Evil Dead II

18

Ash and Linda decide to take a romantic trip to the woods. After stopping in what seems like an abandoned cabin, they come across a tape recording made by a man known as Professor Knowby, who reads passages from a dubious ancient book.

On playing the tape, they unleash evil spirits which begin to relentlessly terrorise Ash.

After Ash barely survives the initial onslaught, he is found by journalists who have come to the cabin to study the aforementioned book. They begin their fight to keep evil at bay all over again.

The second film in director Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy is somewhere between sequel and a remake of the first film. A Requel?

With the success of the first film Remi had access to a bigger budget, but due to the complexities of rights ownership he was unable to use footage from the first film. Remi used this opportunity to perfect and streamline his original story in the flash back scenes at the beginning of the film. The story then progresses from the exact point we leave Ash in The Evil Dead.

The shift in tone makes Evil Dead II much more comedic than its predecessor. It’s a masterclass in horror, slapstick and splatter comedy and practical effects. Bruce Campbell’s effortless charisma, wit, and physicality brings the film together perfectly.

This film was curated by Rachael Samociuk from Poisoned Peach Cinema Club, and was funded by BFI Film Hub North.