Written by Andreas Babiolakis

After the success of the indie horror classic The Evil Dead — including an endorsement from one Stephen King — Sam Raimi was on his way towards being a made man. The main expectation that came from Raimi’s deal (a follow up film for De Laurentiis Entertainment) was to do the first film again but even better. Raimi had other plans: a trip to the middle ages, where lead character Ash Williams could take on horrors of a different era (this familiar sounding plot ended up being the foundation for the next sequel Army of Darkness). So Raimi was to do The Evil Dead again, and he both does and doesn’t at the same time. It’s still a continuation of the first film, with Ash Williams transferring over from flick-to-flick, and he’s still held up in a cabin (although not in the same way as the previous film). It’s as if Raimi just shrugged, tossed the central character back from whence he came, and followed this contractual condition as sarcastically as he could (as if he said “well, Ash is back in a cabin. This is what you asked for, right?”).

While I think The Evil Dead is stronger as a horror film, Evil Dead II is for sure the film I put on when I’m feeling like I need a bit more fun. Army of Darkness goes insanely far into goofy territory and is a full-on, purposefully cheesy film that really isn’t meant to be taken seriously. Evil Dead II is somewhat of a best of both worlds, and potentially the strongest film in the trilogy (although teen me — and even me now — will forever have a place in my heart for this whole series, especially because I was once highly obsessed with it). Yesterday, I whinged and moaned about how Child’s Play is more of a migraine creator than a fun blend of horror and comedy. Well, Evil Dead II is more of what I’m looking for, and part of that appeal comes from just how ridiculous the film is willing to go. At times, I really don’t even know what to feel, but it’s more of an act of Evil Dead II suspending me in the air for me to flail than the film not knowing what to do with itself. Evil Dead II feels much more in control of how it toys with its subjects: Ash and us.

*Evil Dead II* is a strong blending of the horror and comedy genres, to the point of tonal uncertainty that will have you anticipating what will come next.

One of the iconic moments is when the Ash of old becomes his new chainsaw-wielding form, but that comes at the price of a certain appendage. The sequence is full of hysteria (with an entire house starting to laugh manically in unison, as if what Ash needs to do to survive is its own comedy). The punchline (and Ash’s decision: “Who’s laughing now?”) is far from a funny one, but it remains an effective one. This is such an example of how Raimi uses the formulas of comedy in his own way. There’s a set up and the final blow, but they serve different purposes than a conventional joke. This kind of thinking is why Evil Dead II is so successful at its silly-gory pairing. It confidently can be funny and scary, without trying too hard in either department, because Sam Raimi actually knows how each payoff is achieved separately (and he subsequently figured out how to get both to happen in unison). Whether you want to just have some spooky laughs or you need that fright night flick pick, Evil Dead II scratches both itches quite nicely.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.