Sam Raimi: The Entertainer | EVIL DEAD 2 (1987)

Explicit content warning

11/09/22 • 172 min

After the failure of CRIMEWAVE, Sam Raimi knew he needed a hit. His future as a professional filmmaker was in jeopardy. So, at the advice of his mentor and publicist Irvin Sharpiro, he went back to the well to create a sequel to his breakthrough film, THE EVIL DEAD.

But Sam Raimi being Sam Raimi, he wasn't content do just create a cash grab sequel. Instead, he used the bigger canvas — and bigger budget, thanks to producer Dino De Laurentiis — to create a film that was closer to his sensibilities than the first one. EVIL DEAD 2 is the distillation of all of Raimi's influences, equal parts Three Stooges and Hershel Gordon Lewis, and it remains one of his most popular films.

In this episode, we'll track the creation of the film from its earliest concept as a time travel picture, all the way through its eventual release and ongoing legacy.

GoFundMe for Alyssa Fowler: https://gofund.me/60e5d127

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

Episode archives & more: www.cinemashock.net

In this episode, we'll track the creation of the film from its earliest concept as a time travel picture, all the way through its eventual release and ongoing legacy.

GoFundMe for Alyssa Fowler: https://gofund.me/60e5d127

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

Episode archives & more: www.cinemashock.net

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Sam Raimi: The Entertainer | DARKMAN (1990)

After paying his dues in the indie world, it was time for Sam Raimi to make a honest-to-god major studio film. His opportunity to do so came in the late 1980s, on the heels of the massive success of Tim Burton's BATMAN, which set off a wave of imitators.

And Sam Raimi wanted in the superhero game. He had, in fact, been trying to get a superhero movie off the ground for years, but the success of BATMAN was the impediment he needed to make that happen. When he was unable to get the rights to an existing hero, he made one of his own: DARKMAN.

Unfortunately, his first project with a major studio — in this case, Universal — was fraught with interference, but the resulting film is still one of his most beloved. In this episode, we'll track DARKMAN from its earliest days, through its production, release, and legacy, and how all of that effected the direction of Raimi's career.

Watch the unaired DARKMAN TV pilot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgiScRY0FRA

GoFundMe for Alyssa Fowler: https://gofund.me/60e5d127

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.