A group of pesky kids go to stay in a run down shack in the woods... Yep, folks, Scooby Doo, again but without the dog.

Our heroes stumble upon a recording which reads from The Book Of The Dead, a book 'bound in human flesh and inked in human blood'... Despite cries to stop playing it, our alpha male heroes can't resist, and in so doing they seem to have set off strange things out there in thar woods... ya ha ha haaaaaarrggghh....

"Lots of low flying camera work, an innovation in this movie, and thankfully it doesn't go straight for the goolies every time. Bravisimo!"

"The original 'video nasty' which was banned for a time in the UK after topping the charts in the early 80's. Very violent, but not as scary as I remember, although I kept checking behind me when I watched it."

"The scariest camera in movie history."

"A nicely scary movie, and then it goes hideously over the top. You will not be able to not think of this movie next time you go into the woods... or stay in a crusty old motel in the woods... Boo!"

Black haired alpha male (Ash - Bruce Campbell) survives, but let's face it, his prospects don't look good, although on the plus side all of his friends do seem to have conveniently decomposed.

This movie is a pivotal entry in the history of blood and giblets flinging across the big screen. Its release also coincided with a new technology of its day - the video cassette recorder. For the first time we could be scared witless in the privacy of our own homes, and boy how we jumped.

The movie inspired a whole generation of horror movie makers and it is impossible to watch movies like Friday the Thirteenth or Nightmare on Elm Street without thinking of this movie.

Technically this movie is extremely impressive with innovative camera work and special effects throughout.

The whole enterprise has the feeling of a live action cartoon at times and when the axing of limbs starts your only hope may be to go and make a nice cup of tea.

This is one of the most important slash and slash again then bash with an axe, thump with a hammer, splice with a pickaxe, puncture with a rifle shot, flatten with a fridge falling on top of you, horror movies of its time. This really is a superb example of its type. Filled with extreme cartoon-type violence, and it is truly scary.

The reviewer last saw this movie when it was originally released (uncut) on video in the early 1980's (it topped the charts in the UK for years before being banned) and I was amazed that I genuinely felt a form of dread that I would have to go through this movie again for this review.

All horror movies after this one were never the same again. Don't miss it. The camerawork is technically superb and the whole movie cost around $350,000 which probably wasn't that much back in 1980.

Other movies we have reviewed like this one

Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Blair Witch Project, The Hitcher, American Werewolf in London, Assault on Precinct 13.