Raimi delivers. At this point, I'm not sure whether he's a genius or certifiable (perhaps a bit of both), but Evil Dead 2 is the horror equivalent of the hardest drugs there are: it bypasses logic and heads straight for your pleasure centers.

For those who respond by screaming back at the movie while swallowing its junk food aesthetic, this may be the best time they've had in quite a while.

Keep your eye on Raimi: it's not easy to pitch a comedy at a level this flamboyant and then keep topping the gags.

Bruce Campbell's infectious, rambunctious turn remains the movie’s high point.