Evil Dead series
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The Evil Dead series started as a series of films created by Sam Raimi. They focus on Ashley J. Williams - better known as Ash and played by Bruce Campbell - dealing with 'deadites', which are demoniacs created by the Necronomicon. The series has since expanded into other formats such as video games and comic books. An off-Broadway musical opened in New York in October, 2006.
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[edit] Films
[edit] Within the Woods
While it is not technically a part of the series, Within the Woods was the first creation in what would become the Evil Dead universe. It was made to secure funds to make The Evil Dead properly.
[edit] The Evil Dead
Released in 1981, this is the first official film in the series. It introduces the series' protagonist, Ash, and the Book of the Dead and what it brings with it. The Evil Dead is a horror movie with some elements of black comedy.
[edit] Evil Dead II
Released in 1987, this is the film that introduced the series' trademark humor, while expanding on the horror themes of Ash's dealings with the Necronomicon and demons.
[edit] Army of Darkness
Released in 1993, this is the last film in the trilogy, taking Ash back in time to England in 1300 AD. The movie has horror attributes, but is based more on humor and action. This time the evil creatures are referred to as deadites.
[edit] Rumored sequels
It has been rumored for years that there will be an Evil Dead 4. Sam Raimi has stated in an interview that he would like to make this film, as soon as he has completed work on Spider-man 3.[citation needed]
Another popular rumor is that the sequel to Freddy vs. Jason will include Ash, and possibly be named Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. Raimi has decided against it, as he would not have creative control over the character.[citation needed]
[edit] Unofficial sequels
In Italy, The Evil Dead was released under the title La Casa ("The House") and Evil Dead II became La Casa II. These were followed by three unrelated movies: Umberto Lenzi's La Casa 3 - Ghosthouse (1988), Fabrizio Laurenti's Witchery (1988) AKA La Casa 4 and Claudio Fragasso's La Casa 5 (1990). This is similar to what has happened in George Romero's Living Dead series.
[edit] Remake
It has been confirmed that a remake will be made of The Evil Dead. It will be produced by Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi, but will not include the Ash character. It is also said that the movie will be about a group of teenagers that go to the cabin and find the book, and the similarities with the original will end there.[1]
[edit] Indirect Sequels
Bruce Campbell is currently writing, directing and starring in a film titled My Name is Bruce.[2] It doesn't continue the story of Army of Darkness but is a pseudo-documentary about Bruce living his everyday life in which he is mistaken as Ash and must fight real-life deadites in his home town in Oregon. The film is set to be released in either 2006 or 2007.
[edit] Video games
There have so far been four Evil Dead video games:
- The Evil Dead (1984) for Commodore 64
- Evil Dead: Hail to the King (December 18, 2000) for PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast, and PC
- Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick (May 24, 2003) for PlayStation 2 and Xbox
- Evil Dead: Regeneration (September 13, 2005) for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC
[edit] Comic books
[edit] Army of Darkness adaptation
The first Evil Dead related comics appeared in 1992, in the form of a mini-series adaptation of Army of Darkness produced by Dark Horse Comics. A trade paperback of this series is being released by Dynamite Entertainment on September 25, 2006.
[edit] Dynamite Entertainment
A new Army of Darkness series was released by Dynamite Entertainment in 2004, this time as a continuation of the stories taking place after the Army of Darkness movie. Initially, two mini-series were released, but soon after an ongoing series was released. There has also been one Tales of the Army of Darkness special which included multiple short stories by different writers and artists. It has been said that this is to be an annually released series. Also, a new bi-monthly mini-series, Darkman vs. Army of Darkness, has been announced which will be released at the same time as the ongoing series.
[edit] Mini-series
- Ashes 2 Ashes
- Shop Till You Drop Dead
- Army of Darkness vs. Re>Animator
- Army of Darkness Old school
- Darkman vs. Army of Darkness
[edit] Ongoing series
- Issues 1-4: "Army of Darkness vs. Re-Animator", which included Herbert West from the Re-Animator movies. This was probably because the Re-Animator series has a similar, and sometimes overlapping, fanbase to the Evil Dead series.
- Issues 5-7: "Old School"
[edit] Other
- Tales of the Army of Darkness
[edit] Musical
For full article, see Evil Dead: The Musical
The production team of George Reinblatt, Christopher Bond and Frank Cipolla will be opening Off-Broadway Evil Dead: The Musical based on the original The Evil Dead film. It will be directed by Bond and Hinton Battle, who also choreographed the show. Tying in with the midnight movie plot of a group of friends visiting a wooded cabin and unleashing untold evil, performances will be offered starting at 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Previews begin October 1 with the opening November 1 at New World Stages.
[edit] References in pop culture
- The Necronomicon from the Evil Dead trilogy is visible on the table of the witch Miss Osie in the 1994 horror movie Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings
- In episode 3.1.1 "To Mend And Defend" of ReBoot, the main characters are in a FPS-like game. The character they are fighting is a modified version of Ash from the Evil Dead series. The episode replicates the cabin, including details such as the deer's head, the moving lamp, the tape recorder, piano and the basement trap-door. It also includes the "Dead by dawn" and "Groovy" quotes along with the user's chainsaw, arm and shotgun.
- In the Voorhees home, in Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, the Necronomicon is seen sitting on a table.
- Strapping Young Lad's video for "Love?" is based on Evil Dead.
- Hard Rock band Lordi's video for "Blood Red Sandman" is a tribute to Evil Dead.
- The video for The Foo Fighters song "Everlong" is based on the laughing room scene in Evil Dead.
- The Showbread song "Dead By Dawn" is a tribute to the series.
- Death has an unrelated song entitled Evil Dead.
- In the 2000 film version of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, the two main characters played by John Cusack and Jack Black have a humorous discussion about seeing Evil Dead II. In Hornby's original novel, the film discussed is Reservoir Dogs.
- In an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Frylock accidentally digs up the Necronomicon while searching through his book collection.
- Hoss Delgado from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy is a combination of Ash and Snake Pliskin from Escape from L.A. and Escape from New York.
- In Donnie Darko, Donnie and Gretchen attend a screening of The Evil Dead. Director Richard Kelly personally obtained permission from "Sam Raimi's producing partner" (presumably Robert Tapert) to use scenes from The Evil Dead in his film.[3]
- In episode 2 of Moral Orel Orel and his friend Doughy use the Necronomicon to reanimate the town's dead.
- In World of Warcraft dwarfs can be seen shooting a target with guns when one of them holds his up and says, "This is my boom stick", a line from Army of Darkness
| Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series |
|---|
| Films: The Evil Dead | Evil Dead II | Army of Darkness |
| Videogames: The Evil Dead | Evil Dead: Hail to the King | Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick | Evil Dead: Regeneration |
| Comic books: Army of Darkness: Ashes to Ashes | Army of Darkness: Shop Till You Drop Dead |
| Other topics: Ash Williams | Within the Woods | Bruce Campbell | Robert Tapert |
