“The
Evil Dead†by Lloyd Haynes
Devil’s
Advocate series
Auteur,
an imprint of Liverpool University Press
ISBN:
9781800859357
113
pages
Paperback
RRP
£19.99
The Evil Dead (1981,
Sam Raimi) is one of those film titles that can still conjure up images of
forbidden horrors, liable to corrupt and deprave anyone who dares to take a
peek at the screen. Its inclusion on the original “Video Nasties†list by the UK’s
Director of Public Prosecution back in the early 1980s brought it an undeserved
infamy and reputation which, despite winning its day in court, it retains to
this day. However, if you are brave enough to watch The Evil Dead, instead of developing homicidal urges, what you will
actually find is an imaginative, breathlessly entertaining ‘Cabin in the Woods’
horror film with deliberately over-the-top performances, stylised camerawork,
comedic timing and bravura special effects, all washed down with gallons of
fake blood.
Much
has been written about The Evil Dead since
its release forty years ago, most of which focuses on the stories around its
production or the furore caused by its release on an unsuspecting public. In
this piece of writing, film journalist Lloyd Haynes gathers the best stories
and weaves them together with his own analysis of the film. He connects it to
gothic literature through the theory of the ‘Bad Place’ motif, offering insight
into its broader cultural significance, and also discusses the way in which the
film’s hero, played by Bruce Campbell, conforms to the now familiar tropes of
the ‘Final Girl’, although surprisingly he fails to note the significance of
the character’s gender-neutral name Ashley in subtly underlining his
suitability to be the only survivor.
This
book also takes a look at the film’s two official sequels, the authorised
reboot in 2013 and the hugely entertaining TV series Ash vs Evil Dead (2015-2018), and considers films inspired by both
the original film and the franchise as a whole.
If you are looking for a
quick yet in-depth dive into the world of The
Evil Dead, this latest volume in the Devil’s Advocate series is the perfect
place to start.
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