Evil Dead: 10 Grooviest Franchise Moments So Far

Hail to the king, baby.

Bruce Campbell Evil Dead
New Line Cinema

Ash Williams is back, baby! After over 20 years, Bruce Campbell is returning to play his iconic Evil Dead character in Ash vs. Evil Dead, and as well as delighting new fans, it's an opportunity for veterans to return to what made the franchise so grear in the first place.

Released in 1981 and directed by Sam Raimi, The Evil Dead is a rather simple film. It cost only $375,000, and the plot just revolves around a group of teenagers who get killed at a cabin in the woods. Fans embraced it for its atmosphere and cinematography, but it wasn't overly successful at the box office.

Six years later there was Evil Dead II, perhaps the most unique sequel ever put to screen. Instead of trying to recapture what the original accomplished, this one is essentially a spoof of The Evil Dead, embracing slapstick humor, over the top gore and the one-liner spewing Ash. It was this kind of humor, amplified by Army Of Darkness, that helped the films become such cult hits.

Looking back, the movies are far more impressive than they seem at first glance. Raimi seamlessly combines horror and comedy like a true master, and some of his filmmaking tricks are nothing short of awe-inspiring. Thanks to Starz, there will be many more of these moments to come.

10. Ash Forgets The Words

Bruce Campbell Evil Dead
Universal Pictures

Part of what's entertaining about Ash is that he's an arrogant, incompetent moron thrust into the position of a hero, and he's especially ill-equipped when sent back in time in Army of Darkness.

While in the Middle Ages, Ash goes on a quest to find the Necronomicon in order to return to the future. A wise man explains that once he finds it, he just has to say three magic words: Klaatu barada nikto. Ash assures the man that he knows the words, so how could he screw this up?

Well, when the time comes, Ash can't remember them. He even tries coughing over the last word, as if that will be enough to trick the spirits. Because he takes the book without saying Klaatu barada nikto, the dead start to rise from the grave, and so Ash is solely responsible for this mess just because of a brain malfunction.

Later, when confronted with this fact, Ash defends himself by saying, "Look, maybe I didn't say every little single tiny syllable, no, but basically I said 'em." What does that even mean? There are only seven syllables.

It's the funniest example of Ash's stupidity in the series, and an effective instance of our hero being bad at his job in an amusing way.

Contributor
Contributor

Lover of horror movies, liker of other things. Your favorite Friday the 13th says a lot about you as a person, and mine is Part IV: The Final Chapter.