Evil Dead

I am one of those people that consider the film, The Evil Dead to be amongst the upper 10% of the best films ever made. I also believe its sequel, Evil Dead 2, to be amongst the top 5 best films ever made. I think it was these films that made me realise that Horror films were my friend and not something that made the 70’s version of me check behind the bathroom door every time I went in there.
Evil Deads impact on music is marginal to say the least, but it has had an impact of sorts.

The original films roots sprang from the Super 8 amateur production that was Within The Woods, a 30 minute film that has never had a commercial release due to the fact that Sam Raimi, Campbell et als disregard to copyright in relation to the music they used. Time was short, so any old music was put on the thing. It may have been fine in the 70’s as effectively a commercial to raise cash for the bigger picture, but in these days of DVD extras, it is the most glaring omission of all Evil Dead DVD’s.

Bruce Campbell, the trilogy’s star in Ash was not a crooner, the boy has the chin but not the pipes, and his musical contribution is in purely tribute form. MC Lars, comedy rap punk pours that tribute out in “Do The Bruce Campbell”.

“Get on the floor and do the Bruce Campbell
Get on the mic wax a chump like a candle
Four MC's we're more than you can handle
Protect your neck and do the Bruce Campbell”

It isn’t it has to be said the greatest song in the world, and it isn’t particularly about Bruce Campbell or specifically Evil Dead, its more a song about the horror genre. It’s a bit shit.



Do The Bruce Campbell by MC Lars.

Musically that’s not where Evil Dead connections end, In 2004 a production opened in Canada called Evil Dead: the Musical. George Reinblatt based his story and lyrics on the original film and it is quite an oddity, obviously a comedy, but perhaps as odd as Spiderman: The Musical. I will come to that connection shortly. But with regards, Evil Dead: The Musical, it seems that Raimi and Campbell will just about endorse anything.



What The Fuck Was That from Evil Dead: The Musical

Evil Dead’s director, wunderkind Sam Raimi, has had a long and mostly auspicious career, as well as a long relationship and friendship with Bruce Campbell, responsible for Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness, and also The Spiderman franchise and Drag Me To Hell. I like Sam Raimi. Sam Raimi though is responsible for the most cringeworthy moment in film, musically speaking or otherwise though and that is the dance scene in Spiderman 3, where Peter Parker dances in a nightclub, Sam Raimi, Director of Evil Dead, what the hell were you thinking.



Spiderman 3, really? Really!

I am unsure as to how much of a hand Raimi has had in Spiderman: The Musical, currently in production with music provided by Bono and The Edge. Lord help us, lets hope none.

Finally we come to the third film in the trilogy, Army of Darkness, Medieval Dead if you will. Cohort of Tim Burton, Danny Elfman initially started soundtracking this film, but it seems that common sense prevailed and regular Raimi collaborator, Joseph LoDuca was thankfully pulled in to score the film. Thank Christ for that, I couldn't think of anything more tedious than Danny Elfmans musical theatre nonsense. You can hear LoDucas work on the current US show Leverage, that and the He Man movie. But what maybe the more surprising id that Loduca occasionally performs live with his wife, Lucy Lawless, or Xena as she is more widely known.



Hallelujah by Joseph LoDuca and Lucy Lawless


It should be noted that Army of Darkness also features Bridget Fonda, who is married to former Oingo Boingo man, Danny fucking Elfman.