Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
93%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: 5 nominations
Evil Dead 2’s increased special effects and slapstick-gore makes it as good — if not better — than the original.
Evil Dead 2 is the perfect movie for those who love a good scare, but also want to laugh until they cry. With its over-the-top gore and Bruce Campbell’s iconic performance, it’s no wonder this film has become a cult classic. And let’s not forget about Sam Raimi’s inventive directing, which keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Sure, the acting may not be Oscar-worthy, but who needs that when you have chainsaws and decapitated heads flying around? If you’re in the mood for a horror-comedy that’s equal parts terrifying and hilarious, Evil Dead 2 is the way to go.
Production Company(ies)
Shinchosha Company, Studio Ghibli,
Distributor
Anchor Bay Entertainment, Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
De Laurentiis Studios, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1987
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Mono
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 25m
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Language(s):English, Latin
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 13, 1987 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 29, 2000
Genre(s)
Horror/Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Denise Bixler, Kassie Wesley DePaiva, Ted Raimi, directed by Sam Raimi, written by Sam Raimi, produced by Rob Tapert, horror, comedy, R rating, Evil Dead series, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Andrea Thompson, Kevin Thomas, Dave Kehr, Joshua Klein, Nick Schager, James Berardinelli, Calum Baker, Toussaint Egan, Travis Johnson, Mike Massie, Richard Freedman, Rob Aldam, audience score 89%, special effects, slapstick-gore, audiotape, Book of the Dead, possessed girlfriend, evil spirits, secluded cabin, woods, cult classic, Bruce Campbell as Ashley “Ash” J Williams, Sarah Berry as Annie Knowby, Dan Hicks as Jake, Denise Bixler as Linda, Kassie Wesley DePaiva as Bobbie Joe, Ted Raimi as Possessed Henrietta
Worldwide gross: $5,924,421
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $15,813,671
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,801
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,724,501
US/Canada gross: $5,923,044
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $15,809,996
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,482
US/Canada opening weekend: $807,260
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $2,154,767
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,197
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $3,600,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $9,609,246
Production budget ranking: 1,692
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $5,174,579
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,029,847
ROI to date (est.): 7%
ROI ranking: 1,364
Sarah Berry – Annie Knowby
Dan Hicks – Jake
Denise Bixler – Linda
Kassie Wesley DePaiva – Bobbie Joe
Ted Raimi – Possessed Henrietta
Director(s)
Sam Raimi
Writer(s)
Sam Raimi
Producer(s)
Rob Tapert
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
5 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (62) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (59) | Rotten (3)
Even with Raimi’s prowess, it’s hard to picture any of the Evil Dead movies succeeding without star Bruce Campbell.
December 29, 2021
Andrea Thompson
Inverse
TOP CRITIC
Just when things start getting too grisly, Raimi rushes in with a hilarious, sendup joke to remind us that all this blood and guts is meant in spooky Grand Guignol fun.
October 1, 2013
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Evil Dead 2 is, pardon the expression, consistently lively — a ghoulish splatter comedy that uses wildly excessive gore to provoke the kind of shock that lies between a laugh and a scream.
October 1, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
Dave Kehr
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Evil Dead 2’s rampant inventiveness and manic energy have ensured that it will endure as a cult classic.
October 1, 2013
Joshua Klein
AV Club
TOP CRITIC
First and foremost, [Raimi’s] gonzo aesthetics are interested in high-wire kicks, of which there are plenty throughout.
March 29, 2010 | Rating: B+
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
Good acting would not have served the material well, since it would have diluted the comedy quotient and made the campy elements seem cheap and cheesy.
September 21, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
A gleeful, scrappy expression of sheer invention.
January 20, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Calum Baker
Radio Times
Inventively retcons and continues from the conclusion of the first and improves upon the original in almost every aspect.
October 20, 2021
Toussaint Egan
Polygon
At its heart, the sequel/semi-remake is really about a guy alone in a house he can’t leave, slowly going mental. That’s something a lot of us can relate to.
July 14, 2021
Travis Johnson
Blunt Magazine
Six years later, the acting is still dreadful.
September 6, 2020 | Rating: 3/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The problem is that with no characters to care about, the decapitated heads, the eyeballs caroming out of someone’s skull to land in someone else’s mouth, the buzzing chainsaws and the incessant screaming don’t really add up to very much.
November 6, 2019 | Rating: 0/4
Richard Freedman
Newhouse News Service
Remains one the most truly joyful horror films ever made
March 4, 2019
Rob Aldam
Backseat Mafia…
Plot
Ashley Williams travels to a secluded cabin in the woods with his girlfriend Linda where they find a tape recording of a professor and a book of evil. This unleashes a bunch of evil spirits that constantly terrorize Ash. Meanwhile a journalist comes to the area to study the book of evil. Ash and her end up having to survive this swarm of evil until morning comes.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There’s no specific tidbit about the cast, but Fresh Kernels does describe Evil Dead 2 as a “ghoulish splatter comedy.”
Sam-Raimi.jpg
