Cult Film Bash: 'Evil Dead II' (1987)

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Adam Savage recently posted a YouTube video about the early Evil Dead cult films, which inspired me to dive into my archive-reference files. There, I discovered a few more items connected to the cult classic Evil Dead II.

Here’s the Adam Savage video where he reunites with Tom Sullivan, one of the original artists behind The Evil Dead (1981) and the later reboot-remake, Evil Dead II (1987) but with a chaotic over the top horror comedic twist. In the video, Tom reveals that he’s auctioning off some of the classic props from the films. He and Adam have a fascinating conversation about the items and their history. My only small regret, as with many auctions, is that the sold items will likely end up in private collections, leaving the public with little chance to see these incredible pieces of cult classic cinematic history. Watch below.

For those who haven’t seen the opening Evil Dead II opening of the Necronomicon book, I still believe it stands as one of the most uniquely creative and imaginative pieces of special effects work. It’s all crafted using old-school, analog methods—no digital effects, no computers. The result is surreal, with the offbeat intensity of stop-motion giving it an almost dream-like quality. There’s simply no way CGI could replicate this vibe or gritty aesthetic.

The flying stop motion puppets ... simple designed 'wire' armatures but effective >> ghost creatures   In this photo, I believe that Tom was drawing each page which were stop motion animated. As the pages flipped faster, I think he did some shortcuts so that he would not need to draw every page  >> Stop Mo Necronomicon

Below is a video of the Deadite creature's flying attack scene. While impressive, it doesn’t quite match the spectacle of the stop-motion animated opening sequence featuring the Necronomicon book — something even Tom Sullivan, the creator and animator of the Deadite puppet, has acknowledged. Despite the significant effort he put into crafting the puppet, production constraints limited his input. Sullivan had hoped to collaborate more closely with the director to create a truly attention-grabbing moment, perhaps as an homage to Ray Harryhausen’s iconic work.

Note: Any Photos ... you can usually click on it, and then you will see a super-sized larger photo.

Here’s the Deadite stop-motion setup in its initial stage. The studio lacked the space for a larger background blue screen, which was necessary to accommodate the Deadite puppet’s wide wingspan. Initially, the puppet was suspended by nylon lines, but it proved unsteady when supported this way, and I don’t believe any usable animation resulted from this setup.

Eventually, it was decided to move the Deadite stop-motion production to a larger studio with a much bigger blue screen. The puppet was then supported from the rear with a rigid rod for improved stability.

Here are some photos of Tom Sullivan at his mom's house, working on the finishing touches of the Deadite puppet fabrication >> Photo 1   >> Photo 2.  Just a quick side note — I had the chance to visit Tom in his hometown in Michigan many years ago, during the post-production prep for the Deadite stop-motion. From there, we traveled to Detroit to visit Renaissance Pictures, where Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell were immersed in the post-production tasks.

Naturally, Evil Dead 2 showcased a wide variety of special effects, all created using the old-school analog techniques of the era. These included extensive use of makeup prosthetics, cable-operated puppetry, and practical on-set effects, such as custom props and intricate set designs. However, my focus here is specifically on the stop-motion effects featured in Evil Dead II. Below, I’ll list the Artists / Creators who contributed to this work — some of whom you may not be familiar with:

Rick Catizone - A veteran in special effects & animation:  I was not aware of  the entirety of the work that Rick did for Evil Dead II — Sculptor/armatures designer and builder/animator. Animated stop-motion crawling hand sequences; Animated neck grow and face transformation,  combining replacement head  transformation sculptures  with fully articulated stop-motion puppet. Animated full figure puppet of Henrietta;  Shots were composited with live action plates via single-frame rear-screen projection.In addition on other projects, Rick also is fully capable in 2D animation. Too much to list his other creative skills. Here is his Website & IMDb. If you're curious what the Henrietta armature looks like, go here >> Henrietta  and  >> Crawling Hand Armature

Larry Larson - Stop motion special effects: Brought his stop-motion expertise from running his own independent studio in Detroit. He served as the stop-motion cameraman and handled lighting, using his classic heavy duty Mitchell camera  — a staple of analog stop-motion photography. Larry and Tom collaborated closely to set up the stop-motion shots. While his >>IMDb credits may be sparse, Larry was highly active in the Detroit indie scene, producing ads, promotional work, and his own stop-motion shorts.Larry was also a talented musician and later became an instructor at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. He even dabbled in creating a DVD tutorial on armature-making for beginners. To my surprise, Larry generously shared this tutorial on his >> YouTube channel. Sadly, Larry passed away in 2019 (RIP, Larry), leaving behind a legacy of creativity and generosity.

Brian Rae - Special Effects Prosthetics/Make-up: Originally from Michigan, Brian has been a long-time resident of the Los Angeles area. His impressive resume speaks for itself, as shown on his >> IMDb listing. On Evil Dead II, Brian worked as Tom Sullivan's assistant, contributing by making props and assisting with animation setups. While I’m not sure if Brian has a website or an online portfolio, here’s a friendly nudge: 'Hey Brian, if you’re reading this, get yourself a website or some kind of online presence!'😉He’s amassed many behind-the-scenes photos from various projects, showcasing his talents in makeup prosthetic fabrication for renowned special effects studios.

Yancy Calzada – Stop-Motion Armature Fabrication: Yancy collaborated with renowned special effects veteran >> Doug Beswick, constructing the stop-motion armature for the 'Dancing Linda Corpse' scenes in Evil Dead II. Here’s a photo of the armature >> Linda While his blog hasn’t been updated in years, it still offers a glimpse into his diverse creative talents. Yancy isn’t just skilled in metalworking craftsmanship — he also excels in creature design concept illustration. These days, I believe Yancy primarily focuses on CGI effects work. He has always struck me as someone who prefers to remain low-key, avoiding the limelight. While he’s not been active in the stop-motion community these past years, it’s understandable given that his career and interests have taken a different direction.Yancy's >> IMDb  >> Blog site (you can click on each photo to enlarge/zoom)   >> Linked In    

Oh, look here! — Apparently the Linda stop motion puppet was in Doug Beswick's personal collection. It appears to have been auctioned off back in 2022  See photos >> Linda animation puppet

Here is a documentary Swallowed Souls - Making of Evil Dead II (2011) If you are into the Evil Dead fandom cult, this retrospective is real fun & informative. It is about 1 hour & 40 minutes long!

Also, if you enjoy >> Cinefex Magazine style special effects articles, here is a good read about the Evil Dead II special effects. It appears accurate about the specific artists doing the special effects. If they are wrong, do not blame me! The website has somewhat small text & photos so you may need to use your browser's zoom to enlarge the text & photos ... Link below

Book of the Dead Website: 'Evil Dead II' Special Effects

UPDATE / BONUS

Evil Dead II’s theme music is a 'Cult Film Bash' essential — don’t miss it!

 

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