Evil Dead (2?)

Evil Dead (1981) follows the ill-fated adventures of five friends (two couples and a bitchy fifth wheel) on a demon-filled vacation in the woods.  What started out as a mediocre road trip quickly escalates into a terrible mistake when the boys, Scotty and Ash, find the Book of the Dead and some tape recordings in the spooky basement.  As the recordings translate the text, the woods come to life, demons start possessing the campers, and blood, gore, and zombie guts ensue.  Its sequel, Evil Dead II (1987), follows the same basic plot (in some ways ignoring the events in the original).

BR:  Dear Sam Raimi - I love you.  All the ways, all the time.  I could eat you up and projectile vomit your wonderful self all over the place.  Here's why: you strike just the right balance between creepy/gross and hilarious/camp.  The makeup is over the top but still terrifying, and the effects make me laugh without being goofy and taking me out of the moment.  All around smart.

RB:  I know what game we're playing here - how many times can we make this movie and have people love it?  Millions, dude, millions.  Brian can wax poetic about how fucking smart Sam Raimi is (let the record show I 100% agree), but let me get down to business here.  Bruce.  Campbell's.  Unibrow.  Dear Bruce Campbell - why are you so good?  The dirtier and more covered in blood you get, the more I want you, and let's face it, that's how it should be.  Who cares if whatever genius was doing makeup for this movie (note to self: look up, make bff's with) is just using gross shit to contour your face, what diva doesn't need a little help?  And don't worry, I totally know that your secret to staying alive is hidden in the magic of your unibrow, but I won't tell if you won't.

BR:  Dirt contouring - it's totally a thing.  And it fuckin' works.  Now, because I get a feeling not everyone will feel quite as enamored by these movies as we are, I would suggest leaving some room in between watching the first and its sequel.  Because they're the same movie.  Don't underestimate me - they're exactly the same.  Except the second has the "dead by dawn" bitch, and the orig has the hysterical-laughing psycho-biddy.  And the Book of the Dead looks better in the sequel.

RB:  Although I think the hysterics are way better in the second installation.  It might be the best scene in the whole trilogy.  That deer is so terrifying.  At any rate, while I think it's important that the viewer be very ready to not take a single thing seriously to watch Evil Dead, one thing that did bug me is: What would possibly cause Ash to do this more than once??  Just don't think about it.  Another thing I want to point out is that Ash's friends are far more hilarious in the original.  I don't think I'll ever get enough of Scott telling Shelly that he'll break her face.  Priceless.  I love the 70s. And finally WTF is that fucking necklace?  Nothing says I love you like a monocle?  What are we doing here?

BR:  And how many times do we have to get tricked to learn not to trust the dead ex?  All I'm sayin' is, if you just kill 'em when they first get hurt, you don't have to worry about shit.  But then we wouldn't have nearly as much fun, would we?  So, Sam Raimi, you're a genius for knowing us so well, and your characters are just dumb enough to love.  One million points.