Fathom Events and Grindhouse Releasing are getting ready to bring writer/director Sam Raimi‘s original 1981 horror film, The Evil Dead, back to cinemas across the country. This, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of this seminal moment in independent filmmaking. We thought no better time to pay homage and look back at the making of this cult classic.
Beginnings
The roots of The Evil Dead franchise is deeply planted in the suburbs of Michigan. It is in Birmingham that a then teenage Raimi began making Super 8 films. His brother and long-time collaborator Ivan had brought home a Super 8 camera, and the younger Raimi was immediately transfixed. Sam, who was already a fairly competent amateur magician, became obsessed with how he could manipulate the camera.
Attending Groves High School, and at the age of fifteen, Raimi met the handsome chinned Bruce Campbell. Along with Raimi’s younger brother Ted, the three high school students began making “full length” Super 8 films. Campbell would play the “leading man” in just about all of them. The pair have been friends and collaborators for over 45 years. Sam Raimi would later reflect as to why he always cast the young Campbell:
“Because he was the only good looking one and still is. ‘Girls like you? You go in front of the camera. Girls don’t like us? We’ll stand behind it.’”
In 1977, Sam Raimi wrote (along with Spiegel) and directed his first feature-length movie. It was shot in Super 8 and while they were still in college. The debut was called Its Murder and starred Sam and Ted Raimi, Spiegel, and Campbell. While the amateur film was mostly slapstick comedy, it was well shot with some genuine suspense thrown in.
By 1978, the 19-year-old Raimi had directed around ten Super 8 films and the budding auteur was ready to take his vision to the next level. Raimi wanted to raise enough money to make a feature-length 16mm film. However, in order to do this. He was going to need significant financing in place.
College and Horror Films
At Michigan State University, Sam Raimi was making mostly slapstick comedy shorts with his friends and classmates on Super 8 film. While this was fun, he wasn’t getting noticed and soon realized that he needed to go in a different direction in order to get the attention of the money-men.
In the mid-to-late 1970s, the horror genre was dominating the box office. Fairly low-budget movies such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), The Omen (1976), and Halloween (1978) were making huge profits. The return on investment was staggering. On a $3 million budget, The Omen grossed over $60 million worldwide. Halloween grossed an astonishing $70 million on a microscopic $300,000 budget.
Raimi and his Michigan gang of aspiring filmmakers – which now included brother Ivan’s college roommate, Rob Tapert – realized that they had to switch gears and jump into the blossoming and fairly inexpensive horror genre.
The director wanted to make a “proof of concept” horror film that he could show to wealthy dentists and other possible investors and family members. His idea was to put four friends in a cabin, in the woods. The cabin is located on the site of ancient Indian burial grounds. Subsequently, all hell begins to break loose.
Within The Woods
For Within The Woods, Raimi once again cast Campbell, as well as friend and Michigan native Ellen Sandweiss, as the two leads for this ambitious Super 8 featurette. The film also starred Scott Spiegel and Mary Valenti, and was produced and shot for around $1,600 in a farmhouse located in Marshall, Michigan.
The shoot was often a difficult one because of the climate, as well as the micro-budget they were operating on. This is clearly evidenced by the practical gore effects that were made up as they went along. The thirty-minute “senseless gore flick” was accomplished with the help of special effects artist Tom Sullivan.
Sullivan’s crew was equipped with special molds that were prepared ahead of time. Considering the budget he had to work with, Sullivan was able to provide convincing horror effects for Within the Woods. This included popped-out eyes, numerous scars and layers and layers of latex-based mutilation and gore.
Because of budgetary constraints, Raimi had to get creative with the camera during production. He often came up with “bizarre” ideas during filming. This would also be the genesis of Raimi’s experimentation with camera movement and camera speeds. Raimi stated that he was:
“…taking it a little further than we had gone before, recording synch-sound at a third slower for a more monstrous effect…”
Finding The Money
Now that Within The Woods was in the can, Raimi needed to set about showing it to the world, or at least to family and friends with some money to invest. The first step in this process was to transfer the film to 35mm so that it could be shown in standard movie theaters. While an uncommon process, this was accomplished fairly easily.
Finding potential distributors and investors however, proved to be difficult. One local theater manager in Detroit however, agreed to show the film every week before the midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The audience enjoyed it, and even a couple of local critics responded favorably to it. While readily available online, Within The Woods was never commercially released. Michael McWilliams of The Detroit News stated:
“…It will probably never be advertised alongside the glossy, big-budget horror movies of our time, but you won’t easily forget a locally produced little film called Within the Woods…”
Eventually, with the help from friends and family, Raimi was able to beg and borrow approximately $90,000, which was enough to start production on what was at the time called Book Of The Dead. Tapert was on board as Producer and Campbell was an Executive-Producer and instrumental in getting the film’s financing in place.
A Cabin In…Tennessee
While Raimi and his crew had wanted to name the movie Book of the Dead, the films eventual producer, Irvin Shapiro (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Battleship Potemkin) suggested that the name be changed to The Evil Dead. Tapert and Raimi had successfully convinced the veteran independent producer, that the films’ premise could make money in a blossoming horror market.
Raimi had intended to remake Within the Woods, this time with a higher budget and a substantially longer running time. The filmmaker had just turned twenty before shooting commenced on Book Of The Dead. Raimi had considered this undertaking to be his “rite of passage.”
The crew had intended to film Book Of The Dead in their native Michigan. However, because of issues that Tapert and the production was having with the Michigan Film Commission, the Winter weather was upon them. The crew headed south for Morristown, Tennessee. This would be the principal location for filming.
Several months would be spent in Tennessee, filming in creepy woodlands, and a century-old cabin. While it may seem that the production was a small one, in actuality, there were over twenty people as credited cast members. With tough working conditions and frequent injuries, actors occasionally got injured and needed to be replaced. Actress Betsy Baker’s eyelashes were partially torn out during the removal of her makeup.
Filming
In order to acquire enough talent for the project, Raimi put out an ad in The Detroit News. Baker, originally from Iowa, was one of the actresses who responded with interest. Friend and collaborator Ellen Sandweiss (Within The Woods) would also join the cast, staring alongside Campbell and Richard DeManicor.
Special make-up-effects artist Tom Sullivan would team up again with Raimi, after his enjoyment working on Within the Woods. Sullivan created many of the now-iconic fake blood and foam latex effects seen throughout The Evil Dead. The artist created hundreds of gallons of fake blood using corn syrup, food coloring, and coffee.
Since Raimi didn’t have the funding to use the recently developed Steadicam, the director instead created what would be called the “shaky cam” technique. This was the signature look of the film and would be a defining characteristic of Raimi’s style of directing for the next 40+ years. Multiple rigs for the shoot were set up; this included the vas-o-cam and the ram-o-cam.
The now-legendary shot of the unknown evil sprinting through the woods was created by attaching the camera to a piece of 2×12 plywood. Then, having two people run while holding onto the board. The ram-o-cam was also designed to break through doors and windows. This was accomplished by attaching a metal T-bar in front of the camera.
A Tough Shoot
To say that the filming of Book Of The Dead was a tough location shoot is an understatement. Long time Raimi friend, and collaborator, Josh Becker (Lunatics: A Love Story) worked on the film as a second unit director. He reflected on the experiences he had many years later:
“…Sam pretty much tested all of us on just what the limits of our own stamina were…Every day was 18 to 20 hours. Quite frankly, I thought Sam had lost his mind. I can’t believe I went through it…”
As is now commonly known and a thing of lore, Sam Raimi routinely enjoyed “torturing” his actors throughout the production of Book Of The Dead. The director’s philosophy was that he wanted to capture the expression of rage and pain in his cast. He would at times abuse them on set, saying:
“…if everyone was in extreme pain and misery, that would translate into a horror…”
There were many instances throughout the filming, where the crew would film for several days straight, with little to no sleep or rest. Raimi had even accidentally stuck his hand in an electrical box. Subsequently, getting zapped and knocked back by 20 amps of electricity. Below, Sam Raimi, fighting a case of the giggles, tries to explain it all:
Post-Production
During the filming of Book Of The Dead, Tapert, Raimi, and Campbell ran a tight ship as they were on a very low budget. Actors earned $100 per week, production assistants, $50 per week. Tapert, Raimi, and Campbell also set aside $35 a week for themselves, since they were also Producers. This money was never collected. Campbell later stated:
“…I recall attempting to buy a pack of gum during the shoot…and realizing that I simply had no money to pay for it…”
After an exhausting film shoot, Raimi needed to find a suitable editor for the “mountain of footage” that he had accumulated. He was introduced to an editor in Detroit named Edna Paul, who was brought in to cut the film. Her assistant was future Oscar winner Joel Coen. Coen also helped edit what would soon be called The Evil Dead.
Coen had specifically edited the slick-looking shed sequence and had been inspired by Raimi’s Within the Woods and the concept of creating a “prototype” film in order to help attract investors. Joel Coen and his brother Ethan used this concept to help finance their debut feature, Blood Simple.
The first cut of Book Of The Dead came in at around 117 minutes. This was an impressive amount of footage considering the screenplay was under 70 pages. Subsequently, scenes were cut that focus on the dramatic elements of the main character. The film was eventually trimmed down to 85 minutes.
Getting It Out There
The filmmakers carried around the reels of newly renamed The Evil Dead and pitched it to anyone in the industry they could get their hands on. Producer Irvin Shapiro also acted as a salesman in trying to market the raw and low-budget horror film. Shapiro’s now-legendary quote upon viewing the finished product was:
“…It ain’t Gone with the Wind, but I think we can make some money with it…”
Shapiro and the rest of the team started to put together promotional materials, as well as any sort of gimmick that might make people interested in the low-budget film. They especially used behind-the-scenes photography, making numerous posters. They produced everything from custom T-shirts and matchbooks, to baseball hats. Not to mention the hundreds of pamphlets created for potential distributors.
Shapiro also had the smart advice with regards to distributing the film not just regionally or nationally, but worldwide. In order to garner a larger income. Unfortunately, this would require further financial investment by Raimi and his team. They were able to raise the additional funding.
Cannes and Success
Raimi and his crew had decided to have a “big premiere” for the newly minted The Evil Dead. For the location, they of course decided on Michigan. Specifically, the Redford Theater in Detroit, where Campbell had often seen films as a child.
Raimi spared no expense, creating custom tickets and even having ambulances placed outside the theater to generate hype. Local turnout for the premiere of the low-budget horror film had been a wild success, with over a thousand people showing up. The audience loved it, which gave Raimi the idea of “touring” the film, in the hopes of finding an international distributor.
Shapiro, on top of being a producer, was also a founder of the legendary Cannes Film Festival. He allowed Raimi to screen The Evil Dead at the 1982 festival, out of competition. Author and horror icon Stephen King (Carrie, Salem’s Lot) just happened to be present at the screening and gave the film a glowing review.
The news soon spread to USA Today, and the film was propelled into the public’s consciousness. Stephen King would become one of the film’s most devout supporters, and played a critical role in finding a distributor for The Evil Dead. King went on to describe the film as:
“…the most ferociously original film of the year…”
This quote for The Evil Dead would be just what Raimi’s team needed to launch this film to the next level. They would use this quote in all of the film’s promotional pieces. As well as stamping the quote on every poster they created. King’s comments helped critics take notice of the low-budget horror film.
Return On Investment and Home Video
With horror magazines such as Fangoria starting to cover the film in late 1982, the word was starting to spread. The combination of Fangoria, King, and Shapiro’s marketing skills, caused New Line Cinema to take notice. An agreement was made to distribute The Evil Dead domestically. New Line wrote Raimi a check that was significant enough that all of the investors were paid back in full, and then some.
The first VHS release of The Evil Dead was distributed by Thorn EMI in 1983. HBO/Cannon Video, the company that bought out Thorn, would eventually repackage the film. In its first week of video release in the UK, The Evil Dead grossed £100,000. It would become that week’s bestselling video release, and eventually the year’s top-selling video.
As the years went on, interest in the film gained steam again. Especially on the college circuit. This is in part because two companies restored The Evil Dead from its original negatives, and issued “special editions” of the film in 1998. Anchor Bay Entertainment on VHS, and Elite Entertainment on the now obsolete laserdisc. Anchor Bay would also release the DVD in 1999, choc-full of supplemental material and director/star commentary.
Legacy
40 years ago, The Evil Dead started with a simple premise: A small film made by a group of Michigan classmates, that takes place in a cabin in the woods. That simple premise went on to spawn an iconic franchise that has continued to remain relevant thanks to a rabid fan base that has remained loyal to the brand for decades.
The Evil Dead spawned two theatrical sequels (Evil Dead II and Army Of Darkness), a musical that ran globally for over fifteen years entitled Evil Dead: The Musical. As well as Fede Alvarez’s solid reboot of the original film in 2013. A much-beloved continuation series ran on the STARZ Network for three seasons, starting in 2015. This finally saw Bruce Campbell reprising his iconic role as everybody’s favorite dunderhead, “Ash Williams.”
The latest entry into the canon is Evil Dead Rise, written and directed by Lee Cronin, and produced by Rob Tapert. Raimi and Campbell are serving as executive producers for this latest installment. The film serves as the fifth entry into the franchise, and will not see the 63-year-old cult icon Campbell reprising his role as Ash.
Evil Dead Rise is scheduled to be released in the United States by HBO Max in 2022.
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