Countdown to Halloween: “Evil Dead II” and “Good Boy”

For this review, I checked out the 1987 “Evil Dead” sequel, “Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn” (which is also showing during the Dietrich Theater Spooky Fest) and the recent horror indie “Good Boy.”

In “Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn,” the second of three movies in the original trilogy is part humor, part comedy, with Ash Williams once again battling horrifying demons at a secluded cabin in the woods.

After discovering an audiotape left by a college professor that contains voices reading from the Book of the Dead, Ash’s girlfriend Linda becomes possessed by evil spirits that are awakened by the voices of the tape. Ash soon discovers there is no escaping the woods.

While “The Evil Dead” (1981) is one of the most controversial horror films ever released, the film’s 1987 follow up is slightly different from the original by being less of a gritty horror and more of a horror-comedy. The follow up retells the original with a condensed look of the first film featuring only Ash and Linda (due to Sam Raimi not having the rights to the first film) before continuing the story as a direct sequel. So, “Evil Dead II” is sort of like a direct sequel/re-telling of the first film in a way which confused audiences when the film was initially released.

This 1987 follow up has a unique mix of intense horror and slapstick comedy. The scattered humor that we get throughout this film is an obvious departure from the 1981 original yet the campy tone of “Evil Dead II” actually works.

Bruce Campbell definitely gave it his all with the humor and made many of those scenes really memorable, including a standout scene where Ash begins to have a breakdown and can’t stop laughing while fighting the Deadites. There’s also a scene where Ash gets into a fight with his dismembered, possessed hand that is really entertaining.

“Evil Dead II” is widely regarded as a cult classic and a horror-comedy masterpiece, earning a positive and enduring legacy despite an initial mixed reception. The balance it strikes between horrifying moments and absurd slapstick is viewed as a creative success that remains “groovy” and endlessly rewatchable by fans of the series.

MPA: Rated R   (85 minutes) (available on HBO Max)

In the recent indie horror film “Good Boy,” a man moves into a new home that has

supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities start to threaten him, his brave dog comes to the rescue.

This indie horror film is one of those films that never was on my radar. But, once I heard about this film online and eventually saw the trailer, I decided to give it a shot. And let’s just say  I was very surprised.

The film’s concept is truly innovative as the story is told from the dog’s perspective, which adds a unique and compelling layer to both the horror and drama aspects. And, for a horror film, “Good Boy” will also have you emotionally invested as we see the loyal dog doing everything possible to protect his owner.

The filmmakers also created a palpable sense of dread by using low angle shots, really effective sound design and slight subtle visuals from the dog’s POV made the invisible threats feel genuinely creepy. This is definitely one of those indie horror films that you must check out - whether on the big screen wherever possible or on streaming/PVOD.

Audience buzz around the film helped expand its theatrical release. IFC FIlms initially planned a smaller rollout but increased the theater count due to the viral success of the trailer and strong early reactions.

MPA: Rated PG-13 for terror, bloody images and strong language  (runtime 72 minutes)

• Stephen King was such a huge fan of The Evil Dead (1981) that he convinced producer Dino De Laurentiis over dinner (who was producing King's Maximum Overdrive (1986) at the time) to have his production company DEG (De Laurentiis Entertainment Group) finance Evil Dead II.

• Although the cabin is supposed to be the same as the one from The Evil Dead (1981), that movie was shot in Morristown, Tennessee; the sequel was filmed nearly 270 miles to the east, in Wadesboro, North Carolina. Most of the film was shot on a set built inside the gymnasium of Wadesboro's J.R. Faison Junior High School. Financier Dino De Laurentiis had originally offered his studio in Wilmington, but director Sam Raimi chose Wadesboro, a 3-hour drive away, fearing that being so close to De Laurentiis' office would lead to studio interference.

• Rosebud - the supposed film production company - was not a real institution. Producer Dino De Laurentiis was forbidden to release an unrated movie through his own company so Rosebud was created specially for the purposes of releasing "Evil Dead II."

• Bruce Campbell's favorite film of the trilogy.

• Bruce Campbell completely improvised the scene where he fights his possessed hand in the kitchen of the cabin. Sam Raimi praised his performance and used the first take for the film.

• The recap of The Evil Dead (1981) includes the same shot where the "evil force" runs through the forest and cabin, and then rams into Ash. Bruce Campbell claimed to have suffered a broken jaw when filming the scene, when Sam Raimi (who was operating the camera that was mounted onto a bicycle or motorcycle) crashed into him - or so people were led to believe. First of all, this story supposedly happened during the making of the first movie, not the sequel; secondly, the story was concocted by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell as a gag to see how many people would believe it actually happened. In reality, it was Raimi running through the forest and cabin with the camera mounted on his head while crew members pulled the doors open with ropes; the similar scene in Evil Dead II was most likely filmed the same way.

• The producers insisted upon using different colors of blood to avoid an X rating. This proved futile, as the MPAA gave the film an X anyway. The film was ultimately released unrated.

• Ranked #19 in Entertainment Weekly's "Top 50 Cult Films of All-Time."

• The failure of Crimewave (1985), Sam Raimi's follow-up to The Evil Dead (1981) prompted him to return to this film, even though the ending of that movie (the unseen "evil" attacking Ash) was originally meant as closure, not a cliffhanger.

• Due to the many narrative and visual inconsistencies with The Evil Dead (1981), the film has (somewhat understandably) been mistaken for a remake for a long time. It is meant to be a sequel though, as spelled out precisely in the end credits: "Evil Dead II, the sequel to the ultimate experience in grueling terror, was filmed in Wadesboro, North Carolina and Detroit, U.S.A."

• Indy is actually director Ben Leonberg's dog.

• According to director Ben Leonberg, shooting took 400 days over 3 years because, well, it's a dog actor.

• Every scene in this film features Indy or is in Indy's PoV, which made this film both unique and challenging.

• After the release of the first trailer, online searches for "Does the dog die in Good Boy (2025)?" spiked.

• Described by some critics as "one of the most heartbreaking horror films of 2025."

• No living human faces are shown unobstructed or in focus until the final minutes of the film. The grandfather and actors in old movies are seen on the TV throughout the film.