Wayyyy overhyped?!

I think you're misunderstanding this movie... Or maybe whoever told you to watch misunderstood what this movie is supposed to be. It's a cult classic... It got a cult following.. lt's a classic, but obviously it's got terrible graphics and terrible acting... Just as any other cult classic. Rocky horror picture show, attack of the killer tomatoes, plan 9.... These movies are all *beep* movies... But they all have cult followings... And they are all "classics" .... This movie was never meant to be a high grade, good quality horror movie... I mean, come on, a woman gets raped by a tree in the first 20 minutes... Bruce Campbell makes the movie funny, more than a horror movie. I don't know what you were expecting when you watched it, but I think your expectations were set to something other than what the movie is. The movie is meant to be entertaining if nothing else...and if it didn't entertain you, then welcome to the world of cult movies.. where some of them entertain some people, and a lot of them entertain nobody.

I personally thought the makeup effects were incredible. And the camerawork is some of the best i've seen in a horror movie before. I really enjoyed this film. However, I agree with you that I wouldn't put it quite in the same league as The Exorcist, Halloween, Rosemary's Baby, etc. But I don't think it's supposed to be. To me, this is just a fun gore film meant to entertain and it does what it sets out to do. It isn't supposed to be an intelligent, sophisticated film, it is just supposed to be a good popcorn movie that entertains the viewer. There isn't a boring moment in this entire film, so that's the reason I think people love it so much. As long as a film keeps me interested from beginning to end, I consider it a good film. This film does just that.

Come, fly the teeth of the wind. Share my wings.

yea not sure you understand the concept of CULT CLASSIC. Boondock Saints has a cult following. its beloved by its fanbase all over the world. its not a great film. the director is exactly the most talented writer. but its a fun movie. with characters that struck a chord with people.
Highlander is a cult classic. its a great story with captivating characters. yet to the mainstream world, its not a good movie and is for the most part forgotten. yet the franchise had a good run in the 90s.
they were not films that were made with the intent of being a big blockbuster epic. its just the kind of thing that happens.


this is a great film because of the stop-motion effects.the makeup. the camera mounted to a bicycle going top speed effect is great. and has been ripped off time and time again.
the undead characters are cool because unlike most zombie/undead films that were very one note. these had actual personality and were meant to be annoying and mischievous.

it gets its praise because of how entertaining it is. Sam Raimi was a nobody at the time yet knew how to make a decent flick. he had a uniqueness to how he filmed. thats why everyone likes him as a director.


the film is not meant to be art. far from it. this wasnt meant to revolutionize horror.

i watched the film again last night with a friend. she had never seen it before. she was quite creeped out by it. so as a eerie cabin in the woods horror flick, id say its still effective for someone who is coming to it brand new.

the quality of the film has nothing to do with wether it deserves awards or praise. movies these days are not art in the slightest, yet they are all stacking up the awards and nominations.

Evil Dead is a fun little horror flick. Evil Dead 2 is where the fanbase came about. which is more horror and gore along with plenty of slapstick humor. its where Bruce Campbell became a b-movie icon. Army of Darkness is where most would say is the best of the trilogy.

honestly i cant think of a zombie movie that can best the Evil Dead trilogy in the direction it took. sending Ash through a black hole into the past to fight an army is quite interesting. unlike Friday the 13th or Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequels which are just so repetitive.

Overhyped? HARDLY! Last time I checked it no where near receives the height of overhype that Friday the 13th gets .

If your trying to make a case that it does not deserve an academy award then I understand your point. But if you are a true fan of Horror movies; then you are way off base.
All horror movies (no matter there budget) should be enjoyable and entertaining (along with scary, squirm worthy, tension creating and other descriptions). Everyone's idea of a great horror movie is a little different; but I (along with a lot of people) see something about this movie that makes it a classic.
Maybe the special effects aren't state of the art for the time, maybe the cinematography won't win awards, maybe the acting didn't get noticed by the academy (which adds to if you ask me); but that does not mean the movie can't be great. In this case I think all those elements together with a good story are mixed-up and made in to a classic. Plus I think some of the special effects and camera work (the camera moving thru the woods is fantastic) are quality. Taken as a whole the movie works.
Everything you mention could be applied to Night of the Living Dead; but its a classic and so is Evil Dead.
P.S. This trilogy is great and you can see the progression in budget and film-making as the trilogy moves along.

All that really matters is if a movie is satisfying. If you enjoy it and consider it to be good, that's all that counts. Too many people seem to look at technical aspects, the budget, or the actors, instead of just appreciating something for what it is. Worrying about whether a movie is high budget or Oscar-worthy is pointless. Nearly every movie I cherish.. never got mentioned at the Oscars or other award shows. I'm not a movie snob; I just appreciate movies that offer great entertainment.

I'm going to build on what mifflinblitz said in a way.

I kinda see Evil Dead like I see some people. Some people have unnattractive noses, or eyes, or mouths. Some have faces that are too long. Some are too round. But there are some where a combination of these unnattractive features actually works for them. That's in a way what the Evil Dead is. A lot of the stuff in this movie really is total crap, but it's just the right combination that makes it a lot of fun and a good movie in it's own way.

And I completely disagree on one of your points. Effects, acting, script, plot. None of that amounts to jack if the film isn't entertaining. That really is the most important part of any film.

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