Whether you’ve seen all the movies, some of the movies, or none of the movies, the notoriety that The Evil Dead franchise has held over the last 40 years as having some of the bloodiest, goriest and skin-crawling brutal kills in horror is undeniable. As the violence has evolved from film to film with the progression of filmmaking and special effects, The Evil Dead and it’s 4 sequels (most recently the bombastically fun Evil Dead Rise, in which you can read our review here) has shocked audiences into watching the gruesome nature of the horror through the cracks of their fingers, leaving a bone-chilling and lasting picture of the gore burnt into brains all over the world.
So, rather than therapeutically thinking of literally anything else to forget about the haunting effect that these scenes of brutality have had on us all, we thought it would be fun to list our take on the bloodiest, goriest and most purely hard-to-watch moments in the entire Evil Dead series!
5) “Bloody well!” in Army of Darkness
While some may think this isn’t ‘that bad’ of a moment, comparatively to the rest of Army of Darkness’ more tame violence, seeing a knight get pushed into a well with a deadite at the bottom, only for a firehouse-like spray of bright red blood shoot from the depths below, was a welcomed shock.
The sheer amount of blood that is physically and biologically impossible for one human to carry, absolutely gushing from this well, felt like a necessary inclusion (and perhaps a blood related contractual obligation for an Evil Dead film) for the horror fans and bloodhounds to get their fix!
4) Head on a shovel in The Evil Dead
It was heartbreaking to see a young Ash (played by a very young Bruce Campbell back in the early 80s) have to bury his now possessed sweetheart, Linda. Only for that heartbreak to retract once she burst out of her new dirt covered home to attack Ash once more.
As Ash swings a plank of wood defensively, the demonically inclined Linda manages to advance onto Ash with a gymnast leap over the camera, only to be met be a desperate Ash’s swinging shovel which takes Linda’s head clean off!
Linda’s head, of course still alive, rolls away as the headless body limply falls on to Ash and the neck cavity squirting an oozy, thickened dark blood all over his face as the reanimated head of Linda laughs on from a distance.
3) Box cutters, tongues and perfect snogging in Evil Dead
It’s universally known that Fede Alverez’s 2013 remake, Evil Dead, was regarded as the most frightening and brutal movie of that year, and arguably still holds that title over 10 years later (with Evil Dead Rise giving it a good run for its money)! So, trying to nail down the scene from this absolute gore-fest was a challenge that had us cringing the most wasn’t easy.
Nothing is grosser than watching people sloppily make out. But, if you add demonic possession, in a dank basement and Abomination Mia slicing her tongue in half with a box cutter before launching said split tongue into someone else’s mouth to possess them – then I think a bit of PDA is excusable comparatively.
2) A little grated calf on your meal? in Evil Dead Rise
When the official hashtag for Evil Dead Rise on Twitter ended with an emoji of a cheese grater, fans and followers went nuts thinking about how the hell that was going to be so wickedly incorporated into the movie. Then it became a strong element of the marketing campaign to the point where (our review included) warned people of ‘the cheese grater scene’. And oh boy, didn’t this movie just deliver on that promise!
Confined in an apartment with their demonically possessed mother and sister, Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), everyday household items are turned into defensive weapons in order to survive this hellish nightmare. However, when Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) becomes possessed herself, an encounter in the kitchen forces Beth (Lily Sullivan) to attempt an escape.
This escape involves throwing a cheese grater at Bridget in the hopes that it will inflict some blunt force trauma. But, those quick demon reflexes get the better of Beth, as Bridget catches the cheese grater, grabs Beth’s leg as she crawls away, and slices down Beth’s calf like it’s a meaty piece of parmesan.
If you were brave enough to watch this scene, it is now scientific fact that you have an iron stomach and can handle any intense or grotesque situations. But, if you’re like the 99% of people who watched this moment biting their lips, curling their toes and covering their eyes, at least you know you’re not alone in suffering through the visual ordeal of that brutal piece of violence!
1)Blood rain, chainsaws and demons! Oh, my! in Evil Dead
The sheer amount of bloodshed in the final 15 minutes of 2013s Evil Dead is truly astonishing and shocking. Not only do we bear witness to a machete slicing through knee caps and hands being involuntarily ripped off and out from underneath flipped cars, but the insanity is literally drenched in a downpour of blood rain, creating an iconic visual style and scene for the entire franchise.
However, it’s the climatic feeling of catharsis and cringing when Mia finally gets to end all the demonic mayhem when she is face to face with the Abomination version of herself, wielding the iconic chainsaw. As the blood falls and the chainsaw smokes, the Abomination declares that it will feast on Mia’s soul. But not before Mia rams the weapon straight into the face of the Abomination, in one of the most beautiful shot moments in the entire series, and the most satisfying line from Mia: “Feast on this, motherfucker”!
It feels like that chainsaw is ripping apart the Abominations face for an eternity, and rightfully so based on all the chaos and despair it’s caused over the last 90 minutes! Whereas the majority of the blood and gore is intended to make you feel queasy throughout this franchise, it’s oddly satisfying that the bloodiest moment of them all is also the most satisfying!
What do you think of our list? And what are some of your own takes on the bloodiest moments in The Evil Dead franchise? Let us know below, or on our Twitter here.
