Evil Dead II

Evil Dead II
Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	1987
Founder	Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, Bruce Campbell
Headquarters	Wadesboro, North Carolina; Detroit, Michigan, United States
Key people	Sam Raimi (director, co-writer), Scott Spiegel (co-writer), Bruce Campbell (actor)
Products	Comedy horror film

Evil Dead II, also titled Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, is a 1987 American comedy horror motion picture directed by Sam Raimi and co-written alongside Scott Spiegel. Serving as the second entry in the Evil Dead franchise, it operates simultaneously as a remake and a sequel to the original The Evil Dead (1981). The film stars Bruce Campbell portraying Ash Williams, who confronts malevolent supernatural entities after playing a mysterious audio recording during a cabin getaway.

After the commercial disappointment of Crimewave (1985), Raimi teamed up with producer Robert Tapert and Campbell to develop this follow-up, encouraged by publicist Irvin Shapiro. Esteemed author Stephen King, an admirer of the first film, facilitated an introduction to producer Dino De Laurentiis, who financed the project with a substantially increased budget. While Raimi initially envisioned a medieval time-travel storyline, De Laurentiis insisted on maintaining a style closer to the original film’s tone.

Filming occurred in Wadesboro, North Carolina and Detroit, Michigan throughout 1986, incorporating elaborate stop-motion animation and prosthetic makeup effects crafted by artists such as Mark Shostrom, Greg Nicotero, and returning specialist Tom Sullivan. Released on March 13, 1987, the movie was distributed under a pseudonym to circumvent an anticipated X rating due to its graphic content. Critics lauded its comedic elements, direction, and Campbell’s portrayal of Ash, frequently considering it superior to its predecessor. Although released in a limited number of theaters, it earned close to $6 million, achieving modest commercial success.

Since its release, Evil Dead II has amassed a global cult fanbase. The franchise continued with the 1992 sequel Army of Darkness, which fulfilled Raimi’s initial concept; the 2013 soft reboot Evil Dead; the 2015 television series Ash vs Evil Dead; and the 2023 installment Evil Dead Rise.

Plot

Students from Michigan State University, Ash Williams and his girlfriend Linda, arrive at an apparently deserted cabin. Ash plays an audio tape recorded by Raymond Knowby, an archaeologist and former occupant of the cabin, who recites passages from the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. This act unleashes the Kandarian Demon. The demon kills Linda and possesses her, transforming her into a "deadite." In response, Ash decapitates Linda and buries her remains. After briefly becoming possessed himself, Ash is freed when sunlight forces the demon out.

Attempting to flee, Ash discovers that the bridge has been destroyed. The demon chases him back to the cabin where Linda's reanimated head bites his hand. Ash uses a chainsaw to destroy deadite Linda; however, his bitten hand becomes possessed and attacks him. He amputates it with the chainsaw, but the severed hand escapes. Knowby’s daughter Annie arrives with her partner Ed carrying missing pages from the Necronomicon. Unable to cross the broken bridge, they recruit handyman Jake and his girlfriend Bobby Joe to approach the cabin on foot. They find Ash, who accidentally injures Bobby Joe and is imprisoned in the cellar under suspicion of murder.

The group listens to Knowby’s tape revealing he killed his own possessed wife Henrietta, whose body lies buried in the cellar. Henrietta’s deadite rises and possesses Ed; Ash kills him with an axe. Bobby Joe attempts to escape but is killed by possessed trees. Annie translates two pages depicting a hero wielding a blade for a hand and describing a ritual that opens a portal to banish evil. Jake betrays them, forcing them to search for Bobby Joe. Ash becomes possessed again and attacks Jake. Annie accidentally stabs Jake; Henrietta kills him. Deadite Ash assaults Annie but reverts when he sees Linda’s necklace.

After discovering missing pages in the cellar, Ash upgrades his chainsaw arm and shotgun before killing Henrietta. Annie recites an incantation that summons the demon which attacks Ash. The severed hand stabs Annie; she completes the ritual with her final breath, opening a vortex that sucks in the demon, Ash, and his Oldsmobile Delta 88.

They arrive in the Middle Ages, where knights initially mistake Ash for a deadite. After he kills a harpy-like deadite using his shotgun, they proclaim him their champion. Realizing he is the prophesied hero from the book, Ash breaks down in despair.

Development

Conversations about creating a follow-up to The Evil Dead commenced during the shooting of the original film. Publicist Irvin Shapiro urged writer/director Sam Raimi to craft a storyline, which initially featured Ash journeying through a time portal to the Middle Ages to battle additional deadites. Shapiro actively promoted this early iteration, then named Evil Dead II: Evil Dead and the Army of Darkness, in 1984. After both Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox declined the project, the sequel was put on hold so Raimi could focus on his subsequent movie, Crimewave (1985), a comedic crime film co-written with the Coen brothers.

Following the disappointing reception of Crimewave, Raimi and his partners at Renaissance Pictures—producer Robert Tapert and actor/co-producer Bruce Campbell—revisited the idea of making the sequel. Initially working alongside Embassy Pictures, who co-financed Crimewave, they became frustrated by delays after five months of pre-production and began conducting casting interviews independently. Around this period, producer Dino De Laurentiis from De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) approached Raimi with an offer to direct a Stephen King adaptation, Thinner, which Raimi declined; however, De Laurentiis maintained communication.

De Laurentiis was involved in producing several King adaptations, including King's own directorial debut, Maximum Overdrive (1986). A crew member engaged in early discussions for Evil Dead II informed King about difficulties securing funding. Having expressed admiration for the original film at Cannes, King encouraged De Laurentiis to support the sequel financially. After discussions with Renaissance and learning about the original's strong box office performance in Italy, De Laurentiis agreed to finance Evil Dead II with a budget of $3.6 million. Although Raimi and Tapert had requested $4 million, they accepted De Laurentiis's stipulation that the film be stylistically closer to the original rather than pursuing their initial medieval concept, which was later realized in Army of Darkness (1992).

Writing

Even though financing was only recently secured, much of the script for Evil Dead II had been drafted during the making of Crimewave. Raimi enlisted longtime collaborator Scott Spiegel, who had previously worked with Campbell on early Super 8 mm comedy shorts in Michigan. Spiegel pushed for a tone that leaned less toward straightforward horror compared to the original. To reduce production time and expenses, the opening sequence was shortened to feature only Ash and Linda, eliminating other characters initially planned. The screenplay underwent several revisions, including one version where convicts capture Ash while searching for hidden treasure.

Spiegel and Raimi penned most of the screenplay while residing in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, alongside contemporaries such as the Coen brothers and actors like Frances McDormand and Kathy Bates, whose presence influenced character development. Distractions from houseguests and concurrent projects like Crimewave and Josh Becker's Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except delayed completion of the script.

The film drew creative influence from The Three Stooges and classic slapstick comedy. Ash’s struggle with his rebellious hand was inspired by Spiegel’s teen film Attack of the Helping Hand, itself derived from Hamburger Helper commercials. The "laughing room" scene originated from a visual gag Spiegel demonstrated using a gooseneck lamp. Comedic elements permeate throughout the movie, including visual jokes such as Ash pinning his hand beneath a stack of books topped by A Farewell to Arms.

Although designed as a direct sequel, Evil Dead II features some continuity discrepancies: the Necronomicon remains intact despite its destruction at the conclusion of the first movie; Ash’s friends’ bodies are missing; and the cabin remains undamaged until events unfold within this film.

Filming

Principal photography took place in Wadesboro, North Carolina, near De Laurentiis's offices in Wilmington. Despite De Laurentiis’s preference for shooting at Wilmington studios, the production team chose Wadesboro—approximately three hours away—to retain greater creative control. The production office was set up in a large white farmhouse previously used in The Color Purple. Exterior shots were filmed nearby, while cabin interiors were constructed at J.R. Faison Junior High School.

Makeup effects supervisor Mark Shostrom led a team that included Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero, and Howard Berger from KNB EFX Group. The memorable flying eyeball effect was achieved using a painted ping pong ball mounted on a motorized wand attached directly to the camera. Effects artist Verne Hyde engineered rigs to realize Raimi’s vision.

Ted Raimi, Sam Raimi’s brother, portrayed undead Henrietta wearing a full-body latex suit, frequently crouching within a floor cellar set. The intense heat caused excessive sweating that remained visible during critical scenes.

For Ash’s chainsaw hand prop, Hyde adapted an actual chainsaw by replacing its engine with a small electric motor so Campbell could safely insert his hand inside. The saw teeth were dulled for safety reasons, and tobacco smoke was pumped through tubing running up Campbell’s leg to simulate exhaust.

The crew incorporated various horror Easter eggs: Freddy Krueger’s clawed glove appears in both the cabin basement and tool shed—a nod to A Nightmare on Elm Street, which itself referenced earlier horror films linked to Evil Dead. This prop likely originated from Shostrom’s concurrent work on A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. A cellar rat nicknamed "Señor Cojones" provided informal amusement among crew members.

At the wrap party, Raimi and Campbell performed The Byrds' "Eight Miles High" accompanied by Nicotero on guitar.

Music

Joseph LoDuca composed the score for Evil Dead II, as he did for all three films in the trilogy. To commemorate the film's 30th anniversary in 2017, Waxwork Records released its soundtrack on vinyl.

Pre-release

Similar to its predecessor, Evil Dead II faced challenges with censorship due to its violent content. As an MPAA member company, DEG was contractually obligated to pursue an R rating; however, executives anticipated receiving an X rating that would limit commercial viability. Lawrence Gleason, DEG's marketing president, remarked that editing down to an R rating would reduce runtime to approximately 62 minutes—compromising Raimi's artistic intent and audience experience.

To circumvent this issue, DEG opted not to submit the film for MPAA evaluation or display their credit onscreen. Instead, Rosebud Releasing Corporation—a shell company managed by De Laurentiis' son-in-law Alex De Benedetti—handled U.S. distribution allowing it to be released unrated. Although lacking an established distribution network, DEG had already secured bookings in 340 theaters and financed advertising campaigns. The Rosebud logo was designed and filmed by Raimi himself.

Home media

The initial VHS release of Evil Dead II came from Vestron Video in 1987; Anchor Bay Entertainment followed with another VHS edition in 1998. Multiple DVD versions were issued afterward including a limited edition tin case in 2000 and a distinctive Necronomicon-style case in 2005. The film made its Blu-ray debut on October 2, 2007; Lionsgate Home Entertainment re-released it on Blu-ray and DVD for its 25th anniversary in 2011. Lionsgate issued another Blu-ray edition in 2016 as well as a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version in December 2018.

In the United Kingdom, it appeared on DVD in 2003 within a region 2 box set featuring all three Evil Dead films; StudioCanal reissued it on Blu-ray in 2013. Germany received a special 25th Anniversary Wood Edition Blu-ray release in 2007. Australia included it within a 2014 Evil Dead Anthology Blu-ray collection alongside other franchise entries. South Korea obtained a region A Blu-ray release bundled with the original Evil Dead.

Box office

Opening on March 13, 1987, Evil Dead II earned $807,260 during its opening weekend from a limited release across 310 theaters. After just over one month in theaters, it grossed approximately $5.9 million worldwide.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88%, while Metacritic assigns it a score of 72 out of 100 based on generally favorable reviews. Empire lauded it as a "gaudily gory, virtuoso, hyper-kinetic horror sequel," underscoring Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi's creative talents. The New York Times highlighted Raimi's evolving directorial skillset; Leonard Maltin upgraded his rating from two stars to three.

Roger Ebert awarded three out of four stars praising its surreal elements, comedic timing, and energetic low-budget execution—suggesting it appeals particularly to viewers attuned to special effects humor. The Washington Post recognized its B-movie style and campy soundtrack but acknowledged its cult status appeal. Conversely, Chicago Reader criticized its mixture of horror and comedy as uneven.

Entertainment Weekly ranked it #19 on their "Top 50 Cult Films" list; meanwhile, Sight and Sound placed it #34 among their "50 Funniest Films of All Time," and Empire included it at No. 49 in their 2008 compilation of The 500 Greatest Movies Ever Made.

J.C. Maçek III from PopMatters described it as an effective fusion of remake and sequel balancing gore with intentional humor. In 2016 James Charisma of Playboy ranked it #12 among sequels that surpassed their originals.

Accolades

Award	Category	Nominee	Result
Saturn Awards	Best Horror Film	Sam Raimi	Template:Nom
	Best Special Effects	Vern Hyde, Doug Beswick & Tom Sullivan	Template:Nom
	Best Make-up	Mark Shostrom	Template:Nom
Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival	Best Film	Sam Raimi	Template:Nom
Fantasporto Awards	Best Film	Sam Raimi	Template:Nom

In popular culture

The English comedic stage production The Elvis Dead retells events from Evil Dead II through an Elvis Presley-inspired lens.

The influential first-person shooter video game Doom, released in 1993, drew inspiration from Evil Dead II. Programmer John Carmack developed gameplay centered around utilizing technology to combat demonic forces—integrating influences from this film along with elements from Aliens and tabletop Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.

LaTour’s hit single "People Are Still Having Sex" (1991) samples dialogue from the movie’s memorable "... hello lover!" line.

The music video for "Bogus Operandi" by The Hives, released in 2023, heavily references motifs from Evil Dead II, featuring demonic videotapes, forest point-of-view shots, and white-eyed zombies.

External links

Evil Dead II information at Evil Dead Archives