Unlocking the Creepy Mystery Behind The Evil Dead
Two movies that have typically creeped me out but are respected, enjoyed, and sparingly watched are The Evil Dead and The Exorcist. I know why the second bothers me but, I’m unsure about The Evil Dead. My most recent rewatch didn’t leave me so creeped out but, it did remind me of the past. Perhaps as I sort my thoughts out in the following prose, I will unlock some personal truth that holds the answer to why this movie is creepy to me. Or at least was much creepier to me in the past. I watched and blogged out of order for this series. So, if you’re a fan of Ash, find a possessed forest and a rickety old cabin and read my thoughts on The Evil Dead below.
I expect that this week’s blog will be relatively short. Both The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II run together for me. I mentioned last week that Evil Dead II was basically a remake of The Evil Dead. So, I encourage you, if you have not to read last week’s blog. You can read it on my website here or on Tumblr here. Because these movies are so similar, a lot of the same feedback holds true for both. I’ll do my best to point out a few things unique to The Evil Dead in the following blog. The biggest difference between this film and its sequel is that the original movie seems to take a more serious approach than Evil Dead II which ultimately sets the series up for Army of Darkness. I’m not a geek over these movies, yet so know this is my 2024 opinion.
Discovering the Haunting Filming Location of The Evil Dead
Discovering the Haunting Filming Location of The Evil Dead
For those of you reading this blog that enjoy travel, check out a fascinating website called Atlas Obscura. It is a nifty site that based on your location tells you odd things around you that you would otherwise likely not know about. I’ve told this story before but, my brother and I went to TN to buy a Ford door and learned from the site that we were 30 minutes away from where The Evil Dead was filmed. Reading on IMDB taught me that the cabin is hidden, and you must know how to find it in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains. I met a fellow at a horror convention who had been to the cabin and told me that it had since burned down. IMDB confirmed this. It seems that fans enjoyed camping there. I would be more worried about the property owners – people disappear in Appalachia.
The Evil Dead: A Must-Appreciate Cult Classic for Horror Fans
I dig movies but, music is another passion. When I’m spray painting, Photoshopping, painting, or just being creative in general, you can bet there’s some vinyl spinning or Apple music running a playlist through my 80s wooden box speakers at The Mastershake Title Town (my art studio named after my mentor, role model, and friend). I’ve said this many times and I will say it again here. If you claim to be a music fan and don’t at least appreciate The Beatles, Hank Williams Sr., Grateful Dead, and the blues in general, stop saying you’re a music fan because you’re not. These artists and this genre are core to appreciating music. The Evil Dead is a film you must at least appreciate if you’re a horror fan. I’m not saying you’re required to join the cult, just that you must appreciate this film’s contributions to the genre.
Innovative Filmmaking and Camera Work in The Evil Dead
There are two things that stood out from The Evil Dead. First, coming from the perspective of a creative that also dabbles in filmmaking, is the creativity behind the shots. The Evil Dead has so many great camera transitions and camera angles that you lose count. For instance, there are a lot of shots that look like you (the camera) are floating along the top of a swamp. In reality, the cameraman was placed in a boat and pushed through the swamp by someone else according to IMDB. For its time, this was outstanding work. In 1987, we weren’t using drones to get these shots, and directors/camera teams had to figure out ways to get the desired effects. Amateur filmmakers like me still do this. Another film I blogged about a long time ago that features this quality and Bruce Campbell is Intruder – read this blog here.
Psychological Horror Elements in The Evil Dead
Psychological torment seemed to be the focal point of The Evil Dead. When Ash’s GF is possessed, she doesn’t go after him right away. Perhaps she is baiting him. Another commonality is a possessed person turning back to normal. They plead with Ash or try to convince him they’re fine. Naturally, they switch back to the demon-possessed form. How terrible would it be to have to look at your GF who 10 seconds ago was demon-possessed and is now her normal pretty self begging you for her life to then put an axe into her skull? The mental strain of this would be astronomical. All the while, you have another possessed person peeking through a door in the floor, changing personalities, screaming, and mocking you. A person’s spirit would be broken by all this – this is why people in prison camps are starved and allowed very little sleep.
Pacing and Tension in The Evil Dead’s Iconic Horror Scenes
Last week I mentioned the pace of Evil Dead II and I’m going to mention it again here for The Evil Dead. Both films did a great job with this. You’re watching the movie, you’re into it, you know something bad is going to happen, a lady is trying to get someone to guess cards, a voice from a character in the background gets louder and louder correctly calling them out, and she turns from the window she is gazing out of with white eyes and demon makeup on. At this point, the pedal is to the metal, and the pace of The Evil Dead is full-throttle psychotronic. You’re in the creepy and you’re in the horror at this point and there is no turning back.
Revisiting The Evil Dead’s Impact and Personal Reflections
I’m not sure why but, my recent viewing of The Evil Dead offered a lot less creepiness. Don’t get me wrong, it was still there it just didn’t have the same struggle to get through this effect it held in the past. There was some humor this time around too. For instance, Ash tells someone to go to sleep and we’ll figure it out in the morning. Seriously? Are you kidding me? The last thing I could do in a demon-possessed cabin in the middle of the TN mountains is go to sleep. So, I love The Evil Dead and will watch it again. I have some questions for you readers and fans. Does anyone have one of the local blood drive pins? Did anyone see the cabin before it burned down? Let me know in the comments.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this artist’s thoughts on The Evil Dead. I invite you to follow my art journey on social media, visit my website, and consider supporting and buying my work here. If you liked this blog or the movie, please share. Also, feel free to comment, especially if you are a fan of this one. Keep your eyes on my page, seriously, because there is fan art on deck. I had a great idea – art has spoken to me again – while watching The Evil Dead that I plan to make reality. Peace.