Evil Dead 1, According to its UK investors
"We thought you were making a horror film, not a comedy". Similarly Palace video's press notes dwelled on the films "comic strip gusto" and its intention "to shock, jolt and amuse the experienced horror moviegoer"
According to a critic on its UK release - "The Evil Dead is to horror films what Airplane was to disaster movies. Raimi seems to have confirmed this impression to a degree in interviews.
"You should try telling an actor to drink a cup of green bile then regurgitate it through her nose and mouth". She can have a hard time taking it seriously! The movie is so far removed from what people experience in their daily lives that its like a joke. And you can only be offended by it it as you could be by a bad joke"
As John Martin comments in relation to its involvement in the Video Nasty scandal "Those more concerned with prophesying the end of Western civilisation as we know it than going to experience horror movies didn't see the funny side of Raimi's literally side splitting comedy, taking at face value the films hyperbolic claim to be the 'ultimate in gruelling terror". Mary Whitehouse predictably took the claim at face value identifying it as her N1 Nasty. Some have speculated that this and similar controversial reaction to his film, which probably only existed in the UK was why Raimi increased the comedy factor in Evil Dead 2 (50% Horror 50% comedy).
One of the most funny things about the whole affair was that Sam Raimi was called by Palace video to testify in a UK court to defend the film delivering a "Captain Kirk Freedom of Speech" routine only to be told that the film itself rather than his intentions were in question and that his testimony would not be needed.
To conclude i personally think that the first evil dead is as i said before achieves, to me personally a dominantly serious and creepy, horrific tone and atmosphere with elements of humour in the background (and therefore my fav of the trilogy). This is perhaps due to its way over the top gore which people obviously read into in different ways. Some experience it as mainly pure horror while others see its excessive gore in parody and humorous terms.
Last edited by Vasquez (2012-09-01 13:06:03)
