Hail to the Original Chainsaw Man: Bruce Campbell and Evil Dead

Before Tatsuki Fujimoto gave the world Fire Punch, and long before he introduced a homeless teenage boy fused to a chainsaw and thrown headfirst into a war against devils, there was Sam Raimi’s 1978 short film Within the Woods, the feral little prototype that would mutate into 1981’s The Evil Dead and 1987's Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn

That film did not just introduce a monster or a book or a bucket of blood. It introduced Ashley J. Williams, later known to the world as Ash, and later still as Ashy Slashy, poor bastard. He was just one of five Michigan State students heading to a cabin in the woods with his sister Cheryl, his girlfriend Linda, and friends who had no idea they were walking into one of the great meat grinders in horror history. The cabin was supposed to be a vacation. Instead it became a doorway.

Inside that doorway sat the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, a book bound in human flesh and inked in blood, the sort of object that does not merely ruin a weekend but poisons a life. Once awakened, the evil tied to that book would stalk Ash for decades. It did not matter whether he ran, fought, chopped, burned, buried, or wisecracked his way through the nightmare. The thing kept coming back. So did the blood. So did the screaming. So did the dead.

That is what made Ash Williams more than just another horror survivor. The man was not fearless. He was wrecked. He survived through panic, stupidity, crude humor, dumb luck, and eventually sheer manic force of will. Bruce Campbell played him as a man held together with arrogance, trauma, and whatever was left after the universe chewed through everyone he loved. Across The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness, and later Ash vs Evil Dead, Ash became something rare: a horror icon who felt less like a polished hero and more like a lunatic barely keeping his soul from flying out through his teeth.

And maybe that is why he still makes sense in the age of Chainsaw Man. Long before Denji was drowning in blood, debt, and black comedy, Ash Williams had already shown what happens when a young man is thrown into supernatural carnage so extreme that the only sane response is to become completely unhinged.

I personally came into the Evil Dead series sideways. I entered the fandom through the Telltale Games video game Poker Night 2, where iconic characters from across fiction gathered to play Texas Hold ’em. You had Brock Samson from The Venture Bros., Sam from Sam & Max, GLaDOS from Portal, and Claptrap from Borderlands all thrown together at one table in the kind of crossover only a madman could love.

Luckily, not long after getting into the series, I was able to see the stage musical in Toronto. Then, the following year, we got a teaser for the television series set 34 years after the films.

With the tragic news that came out during the March 3 Blood Moon, yes, some witch has now earned a place on my shitlist. Honestly, I never thought I would have so many names on it that I would need to start looking into database software, but it is getting out of hand. And you know what Gordon said in Freeman’s Mind:

“it’s just getting to be more than I can keep track of. I mean what the hell, it worked for Nixon, should work for me right?”

Now, where was I. Oh right. The Independent reported on March 3, “Horror movie legend diagnosed with ‘treatable but not curable’ cancer.”

Which is tragic news. First Ozzy last year, now Bruce Campbell this year. What’s next? Actually, I am going to stop myself right there before I go off on another tangent.

Personally, I do not care much for the Evil Dead Rise or Evil Dead 2013 spin-offs. To me, part of the heart of the franchise was Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, so hearing that we might lose another legend is horrible to even think about.

For newcomers to the franchise, I will say this. The first Evil Dead is mostly played straight, but the sequel, Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn, gives us the early signs of the dark humor the franchise would later become known for.

Also, something I wish someone had told me when I first watched the series, the first 20 minutes or so of the sequel are basically a recap, and not a canon one. Bruce Campbell has confirmed in multiple panels and videos that it is not meant to line up as a literal continuation

I think the main point of this article is simple. People who may never have given the franchise a shot really should, because it brought me a ridiculous amount of joy over the years.

Really, the reason I wrote this article is simple. I want to wish Bruce Campbell all the best in his recovery, or at the very least wish him as much time as possible. You cannot leave us on that television cliffhanger, Bruce. No, I am absolutely looking at you on that one, especially since you were one of the executive producers. But in all seriousness, get better.

Your films, whether it be Evil Dead, Bubba Ho-Tep, or even the stranger ones like Man with the Screaming Brain, have brought a lot of joy to a lot of people.