Evil Dead Rise has resurrected the fan-favorite horror franchise created by director Sam Raimi and starring his lifelong friend Bruce Campbell. While Raimi has stepped away from the director's chair and Campbell has only a voice-over cameo for this installment, both were very involved in its development as executive producers.
Having made films together since their high school days, Raimi and Campbell had their first major success with the original The Evil Dead and their continued collaboration across the decades since has resulted in memorable cult movie favorites like Crimewave as well as big box office blockbusters like Spider-Man.
10 The Evil Dead (1981)
At 21 years old, Raimi got Campbell and some of their other friends together and headed up into the woods to make The Evil Dead. With little to no resources or budget, they created a modern-day horror classic.
Terrifying, manic, and over-the-top, it proved what Raimi could do as a director and Campbell's Ashley "Ash" Williams quickly became a fan favorite that would allow him to develop his quirky style in later films.
9 Crimewave (1985)
In their early careers Raimi and Campbell also collaborated with Raimi's roommates -- Joel and Ethan Coen, soon to be known as the Coen brothers. Crimewave was one of the results. The Coen's wrote the screenplay with Raimi directing and Campbell playing the film's villain, Renaldo "The Heel".
The film centers on a death row prisoner named Victor Ajax who, flashbacks reveal, is headed to the electric chair because of Campbell's "The Heel". It's an offbeat noir gem that unfortunately did not do wonders at the box office.
8 Evil Dead 2 (1987)
After the failure of 'Crimewave', Raimi and Campbell returned to their roots with Evil Dead 2. Less a sequel than a remake of the first movie, the duo pulled in the slapstick comedy elements from their early films in high school to essentially create a whole new genre -- comedy-horror.
Raimi's manic, over-the-top approach gives Campbell the perfect opportunity to develop Ash's comedic live-action cartoon style, an element the fans would come to love.
7 Darkman (1990)
With the success of Evil Dead 2, Raimi was ready for his first foray into the superhero genre as well as his first Hollywood studio film. Darkmanis the origin story of Dr. Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) a scientist who has developed a type of synthetic skin to help burn victims. After mobsters brutally attack him and destroy his lab leaving him for dead, he develops superhuman strength and uses his synthetic skin to disguise himself, infiltrate the mobsters and wreak his revenge.
Raimi wanted Campbell for the lead role, but the studio chose Neeson. However, since the good doctor changes his appearance with his synthetic skin, Campbell was able to make a cameo appearance in the role in the last shot of the film.
6 Army of Darkness (1992)
For Raimi's final installment in the Evil Dead series he had the resources and backing of Universal Studios. Army of Darkness was given a budget more than three times what Raimi had for Evil Dead 2. This allowed him to be more ambitious than ever, but also made for a troubled production beset with many delays.
Universal let Campbell have the lead this time, although sadly it would be the last time he would head up a Hollywood studio film. Campbell's Ash is transported back to Medieval times to lead the charge against Deadites, which he does with full-throated comic abandon. Indeed, Raimi leaned fully into the comedic elements of the previous film, creating a campy cult classic that unfortunately failed at the box office but went on to have a robust life in cable and video markets. It would be 20 more years before Campbell's Ash would rise again, this time on the small screen in Ash vs. Evil Dead
5 Spider-Man (2002)
Raimi successfully overcame the crash and burn of Army of Darkness when he was given the director's chair for what was at the time the most eagerly anticipated blockbuster of the decade, Spider-Man. A huge box office and critical success, it set the template what the superhero genre would become.
It also cemented the grand tradition of Bruce Campbell cameos in Sam Raimi films. Arguably his best bit to date, Campbell is the wrestling ring announcer who gives the web-slinger the Spider-Man moniker. Campbell would continue to top himself with funnier bits throughout the series.
4 Spider-Man 2 (2004)
With Spider-Man 2, Raimi pulls off that rarest of beasts in filmmaking -- a sequel that is better than the original. More critically acclaimed than the first film and widely considered to be one of the best superhero films ever made, it was also Raimi's highest-grossing film to date.When Peter Parker tries to get into the theater where Mary Jane is performing in a play, he's met by Campbell's 'snooty usher', another great comedic cameo. First insisting that Parker straighten his tie and then barring him from the theater entirely, he adds to Parker's already numerous woes.
3 Spider-Man 3 (2007)
The oft-maligned third and final entry in Raimi's Spider-Man series, Spider-Man 3 received a more tepid response from critics than its predecessors and Raimi himself has been said to have disowned the film. Still, it did reasonably well at the box office. Early talks for a Spider-Man 4 were said to have included Campbell being tapped to be the main villain, Mysterio. This was not to be, however, and Myterio would have to wait for another Spidey franchise to make his debut.
However, Campbell gets another hilarious cameo in 'Spider-Man 3'. Using a ridiculously silly French accent, Campbell shows up as the maitre d at the restaurant where Peter Parker plans to propose to Mary Jane. Attempting to help by putting his engagement ring in Mary Jane's champagne glass, chaos ensues and the plan goes off the rails.
2 Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
One of Raimi's most unusual directorial choices, Oz the Great and Powerful is essentially a Wizard of Oz prequel and serves as the Wizard's origin story. A con artist magician is sucked into a tornado that takes him to the Land of Oz where he must deal with three witches.
Filled with dazzling special effects and production design, the film met with a mixed reception from critics and fairly strong box office. It also provided another cameo for Campbell as Winkie Guard. Barely recognizable under a ton of prosthetics, this may be one of Campbell's least fun appearances.
1 Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Raimi takes his well-honed Evil Dead horror sensibilities and infuses them into his equally sharp superhero genre instincts for Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness. Second only to Spider-Man 2 as Raimi's biggest blockbuster, it shows his mastery of both genres and gives Campbell one of his best cameos yet.
As street vendor Pizza Poppa, he's foolish enough to make a grab for the famous Doctor Strange cloak. Offended by the invasion of his personal space, Doctor Strange puts a little enchantment on him causing him to slap himself silly -- for a very long time.