The Evil Dead (1979)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:42
Fresh:42
Rotten:0
Average Rating:8.1/10
Consensus: This classic low budget horror film combines just the right amount of gore and black humor, giving The Evil Dead an equal amount of thrills and laughs.
Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: Director Sam Raimi's first film has achieved legendary status since its 1982 release, and for good reason. Though perhaps not as widely seen as its two sequels, EVIL DEAD 2 and ARMY OF DARKNESS,... [More]
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly
Director: Sam Raimi
Reviews for The Evil Dead
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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 4/5 |
If you can overlook the mostly lame-o acting, cheeseball effects and fumbling drama, there's enough fledgling genius here to fill another thousand horror movies. Full Review |
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Energetic, original and icky, Raimi's splat-stick debut is a tight little horror classic that deserves its cult reputation, despite the best efforts of the censors. Full Review |
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Short on characterisation and plot but strong on atmospheric horror and visual churns. Full Review |
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5/5 |
No review available.
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4/5 |
...what it lacks in narrative weight, it compensates for with a relentless pace, disturbing atmosphere, as well as some imaginative displays of dismemberment. Full Review |
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The real stars of The Evil Dead are the direction and the effects. Full Review |
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B |
An inspired gross-out horror pic. Full Review |
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4/4 |
No, they don't make 'em like this anymore, folks. Full Review |
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Director Sam Raimi attacks the movie with a brutal kind of kinetic creativity, moving the camera in truly unique patterns. Full Review |
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The Evil Dead's no-holds-barred resourcefulness places it among the masterpieces of the genre. Full Review |
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Sam Raimi directed this 1983 horror feature fresh out of film school, and his anything-for-an-effect enthusiasm pays off in lots of formally inventive bits. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
Not for the faint of heart or those uninitiated in the ways of modern horror, it's a hoot for fans of the genre. Full Review |
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While injecting considerable black humor, neophyte Detroit-based writer-director Sam Raimi maintains suspense and a nightmarish mood in between the showy outbursts of special effects gore and graphic violence which are staples of modern horror pictures. Full Review |
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With a flurry of dismembered body parts, the film spells its intentions in scaring with complete, relentless excess. Full Review |
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B |
Le premier film d’une excellente trilogie [...] mais les deux autres volets sont davantage des incontournables. Full Review |
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4/5 |
A milestone in low-budget horror
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4/5 |
No review available.
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4/5 |
No review available.
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3/5 |
No review available.
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4/5 |
No review available.
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CommentLatest News for The Evil Dead
November 06, 2009:
Evil Dead to Rise Again in 2010 
The cult classic that made Sam Raimi the object of horror fans' affections is being resurrected and brought back to theaters next year. The director has agreed to hold midnight... More...
February 08, 2009:
Campbell's in No Rush for Evil Dead 4
He's supposed to be promoting "My Name Is Bruce," but Bruce Campbell is smart enough to know that everyone wants to talk about "Evil Dead" -- especially the possibility of a... More...
October 21, 2008:
Fourth Evil Dead Still on Raimi's Back Burner
Remember a few months ago, when Sam Raimi hinted that he and his brother Ivan might be sitting down to write a fourth "Evil Dead" movie in August? Well, there still isn't a script. More...
September 08, 2008:
Evil Dead: The Musical Coming to Theaters...in 3-D?
Producers of the off-Broadway hit "Evil Dead: The Musical" are in negotiations with Sam Raimi to clear the way for a 3-D film adaptation of the show. More...
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