Mini Reviews

Because of the nature of this challenge I’ll be writing mini-reviews of the titles. I won’t be delving into the extras on the dvd (assuming it’s a dvd, I’ll be watching many yet to be released films) and will often refer to actors by characters, instead of character names or actor names. After this is over I do plan on going back and filling in the gaps with who played which character etc. So for the time being if I say that the landlady was exceptional that doesn’t mean that I don’t have respect for who played the landlady or her name, it simple means that in the moment that I was writing I’m hurrying to get to the next film and keep the challenge alive so I won’t be doing full fact checking. I’m also not running grammatical checks, so if typos bother you prepare to be bothered.

October 1

1. Basket Case
2. House of the Long Shadows
3. You’ll Find Out
4. The Black Castle
5. The Fearless Vampire Killers
6. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
7. Killdozer

October 2

8. Willard
9. The Prophecy
10. Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde
11. Zombies of Mora Tau
12. The Werewolf
13. Creature with the Atom Brain
14. The Giant Claw
15. Shadow of the Vampire

October 3.

16. Trauma
17. Tenebre
18. Do You Like Hitchcock?
19. The Card Player
20. Phenomena
21. Suspiria

October 4

22. Opera
23. Bride of the Monster
24. White Zombie
25. A Nightmare on Elm Street
26. Fright Night
27. Race with the Devil
28. Cemetery Man

October 5

29. Bowery at Midnight
30. The Ape Man
31. Scared to Death
32. Masters of Horror: Dance of the Dead
33. Masters of Horror: Haeckel’s Tale
34. Masters of Horror: Chocolate
35. Masters of Horror: Incident on and off a Mountain Road
36. Masters of Horror: Dreams in the Witch House
37. Masters of Horror: The Screwfly Solution
38. Masters of Horror: Family
39. Night of the Living Dead

October 6

40. Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell
41. The Flesh and the Fiends
42. The Gorgon
43. Circus of Horrors
44. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
45. The Shining
46. Return of the Killer Tomatoes

October 7

47. Return to Horror High
48. Bad Taste
49. The Beast Must Die
50. The Wicker Man
51. The Revenge of Frankenstein
52. Murders in the Rue Morgue
53. The Black Cat
54. Re-Animator
55. Tales of Terrors
56. Masters of Horror: The Black Cat

October 8

57. The Raven
58. The Invisible Ray
59. Black Friday
60. Creepshow
61. The Hand
62. Dr. Giggles
63. Horror Hotel
64. Creature from the Black Lagoon
65. Revenge of the Creature
66. The Creature Walks Among Us

October 9

67. MST3K: The Unearthly
68. MST3K: The Corse Vanishes
69. MST3K: The Slime People
70. Return of the Vampire
71. The Monster Club
72. House on Haunted Hill
73. The Last Man on Earth
74. The Devil’s Rejects

October 10

75. To the Devil a Daughter
76. The Pit
77. Hellgate
78. Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter
79. Night of the Demon
80. Eyes of a Stranger
81. MST3K: The Mad Monster
82. Waxwork
83. Waxwork II: Lost in Time
84. Rosemary’s Baby

October 11

85. Spider Baby
86. The Wasp Woman
87. Night Fright
88. The Return of Dracula
89. The Vampire
90. Chandu the Magician
91. Dr. Renault’s Secret
92. Mark of the Vampire
93. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
94. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

October 12

95. Beast From Haunted Cave
96. Rattlers
97. Lazarus Syndrome
98. The Legend of Bigfoot
99. A Candle in the Dark
100. Demon Slaughter
101. Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns
102. Freaks
103. MSt3K: Black Scorpion

October 13

104. Dark Eyes of London
105. Friday the 13th

October 14

106. The Wolf Man
107. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

October 15

108. Blood Feast
109. Color Me Blood Red
110. Two Thousand Maniacs
111. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
112. Werewolf of London
113. She-Wolf of London
114. MST3K: It Conquered the World
115. Claw of Terror
116. Wrestlemaniac

October 16.

117. MST3K: War of the Colossal Beast
118. MST3K: Attack of the Giant Leeches
119. MST3K: Killer Shrews
120. MST3K: Fire Maidens of Outer Space
121. The Abominable Dr. Phibes
122. Dr. Phibes Rises Again
123. Theatre of Blood
124. Madhouse
125. MST3K: Manos – The Hands of Fate

October 17.

126. Twice-Told Tales
127. Witchfinder General
128. Targets
129. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark
130. Transylvania 6-5000
131. The Initiation

132. The Exorcist: The Version You’ve Never Seen Before
133. The Exorcist II: The Heretic

October 18.

134. Exorcist III
135. Hammer House of Horrors: The Silent Scream
136. Hammer House of Horrors: Rude Awakenings
137. The Invisible Man
138, The Invisible Man Returns
139. The Invisible Woman
140. Tales that Witness Madness

October 19.

141. The Black Room
142. Hard
143. MST3K: The Human Duplicators

October 20.

144. Ghostbusters
145. Ghostbusters 2
146. The Phantom of the Opera (1943)
147. Kingdom of Shadows
148. MST3K: Attack of the Eye Creatures
149. The Man Who Could Cheat Death
150. April Fool’s Day

October 21.

151. The Ghoul
152. Night Key
153. Tower of London
154. The Climax
155. The Devil Comands
156. The Thing
157. Jack Ketchum’s The Lost

October 22.

158. Die, Monster, Die
159. Mad Love
160. Devil Doll
161. Dr. X
162. The Return of Dr. X
163. Mask of Fu Manchu
164. Evil Dead
165. Evil Dead II
166. MST3K: The Creeping Terror

October 23.

167. Isle of the Dead
168. Bedlam
169. The Seventh Victim
170. Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy
171. Cat People
172. The Curse of the Cat People
173. I Walked with a Zombie
174. The Bodysnatcher
175. Psycho

October 24.

176. MST3K: The Beast of Yucca Flats
177. The Mummy
178. The Mummy’s Hand
179. Idle Hands
180: MST3K: The Amazing Transparent Man

October 25.

181. The Last Horror Film
182. Insecticidal
183. Night Fangs
184. The Pit and the Pendulum
185. The Raven
186. Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte

October 26.

187. The Horror of Dracula
188. Soul’s Midnight
189. Army of Darkness
190. X The Man with X-Ray Eyes
191. Premature Burial

October 27.

192. Dracula Has Risen From the Grave
193. Taste the Blood of Dracula
194. Dracula A.D. 1972
195. Quick and the Undead
196. The Innocents

October 28.

197. Dawn of the Dead
198. Dracula (1979)
199. Body Snatchers
200. Wolfen
201. Coma
202. Bad Moon
203. Mad Monster Party
204. Dead Heat
205. Black Sunday

October 29.

206. MST3K: King Dinosaur
207. MST3K: The Amazing Colossal Man
208. Masters of Horror: The Damned Thing
209. Masters of Horror: Dream Cruise
210. Masters of Horror: We All Scream for Ice Cream
211. Masters of Horror: The Washingtonians
212. Ghosts on the Loose
213. Son of Kong
214. Masters of Horror: Pro-Life
215: Masters of Horror: Pelts
216. Dracula
217. Masters of Horror: Valerie on the Stairs

October 30.

218. Masters of Horror: The V Word
219. Masters of Horror: Sounds Like
220. Masters of Horror: Right to Die
221. Masters of Horror: Deer Woman
222. Masters of Horror: Jennifer
223. Masters of Horror: Homecoming
224. Masters of Horror: Sick Girl
225. Masters of Horror: Pick Me Up
226. Rogue’s Tavern
227. The Devil’s Messenger
228. Teenage Zombies
229. Murders in the Zoo
230. Island of Lost Souls
231. The Walking Dead
232. Within the Woods – Wildcard #4
233. Tales of Frankenstein Pilot – Wildcard #5
234. The Veil: The Food’s on the Table – Wildcard #6
235. Frankenstein
236. Bloodbath at the House of Death

October 31.

237. Ben
238. Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors
239. Theatre of Death
240. House
241. House of Frankenstein
242. House of Dracula
243. Ghost of Frankenstein
244. Phantasm
245. Phantasm II
246. Phantasm III
247. Halloween
248. Bucket of Blood
249. Little Shop of Horrors

Well midnight is gone, I’m kind of sad about it, really thought I could have made it to 250, and frankly, I could have. But no regrets, time to move on.

For me it’s been a long, and at times tedious month. But I’m still going strong, I may make it to dawn… time will tell.

250. Hellraiser
251. Hellraiser II
252. Hellraiser III

The Body Snatcher

The Body Snatcher is the strongest of the Boris Karloff/Val Lewton collaborations and remains one of the best performances of Karloff’s long and impressive career.

The Body Snatcher is a story in the vein of Dr. Knox and Burke and Hare. In this variation Henry Daniell plays Dr. MacFarlane, an ex student of Knox, who is tormented by his own graverobber John Gray (Boris Karloff) who keeps MacFarlane in check with a few secrets about his past. Young medical student Donald Fettes (Russell Wade) has recently come under MacFarlane guidance and seeks to become an honest and capable doctor himself. His bedside manner is already tops as he manages to get a crippled girl to open up to him about his pains in ways that MacFarlane could not. MacFarlane diagnoses the girl and feels he know what it would take to give her back the gift of movement but he is unwilling to perform the surgery himsef as he no longer is a practicing surgeon but is instead now a full time teacher.

Donald is upset with this decision and hopes that he can convince MacFarlane to change his mind. He’s also growing concerned with some of the doctor’s methods. While MacFarlane has no issues dealing with Gray and his grave robbing Donald doesn’t have the stomache for this kind of activity. Dr. MacFarlane also has a snooping servent Joseph (Bela Lugosi) that is looking for a way to benefit financially from the doctor’s shady dealings. It seems the only person that can really control MacFarlane’s activities is Gray who makes the doctor agree to help the little girl. When MacFarlane refuses Donald takes it upon himself to work with Gray and get the necessary tools to perform the surgery. Unfortunately for Donald, Gray is a calculating individual who finds a way to mix up Donald within his activities in such a way that he too can have his fingers around Donald’s throat for years to come. Ultimately how long can this body snatching continues before the wrong person is snatched or the wrong question is asked.

The Body Snatcher is a fantastic film and a highlight for Karloff’s career. It also has the added bonus of featuring the last film with both Karloff and Lugosi and while it’s obvious that the two are no longer even close to the same level when it comes to fame the scene in which the two interract is a solid piece of acting and it shows the great chemistry the two had together for years. Henry Danielle also gives a quality performance and the rest of the cast handles their material well. Grave robbing for science is a sub-genre that has been done many times through cinema history but rarely as well as in The Body Snatcher. 4.5 out of 5.

I Walked with a Zombie

If you’re going into I Walked with a Zombie expecting something along the lines of a Romero film prepare to find something entirely different here.

I Walked with a Zombie is the story of Betsy Connell (Frances Dee) who has been hired to travel to the West Indies to work in the Rand household as a nurse. Along the way she meets family friend Paul Holland (Tom Conway) a man with a tragic sense about him that warns her that while things in the West Indies might look beautiful on the surface it is a dead place and that soon she will see no beauty in it. When she enters the Rand home she meets Wesley Rand (James Ellison) and the woman that is the main reason they need a nurder, his wife, Mrs. Rand (Edith Barrett).

As the story progresses Betsy will learn that little in the West Indies is what it seems. The customs and beliefs of the people are steeped in traditions and voodoo. Soon she is learning that everyone in town knows all about the Rand household and Mrs. Rand’s condition. They believe that the only cure for her would be delivered by a voodoo priest. Wesley is in the process of developing a drinking problem and Paul Holland seems more interested in getting to know Betsy better than he is helping his friend. As things turn weirder Betsy can’t help but notice the bizarre behavior of Mrs. Rand. Could there really be truth to the voodoo everyone on the island believes in and are there really zombies?

I Walked with a Zombie is another good Val Lewton production that succeeds on most every level. It is filled with atmosphere and the cast all performs their parts well. Frances Dee is a standout and her character is well written to include many layers as she becomes more and more steeped in the beliefs of the people. Tom Conway as usual is excellent, it’s only a shame that he wasn’t given more to do in more movies. A solid effort. 3.5 out of 5.

The Curse of the Cat People

The Curse of the Cat People is a good followup that has many creepy and effective moments but ultimately it fails to live up to the original.

The Curse of the Cat People takes place only a few years after the original film ends. Oliver Reed (Kent Smith) has now married Alice (Jane Randolph) and together they are raising a young daughter named Amy (Ann Carter). Oliver is determined that Amy live a happy and normal life but she seems to prefer a fantasy world and the other children find her strange and don’t enjoy their time with her though family friend and teacher Miss Callahan (Eve March) encourages them all to get along. Amy is having a birthday party but she failed to mail the invitation instead placing them into a hollow tree. The parents along with the Reed’s butler/cool Edward (Sir Lancelot) do their best to throw a party for Amy who wishes that she could be the kind of good girl her dad wants.

The next day she makes her best effort to play with the other children but they’re upset with her because they feel as if she purposely did not invite them to her party. She chases them and finds herself by an old house where a voice speaks out to her. Amy approaches the home and a ring is thrown to her. When she arrives home Edward explains that the ring might be a wishing ring and that if she wore it and twisted it and wished hard it might come through. Sheepishly Amy goes to tell her father that she failed to be the good girl her dad wanted. He scolds her for lieing to her about a strange voice and when Alice enters the room she complains that Oliver didn’t even bother hearing the child out. They have a brief argument which upsets Amy, she hates to see her parents fight.

She goes outside and decides that she will use the ring. She makes a wish for a dream and suddenly she seems like a much happier person and spends so much time outside playing that it seems her fantasy world is gone. Her new friend however is none other than the ghost of Irena Reed (Simone Simon) who lets her know that she must keep their friendship secret. However, when Amy sees a photo of Oliver and Irena she let’s it slip she that knows Irena as well. Oliver becomes concerned, is Amy’s fantasy world somehow real, and has Irena somehow found a way back into his life?

The Curse of the Cat People is a good film just not as good as Cat People. Simone Simon turns in a great and eerie performance as Irena. Ann Carter as Amy turns in a fantastic children’s performance, I don’t know what it is but it seems that horror brings out the best in kid’s performances. Kent Smith however doesn’t do a terribly good job. It’s not all his fault, the script for his character is weak. Let’s just say he’s not going to win any father of the year awards. 3 out of 5.

Cat People

Cat People is in many ways the ultimate Val Lewton film and one of the first titles that springs to anyone’s mind when his name is first mentioned.

Cat People revolves around the relationship of the mysterious Irena Reed (Simone Simon) and Oliver Reed (Kent Smith). After a whilwind courtship the two find themselves married and while they enjoy each other’s company their marriage is cold in the bedroom. The two profess love for one another but Irena is convinced that an ancient legend about catwomen from her town has affected her. She believes that if she allows Oliver to kiss her she will turn into a cat with a desire to kill.

This coldness is pushing Oliver to become closer to his coworker Alice Moore (Jane Randolph) who is sympathetic to Oliver’s problem. Irena is afraid that all of this is making her slowly lose her mind and the couple decide that she should visit a psychiatrist, the best that Oliver can find. When Irena visits Dr. Judd (Tom Conway) she is dismissive of his advice. Naturally he doesn’t believe that she actually has the ability to turn into a cat and she feels that he is treating her like a child belittling her.

Irena decides she will not return to Judd and becomes furious when she discovers that it was Alice that recommended him. She doesn’t want their marital problems discussed with other people, especially not Alice who obvisouly has a thing for Oliver. All of this bickering at home is just making Alice and Oliver closer and soon Irena turns jealous stalking Alice in a threatening manner, possibly in catform. Is Irena really crazy or could these legends of cat people have some basis in reality, and if she is really a cat person can anyone from her patient husband to the underhanded Dr. Judd actually help her in the end.

Cat People is a fantastic movie that has some of the most intense suspense in film history. The scene of Alice being stalked down a road and the scene between Alice and Irena at a swimming pool are creepy and very effective. All of the performances are strong but especially Simone Simon whose accent adds to her mystery. It’s an unusual film that relies on the unseen to provide legitimate scares and thrills. 4.5 out of 5.

Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy

Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy is a solid documentary that covers the majority of Val Lewton’s life and career. From his early days under Selznick to his work as an author to the rising star of RKO replacing Orson Welles it’s a loving tribute. Many renowned horror film directors such as George Romero, Joe Dante, William Friedkin and Guillermo Del Toro are willing to speak at depth about the influences of Val Lewton on their careers. I wish more time might have been spent on some of the individual titles, especially his non horror, but considering every horror film in the box set includes informative audio commentaries if you want to learn more about his horror work you can find a more scholarly approach to it all there. 3 out of 5.

The Seventh Victim

The Seventh victim is a very strong Val Lewton piece that mixes satanism with mystery and suicide to create a dark and moody film.

When student Mary Gibson (Kim Hunter) learns that her sister Jacqueline (Jean Brooks) is missing she makes the decision to leave school and attempt to find her. When she arrives she finds that not only is Jacqueline not at the factory she owns and that she no longer even owns it having sold it to a long time employee. To make matters worse nobody seems to even know where Jacqueline has gone. A friend seems to recall seeing her at a particular restaurant. Soon she has found where Jacqueline has rented a room and while she pays the rent every month she doesn’t really stay there. Mary begs to see inside the room and they find the shocking site of a lone chair in the middle of the room with a noose hanging above it.

Her investigation leads her into the many secrets of Jacqueline’s life including a husband Gregory Ward (Hugh Beaumont), her psychiatrist Dr. Judd (Tom Conway), and a connection to a cultish group which might be satan worshipers. All the while she is becoming connected to poet Jason Hoag (Erford Gage) who is willing to help and support her on her journey. It seems the devil worshipping cult has several powerful members and that they have felt betrayed by Jacqueline making their normally peaceful motives much more sinister.

The Seventh Victim is a solid thriller that benefits from many strong performances. Kim Hunter receives an introducing credit and for someone with so little experience in film acting she does a solid job as the films anchor. Tom Conway is always a joy to watch and he is the perfect fit for Val Lewton films. Another Val Lewton regular, Elizabeth Russell, has a small but very powerful part as a dieing woman who wants to live providing fantastic juxtaposition wiith Jacqueline who is a healthy woman who wants to die. A fantastic and atmospheric movie. 3.5 out of 5.

Bedlam

Bedlam would be the last film with Boris Karloff and Val Lewton producing and it would be the last horror film Val Lewton would ever produce.

Bedlam is the story of Master George Sims (Boris Karloff) who runs the local asylum. For years he has run the location virtually unchecked always looking for a way to cut a corner and pad his pockets both through misuse of funds and selling favors to the wealthy. All of this is about to change when Nell Bowen (Anna Lee), sweetheart of the pompous and powerful Lord Mortimer (Billy House), finds that she can’t help but be sympathetic to the insane people under his care. She attempts to be callous and to not care for these people but her heart is too pure.

Sims throws a party for many of those within the power structure where his loonies will perform for them. When one of them playing the gilded boy dies everybody but Nell finds it humorous but she can take it no longer. She appeals to Lord Mortimer letting him know that the squalor and poor treatment simply can’t be allowed any longer and money must be allocated to help these individuals. Mortimer lets Sims know this and Sims is as always gracious treating it as a fantastic idea, ultimately Sims points out to Mortimer that this will of course require much higher taxes and with his many properties he’ll be one of the hardest hits. Mortimer instantly back peddles and soon Nell and him are no longer together.

Outraged that Nell would stand up to him he takes away her furniture and the gifts he has given her over the years assuming she’ll come back begging, but instead she becomes less interested in him. Soon Sims puts the bug into Mortimer’s ear that he simply needs to say the word and Nell can be harshly punished for her disrespect. It takes some convincing but soon Nell is under Sims control locked in the asylum. However, she is a strong spirit and manages to make the place a cleaner better existence for everyone in their and manages to pull some political strings that could lead to her being released. Sims can’t lose control or his beloved institution but with the inmates now cleaner and more empowered can he really stay on top of things forever.

Bedlam is a strong and often brutal depiction of the squalor that the insane and sometimes sane enemies of the elite were often forced to live in. The attitude of Sims towards the inmates is particularly cruel. There are hints of torture, experimentation, and even molestation. Karloff is strong in the role and Anna Lee also gives a strong performance. What might be descrived as the Val Lewton style isn’t in full effect in this film, but his influence is still something that can be felt. A solid film. 3.5 out of 5.

Isle of the Dead

Isle of the Dead is the second pairing of Boris Karloff and producer Val Lewton and while it isn’t the strongest of their trilogy it is a good film and a great role for Karloff.

Isle of the Dead is a film steeped in atmosphere. In it Boris Karloff plays General Nikolas Pherides who is currently involved with the first Balkan war. While visiting one of the smaller villagers word of plague breaks out and the people at the inn where he is are quarantined and he will not allow them to leave. If the plague was not bad enough it seems these superstitious individuals believe that a sickly young woman is accused of being a vorvolakas. It seems that is a vampire like creature that rises by night, drinks blood, and returns refreshed.

Tempers flair as the superstitious, the scientific, and the military collide. Are these dead bodies drained of their color plague victims or are they actually the victims of a mythical blood sucker. And ultimately as the body count rises will General Pherides lose both his control and his mind and will the real cause of death ever be determined.

This is exactly the kind of film that Val Lewton excelled at and were this to be directed by most anyone else it likely would have turned into something along the lines of one of the weaker Karloff vehicles. Karloff seems to enjoy the role and it must have been nice playing something other than a mad scientist. The supporting cast all handles their material well with few real standouts. Ultimately not the best Val Lewton film but it is a solid piece featuring heavy atmosphere and another good Boris Karloff performance. 2.5 out of 5.

MST3K: The Creeping Terror

MST3K: The Creeping Terror is the first Mike Nelson episode I’ve watched as part of this challenge and it is a good episode. I’ve never taken sides in the Joel vs. Mike debate being a fan of both hosts. What I will say is that Joel’s comedy is slower paced willing to ignore the simple small jokes instead to focus on the big laughs and allowing more of the films soundtrack to play, Mike’s comedy is more like a machine gun filling dead and live air alike with a constant stream of jokes many of which don’t land well. I imagine it comes down to you’re preferred style of comedy as to which you enjoy. The Creeping Terror is a good example of this, the opening credits feature a background image that looks like an off kilt spiral. Mike and the bots instantly equate it with messy hair and for the 90 seconds or so that the credits last they throw out probably 15 or more hair jokes in a constant stream. It is funny stuff, but definately different from the way I imagine Joel would have handled it. A solid episode and good early Mike before he really hit his groove. 3 out of 5.

Evil Dead II

In order to appreciate Evil Dead II you do not have to have seen the first film, in fact in some ways you might benefit from not having previously seen The Evil Dead.

This is largely because rather than utilize a flashback device to setup the plot the first ten minutes or so are really just a condensced version bringing only Ash (Bruce Campbell) and Linda (Denise Bixler) to the cabin in the woods. As would happen in the first film Ash would play a recording on a reel to reel and it wouldn’t be long before the woods were becoming a force of their own and the untold evil manages to overcome Linda. In desperation Ash is forced to kill her and decapitates her. Like a good boyfriend he burries her but like a bad spirit she won’t stay down and does a great little stop motion dance taunting her would be lover. Eventually the evil manages to overpower Ash’s hand so it must be removed. Ash can only hold out so long and briefly becomes demon possessed but is saved by the daylight. After a night like that he lays passed out all day and must find refuge in the cabin again, not exactly excited about another night in this place.

This time he won’t be alone as a pair of archeologists Annie Knowby (Sarah Berry) and Jake (Dan Hicks) arrive with their redneck guides Ed (Richard Domeier) and Bobbie Jo (Kassie Wesley) with them. Initially Ash is seen as a threat and is locked in the cellar. However, the tape tells them of the story of Professor Knowby who was translating the book. He confesses to having released the evil himself and that he was forced to kill his wife Henrietta and burying her in the cellar. Now things pick up as Henrietta has released herself from her shallow grave and sets her sights on Ash who barely escapes the cellar alive. Now starts the thrill ride of a movie that largely follows the model established in the first film. The evil is a powerful force and it is determined to destroy everyone in this cabin. Luckily Ash has some experience and while he might not be the most capable guy in many areas of life, especially choosing gifts for girlfriends, there is one things he’s good at, fighting the dead.

Armed with a chainsaw adapted to fit over his stump, a sawed of shotgun, and Annie Knowby’s knowledge of the book it’s time for a showdown. Groovy.

Evil Dead II is a fantastic film that is worth watching again and again. It has aged very well and many of the effects are still very strong today. Bruce Campbell’s performance improves incredibly over the first film, it’s almost hard to imagine he’s the same actor. The rest of the performances are also more than adequate. Sam Raimi’s direction is strong once again and it plays directly into the third film, Army of Darkness. A fantastic and thrilling film. 4 out of 5.