I said it before when I ranked the best horror franchises, and I’ll say it again: Evil Dead is the greatest horror franchise of all time. Now, you may say that’s unfair. Unlike The Halloween movies, which have 13 films, the Evil Dead movies pale in comparison, with a paltry four (and soon to be five) entries in the entire franchise. More movies obviously means more chances to mess up, right?
Yep! Absolutely. Which is why less is always better. While I do love Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that all three of their franchises (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Halloween, respectively) kind of ran themselves into the ground after a while. More modern series, like The Conjuring (which might be getting its final movie with The Conjuring 4), could give Evil Dead a run for its money, I could also argue that its many spin-offs, like The Nun, and Annabelle, have kind of sullied the waters.
No, when it comes to horror franchises, Evil Dead is the purest and greatest. And, with the new movie, Evil Dead Rise, coming soon, I’d thought I’d go into just why it will probably always be on top. Hail to the king, baby.
There Are No Bad Evil Dead Movies
You know what? I don’t care. I love every Friday the 13th movie (yes, even Jason X). With that said, I can also admit that most of the Friday the 13th movies are terrible (See – or don't – Jason Takes Manhattan). But, I can’t say the same thing for the Evil Dead movies, as all four of them are excellent, and unique in their own way.
You have the 1981 original, which is a traditional horror film (you know, with sex-starved trees, and the most aggressive evil spirit ever). Then, you have 1987’s horror comedy, Evil Dead II (part reboot, part sequel), where our hero, Ash (Bruce Campbell), severs his hand, and puts on a chainsaw for a new limb. Following that was Army of Darkness (which featured a super ripped Bruce Campbell on the foreign poster, for some reason). In this film, the horror element was pretty much thrown out the window, and it was more of a straight up comedy. And then, we had 2013’s Evil Dead, which was the goriest entry yet, and devoid of almost all humor.
This might be why the franchise feels so fresh, as none of the movies were stuck as being one specific thing. All of the movies are unique with something interesting to offer.
You might argue that the most recent Evil Dead, which wasn’t directed by Sam Raimi (more on him later) isn’t as good as the original trilogy. But, I’d argue that it’s still a different enough reboot that it doesn't feel stale like the abysmal 2010 A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot. 2013’s Evil Dead is a gem in that regard.
The TV Show Added To Rather Than Subtracted From The Movies
Fans who missed the comic elements in Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness with 2013’s Evil Dead didn’t have to wait that long. That's because we were blessed with the “gore soaked” Ash vs. Evil Dead only two years later.
The misadventures of Ash, and his coworkers Pablo and Kelly, lasted for three glorious seasons. It furthered the original trilogy's narrative as it took place 30 years after Army of Darkness. Honestly, Army of Darkness was already a fitting end to the films. But, the show was a happy reminder that even though Ash doesn’t NEED to be in Evil Dead (as in 2013 – unless you count that post-credit scene), it still never hurts to have him along for the ride.
There Are Very Few Of Them, So There Is No Series Fatigue Like With Other Horror Franchises
I mentioned this in the intro, but I think it bears repeating: There are only FOUR Evil Dead movies, and all of them are excellent. This is important, because even though there are only four, I’ve watched all of them dozens of times apiece. Even though I hate binge-watching TV shows or rereading books, I LOVE re-watching movies.
Sometimes when I'm sick and have the TV all to myself, I’ll even hunker down and have myself a movie marathon. I recently tried to do a Halloween marathon before Halloween Ends came out, but I tapped out at Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. In case you don't know of the Halloween movies in order, I didn't even make it halfway through the series!
That said, I will have no problem watching all four Evil Dead movies again before I see Evil Dead Rise. In fact, I'm looking forward to it. The last time I watched all four movies in a row was…last year. And I have no problem with doing it again.
The Sam Raimi Tone Has Been Consistent Throughout, Even With Different Directors
One thing a lot of fans like to bring up is that the 2013 Evil Dead doesn't feel like the other three films. In fact, when you think about the best Sam Raimi movies, Evil Dead may be at the top of the list. And look, I'm not going to lie and say that 2013's version, which was directed by Federico Alvarez, was as good as the other three. I definitely think it feels as close to the original movie as possible without being a straight up retread, though.
The remake features a bunch of friends heading to a cabin in the woods to help their friend kick a drug addiction. But, an evil book is read, demon possession takes place, and bloody violence ensues.
Honestly, 2013's Evil Dead feels like what Sam Raimi probably intended for the first movie, but couldn't accomplish due to limitations. I don't know if it has anything to do with Diablo Cody's rewrites, but it does have that trace of dark humor to it that the franchise can sometimes be known for. So, even though it's not exactly like the others, it's the kind of film that I could have seen Ash being in at any moment. Just a lot more modern, and way less silly.
The Trailer For The New Movie Still Has A Way Of Shocking Audiences, Which Many Other Horror Franchises Can't Seem To Do
Lastly, can I just say that Evil Dead Rise looks freaking scary! Our very own Mike Reyes already talked about how there's one violent scene in the red band trailer he can't stop thinking about, but I can think of several in the trailer that spooked me. That's because this new trailer is quite shocking in a way that most horror movie trailers just can't muster these days.
The mom's face at the peephole actually gave me chills the first time I saw it, and that's rare for a horror hound like me. I'm actually quite shocked that I even WANT another Evil Dead movie (given how much I love the series), as I don't want to see a possible fumble. But, with the track record and pedigree, I have faith that this one will be just as amazing as the previous films. Needless to say, I'm pumped.
But, what do you think? Is Evil Dead your favorite horror franchise, too? For more Deadite news, make sure to swing by here often.
