10 Horror Movie Sequels That Broke All The Rules
9. Army Of Darkness (1992)
Even as early as 1992, The Evil Dead movies had garnered a reputation for being films that... weren't exactly conventional. The second film took the bold step of essentially remaking the original in the first 10 minutes (due to rights issues) and adding elements that ranged from darkly comic to outright satire.
However, audiences were still caught off guard by the unique third instalment.
Army of Darkness chooses to pick up directly where Evil Dead 2 left us and follows Bruce Campbell's Ash as tries to return to his own time after becoming trapped in the Middle Ages. His efforts are hampered when he accidentally raises another army of the undead.
Army of Darkness is best described as a cinematic melting pot. The film mixes the standard horror elements with heavy fantasy, romance, comedy and even some historical period drama. Given a sizable budget and entire creative freedom, director Sam Raimi presents a whacky, unique film like no other.
Audiences expecting the usual cabin in the woods fodder were shocked by lush Gothic production design and huge scale battle sequences between an army of deadites and medieval knights. Hell, there's even Ray Harryhausen-style stop-motion thrown in for good measure.
Bruce Campbell's usually chaotic and unlucky Ash is also given quite the character arc, as here he is portrayed as the heroic leading man, strong, confident and determined. His portrayal in Army of Darkness birthed the cocky, over-confident movie hero that today is considered absolutely iconic.