Shocktober - Evil Dead II (1987)

Welcome to another episode of Death Don’t Do Fiction, the AIPT Movies podcast! The podcast about the enduring legacy of our favorite movies! It’s October, so that means it’s time for our “Shocktober” series, where we cover movies that go bump in the night! In this week’s episode, Alex, Tim, and first time guest Max Berry discuss the 1987 classic that quickly became essential Spooky Season viewing for horror fans everywhere, Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead II! A chainsaw! An evil hand! A human doorstop! Conveniently identifiable remains! A blood geyser! Disturbingly bruised legs! An ADR (Additional Dialogue Recording) Hall of Fame moment! Life-threatening curiosity! Life-saving sentimentality! Creepy, fun and unique mythology! An incredibly sudden sunset! Nature at its most demonic, including evil puppet trees! A surprisingly roomy cabin with a very damp cellar! Surrealistic, slapstick comedy! Amazing low budget camera work and shot transitions! A fast pace and a fantastic ending! Iconic one-liners! Timeless practical effects including rear projection, stop motion, miniatures, and a giant puppet! Ash Williams evolving into a full-blown action hero! A gateway horror for kids of the 80s and 90s that somehow perfectly balances zany comedy with unsettling darkness, all while a tortured Bruce Campbell gives one of the greatest performances in horror history! In addition, the gang shares their spoiler-free thoughts on Lake Mungo, Ghostwatch, 2021’s Lamb, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil, Robert Pattinson’s Primetime, and the notorious Digger, while Alex gives a quick rundown of his favorites from this year’s Fantastic Fest, including Beware Boiuna, the quicksand horror flick The Swallow, the upcoming Jane Levy slasher River, the Shudder exclusive The Cycle, Adam Egypt Mortimer’s Pathetic Fallacy, Joko Anwar’s Ghost in the Cell, and the Indian action-horror film Half! You can find Death Don’t Do Fiction on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. As always, if you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave us a positive rating, subscribe to the show, and tell your friends! The Death Don’t Do Fiction podcast brings you the latest in movie news, reviews, and more! Hosted by supposed “industry vets,” Alex Harris and Tim Gardiner, the show gives you a peek behind the scenes from two filmmakers with oddly nonexistent filmographies. You can find Alex on Twitter, Bluesky, or Letterboxd @actionharris. Tim and this episode’s guest, Max Berry, can’t be found on social media because they don’t exist. If you have any questions or suggestions for the Death Don’t Do Fiction crew, they can be reached at [email protected], or you can find them on Twitter or Instagram @aiptmoviespod. Theme song is “We Got it Goin On” by Cobra Man.