Evil Dead Trilogy Ranked

With Ash vs. Evil Dead premiering on the Starz channel this Oct 31^st (what a perfect day, am I right?), it’s an excuse to revisit the trilogy. Hell, there’s never an excuse required to revisit the trilogy. All three films are quite awesome too, so ranking them is tough, and here I go:

The Evil Dead (1981) – Tie

I’m so back and forth between whether this or Army of Darkness is my favorite of the trilogy, so it’s a tie. As far as low budget, 80’s horror goes; it doesn’t get any better than this. The isolated cabin in the woods setting is utilized perfectly (satirized perfectly in Cabin in the Woods too), and the premise of a group of young adults being terrorized and gradually possessed by a demonic force is simple, yet effective. The small cast is able to carry the film thanks to some solid and convincing performances, especially from a young Bruce Campbell who plays Ash, the main protagonist of the film and later the trilogy as a whole. The gore and make up effects are mostly convincing and have that unique low budget charm to them. Technically, the film is practically flawless, primarily the camera work because it’s so effective and doesn’t feel amateurish or sloppy. It’s up there with John Carpenter’s Halloween as being one of the best shot horror films of all time (in the author’s humble opinion). The editing is also effective with quick and frantic cuts during intense moments, leaving you agitated and uneasy, just like the characters in the film. Overall, it’s a perfect horror film and it remains one of Sam Raimi’s best films.

Army of Darkness (1992) – Tie

Okay, so this one is way less of a horror film compared to the previous two films, but damn if it isn’t a fun flick. It can definitely be argued that it’s the most well-paced and most re-watchable film in the entire trilogy. Also, it’s easily the most quotable. The comedy is goofy and slapstick and works like it did in Evil Dead II, but again it's not for everyone. The medieval setting is well utilized and Ash being stuck in a different time period really gives way to a lot of funny and clever moments. As with the previous two films, the camera work is once again phenomenal. The climactic battle between the deadites is pure gold, entertaining,and funny with some awesome stop motion skeletons paying homage to Jason and the Argonauts. Not a single moment in this film is wasted or dull, and who can forget that classic final line?

Evil Dead II (1987)

The first Evil Dead is a straight up horror film with a few moments of dark comedy where this sequel is a straight up horror comedy. It’s goofy and slapstick approach to the comedy isn’t for everyone and can inhibit your enjoyment of the film if it’s not your thing. Also, there’s been the lively debate over the years as to whether this is actually a remake as opposed to a sequel. Considering II is in the title, it’s not fair to say that it’s not a sequel because of course they intended to make a sequel. In addition to this, there were rights issues surrounding the first film, so Raimi and crew had to film new footage which went on to serve as the recap of the first film at the beginning. The recap distorts the continuity, which ignited the whole “it’s a remake!” argument. Raimi himself has stated that the film really begins after the recap when Ash is charged by the fast moving deadite force (just like how the first film ended), so going off of his word, it’s a sequel. Personally, I’ve always considered it a sequel and always will. Anyway, the film once again makes effective use of the isolated cabin setting and throws in some new twists and ways to torture Ash, the protagonist. The possessed hand bit and Ash being forced to get rid of it by extreme means is both brutal and memorable. Chainsaws come in quite handy, don’t they? The amount of blood & gore is upped too; making it all the more entertaining and the ending is a perfect set up for Army of Darkness.