Lists
- ranked 23 in The Guardian 25 Best Horror Films Of All Time
- ranked 49 in Empire 500 Greatest Movies (2008)
- ranked 783 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (December 2006)
- ranked 789 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (August 2005)
- ranked 871 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (March 2006)
- one of 100 Of Edgar Wright's Favourite Comedies
After The Evil Dead I wasn't inspired to watch the rest of the trilogy, but how wrong I was! Less a sequel than a reboot, Evil Dead II essentially retells the story of the first film -- cabin in the woods, taped recording of the Necronomicon summons evils from beyond -- as a comedy. "Comedy" is in some ways not a good word, because on the surface it's all serious; it's a comedy largely because it's so outrageous, from the absurd twists in the script to the flamboyant, cartoon-like direction. It's a feast of gore exaggerated to the point of silliness -- literal fountains of blood -- and glorious low-budget practical effects.
In a way it strikes me as the ultimate amateur film; I do not say that to be disparaging of the creators' professionalism, but because it has all the exuberant joy of filmmakers having fun with friends, stretching the limits of what is possible to make at home for the fun of it. That effort is scaled up far enough to be out of reach for most actual amateurs, but the difference is mostly quantitative: at heart it is still playful. That playfulness ensures that it feels like not just a fun film, but a love letter to a certain kind of cinema.