With the much anticipated release of Drag Me to Hell mere moments away it only seems fitting that my next Director Spotlight be Sam Raimi.  This film is being hailed as his much awaited return to horror, though many say he really hasn't been there to begin with.  On that point I must disagree.  While it is obvious that his tastes fall mostly in the slapstick category with his entries of Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, his original Evil Dead was one of the scariest films I had seen at the time.  And though his images were comprised of stop-motion animation and leftover breakfast cereal, they were the kind that stick with you after a viewing.  Pair that with the incessant laughter and creepy demon voices and you have one helluva film, low budget or otherwise.  But this is a spotlight on the director, not my favorite film of his so I'm moving on.  

I usually like to highlight three films when I spotlight a director, attempting to show their style as well as their progression and varying themes.  But Raimi is all over the place so this will be as well plus I'm squishing some stuff together.  We've got a lot to cover so let's get started.

Born in Michigan as Samuel Marshall Raimi in October of 1959, his love of film began at an early age when he started making Super 8 movies with Bruce Campbell as a child.  He began making movies in earnest once he got into college.  His first film was a 32 minute horror film, Within the Woods, that he made by teaming up with his brother's roommate, Robert Tapert (of Xena fame, among others).  After three semesters at Michigan State University, he left to make Evil Dead and we all know how that went down.  

Where to begin but the beginning?  I will be discussing the entire Evil Dead trilogy which follows Ash (Bruce Campbell) as he contends with the likes of the ancient Candarian demons.  I will never understand the need to read aloud from a book bound in human skin.  Isn't that just asking for trouble?  I know most fans prefer Evil Dead II (1987), at least my boss man does, and I have discussed at length why I am in the other camp but I'll say it again.  It's all about the horror.  As much as I enjoy the comedy aspects of the second in the series, I cannot help

but love the pure horror that is Evil Dead (1981).  And when Raimi seemingly turned away from it, I was disappointed but only briefly.  Then came Army of Darkness (1993) and it was back on.  Of course it still wasn't straight up horror, but how can I deny the magic of that film's in your face goodness, not to mention the abundance of quotable lines for those of us who are into such?  These flicks also gave us a look into Raimi's style.  He has shown us he has a way with turning a low budget movie into a cult classic masterpiece and even if the box office is unkind, the fans will never forget.  We came to be familiar with the fast moving object shots that make you feel like you are strapped to the end of the offending weapon and along for the ride. He also likes to spin us around in a crazy 360 degree turn offering us every possible vantage point.  And while this technique is not so good for the weak of stomach, it certainly keeps the viewer glued to the screen.   It is also impossible to miss his love of The Three Stooges and that's just fine by me.  It is important to note that these films spawned Evil Dead:  The Musical which I have not had the pleasure of viewing but would very much like to see.

This next batch I will call his Comic Book Age.  Apart from being a fan of the silly, Raimi is also a fan of comics and fantasy.  Everyone is familiar with his versions of Spider-Man and few have complained about them.  I firmly believe it takes a deeper understanding of the genre to be good at making those stories come to life and Raimi's love of comics reaches back quite a length of time.  He attempted to adapt The Shadow for the screen but after being unsuccessful at procuring the rights he gave us his own version of a hero in Darkman (1990) as well as his homage to the Universal horror films of the thirties.  The final product ended up being a mixed blessing for Raimi as on one hand he was backed by Universal with a generous budget but on the other hand it was not the film he and Tapert intended it to be.  I guess that goes to show that though it's easier to create a vision with a hefty  

Throughout the years, Raimi has tested his prowess as a director within just about every genre imaginable.  He is also responsible for the western The Quick and the Dead (1995) and the crime thriller A Simple Plan (1998).  The latter gained Billy Bob Thornton an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor as well as one for Scott B. Smith for adapting his novel into the screenplay.  Raimi also brought us the competently creepy The Gift (2000) before sinking his teeth into tight-wearing superheroes.  

And now we are on the brink of his next venture into horror.  Personally I am so excited I can barely describe the anticipation.  Early reviews have been favorable and I know that fans are clamoring to see it just as much as I

 But that film garnered decent critical acclaim and went on to launch the character into two more films, comic books and even action figures.  Universal Television also footed the bill for a thirty minute pilot that was never aired.  

In 2002, a new, flashy superhero film took the summer by storm.  There was fast action, sexy tights, a huge budget, countless star-power and sexy tights.  I said tights twice?  I like tights.  For some it may have seemed as if Raimi had tossed aside his indie horror roots to make a name for himself in the blockbuster summer movie crowd.  Perhaps he had given up creative freedom in exchange for McDonald's cups and action figures.  But the movie is good.  There is little argument concerning that.  Raimi may have been working with more money and clout, but his talent remained.  He managed to bring one of the most beloved (my personal favorite tied with Batman)comic book characters to vivid life...and looking hot in tights.  And just when you thought the merchandising was peter-parkering out, he hit us again with Spider-Man 2(2004) and Spider-Man 3(2007) each more ambitious than the one before.  Now there is a fourth Spider-Man film in the works and slated for release in May, 2011 and (according to IMDb)a fifth in development.  So it's obvious his comic love continues as do his clever camera angles and intense action sequences.  Maguire and Campbell have also joked in a documentary (Making the Amazing, 2004)that he has an affinity for “abusing” his actors during a production as it is not unheard of for him to throw things to get the shot he requires.

Supporting Actor as well as one for Scott B. Smith for adapting his novel into the screenplay.  Raimi also brought us the competently creepy The Gift (2000) before sinking his teeth into tight-wearing superheroes.  

And now we are on the brink of his next venture into horror.  Personally I am so excited I can barely describe the anticipation.  Early reviews have been favorable and I know that fans are clamoring to see it just as much as I am.  When Bloody-Disgusting asked about his return to the genre, this is what Raimi had to say:  “It did remind me of how much I love horror movies. I love building horror suspense sequences. I love the craft as a storyteller of trying to be aware of where the audience is and what they’re expecting – sometimes giving it to them, sometimes giving them something else. I really enjoy playing that game with them…”