Following the departure of Scott Derrickson from the upcoming sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, rumors began swirling that Sam Raimi was in talks to take over the next entry of the Sorcerer Supreme's adventures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and possibly beyond.
Fans quickly accepted the rumors and began dreaming about the potential of a Raimi-led MCU film, especially considering the director's past work with one of the studio's flagship characters, Spider-Man. So today we are going to take a look at a few of Sam Raimi's best films that have fans excited for his potential next film.
THE QUICK AND THE DEAD (1995)
Sam Raimi may have initially made his career with horror, but he has explored a few other genres over the years, with 1995's The Quick and the Dead showcasing Raimi's love of westerns. The film starred Sharon Stone, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gene Hackman, and Russell Crowe in his American film debut and was written by Simon Moore.
The Quick and the Dead is not a typical western and features many of the filming techniques that fans of Raimi will instantly recognize, and while the film doesn't quite live up to its cast or director, it's an enjoyable detour from Raimi's usual work.
THE GIFT (2000)
2000's The Gift was a supernatural thriller that featured an amazing cast which included Cate Blanchett, Greg Kinnear, Hillary Swank, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves, J.K. Simmons and Katie Holmes. The film was co-written by Billy Bob Thornton, and while it didn't blow up the box office it has developed a faithful fan base over the years.
The Gift explores the dark secrets of a few connected individuals after the disappearance of an abused woman is investigated by a woman with psychic abilities. The film is carried by the grounded performances of the cast and its Southern Gothic aesthetic and deserves a revisit.
DARKMAN (1990)
Liam Neeson launched his action movie career with 1990's Darkman, which was Sam Raimi's pulpy take on characters like Batman and The Shadow that also served as an homage to Universal's classic monster movie films.
Darkman features Neeson as Dr. Peyton Westlake, who is attacked and left for dead before returning on a mission of revenge as the titular anti-hero. The film is a perfect example of Raimi's unique techniques as a director that has made his films so recognizable, and Neeson is fantastic as the unhinged Darkman.
ARMY OF DARKNESS (1992)
The third film in Raimi's cult hit Evil Dead franchise was 1992's Army of Darkness, which starred Raimi's long-time collaborator Bruce Campbell as Ash, who recently reprised the role in Starz' Ash vs Evil Dead series.
Army of Darkness continues the series comedic progression as Ash is transported back in time to hilariously battle an army of Deadites with an odd blend of horror, slapstick, and romance that has made the film a favorite among all kinds of genre fans.
DRAG ME TO HELL (2009)
Sam Raimi returned to the horror genre in 2009 with Drag Me to Hell, which starred Alison Lohman as a cursed woman with three days to pass on her curse to someone else before demons come to, well, drag her to hell.
The film was a departure from Raimi's usual gore-filled horror and actually has a PG-13 rating, which unfortunately led to some detractors of the film. Regardless, Drag Me To Hell is still a scary take on a classic scenario that still stands above many R-rated horror films.
SPIDER-MAN (2002)
After years spent in development hell that saw other directors like James Cameron and David Fincher pitch their own takes on the character, Sony Pictures announced that Sam Raimi would be directing the live-action adaptation of Marvel's Spider-Man. Raimi's childhood love of the character and passion for the project saved the franchise from earlier scripts that were a little bizarre.
Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe and James Franco starred in the first film, which was a huge success and launched a franchise of films all helmed by Raimi. The first Spider-Man may not be the best of the series (more on that soon), but it still stands out as one of the best cinematic takes on the character we've ever seen.
THE EVIL DEAD (1981)
Sam Raimi's first hit film was 1981's low-budget The Evil Dead, which he made alongside star and childhood friend Bruce Campbell. The Evil Dead wowed audiences due to its unapologetic take on gore, amazing homemade special effects and accidental humor that would grow with each film in the franchise.
The Evil Dead follows Ash and his friends as they head out for a fun weekend away at a cabin in the woods, though the weekend is quickly ruined after they read from the Necronomicon and become possessed by the unleashed evil forces.
A SIMPLE PLAN (1998)
One of our favorite films from Sam Raimi is 1998's A Simple Plan, which was adapted for the screen by the original novel's author, Scott B. Smith. The film starred Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda, and Brent Briscoe in a haunting crime thriller that earned a few Oscar-nominations.
Paxton and Thornton starred as small-town brothers who find a crashed plane with over $4 million in cash that they take for themselves, which challenges everyone involved in the ensuing conspiracies of murder, kidnappings and betrayals that highlight the consequences of greed and a few bad decisiottns.
EVIL DEAD II (1987)
As The Evil Dead grew a cult following on the indie horror circuit, a sequel was greenlit with a larger budget after horror legend Stephen King saw the film. As the original film ended with the death of Ash and all of his friends, Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn retconned some of the story elements and brought Ash back to deal with the continuing threat of the Kandarian demons.
Evil Dead II was co-written with frequent Raimi collaborator Scott Spiegel and is considered by many horror fans as Raimi's best film, as it wonderfully toed the line between horror and manic comedy thanks to Raimi's direction and Bruce Campbell's always loveable Ash Williams.
SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)
Raimi returned to the world of Marvel's wall-crawler with Spider-Man 2, which is considered by fans to be one of the best comic book movie sequels ever created. The film was full of amazing action sequences as Spider-Man faced off against Doctor Octopus, played brilliantly by Alfred Molina.
Spider-Man 2 featured a unique mix of Raimi's techniques and showcased his evolution as a cinematic storyteller as it blended his horror-beginnings with the big-budget comic book movies that have become common in today's saturated superhero culture. Unfortunately, Spider-Man 3 failed to live up to the rest of the franchise, but we'll still always have Spider-Man 2.