Watch The Short Film That Inspired Sam Raimi’s 'Evil Dead'

Before there was ‘Evil Dead,’ Sam Raimi made a short film called ‘Within the Woods.’ What makes this movie so special is that this is the precursor to the now iconic classic horror film ‘Evil Dead.’

‘Within the Woods’ was actually made to sell investors on funding a feature-length version of the film. With a budget of only $1,600, Raimi filmed this 30 minute short with a then little known actor named Bruce Campbell (who, by the way, is listed as an executive producer on the short). The goal was to raise $150,000 to make the feature, which was a tough job as Kickstarter had not even been thought up of yet. Raimi only ended up raising $90,000 but made the film anyway and the rest is horror film history.

The short film centers on the demonic possession and mysterious forces that originate “within the woods.” The footage is very low budget and was shot with an 8mm camera but it’s still impressive considering it was made in 1978.

With the remake of ‘Evil Dead’ soon to be released, it’s pretty cool to see the film that started it all.

Check it out and let us know what you think of ‘Within the Woods:’