The Evil Dead

Time: 1 Hour and 25 Minutes
Box Office: $2 M

Film Analysis

Step 1: Pre-Viewing

1. Title of film: The Evil Dead
2. Director & Producer: Sam Raimi
3. Release Date: October 15, 1981
4. Film Genre: Science Fiction, Horror

Step 2: Viewing

1. Important moments: The group arrives to the cabin in the woods they were planning to stay at. When of the girls is forced to draw the book of the dead is when everything starts to go wrong. Another turning point is when Scott decides to go down in the basement and finds a cane, video cassette tape, and a book that appears to be made of human flesh. The tape recording talks about the Book of the Dead and how it's inked with blood. The book also contains writings about demons and evil spirits and passages in which the reader must recite to possess or release these evil spirits. When the audio reads the passages aloud, the woods come alive and Cheryl is the first to get possessed. 

2. Atmosphere of the Film: The camera angles that are constantly being used throughout the film are close-ups, extreme close-ups, low angle shots, over the shoulder, panoramas, and establishing shots. The lighting is low key which makes it appear dark and scary. The music is very loud and eerie allowing it to be startling at times when something bad happens. The editing is quick and abrupt which makes the film even more scary because something happens so suddenly without warning. 
3. What is the mood or tone of the film? The mood of the film is eerie and suspenseful. 
4. Explain the look of the film: The film looks dark and mysterious. The film also appears as unsettling and scary. 

5. Explain the use of sound/music and/or sound effects in the film: The film uses incredibly loud and eerie music for the terrifying parts. They also make it uncomfortably silent before that bad thing happens so that it sort of just pops out at you. 

6. Physical qualities presented in the film: The physical qualities presented were music, dramatizations, special effects, background noise, and color. 

Step 3: Post-Viewing

1. What is the central message of this motion picture? The central message of the film in my opinion is to stay away from others at all costs during the worst of times because you never know who will turn on you.

2. Consider the effectiveness of this film communicating its message. As a tool of communication, what are its strengths and weaknesses? The film's communication of this message is pretty effective. Its strengths are the fact that the characters are often naive which causes bad things to happen to them. 

3. How do you think the filmmakers wanted the audience to respond? The filmmakers probably wanted the audience to be taken by surprise and feel frightened. 

4. Does this film appeal more to the viewer’s emotion? How does it make you feel? This film creeped me out with all that was happening with the possessions and the incidents in the woods. 

5. Write a question to the filmmaker that is left unanswered by the motion picture: What happened in that territory that caused the cabin to be surrounded by evil spirits?

6. Would you recommend this movie to your friends? (Y/N)? Yes, I would because the film was pretty freaky for an old one. 

7. How would you grade this movie? (E-NC)  I would give this film a P.