Editing Evil Dead II (section)

{{Short description|1987 film by Sam Raimi}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Evil Dead II
| image = Evil Dead II poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Sam Raimi]]
| producer = [[Robert Tapert]]
| writer = {{Plainlist|
* Sam Raimi
* [[Scott Spiegel]]
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Bruce Campbell]]
* Sarah Berry
* [[Dan Hicks (actor)|Dan Hicks]]
* [[Kassie DePaiva|Kassie Wesley]]
* Richard Domeier
}}<!-- per poster billing block -->
| music = [[Joseph LoDuca]]
| cinematography = [[Peter Deming]]
| editing = Kaye Davis
| production_companies = Renaissance Pictures<ref name="AFI">{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/57615|publisher=[[American Film Institute|AFI]]|title=Evil Dead II (1987)|access-date=28 January 2020|archive-date=January 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128024846/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/57615|url-status=live}}</ref>
| distributor = [[De Laurentiis Entertainment Group|Rosebud Releasing Corporation]]<ref name="AFI"/>
| released = {{Film date|1987|03|13|United States}}
| runtime = 84 minutes<!--Submitted runtime: 84:25--><ref>{{cite web|title=''EVIL DEAD II'' (18) (!)|url=https://glasgowfilm.org/shows/evil-dead-ii-18 |work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=1987-05-22|access-date=2013-03-28}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $3.5 million<ref name="Evil Dead 2">{{cite web |title=The Numbers Evil Dead 2 |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Evil-Dead-2#tab=summary |website=The Numbers |access-date=March 29, 2020}}</ref>
| gross = $5.9 million<ref>{{cite web|title=Evil Dead II (1987)|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=evildead2.htm|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=October 20, 2014|archive-date=July 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714235852/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=evildead2.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Evil-Dead-II#tab=summary | title=Evil Dead II (1987) - Financial Information | access-date=January 6, 2023 | archive-date=January 6, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106194419/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Evil-Dead-II#tab=summary | url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
'''''Evil Dead II''''' (also known in publicity materials as '''''Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn''''')<ref>{{cite book |title=The Evil Dead Companion |last= Warren|first=Bill |year= 2000 |publisher= St. Martin's Griffin|location= New York|page=206}}</ref> is a 1987 American [[comedy horror]] film directed by [[Sam Raimi]], who co-wrote it with [[Scott Spiegel]]. The second installment in the [[Evil Dead|''Evil Dead'' film series]], it is considered both a [[remake]] and [[sequel]] (or "requel")<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neave |first=Grace |date=2022-09-17 |title=Why Did Sam Raimi Make 'Evil Dead' Twice? |url=https://collider.com/why-did-sam-raimi-make-evil-dead-twice/ |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=Collider |language=en-US |archive-date=October 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221030003255/https://collider.com/why-did-sam-raimi-make-evil-dead-twice/ |url-status=live }}</ref> to ''[[The Evil Dead]]'' (1981).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lionsgateshop.com/product.asp?Id=26127&TitleParentId=7168|title=Evil Dead II - DVD Synopsis|publisher=Lionsgate|access-date=October 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219014948/http://www.lionsgateshop.com/product.asp?Id=26127&TitleParentId=7168|archive-date=December 19, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookofthedead.ws/website/evil_dead_2_credits.html|title=Evil Dead II Credits|publisher=Book of the Dead|access-date=November 9, 2012|archive-date=November 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102024556/http://www.bookofthedead.ws/website/evil_dead_2_credits.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Evil Dead Companion |last= Warren|first=Bill |year= 2000 |publisher= St. Martin's Griffin|location=New York City, New York}}</ref> It stars [[Bruce Campbell]] as [[Ash Williams]], who vacations with his girlfriend to a remote cabin in the woods. He discovers an audio tape of recitations from a book of ancient texts, and when the recording is played, it unleashes a number of [[demon]]s which [[Demonic possession|possess]] and torment him.

After the critical and commercial failure of ''[[Crimewave]]'' (1985), Raimi, producer [[Robert Tapert]], and Campbell began work on a sequel to ''The Evil Dead'' at the insistence of their publicist [[Irvin Shapiro]]. Having endorsed the original film, author [[Stephen King]] brought the project to the attention of producer [[Dino De Laurentiis]], with whom he had been making his [[directorial debut]] ''[[Maximum Overdrive]]'' (1986). De Laurentiis agreed to provide financial backing, and assigned the filmmakers a considerably larger budget than they had worked with on the original film. Although Raimi had devised a premise set in the [[Middle Ages]] and involving [[time travel]], De Laurentiis requested that the film be similar to its predecessor.

''Evil Dead II'' was shot in [[Wadesboro, North Carolina]] and [[Detroit, Michigan]] in 1986, and featured extensive [[stop-motion animation]] and [[prosthetic makeup]] effects created by a team of artists that included [[Mark Shostrom]], [[Greg Nicotero]], [[Robert Kurtzman]] and [[Tom Sullivan (special effects artist)|Tom Sullivan]], the latter of whom returned from the original film. The finished film was released in the United States on March 13, 1987; due to its high level of violence, it was released through a pseudonymous distributor to curb an anticipated [[X rating]] from the [[Motion Picture Association of America]]. Much like ''The Evil Dead'', it was widely acclaimed by critics, who praised its humor, Raimi's direction, and Campbell's performance; many have considered it superior to its predecessor and similarly as one of the greatest horror films ever made. Despite being given a somewhat [[limited release]], it was a minor box office success, grossing just under $6 million.

As with the first film, ''Evil Dead II'' has accumulated a large, international [[Cult film|cult following]]. In 1992, it was followed by the direct sequel ''[[Army of Darkness]]'', which utilized Raimi's original premise; in 2013, it was followed by the soft [[Reboot (fiction)|reboot]] and continuation ''[[Evil Dead (2013 film)|Evil Dead]]''; and in 2015, it was followed by the television series ''[[Ash vs Evil Dead]]''. A fifth film in the series, ''[[Evil Dead Rise]]'', was released on April 21, 2023.