Movie franchises are always changing. Reboots, remakes, soft reboots... hard reboots? Well, you name it. But there's one franchise in particular that has changed significantly throughout the years, and that franchise is Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead. From a dark indie horror to the most ridiculous and comedic cult sensation of all time, Raimi's masterful telling of a charismatic man with a chainsaw for a hand battling an assortment of demons interests me for that reason... how it has changed so much and why. In the past week I've binged all of the original movies, the 2013 reboot and the amazing Ash vs Evil Dead TV series. So, where to begin?

The original The Evil Dead movie from 1981 was an indie hit back in the day, with first time filmmaker Raimi (who went onto direct the Spider-Man trilogy) and his buddy Bruce Campbell coming together to create a dark and very bloody horror film that was like nothing that anybody had ever seen. Having gotten financing after the success of his short film Within the Woods, Raimi made something quite special, which gained popularity from author Stephen King giving a glowing review of the film. And a horror it was, with some grotesque violence, daunting cinematography and a great performance from Campbell as the franchise's main protagonist Ash, this film shaped what the franchise has become today. Well, until the film was made redundant.

The second movie, Evil Dead II, ended up becoming a reboot of sorts, as Raimi and Campbell lost the rights to the first film, their own movie, because Hollywood. Yeah, shame, yet maybe it was a good thing. The second movie is just... insane. A crazy B-movie comedy than a horror film, Campbell returned to the cabin as Ash, taking on the Book of the Dead and the Deadites once again, plunging into insanity further with ridiculous writing and plenty of laughs. It's as if Raimi and Campbell realised how ridiculous the idea of the films were and how generic the horror genre was, so, they didn't spare the horses. The camp, obscene nature of the sequel is so ridiculous, you'll feel like you're watching a completely different movie to the first, but you're not. It's just amplified to a thousand.

Then of course, at the end of that film, Ash is sent back in time to England, 1300 AD. Why not? Probably my favourite of the franchise, Army of Darkness is as silly as the last film. Terrible puns and crazy surreal shit galore, you'll have plenty of fun seeing Ash pour searing hot water down his throat to get rid of a tiny version of him that is living inside his body. Does that make sense? Probably not. Watch it, and you'll get what I'm saying. Also, the final scene is utterly amazing.

Then comes the 2013 remake Evil Dead, which was a reboot that... might be set in the same universe? Either way, Raimi and Campbell produced it, with director Fede Alarez taking over from Raimi and doing something different - taking the franchise back to it's roots and turning it into a very dark and disturbing horror movie. Plenty of blood and gore for sure. For me though, I wasn't a big fan. It did dare to do something a little different but... without Ash and the campiness I wasn't sold. 

And then, Ash's story continued. Starz picked up the show Ash vs Evil Dead, which takes place thirty years after Ash is returned to present day after Army of Darkness. Now this is The Evil Dead. This is the kind of show that encapsulates everything the franchise became. The humour is back, with a riveting performance from Campbell throughout who is having the time of his life, and Raimi producing. Unfortunately, the show has been cancelled after it's third season. But it's definitely worth watching. Even linking and bringing the original film back into canon somewhat, Ash teams up with some new friends and battles the Deadites once again, for the last time. Well, for now.

It's crazy to think the vision of a couple of nobodies became the cult sensation it is today. The reason this franchise interests me so much is just who it has changed over time. A horror to a comedy, that never stops to take itself seriously or try to make sense. It's utterly perfect and so interesting to watch. If you need a new thing to get into and binge, please give your undivided attention to a this crazy world. It's everything a horror/comedy should be, and it's a franchise that will never die. In the good way!