“Welcome back to the land of the livin’…NOW PICK UP A SHOVEL AND START DIGGING!”

1992 brings us to the close of “The Evil Dead Trilogy” with Army of Darkness. Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi returned to the screen to cap things off with something a little…different than the first two movies.

Plot
After the events of the last movie (and the opening recap), a sole survivor of a haunted cabin in the woods finds himself thrown back in time to the Not-England of the middle ages. Managing to impress the locals with his weaponry and attitude, he tries to find a way back home by recovering the Necronomicon from its resting place, but ends up taking part in a war against the risen army of the dead.

Characters
Ashley J. “Ash” Williams: Bruce Campbell once more is Ash, only this time the character is developed to his final form. A loudmouthed braggart and man of action, his trademark weapons are still the chainsaw and sawed off shotgun, but he also picks up a sword and gains a very “clockpunk” right hand to replace the one he lost. Catchphrase spouting, borderline sexist, and not quite as bright as he thinks he is. He’s a rare thing in modern horror franchises: a hero character that you want to root for against the monsters. Ash is without any question, a certifiable badass in this film.

Bad Ash: Bruce Campbell again, except, well, evil. The Evil finds a way (uncomfortable, I assure you) to make a carbon copy of Ash that gets all kinds of messed up by Ash. That doesn’t stop him from finding a way out of the shallow grave he’s been dug into and becoming the leader of the Deadite Army.

Sheila: Embeth Davidtz plays Ash’s medieval love interest. A woman who’s brother was killed by Duke Henry’s men in a battle, she assumes that Ash is with Henry when he’s brought to the castle in chains and starts things going. Obviously, she falls for him after that. Obviously.

Lord Arthur: Marcus Gilbert plays the lord of a land beset by evil. He’s a serious-minded wet blanket that takes a while to warm up to Ash, but once he does, he proves to be a competent fellow.

The Wiseman: Ian Abercrombie plays the Merlin-like sage who advises Arthur. He immediately feels that Ash is the chosen one, prophesized to arrive from the sky and will rid the land of the Deadites.

Duke Henry the Red: Richard Grove plays a rival warlord that Arthur has been fighting with before the movie begins. Captured in battle, he meets Ash as the two are in chains awaiting execution.

There are a couple of other characters, like the always ill-fated Linda (this time played by Briget Fonda) and Ted Raimi has several very small roles (though sadly without a Ted Raimi Death Scene).

Visuals/Effects
A bigger budget than last time, the film features more of Raimi’s signature style as innovative camera angles, over-the-top, comedic fights and very noticeably, locking the camera onto an object in motion. An arrow in flight will appear motionless as the scenery around it will whip by. The tone of the film is mostly one of High ADVENTURE!, not Horror, but the middle sequence where Ash rides out alone to get the Necronomicon is rife with bizarre events, special effects and crazy horror elements that build on what the first two movies had.

The buckets of fluid spilled on-screen aren’t quite as plentiful, but the movie makes up for it with loads and loads of Deadites. Actors in big masks, actors in makeup and an army of puppet & stop-motion skeletons that are gloriously Harryhausen-esque. The special effects are, admittedly, rather low-budget, but really, that’s actually part of the whole campy charm of the thing, and honestly, I’d rather have intentionally bad special effects that make a B movie great than unintentionally bad effects that make an (aspiring) A movie terrible.

The action scenes are also stepped up, with a climactic siege of the castle where Ash has to fend off the titular Army of Darkness and has a throw down with his evil twin. It balances that line between cheesy and badass, and if that’s not enough to sell you on this movie: Skeleton Bagpipers. SKELETON BAGPIPERS!

Writing
The script is by Sam and Ivan Raimi, and while the tone goes for more hilarious-level B movie status, everything about the movie ups the ante for Ash. He’s lost in time and has to live up to the expectations of a bunch of people who think he’s the chosen one, and he has to achieve that by stopping some kind of undead apocalypse with a handful of troops. It actually feels pretty epic for 81 minutes, and the pacing is spot on.

The dialog deserves special attention. Army of Darkness is one of the most quotable movies I’ve ever seen. Pretty much anything coming out of Ash’s mouth is either comedy gold or simply awesome, and it was real tough trying to choose something from him for the title quote and I’m sure people would’ve been like “why didn’t you use this or that?” So I saved myself that trouble and didn’t use any of his lines.

Sound
Out of the trilogy, this movie has easily the best soundtrack. Sure, Danny Elfman gets the credit for composing “The March of the Dead,” and it’s a fantastic theme, but the heavy lifting is done by Joseph LoDuca again, and the rest of the score is just as good. As with the script and direction, the tone is purely in the ADVENTURE! Camp with hints of grotesque horror peeking through. The music really helps cement the epic feel of the film (and the sound effects aren’t quite as prominently crucial, though still there) and LoDuca did a great job.

Conclusion
There is a reason why Army of Darkness is a cult classic of the modern era. The entire Evil Dead trilogy is great, but each film is unique for what it is. Army of Darkness is easily the best known of the three, the one most often shown on cable, and the one most quoted by fans. I’ve got a theory about this movie that goes something along the line of “if Army of Darkness is on and a male happens to pass by or flip to the channel playing it, that male will, guaranteed, have to watch the movie from wherever he walks in on until the ending. No exceptions.” Not only is this this movie required cult cinema, if you actually don’t like it, then, well, you’re probably not welcome here.

“I’ll swallow your soul! I’ll swallow your soul!”

Continuing with our decent into the madness of Sam Raimi, 1987 brought forth Evil Dead II. Ash Williams returned, but due to…legal issues, footage from the first film couldn’t be used. This is relevant information because as a recap, the movie features a highly abridged version of the events of the first film with only two characters, raising questions as to whether it is a direct sequel or a remake. The chaos this has left among the fan base is delicious for a discerning palate, particularly as there are those that refuse to acknowledge Raimi’s statements that it is in fact a true sequel.

Plot
The sole survivor of a horrific night in a cabin infested with ancient Evils finds himself trying to survive their continued assault upon him. Alone in a cabin where nothing is safe for long, the strain on his sanity takes its toll just in time for the daughter of the archeologists who translated the text of the ancient Necronomicon arrives with several others curious to find out what happened. Those poor, poor fools.

Characters
Ashley J. “Ash” Williams: Bruce Campbell returns as Ash. The character is still the sole survivor of the cabin “incident” and his girlfriend’s death during the prologue does indeed help drive him over the edge, something that the Evil is happy to exploit. He receives much more character development this time, being shown as smarmier and much, much, much more slapstick oriented and a bit of an asshole. Ash actually develops as a character quite nicely in the film, from a sole survivor to someone who is willing to take the fight to the enemy with chainsaw and shotgun. He makes ample and effective use of a chainsaw throughout the film. His hand gets infected by the Evil and tries to kill him. Well, he won’t sit idly by to let that happen. No, no. Ash quite clearly becomes the film’s badass through the events that take place, and it is indeed “Groovy.”

Linda: Denise Bixler is Ash’s ill-fated girlfriend and Michigan State fan. While not in the movie as much, she does do some different things after becoming a deadite, such as dancing with and without her head attached to her body.

Annie Knowby: Sarah Berry plays the daughter of Professor Raymond Knowby and his wife Henrietta, she arrives in town to find out what happened to her parents who have gone off the grid. She travels to the cabin and is able to shed some light on how to get rid of the Evil infesting the place, though she also causes more than enough trouble as well.

Ed Getley: Richard Domeier plays Annie’s associate/boyfriend/whatever. It is not something clearly defined as he does not stay among the living for very long at all.

Jake: Dan Hicks plays a local who meets Annie & Ed as they arrive at the busted up bridge. He helps lead them through a hidden path in the woods to the cabin.

Bobbie Joe: Kassie Wesley plays Jake’s daughter, and she does not like Annie one bit when they meet.

Henrietta Knowby: The professor’s deceased wife, and a deadite. Played by Ted Raimi under a lot of makeup. (and actress Lou Hancock for a brief, human-looking time). Locked up in the cellar of the cabin, Henrietta assumes a Cheryl-like role as a lurking evil. The question you should be asking, though, is “does it count as a Ted Raimi death scene when the character is already dead?” Indeed it does, should be your subsequent answer.

Visuals/Effects
This movie, benefiting from a larger budget, is able to go bigger with its effects, and Raimi himself utilizes more daring camera tricks. The Evil-charging-forward point-of-view gets more elaborate, as the Evil chases Ash through the entire cabin. After his hand is possessed, Ash struggles with it in a very Looney Tunes way as it smashes dishes over his head and other indignities. At one point, Ash faceplants to the ground and the hand begins crawling toward a nasty looking cleaver. The camera shifts to another POV, this time at the ground level of the cabin as the hand inches forward. Incredibly effective. Stop motion is used much more in this film. At one point, Ash is fighting a stop-motion monster in a very Harryhausen-esque manner.

Writing
Written by Sam Raimi and Scott Spiegel, the tone of the sequel is much, much lighter and goofier than the first movie. Ash himself is much funnier and the physical abuse the character (and actor) undergo reach ludicrous levels. This does not mean the movie doesn’t get serious. Characters die, gore is readily available, and the stakes escalate dramatically.

Sound
Joseph LoDuca returns to score the film, and does a good job of creating a foreboding and evil atmosphere. The sound effects editing on the film continues to be positively excellent for the mood

Conclusion
Evil Dead II is a tonal departure from The Evil Dead, but it is in many, many ways a superior film. Important characters are more fleshed out, the action starts several minutes into the movie and barely gives the audience time to breathe, and the gloriously insane action scenes are equal parts awesome and hilarious. Many prefer the sequel to the first, but I see them as equal but slightly different siblings in a daring franchise. Most definitely recommended for the genre it occupies.

“We're going to get you. We're going to get you. Not another peep. Time to go to sleep.”

Welcome, weary internet travelers. Those expecting the…usual crop of RMWC reviews may be distressed to find that the management has…changed recently. Pay no heed to the dripping sound you hear in the other room, it will stop soon enough. Pay no attention to it. Instead, I direct you here, to 1981’s The Evil Dead, a small, unassuming little film made on a shoestring budget in 1979-80

Plot
Its an innocuous little film about five college students from Michigan taking a vacation to a cabin in the Tennessee woods. There, they find a disturbing recording and a mysterious, ancient book that can unleash ancient demonic forces upon the world.

Characters
Ashley J. “Ash” Williams: A very young Bruce Campbell plays one of the students. He is much nicer guy than his buddy Scott, and has brought the gift of a small magnifying-glass pendant that he gives to his girlfriend in a touching, tender moment. When things begin to go wrong, he doesn’t exactly know how to react, though who could, seeing their friends and girlfriends falling victims to the Evil that is unleashed.

Cheryl: Ellen Sandweiss plays Ash’s sister, a young, artistically inclined woman who immediately feels that something is wrong with the cabin. She is also the first who wishes to leave. Being the odd one out, naturally she is the easiest target for the Evil, and it would take a heartless villain indeed to feel no sympathy for what happens after she runs out into the woods. Those of a…sensitive constitution may want to look away when the-- No. Why spoil the surprise. Cheryl is also the first to become a deadite, a human being killed and possessed by the Evil, and spends most of the rest of the movie locked in the cellar, providing more than a fair share of creepiness. Deadite Cheryl (and the Fake Shemps playing her, along with Sandweiss, under the makeup) is surprisingly, the movie’s Badass.

Scott: Richard DeManicor plays Ash’s buddy. He is much, much more of an asshole, one that deserves what fate has in store for him.

Linda: Betsy Baker plays Ash’s girlfriend. A nice enough character, though Ohio State fans will wish to see her die for wearing a Michigan sweater. Their dark wish is granted, and she becomes the second freakiest deadite, one possessed of a horribly disconcerting laugh.

Shelly: Theresa Tilly (under the name Sarah York) plays Scott’s girlfriend, though there is little to the character besides.

Numerous other actors appear under heavy makeup effects as “Fake Shemps” which are stand-ins for the regular actors when the regulars couldn’t be there. This tidbit is only included because among these Fake Shemps were Ted and Ivan Raimi, brothers of the director, and implying that there is a Ted Raimi Death Scene in this film.

Visuals/Effects
Sam Raimi did not have much of a budget in the making of this film. Instead, he went with creating atmosphere, innovative camera shots and with practical effects. Stop motion is used here and there in the film, and considering the budget, it is quite passable. A lot of blood and other fluids are spilled for the film, but the real highlight are the camera tricks Raimi uses. Possibly the most “signature” shot of the film is that of whatever the unseen Evil is moving forward through the scenery at an unnatural speed, usually chasing an intended victim. Simple, effective and very, very atmospheric.

Writing
The script by Sam Raimi follows most of the commonly acceptable horror movie tropes. Characters are generally archetypical and not that highly developed. The dialog is serviceable and shows potential. Where the writing excels is in pacing and building tension. The Evil has a presence early on, but the actual attack does not begin until a bit into the film. When it does, however, it never lets up. The movie is also notable for subverting the common trope of the survivor of a horror movie always being the last girl left. Since he’s the main character of the trilogy, it is quite obvious that Ash is the one to make it through this movie, but audiences at the time did not know that.

Sound
The score by Joseph LoDuca is entirely appropriate and contributes to the unnatural mood of the film. The score does stand out at two points where the music is optimistic and jaunty as terrible things happen or are about to, such as during the ending credits (and the music begins to slow down as the credits continue rolling)

Sound effects are utilized with excellence in the film. Doors slamming, a swinging chair banging against the side of the cabin, the sound of a chainsaw revving up. All are expertly used to contribute to the atmosphere.

Conclusion
The Evil Dead is not a perfect film, but it is an exemplary low budget, independent horror movie that launched two major careers. It succeeds very well in creating a menacing mood, for providing actual creepy moments and for being a legitimate horror movie. As one of the very important horror movies of the 1980s and a cult classic in its own right, it is absolutely recommended