Evil Dead II
Rent/Purchase
Ash Williams and his girlfriend Linda find a log cabin in the woods with a voice recording from an archeologist who had recorded himself reciting ancient chants from "The Book of the Dead." As they play the recording an evil power is unleashed taking over Linda's body.
What critics thought
Raimi's horror-comedy hybrid lands firmly in the 'broadly well-received' zone, with most critics embracing its gleeful, anything-goes energy and Bruce Campbell's physical commitment, though the exact ratio of laughs to scares divided opinion at release. The sharpest fault line was whether the tonal mash-up felt inventive or merely strained — some saw a filmmaker finding his voice, others saw a director reaching past his grasp.
“the gaudily gory, virtuoso, hyper-kinetic horror sequel uses every trick in the cinematic book”
Empire
“genuine, if bizarre, proof of Sam Raimi's talent and developing skill.”
Caryn James·The New York Times
“a fairly sophisticated satire, that makes you want to get up and shuffle.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“the pop-up humor and smirkiness suggest Raimi's aspiring to the fashionable company of the brothers Coen, though on the basis of this strained effort I'd say he's overshot the mark.”
Pat Graham·Chicago Reader
“the acting is straight out of '50s B-movies. The exposition is clumsy, the sound track corny, the denouement silly. Then again, who said bad taste was easy?”
Richard Harrington·The Washington Post
Genres
Comedy, Horror
Cast & Crew
DirectorSam Raimi
StarringBruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie DePaiva, Ted Raimi
ComposerJoseph LoDuca
Evil Dead II
Ash Williams and his girlfriend Linda find a log cabin in the woods with a voice recording from an archeologist who had recorded himself reciting ancient chants from "The Book of the Dead." As they play the recording an evil power is unleashed taking over Linda's body.
What critics thought
Raimi's horror-comedy hybrid lands firmly in the 'broadly well-received' zone, with most critics embracing its gleeful, anything-goes energy and Bruce Campbell's physical commitment, though the exact ratio of laughs to scares divided opinion at release. The sharpest fault line was whether the tonal mash-up felt inventive or merely strained — some saw a filmmaker finding his voice, others saw a director reaching past his grasp.
“the gaudily gory, virtuoso, hyper-kinetic horror sequel uses every trick in the cinematic book”
Empire
“genuine, if bizarre, proof of Sam Raimi's talent and developing skill.”
Caryn James·The New York Times
“a fairly sophisticated satire, that makes you want to get up and shuffle.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“the pop-up humor and smirkiness suggest Raimi's aspiring to the fashionable company of the brothers Coen, though on the basis of this strained effort I'd say he's overshot the mark.”
Pat Graham·Chicago Reader
“the acting is straight out of '50s B-movies. The exposition is clumsy, the sound track corny, the denouement silly. Then again, who said bad taste was easy?”
Richard Harrington·The Washington Post
Genres
Comedy, Horror
Cast & Crew
DirectorSam Raimi
StarringBruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie DePaiva, Ted Raimi
ComposerJoseph LoDuca
Rent/Purchase