor (as Joe Loduca)
Ed Wolfrum	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
David Goodman	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Don Campbell	....	production assistant
Bridget Hoffman	....	photographic model (uncredited)

Thanks
John A. Gallagher	....	special thanks
Simon Nuchtern	....	with special thanks to
Sheila Roberts	....	with special thanks to
Carol Valenti	....	with special thanks to

Production Companies

• Renaissance Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• Palace Pictures (1982) (UK) (theatrical)
• Citadel Films (1983) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (1983) (France) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Film 2 (1984) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Future Film (2003) (Finland) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (1997) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Big Sky Video (2002) (Australia) (DVD)
• CMV Laservision (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Congress Video Group (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Elite Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmways Home Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Future Film (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• HBO/Cannon Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Japan Video Distribution (JVD) Co. Ltd. (????) (Japan) (VHS)
• LW Editora (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Look Filmes (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Look Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Magnum Video (1984) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• Manga Films (2003) (Spain) (all media) (re-release)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)
• SubTV (2005) (Finland) (TV)
• Sveriges Television (SVT) (2004) (Sweden) (TV)
• Video Screen (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Audiographics  music engineered at
• August Films  title design
• Dynamic Effects  optical negative
• J.G. Films  negative matching
• Sound One Corporation  post-production sound (as Sound One Corp.)

Also Known As:

"Book of the Dead" - USA (première title)
"Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead" - USA (complete title)
"The Evil Dead, the Ultimate Experience in Grueling Horror" - USA (closing credits title)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for substantial graphic horror violence and gore (rated 1994)

Runtime:

85 min | Germany:70 min (FSK 16 version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | DTS (re-mastered version)

Certification:

Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1990) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2002) | USA:Not Rated (DVD rating) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Germany:16 (heavily cut) | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) (uncut) (2001) | UK:18 (re-rating: 1990) (cut) (re-rating: 2001) (uncut) | UK:(Banned) (1984-1990) | UK:X (original rating: 1982) (cut) | USA:R (edited UMD version) | Netherlands:16 | Germany:18 (re-rating) (1995) (court decision) (cut) | Argentina:16 | Canada:14A (rated 2006) | USA:X (original rating) | Chile:14 (2006 DVD Rating) | South Korea:18 | West Germany:(Banned) (1984) (uncut) | Sweden:(Banned) (1988) | Italy:VM14 | Canada:18A (Ontario) (Re-rated 2008) | Mexico:B | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Québec) | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:(Banned) | Ireland:(Banned) (original rating) | Ireland:18 (re-rating) | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 (DVD rating) (2004) | Portugal:M/16 (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/18 (original rating) | Singapore:(Banned) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 (re-rating) (1997) | USA:NC-17 (rated 1994) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Company:

Renaissance Pictures

Trivia:

The cabin did not actually have a cellar. Most of the cellar scenes were filmed in the stone cellar of a farmhouse owned by producer Robert G. Tapert's family in Marshall, Michigan. The last room of the cellar was actually Sam Raimi's garage. The hanging gourds and bones are a tribute to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). For the scene where the students descend into the cellar, a hole was cut into the floor, a shallow pit was dug and a ladder was placed into the pit.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Throughout the movie, you can see excess light through windows and the mirror, even though it is supposed to be night and pitch-black.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Scotty:Hey, Ash, where are we?
Ash:Well we just crossed the Tennessee border...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dead End (1985)

A Horrific Masterpiece

Sam Raimi proved to the world that he could not only direct a movie but that he could create a product that was not only original but that could scare the hell out of you. Since the 1981 release, Bruce Campbell has found work on many film projects due to his break out performance in the Evil Dead. Raimi, has gone on to direct many films. Both have earned much of their career based on this little horror movie, that has been re-produced / recycled by thousands of "wanna-be" film makers world wide. This is not your typical "zombie" film, let alone your garden variety horror movie as well. The Evil Dead is one of those black comedies / horror movies that overwhelms the audience to either be scared out of their wits or won over by the movie's story and over the top characters. The Evil Dead is what most, if not all horror movies should be, very real and powerful.