This American film was crafted and directed by Sam Raimi, and it starred Bruce Campbell, Betsy Baker, Ellen Sandweiss, and Richard DeManincor. The low-budget movie was shot in a remote cabin in Morristown, Tennessee. Despite the challenges in securing the production, the blockbuster was a great success, gathering revenues of approximately $2.4 million in the US and $27 million globally.
The Evil Dead revolved around the Book of the Dead theme, where the movie characters had supernatural experiences with evil spirits when they encountered this ancient book. This age-old theme has also continued to inspire other entertainment industries like iGaming.
In the casino industry, for example, developers craft games like the Book of the Dead slot, which revolves around the adventures of a young explorer, Rich Wilde, as he delves into the mysteries of Egypt. As if that is not enough, game providers make it convenient for players to engage with these games by offering perks like free spins no deposit, where they can play with zero financial commitment. That way, game providers allow myth aficionados to engage with this ancient mythology in an immersive environment without depositing real money.
The Book of the Dead and Demons
The film is about five friends, Ash William, Linda, Cheryl, Scotty, and Shelly, who vacation to the Tennessee Hills and soon find themselves in trouble. At night, Cheryl begins to have supernatural experiences where some enigmatic entity possesses her hand as she draws a clock. As a result, she draws a picture resembling a deformed evil face but never shares the experience with her friends as she takes it as a mere imagination.
Ash and Scotty also have a mysterious experience as they are having dinner, and the entrance to a basement opens. They’re intrigued to go down the cellar, where they find the Naturon Demonto, a Sumerian variation of the ancient Book of the Dead, along with an audiotape of incantations, which releases evil spirits when played.
Upon discovering this ancient book, Ash and Scotty invoke demons living in the woods without knowing. Consequently, Cheryl becomes overwrought and begins to hear and follow strange voices. She later finds herself in a far place away from the cabin, where demons attack her, but she manages to escape back to the cabin. Ashy attempts to take her back to town, but unfortunately, the only link between the cabin and the rest of the world has been disconnected. They get back to the cabin, and subsequently, demonic encounters sever their relationship.
Background
Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are longtime friends and have directed several low-budget projects together. They were inspired to explore the horror genre after filming a suspense scene in It’s Murder. They first shot a short film, Within the Woods, which helped them raise funds for the Evil Dead project. Raimi approached several potential financiers, including Phil Gillis, who gave him legal advice on producing Evil Dead. With Campbell, Raimi raised enough money to offset the $375,000 budget for the film.
The final product began to draw the attention of instrumental people like Irvin Shapiro, who would later screen the film at the Cannes Film Fest in 1982. That was followed by a rave review from Stephen King, which led to the acquisition of its distribution rights by New Line Cinema. Consequently, the Evil Dead film became one of the most significant horror films ever. It significantly contributed to the success of the professions of Campbell, Tapert, and Raimi, who continued to collaborate on different films.
The Evil Dead clearly demonstrates how age-old themes continue to influence the entertainment sector. As content creators seek to meet consumers’ needs in diverse ways, we can expect more of such themes flooding different entertainment sectors.