TBT: Sam Raimi's THE EVIL DEAD

The Evil Dead.  What can I say about this classic that hasn't already been said.  I've loved this movie ever since I was 6 years old.  It introduced the amazing Bruce Campbell into my life and added the word 'Groovy!' into my vocabulary.  Sam Raimi's directorial debut is a special one.  Loved by millions, and spawning two sequels, a reboot and even a hit musical, The Evil Dead is one of those films that will live forever, and rightly so.

Raimi's cult classic horror film hit theaters in 1981 and tells the story of five friends who decide they need to get away for a while and head to a remote cabin in the woods.  They stumble upon the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, an ancient Sumerian book of the dead, and unwittingly summon the demons who reside in the woods.  One by one, they're possessed until only one is left to fight for survival.

This film launched the careers of both Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi, establishing Campbell as a cult icon, and allowing Raimi the opportunity to direct such films as Darkman, and the original Spider-Man trilogy.

After the release of Army of Darkness, the third film in the Evil Dead franchise, Raimi took a break from horror.  It wasn't until 2009 that we'd see him back in the director's chair in the genre that made his career with Drag Me To Hell.

Sam Raimi has gone on to direct some great films and has helped produce several others.  I am always interested in a project when I hear he is involved and have always kept an eye out for his work.  Raimi is currently working with Gil Kenan (Monster House, City of Ember) on the upcoming Poltergeist reboot, which I will definitely be checking out when it's released in 2015.