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The film that started it all for Raimi. Made on a extremely low budget, the film takes place in a deserted cabin, where five people have come to spend the night. From the moment they enter the cabin, strange things start to happen. One by one, each of them become possessed by a demon and start hacking each other up. There are plenty of scary scenes, but the major problem of the film is that it's hampered by a stupid first half and scenes with lighting so bad, that you can't tell what's going on half the time. Though the second half is full of suspenseful scenes and plenty of gross sights, Evil Dead is wildly overrated by cult fans of the film. The second one is much better and has more laughs. See the sequel. You'll have a better time.
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But don't see this sequel. Bruce Campbell returns as the reluctant hero Ash, who is sent back in time to the middle ages. The only way he can get back home is by way of a magical book. First however, he must do combat with the evil dead once again. He eventually retrieves the book, but because he didn't say the right phrase to get the book (which happens to be one of film's greatest lines, "klaatu barada nikto"), he summons the army of the dead. Campbell does battle with the army, as well as with an evil version of himself.Despite big-budget special effects, this is a total washout. It relies mostly on gross sight gags and bad one-liners. Evil Dead II seems to be the only good one of the series. The first one suffered from a low budget. This one suffers from a very high budget. Though by now you must be thinking I don't like Sam Raimi at all, I really don't like the stories he chooses. He's actually pretty good at camera angles and he has a dark sense of humor, but these qualities do not a good film make. Army of Darkness proves that point.
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This is one of Raimi's better films. It is a comic book tale about a scientist (Liam Neeson), who is nearly killed by thugs and left for dead. He is horribly disfigured, but he wants to regain his former life and to get revenge on the bad guys, using the formula he was working on, a formula that can make new skin. However, it only lasts 99 minutes before it melts completely. L.A. Law's Larry Drake co-stars as the chief thug. He makes a formidable bad guy. The acting is quite good and the story keeps you on edge for quite awhile.One problem. It's a bit on the corny side. You'll hear a lot of comic-book type talk, but you don't have to pay attention to it. Just pay attention to the action. As for the performances, Neeson makes a sympathetic hero, and Frances McDormand comes off well as Darkman's old girlfriend. Not the most special effects filled movie of Raimi's career, but it certainly has it's moments.
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The most recent work by Raimi, a supposed spoof of the spaghetti westerns. It takes place in a small desert town, where a contest is taking place. The corrupt sheriff (Gene Hackman) is the most likely to win, since he's the fastest and one of the few gunslingers that doesn't brag and just does it. However, he might have met his match in a female stranger (Sharon Stone) who has come back to the town for a purpose. There is also an ex-gunfighter turned priest (Russell Crowe) who is forced to compete in the contest. Hackman's own son (Leonardo DeCaprio), a braggart, is also in the contest. He is only entering the contest to earn Hackman's respect.The things really going for this film are the fancy camera shots, the over-the-top music, and some fine performances from Stone and Hackman. Hackman is a good bad guy (as always) and Stone is pretty convincing as a Clint Eastwood type. She looks and acts tough enough to hold the film together for a long time. But the fact is that it really isn't a spoof until the last 20 minutes of the film. The seriousness of the first part of the film doesn't bother me as much as the fact that the acting isn't very good during that first part. My conclusion: Raimi has a long way to go before he gets a four star hit.
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