I've loved horror films ever since seeing "Frankenstein" as a toddler -- the first movie I remember seeing -- so I take second seat to no one in my love of horror films. That said, I proudly declare "Evil Dead" to be a truly crappy movie in which yelling loudly and making faces and running away substitute for plot and dialogue. It might be fun to watch stoned (I can't remember if I was the first time I saw it), but otherwise it is an exercise in extreme patience.

"Evil Dead 2" was better. So was "Army of Darkness." Sam Raimi's heart is in the right place, especially when it's been torn out of his chest and thrown against a wall.

So Stephanie, I'll take your word for it and see this movie (I probably would have anyway), especially since Raimi has learned A LOT in the years since "Evil Dead" ("A Simple Plan," anyone?"Spidey 2", too). But a cat gets killed? I'd better bring the Kleenex.

P.S. Bruce Campbell can't act!

I've been seeing the previews and I've been asking myself.

Is there a scene where the erstwhile heroine confronts the wicked witch who cursed her and poses the query:

"You have the power to conjure deamons and drag the innocent to hell. Why don't you use you neigh omnipotence to pay your freakin' bills on time?"

Really here, you're magical, turn some lead to gold for goodness sake and pay your mortgage! It's flawed presmises like these that ruin b movies some times!

DurianJoe, Bruce Campbell's acting is all in the chin, if you're listening to the dialogue (which Bruce has nothing to do with and can't be held responsable for) you're missing the point.

Watch that glorious chin as it moves effortlessly across the screen, and just marvel.

I will admit, Clockwork Smurf, that no one pulls off being covered in slime and blood and fighting off his own severed hand than The Chin.

I said he couldn't act. I didn't say he wasn't entertaining. ;)

You people are annoying and dull.

I love me a scary movie, good or not, but I can already tell from the previews I'll enjoy this one. I didn't read the review yet - don't want anything spoiled.

DurianJoe, I didn't know you were into this stuff too. I might ask you to marry me if you weren't already married, because I don't think I've ever read anything by you I didn't like.

But the American-style horror movie, which centers on young attractive women undergoing immense suffering, absolutely disgusts me.

I was one of the lucky few to see the 'rough cut' at SXSW this year, and I can tell you it's a rollicking affair. It hardly stops to let you catch your breath; very tightly done and a lot of fun.

Raimi at his best perhaps. I'm sure there will be some moaning over the plot, but I think most will enjoy this film.

Stephanie Zacharek: "As Raimi's fans know, long before he became a giant Hollywood player with the "Spider-Man" movie franchise, he made a name for himself with the "Evil Dead" pictures and other assorted B-movie entertainments like "Army of Darkness.""

Dear Stephanie,

"Army of Darkness" IS an "Evil Dead" picture. It's "Evil Dead III."

Doi now!

I take it you've never seen Bubba Ho-tep. Bruce Campbell played a wonderful Elvis.

Chicken Rangoon II!

and a great American~!

...in an episode of HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET a while back.

Goeswithness: Somewhere, in an alternative universe...

Toekutter: Being a early phan of Don Coscarelli, I eagerly rented Bubba Ho-tep and watched at most 30 minutes before finally giving up. But I will give the Chin his due: he made a fine Elvis.

Chicken Rangoon: Are you really Ralph Nader?

didn't you guys see him as Autolycus on Xena the Warrior Princess?? best acting ever!

he also rocked in the movie The Woods

leave bruce alone

and i am so glad that this horror movie is not another capture and torture movie...bring back the fun horror dammit!

I proudly declare "Evil Dead" to be a truly crappy movie in which yelling loudly and making faces and running away substitute for plot and dialogue.

I couldn't disagree with you more - I think the first Evil Dead is a brilliant movie and an example of how talent can overcome even the tiniest budget (reportedly about $50,000). What leaps out at me is Raimi's creativity behind the camera - the Kubrickian shot of Ash's car approaching the cabin, the stop-motion animation and bizarro / distorted camera angles, etc. - and his willingless to take things way, way past the line of good taste. That whole movie is like a bad acid trip on a funhouse ride.

I like Evil Dead 2 but it's just a little too slapstick and self-conscious for my taste, and it's essentially the same movie as the first one only with more pronounced comedy elements. Army of Darkness ... meh. Good first half hour or so but once the novelty of seeing Ash in the middle ages wears off the sense of humor was way too broad (i.e. juvenile) and the horror elements are almost totally gone. My 9 y/o stepdaughter has zero tolerance for anything scary and she thought Army of Darkness was a riot.

Also, someone pointed this out first but ... how does a professional movie reviewer NOT know that Army of Darkness is the 3rd Evil Dead film? Stephanie could've learned that with 10 seconds of research on IMDB. Sheesh.

Where her decapitated head is screaming at Bruce taunting him and he cuts it in half while it's screaming at him.... has got to be the funniest thing ever put to film. Of course Salon and Broadsheet can probably pull a 2500 word essay down off the shelf about how misogynist it is, but we expect that.

Don't forget his role as a baby-stealing devil in one of the later X-files episodes.

I also love the fact that there is a Necronomicon and chain saw in the Old Spice commercial.

On Burn Notice as well, not to mention the insanely hilarious Old Spice commercial singing a piano-lounge version of "Hungry Like the Wolf" to scantily clad women reclining on a tiger rug.

Bless him and his sublimely awesome chin.