'Evil Dead' to '50 States of Fright': Here's why Sam Raimi is the modern godfather of gore horror
Jeffrey Katzenberg's upcoming mobile streaming service Quibi has a lot of talents coming in from Chrissy Teigen to Chance the Rapper, but one show that's really got our eye is the horror anthology '50 States of Fright'. The series brings together urban legends from across America, told in 10-minute episodes.
Now on the face of it, that might not sound like much but the man behind the production is none other than horror legend Sam Raimi. He's a household name and an icon of the genre but when you think about it, it becomes clear that in many ways Sam Raimi might just be the true Godfather of Gore.
To prove this, one need only look at Raimi's cult classic horror film 'The Evil Dead'. Did you know the movie couldn't find a distributor in the US for the longest time because they all thought it was far too gory for the average audience member? That very goriness is what has made that movie and its sequels such a rousing success today.
But Raimi doesn't just blast you with a faceful of gore for gore's sake, there's a certain finesse to it all. Even in his early 20s, when he made the first 'Evil Dead' movie, Raimi knew exactly how to control pacing and tension, balancing horror with hilarity and screams with laughter. And the fact that he did it on a practically nonexistent budget makes it all the more impressive.
It's that skill, that ability to control the audience's emotional responses like a conductor controlling an orchestra, that has made Sam Raimi the legend he is today and caused a reviewer to write in Twilight Zone Magazine, "When I met Sam Raimi at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 1982, my first thought was that this fellow was one of three things: a busboy, a runaway American high school student, or a genius. He wasn't a busboy, and Raimi finished high school some time ago, although he has the sort of ageless sophomore looks that are going to keep bartenders asking to see his driver's license or state liquor card until he is at least thirty-five. That he is a genius remains unproven; that he has made the most ferociously original horror film of 1982 is beyond doubt."
Who was that reviewer you ask? Why, Stephen King, of course.
'50 States of Fright' is set to premiere on Quibi on April 13.
