The Evil Dead (1981)
Written and directed by Sam Raimi

I saw a pretty hilarious Internet debate over whether The Evil Dead was "technically" a zombie movie, with the purists arguing passionately that it wasn't, since the characters who become "zombies" are actually just "possessed." Apparently, for it to be a true zombie flick, the kids would have to die first, then return to feast on blood and brains. Anything else, and you're just not talkin' zombie.

Well, whatever the case, Evil Dead is still one of the most fun zombie-esque movies ever, and perhaps the paramount "College kids go off to a cabin in the woods; all hell breaks loose" movie of all time. It's not that the film is all that scary, or particularly original, or even hilarious (as its sequels are), but just that it pays off. After a slow-brewing setup that sometimes feels like it's going nowhere, the last third offers some of the tongue-in-cheekiest gore and most hallucinogenic campiness you'll find lurking in the Horror section.

Sam Raimi's since gone on to bigger-grossing, bigger-budget, and more respectable films, but his debut is a bold and confident riff on The Hills Have Eyes, shot with a keen eye and an obvious love for the genre. The script is tight, the performances deliciously indulgent, and the guts of it all (both the guts of the film itself, and the guts that are frequently sprayed across the screen) are always a pleasure to behold.

It ain't the scariest, nor the funniest, nor the best, but The Evil Dead has that certain something that keeps it fresh years after this sort of movie played itself out, came back into vogue, and played itself out again. What's the certain something? I don't know … perhaps it's eyes getting gouged out. I love that kind of shit.

Review by Herky-Jerky Lurkey Turkey