Movies - Army of Darkness

Home > Listing Index > Movies > Army of Darkness

	Movies - Army of Darkness

:This article is about the 1993 Evil Dead film "Army of Darkness". For the wrestling team, go to The Army of Darkness.

Army of Darkness (also known as Medieval Dead) (1993) is the third installment of the Evil Dead film trilogy, written and directed by Sam Raimi
and starring Bruce Campbell
. This movie takes a more humorous bent than its predecessors.

The movie had a considerably higher budget than the prior two Evil Dead films. The budget was estimated to be around $11 million; Evil Dead II had a budget of $3.5 million and The Evil Dead a budget of $350,000.

At the box office, the film was not a big success, only grossing $11,501,093 domestically. After its video release, however, it has obtained an ever-growing cult following, along with the other two films in the trilogy.

The movie has become a cult classic, and quotes and tributes have even found their way into video games such as Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, Warcraft III and World of Warcraft.
Plot
The protagonist, Ash
(Campbell), who discovered the Necronomicon ex Mortis, or "Book of the Dead" that unleashed demonic forces in the previous films The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, is sucked into a time vortex with his Oldsmobile, an event caused by reading the spell to defeat the demons. He ends up in England in AD 1300, where he is believed to be the "Hero From The Sky," the man destined to deliver mankind to salvation from the "Deadites," or the undead, as is told at the end of Evil Dead II. The plot is changed some bit, though, by the beginning of Army of Darkness.

Instead of being praised, he is believed to be 'One of King Henry's men', King Henry being the leader of a people who are warring on the castle in which this movie takes place. Ash is enslaved, and his gun and chainsaw removed. A priest keeps Ash's weapons, believing him to be referenced in a prophecy to be the one who shall deliver mankind from the terror of the deadites. Ash is thrown in a pit with a deadite in it, and he fights the deadite, and regains his weapons, and now scaring the inhabitants of this kingdom to help him return to his own time.

The only way to return to his time and stop the Deadites, according to the priest who gave Ash back his weapons, is to retrieve the Necronomicon, which contains both spells. While preparing for this, Ash becomes romantically involved with a local woman, Sheila (Embeth Davidtz
).

When Ash is unable to recall the precise words needed to safely retrieve the Necronomicon, he inadvertently unleashes the forces of the Deadites, who are led by an evil clone of Ash. Despite causing the predicament faced by the humans, Ash initially demands to be returned to his own time. When Sheila is captured by a flying Deadite, he becomes determined to lead the humans against the Deadite army. Reluctantly the people agree to join Ash.

Using scientific knowledge from the future from chemistry and engineering books in the trunk of his Oldsmobile, Ash successfully leads the humans to defeat the Deadites and save Sheila. Subsequently he is sent back to the present but once again he is unable to recall the correct words used for the incantation, allowing a Deadite to follow him through time.
Alternate endings
The movie has two distinct endings, both of which are covered on the movie's DVD. The more familiar ending picks up after Ash has returned to the present, in which he stages one final confrontation with the "she-bitch" in the S-Mart Housewares Department. This is the version shown in theatres and on television.

The alternate ending, which was supposedly favored by director Sam Raimi
, depicts Ash as he races toward a cave to drink the magic potion. Apparently, Ash drinks too much of the potion and sleeps well beyond his time and awakens in a post-apocalyptic Earth. This ending was cut, however, after critics showed their displeasure with the juxtaposition of such a quirky movie with a morbid ending.
Trivia

The mystical phrase Ash is supposed to speak when he takes the Necronomicon, "Clatto Verata Nicto" (As it is in the script) is a reference to the classic science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still
. In the film, the phrase "Klaatu barada nikto" is used to cancel the robot Gort's attack.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Army of Darkness ]

Movies - Army of Darkness

Plot

Alternate endings

Trivia

Searches on eBay

Related searches on eBay