I have been trying to catch up on a number of movies recently and this is a trilogy that was on the list. Sam Raimi's classic Evil Dead series.
I watched the first one ages ago and thought it was pretty much the best horror movie ever. Ridiculous, funny and bloody frightening. I tried to watch the sequels straight afterwards but couldn't be bothered so I left them...until now. They are just superb. Evil Dead 2 is like 1 but decides to push the bar out further by making the action more over the top and violent. I preferred the original as it combined horror and comedy perfectly but this one borders more on comedy. However it is still terrific fun. Gushes of blood spraying out the wall, chain-saws and killer trees make this preposterous entertainment.
And is Bruce Campbell the greatest actor ever? Well probably no, but he is up there for this movie and the absolutely outstanding, absurd and wacky third installment, Army of Darkness. How good is this movie? Campbell has a chain-saw for an arm! He fight's off the undead in a pit whilst being taunted by a medieval army within castle walls. He then shoots a guys sword in half whilst taking the piss out of everyone and everything. He is so intense and maniacal you believe him completely. What follows is possibly the most far-fetched and ludicrous plot and events in cinema but who the hell cares?! Campbell's Ash disdainful comments to his love interest are frankly hilarious whilst his problem's with the book's of the dead are enough to induce a heart attack due to laughter. The crap he has to go through, I felt so much sympathy it was a joke. Attacked by little Campbell's, joined at the arm by his evil twin and then his love gets taken away by the undead army. Can it get worse? Well for him yes but for us no. It gets better and better. A cracking battle with the undead ensues and it seriously is more exciting than anything LOTR produced. Its absurdity and hilarity more than makes up for the cheap and shoddy special effects.
The ending fits in perfectly with the trilogy and to be honest I really would love to see the rumoured Evil Dead 4 and the Evil Dead 1 remake. As Drag Me To Hell showed, Raimi excels with the horror genre. He is needlessly making a sequel to the pitiful Messengers and of course the Spiderman 4 and 5 movies. And lets be fair, they are needed after the disastrously disappointing Spiderman 3. How bloated was that movie man?!
Back to Evil Dead though. Fantastic trilogy. Army of Darkness is so different but is better for it. Fantastic entertainment and an absolute powerhouse performance in the exhibition of OTT acting by he legend Bruce Campbell.
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