#745 Halloween 2017: Evil Dead II (1987)

Sam Raimi is back with the second installation of the Evil Dead, this time around with a heftier budget. While Evil Dead II is not a remake, there’s a strong feeling of dejavú with all the events unravelling here: Ash being locked in the cabin, getting haunted by evil creatures spawning out the depths of the Necronomicon.

The gritty underdog home made feeling of the first movie is gone and while some of the effects are inventive, they all seemed more fresh in the original one. There’s also a forced comedy approach here that makes Evil Dead II much less a scary movie than the first one. To me it seems the first part played its hand better in this sense, being more scary and haunting in its imagery, and making you laugh occasionally, but in an uneasy, somewhat nauseated way.

On a positive note Sam Raimi’s fresh ideas with the camera movement are even more present in the sequel and Bruce Campbell furthermore shows he is an excellent physical actor really going all stakes in with his portrayal, and having become synonymous with the series for a very good reason.

While the sequel is weaker than the first movie, this is the movie most people refer to when talking about Evil Dead series. If I was to choose, I’d go hands down with the first movie, but the few iconic moments shown here – like Ash arming his stubb with a chainsaw – still warrant viewing the sequel as well.

80s-o-meter: 83%

Total: 60%