| The Deadite Experience The Evil Dead: My first memory of The Evil Dead was the description I was given of it by a couple of friends. Apparently it was 'shit' and 'not worth the time and money.' The basis of this whole argument being the "pencil stabbing" and "green mashed potato" as they put it. However, I knew how bad my friend's judgement was of movies, and me being into video nasties in a big way at that time, knew I had to find this movie. And it was incredible; I stumbled across it in a bargain bin at my local small-town post office for under �5! Which in the UK is a bargain for such notably brilliant horror classics. This was going to be my first video purchase in some time, so the need for bloodthirsty violence and gore was rife amidst my mind. However, at the time, being only 14 years old, and therefore 4 years too young to buy it myself, I had to get my mother to buy it for me. When buying it, fortunately the assistant knew us quite well from our many visits there and knew that young boys always watch this kind of stuff, so it didn't matter if I saw it. She herself, being over 20 was actually terrified of such movies, so that might have been a factor towards my purchase of the video. I remember this Friday night that I got it very well as my sister was coming home for the first time from University, which she had started some two weeks prior. We were looking forward to having her back with us for a little while again. But, the excitement in me was the viewing of this video nasty, that usually, in the past in my household, had been frowned upon, but I was "growing up and more aware," so I was let off, especially as I loved film so much. I sat down and put the tape into the machine and let it begin, the "4-Front Video" label coming up loud and proud on the screen before it descended into darkness and the terrifying blood bath that was The Evil Dead began. From the very first moments, I knew I would love this film, and this being my very first zombie film to ever see, I was quite impressionable. Obviously, it had a good effect and I now love zombie movies dearly. The atmosphere that ran throughout the film was fantastic and I sat there clenching my pillow from the sofa as the horror unfolded. Slowly I was drawn into the madness and mayhem of Sam Raimi's finest work. When the final moments of the movie came and the violence and blood and horror became quite visceral, I just sat there devouring these moments in huge gulps, in awe of such horrific genius flowing into my eyes and soaking my brain with a lust for more and more. This movie had to be the best movie I'd seen in some time and soon shot to my second favourite movie of all time, just pipped at the post by Aliens. Then, the ending came and the credits began to roll up the screen and I just sat there in quiet awe of such visceral terror. I was almost quivering with excitement at this event I had just experienced. I was nautious with glee from the eye-searing show I'd just been given. That day forever stuck in my memory like so many classic horror stories you're told as a child. It was not long before I viewed this movie again and again and again, bringing the total number of viewings into double figures now. This movie is truly amazing. |