John’s Horror Corner: Evil Dead 2 (1987), the cartoonish, nonstop, full-tilt slapstick sequel/requel to Sam Raimi’s brutal 1981 original, The Evil Dead (1981).

MY CALL: In terms of non-stop entertainment, diversity of effects, multitude of effects, wild story, and Bruce Campbell’s performance, this is clearly one of the quintessential must-see 80s horror movies. MOVIES LIKE Evil Dead 2: This is the middle of the Evil Dead trilogy, between The Evil Dead (1981) and Army of Darkness (1992). And then we have the rebooted franchise installments of Evil Dead (2013), the Ash vs Evil Dead (2015-2018) series, and Evil Dead Rise (2023).

The Evil Dead (1981) was a wacky horror movie for its time. It skirted slapstick and its occasional over-the-top demon mania edged it into comparisons of horror comedy. It’s not really a horror comedy… but it’s not “not a horror comedy.” Whereas Sam Raimi’s second go at this remake-sequel slips on the banana peel and deliberately cracks its better-financed hip firmly on cartoonish slapstick horror comedy.

Like the original, we open with Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell; Waxwork II, Escape from LA, Moontrap, Black Friday, The Evil Dead, Mindwarp) and Linda (now played by Denise Bixler) heading out to a remote cabin for a romantic getaway. But whereas Ash was the only survivor of The Evil Dead (1981), he drives up to the disheveled cabin anew and calmly in this reimagined iteration of the story.

Now with a budget upgrade, we see the history of the fleshbound tome, the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, told with academic flashbacks as Ash plays recordings which utter the incantations to summon a Kandarian demon. Linda is swiftly possessed, she’s turned into a rigid-limbed zombie-demon with a comical deadite gait and a wild smile, and she’s beheaded by her boyfriend.

Written and directed by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, Drag Me to Hell, Darkman), this movie overflows with 80s horror wonders. Rough Claymation of the animated book of the dead, some rotoscoped silliness in the opening sequence and later as well, clunky flying demonic force POV rushing and roaring through the forest, a wacky yet labyrinthine chase through a cabin, a nude deadite ballet-dancing number with some head-optional maneuvers, more horror Claymation, a completely unreasonable blood geyser, physical violence influenced by The Three Stooges, and some outstandingly sunken-eyed demonic latex work. The infamous “tree rape” scene of part 1 is now remade and toned down as an evil monstrous tree scene, complete with botanical tendrils piercing into its victim’s face and dragging her into the woods (nothing sexual). This film packs a lot into its 84 minutes! In terms of special effects and horror gags measured per unit time, this truly feels like it is one of the fastest-paced horror movies ever made. There are so many effects scenes, and little calm or dialogue between them. Things start happening right away, and more things relentlessly just keep happening.

Bruce Campbell gets put through the ringer in this film (much as Raimi would later do to Alison Lohman in Drag Me to Hell). He’s covered, plunged or doused in mud, filth and blood on many occasions. His character’s insanity is likewise showcased with hopeless yelling, insanely babbling to himself, manic laughter, and some wild facial expressions. But what makes this Evil Dead installment particularly special, in my opinion, is that this movie gives the broadest supernatural power to the Book of the Dead. In The Evil Dead (1981), Army of Darkness (1992) and all subsequent movies, things mostly revolve around becoming possessed or infected, becoming a deadite (or raising the dead), and trying to infect/create more deadites or swallow souls or what have you. Whereas here in part 2, we have more haunting elements. The evil dead haunt the house, and use it to influence Ash’s madness, as if to make him more vulnerable. The house plays the piano to the same tune he played for his love Linda (before he killed deadite Linda) and resurrects Linda’s beheaded and decaying corpse to ballet dance naked to his music, Linda (or her head at least) begs for her life in normal human form (as does Henrietta), it uses his evil mirror reflection against him, and it animates lamps and books and chairs and a mounted deer head to cackle and drive him insane.

The physicality of this film is big on pain and madness. Scenes with a vice, chainsaw, and some dirty dishes shattered in tandem over Ash’s head, truly magnify the comical yet insidious delight in causing pain. But it’s not that mean… because the delivery is so wacky. Still, the chainsaw scenes (yes, plural) will likely stick with any viewer whether they want them to or not! But things get truly wild when Ash’s hand becomes infected.

This raucous horror sequel never gives you more than a moment to catch your breath between wild gags, gore and a giant finale tree demon face trying to eat Ash before being dragged through a time-traveling black hole. There’s an entire trilogy worth of horror shenanigans in this one movie, and that’s just Sam Raimi’s wonderful style. He gives you a lot for your dollar! I’m on board for anything and everything Raimi ever does.