Sam Raimi was just a kid from Michigan with a Super 8 camera and a dream that involved a lot of fake blood. When people talk about the book of the dead movie, they are almost always talking about The Evil Dead. Or maybe the 1987 sequel. Or the 1992 medieval Three Stooges riff Army of Darkness. Or the 2013 gore-fest. Or the skyscraper nightmare of Evil Dead Rise. It’s a messy, blood-soaked legacy. Honestly, it’s a miracle it ever got made.
Back in 1981, horror was different. It was the era of the slasher. But Raimi, along with Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert, wanted something more visceral. They wanted a "splatter" movie. They found a cabin in Tennessee that was literally rotting. It had no plumbing. It barely had electricity. The crew was miserable. Bruce Campbell, playing Ash Williams, was frequently covered in a mixture of Karo syrup and food coloring that attracted every bug in the woods.
What Is the Book of the Dead, Anyway?
In the context of the films, the book is the Naturom Demonto. Or the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. Roughly translated? The Book of the Dead. It’s bound in human skin and inked in human blood. That’s the lore. In reality, the original prop was made of latex and cardboard. But onscreen, it felt ancient. It felt cursed.
The plot of the book of the dead movie is deceptively simple: five friends go to a cabin, find a book, play a tape recorder of an archaeologist reading Sumerian incantations, and accidentally invite demons to possess their bodies. It’s a "Deadite" party. One by one, they turn. The transformation isn't just a costume change; it’s a total psychological breakdown.
The original 1981 film was actually banned in several countries. It was labeled a "video nasty" in the UK. Why? Because it was relentless. It didn't have the polish of a Hollywood production, which made it feel like you were watching something you shouldn't be seeing. It felt dangerous. That grit is what makes the original stand out even forty-odd years later.
Why The Evil Dead 2 Changed Everything
If the first movie was a nightmare, the second one was a fever dream. Released in 1987, Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn isn't exactly a sequel and isn't exactly a remake. It’s a "requel" before that was a term. Raimi had a bigger budget and a bigger sense of humor.
This is where Ash Williams becomes an icon.
In the first film, Ash is a bit of a coward. He’s the "final girl" but a guy. In the second the book of the dead movie, he loses his mind. He fights his own possessed hand. He cuts it off with a chainsaw. He then attaches that chainsaw to his stump. It’s ridiculous. It’s brilliant.
The tone shift was intentional. Raimi realized that extreme horror and extreme comedy live in the same house. Both rely on timing. Both rely on a physical reaction from the audience. When a deer head on the wall starts laughing at Ash, and Ash starts laughing back, you realize you aren't watching a standard slasher. You’re watching a Three Stooges short directed by someone who loves H.P. Lovecraft.
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The Evolution of the Necronomicon
The book itself changes through the franchise.
- In the 1981 original, it's the Naturom Demonto. It looks relatively thin.
- By Army of Darkness, it has a face. It bites.
- In the 2013 remake, it’s wrapped in plastic and barbed wire, signaling a return to "serious" horror.
- In Evil Dead Rise, we find out there are actually three volumes of the book.
This "Three Volumes" retcon was a smart move by the producers. It explains why the books look different in every movie. It allows for different "Book of the Dead" stories to happen simultaneously in different parts of the world. One book in a cabin. One book in a vault in a Los Angeles apartment building. It keeps the franchise alive without needing to reboot the timeline every ten years.
The 2013 Remake: No Jokes, Just Blood
For a long time, fans thought the franchise ended with Army of Darkness. Then came Fede Álvarez in 2013. He decided to take the book of the dead movie back to its grim, hopeless roots.
There is no "Groovy" in the 2013 film. There is just a girl named Mia (Jane Levy) trying to get clean from heroin in a cabin, only to realize that withdrawal is the least of her problems. The choice to use addiction as a metaphor for possession was a stroke of genius. It gave the gore weight. And man, there was a lot of gore.
They used 70,000 gallons of fake blood for the final scene alone.
Critics were split at first. Some missed Bruce Campbell’s chin and his quips. But over time, the 2013 version has earned its place as one of the best horror remakes ever made. It proved that the Necronomicon was a scary enough concept to work without the slapstick. It focused on the "Book of the Dead" as a literal infectious disease.
Evil Dead Rise and the Modern Era
Fast forward to 2023. Evil Dead Rise moves the action to a crumbling art deco apartment building. Lee Cronin, the director, swapped the woods for an elevator. The "Book of the Dead" is found by a kid looking for vinyl records.
It’s brutal. It features a cheese grater in a way that will make you never want to cook pasta again.
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What’s interesting about Rise is how it treats the lore. It confirms that the demons (Deadites) are parasitic. They want to destroy the family unit. By moving the setting to a city, it showed that the the book of the dead movie formula isn't trapped in a cabin. It can happen anywhere. If there's a book and someone is dumb enough to read it, the Deadites will come.
The Practical Effects Obsession
One reason these movies rank so high in the hearts of horror fans is the commitment to practical effects. In an era where everything is CGI, the Evil Dead franchise mostly sticks to the old ways.
- Silicone masks.
- Gallons of corn syrup.
- Stop-motion animation.
- Squibs and wires.
When you see someone getting hit with a bucket of blood in an Evil Dead film, they actually got hit with a bucket of blood. You can see it in the actors' eyes. There is a level of discomfort that translates to the screen. It makes the horror feel tactile. It makes the book feel like a physical object with weight and history, rather than a digital asset rendered in post-production.
Honestly, the "shaky cam" POV of the unseen force—often called the "Classic" or the "Raimi Cam"—is the most effective low-budget trick in cinema history. It’s just a camera on a piece of wood being carried by two guys running through the woods. It’s simple. It’s terrifying. It puts you in the eyes of the evil.
Is There a Real Book of the Dead?
People often ask if the Necronomicon is real. Short answer: No.
Longer answer: Sorta. H.P. Lovecraft invented the Necronomicon for his Cthulhu Mythos. He was so good at referencing it in his stories that people started believing it was a real grimoire. Sam Raimi borrowed the name as a tribute to Lovecraft.
There is a real Egyptian Book of the Dead, but it’s actually a collection of spells intended to help the dead navigate the afterlife. It’s not about summoning demons to possess your friends. It’s more like a travel guide for the soul. If you read the Egyptian version out loud, you won't grow a chainsaw hand. You’ll just be very well-prepared for the underworld.
How to Watch the Franchise Properly
If you're new to the world of the book of the dead movie, the order matters less than the vibe. But if you want the full experience, don't just watch the movies.
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- The Evil Dead (1981): Pure horror. Very dark. No jokes.
- Evil Dead II (1987): The masterpiece. This is the one most people think of.
- Army of Darkness (1992): Fantasy/Action. Ash goes to the Middle Ages.
- Ash vs Evil Dead (2015-2018): This is a TV series, and it is mandatory viewing. It brings Bruce Campbell back and expands the lore significantly.
- Evil Dead (2013): The "serious" reboot.
- Evil Dead Rise (2023): The urban nightmare.
The beauty of this series is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. Even when it's being "serious," there’s an underlying sense of "can you believe we’re doing this?"
The Cultural Impact
The the book of the dead movie isn't just a movie anymore. It’s a sub-genre. It influenced The Cabin in the Woods. It influenced Shaun of the Dead. It influenced every filmmaker who ever realized they could make a movie in their backyard with a few friends and a lot of red corn syrup.
It’s about the "Ultimate Survivor." Ash Williams isn't a superhero. He’s a guy who worked at S-Mart in the housewares department. He’s tired. He’s grumpy. He’s not particularly smart. But he refuses to die. In a world of invincible killers like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, Ash was the first guy who fought back with the same level of ferocity as the monsters.
Key Takeaways for the Horror Obsessed
If you are looking to dive deeper into this world, there are a few things you should know. The "Book of the Dead" isn't just a prop; it's the catalyst for a specific type of storytelling that blends body horror with existential dread.
Check the Credits
Pay attention to the names. You’ll see the same group of friends—Raimi, Campbell, Tapert—sticking together for decades. This franchise is a testament to independent filmmaking and loyalty.
Look for the "Classic"
Sam Raimi’s 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 appears in almost every one of these movies. In the first one, it’s the car they drive to the cabin. In Army of Darkness, it’s converted into a death machine with spinning blades. Finding the car is the Evil Dead version of finding a hidden Mickey.
Understand the Deadite Rules
Deadites aren't zombies. They don't just want to eat your brains. They want to torture you mentally. They use your memories against you. They mimic your loved ones. That’s what makes the "Book of the Dead" so much scarier than a virus. It’s sentient evil.
Next Steps for Fans
- Watch the "Within the Woods" Short: This was the "proof of concept" film Raimi made to raise money for the original movie. It’s grainy, it’s raw, and you can find it on various fan sites and YouTube.
- Read "The Evil Dead Companion" by Bill Warren: If you want the actual behind-the-scenes stories of the disasters on set, this is the gold standard.
- Explore the Video Games: There are several Evil Dead games, including the recent asymmetrical multiplayer game. They let you play as different versions of Ash and use the book to summon units.
The the book of the dead movie legacy is far from over. With new directors being hand-picked by Raimi and Campbell to take on the "Volumes" of the Necronomicon, we are likely to see many more cabins, many more chainsaws, and definitely much more blood. Keep your ears open for the sound of a tape recorder, and if you find a book bound in skin, maybe just leave it on the shelf.