The Willies

Lily and Damo kick off their horror series with The Evil Dead — a rickety bridge, a skin-bound book, and a cabin full of people who really should have turned back. They break down every dominoe of doom with forensic glee, dig into Raimi's low-budget genius, and tackle the big question: why do stupid decisions make horror so satisfying? Their Stupidity Index gives this one a three out of ten — and that low score is exactly why the film endures.

Show Notes

A rickety bridge, a locked cabin, and a book bound in skin—what could go wrong? We kick off our horror series by putting The Evil Dead under the brightest, blood-splattered microscope, asking a simple question that unlocks everything: why do stupid choices make scary movies so satisfying? From the clumsy charm of our show’s naming saga to a crash course in Video Nasty history, we set the stage for a lively, no-fluff breakdown of Raimi’s cult classic.

We trace the dominoes of doom with forensic glee: driving over a bridge that should end the trip, splitting up to explore, descending into the cellar alone, spinning the tapes, believing the demon’s “I’m better now,” and not finishing the job. Along the way we dig into Raimi’s grammar of dread—low-budget ingenuity, wild POV shots, fog-laced frames, and those unforgettable practical effects. Blood filling sockets and bulbs, stop-motion decay that’s both dated and delicious, and Foley work that makes the cabin feel possessed; this is the tactile horror modern CG can’t quite fake. We also unpack the uneasy legacy of the forest assault scene, the censorship that followed, and how the film’s audacity still provokes.
Character-wise, we argue about Ash as a “final boy” who barely earns it here, and how the genre’s clichés work like stage cues: we need the bad decision to fuel suspense and give us permission to shout at the screen. Our Stupidity Index rates Evil Dead’s decision-making a three out of ten, and that low score is exactly why the film endures—horror needs transgression to breathe. If they all chose wisely, there’d be no film, no fear, no fun.

Subscribe for more sharp, funny, and thoughtful dives into horror’s best worst choices. If you enjoyed the episode, share it with a friend and leave a quick review—it helps more genre nerds find us. What infamous bad decision should we tackle next?
Join Lily and Damien as they dive into the world of horror films with humour, insight, and caffeine. From cult classics to guilty pleasures, they prove there’s no such thing as a bad horror movie.

Damo & Lily :)

What is The Willies?

The Willies, a horror-comedy podcast about the things that scare us — "big, small, ridiculous, or genuinely unsettling." Hosted by Damo and Lily with rotating guests. Funny first, creepy second.

Damien:

Good evening, Lily.

Lily:

Sorry. That came out of nowhere.

Damien:

What's that? Oh. Well, good evening.

Lily:

That's just And I can't say that back genuinely. Good evening.

Damien:

Good evening to

Lily:

you, Good evening, David.

Damien:

Good evening to you, Lily. Right. We're doing a podcast. This is episode one. Can you tell?

Lily:

Yeah. It might need some work. It might have some teething issues.

Damien:

Yeah. I'm weirdly nervous even though I'm basically in my kid's playroom.

Lily:

Right.

Damien:

Yeah. I mean, you should be nervous because you're in my kid's playroom.

Lily:

It's also sweltering in here.

Damien:

It's really hot. I could open a window. It's not like it's a set.

Lily:

It doesn't I know the pressure. Yeah. The pressure's building.

Damien:

It's a working window, ain't it? Right. Okay. We're gonna now, bear in mind, I can edit.

Lily:

That's that's good. That's a good thing.

Damien:

I think it's probably, an imperative Yes. That I can edit bits Essential. Essential. Okay. Right.

Damien:

But I might leave some of this in because in my mind, it's quite funny.

Lily:

Yeah. I agree. I also feel like we should probably say what the podcast is called considering how long it took us to establish a name.

Damien:

Oh, before we do Oh. Do you remember any of the ones that we wanted but couldn't have? Yes. And the ones that were just we didn't choose because they had connotations. Like, for example, the body count.

Lily:

The gag reflex?

Damien:

I mean, I liked it. I liked it too.

Lily:

Two two guys, one coffin.

Damien:

That's what I

Lily:

Was a strong contender.

Damien:

I liked it. Had a good visual aspect to that, I thought.

Lily:

I mean, other than my issue that people would think I was trans, that was quite strong. Have you seen look. Have people seen this? And I was called I was one of the two guys.

Damien:

Sure. Two

Lily:

guys. This this could be a wig. Like

Damien:

It could be. It's risky. It is risky. I think it's only risky because already you brought up the subject of trans, which means that we're probably gonna get in some kind of problem area anyway. Right.

Damien:

I'm gonna have to edit this bit out. Because it's like I just realized, of course, that I know how to control things that I say. So

Lily:

Yeah. I did think that with white knuckle watch. I was like, is that gonna get done for being racist?

Damien:

White knuckle watch to me, although I didn't say at the time, felt very much to me like someone who's watching another man. If you know what I mean.

Lily:

No. Whatever do you mean?

Damien:

Well, you know what I mean. Like, holding onto a bike, handles really tight, or being on a roller coaster, like a white knuckle ride, or

Lily:

something like that.

Damien:

That's what immediately I my my my mind's bung to. So I can't remember many of the others. I I quite like Popcorn Panic, I think.

Lily:

You did like that one?

Damien:

I did.

Lily:

We like Pod of the Dead.

Damien:

Oh, I love Pod of the Dead.

Lily:

I know. I'm sad about that one.

Damien:

I'm really sad about that

Lily:

one too. Very original. It was the gory details.

Damien:

The gory details are quite light. Why couldn't we have that? Was it just taken?

Lily:

It was taken. Yeah.

Damien:

Son of a

Lily:

All all of the ones that we wanted were taken. That's why we couldn't have them.

Damien:

That's right. Because people have had better ideas than we have or the same ideas but before us.

Lily:

Yeah. Like, behind the screams, I really like that one. Yeah. But it was, like, a four episode podcast in 2018.

Damien:

Yeah. That's right. And that's the annoying thing is that, again, statistically, right, there's, like, podcasts half the podcasts that are out there have got three episodes. Yeah. Because that's when people give up.

Damien:

Yeah. And then there's, like, another one where you people get to seven, and they feel like, oh, that's like a season. They've done, like, a short season, and then they give up. Mhmm. So there's loads of podcasts with great names out there that have only got three episodes, which feels to me a bit selfish because they should take those episodes down and give someone else the opportunity to use the good name.

Lily:

I agree.

Damien:

Right? So I have made it my mission to write down a list of all of these and contact them personally.

Lily:

You have too much free time.

Damien:

No. I really I really have

Lily:

a Do you have a job?

Damien:

Yes. I do have a job, Lily. Thank you very much. I'm really aware now that I always thought I would have this camera, so it was, like, kind of waste up. But now

Lily:

Is it putting you off?

Damien:

Well, it's a groinal thing. You know I mean?

Lily:

Groinal. Are you, like, crossing your legs? No. No. I'm not.

Damien:

Was just

Lily:

like not to manspread? Like

Damien:

Yeah. Aware of manspreading, and I don't, you know, I don't like it in others.

Lily:

I think it's because you're more front on as well and kind of to the side.

Damien:

How about is that kind of a natty?

Lily:

So I can't like the hand on the hip,

Damien:

like Okay. I just had to deal with this. I've just my posture is so bad and you're just making it look worse.

Lily:

I'm sorry. I can't not sit like this.

Damien:

I know. We can't do it. Years of training.

Lily:

Okay.

Damien:

Let's get serious.

Lily:

Did you add everything you wanted to say before introducing the name of the podcast?

Damien:

Oh, we didn't actually introduce the name, did we?

Lily:

No. Because you were like, before we do that

Damien:

Yeah. You're correct. Go for it. It's literally written down here.

Lily:

A series of stupid decisions.

Damien:

I like it.

Lily:

Yeah. Me too. I had to double check if it was the series or a series, and I was rapidly searching for it, like, oh my god. And now I'm hot all over again.

Damien:

Put you on the spot now. It's the author situation.

Lily:

It's a a series of stupid decisions.

Damien:

It was gonna be a series of unwise decisions Mhmm. Which was a bit like the Lemony Snickets thing Mhmm. Which we both understood straight away. But then you were like, alliteration's a thing.

Lily:

But also, think about how many times in horror films, you're like, that is just so can I swear?

Damien:

We're we're gonna hit that e explicit button. Yeah.

Lily:

Okay. That is just so fucking stupid. Whereas you don't go like, well, that's a bit unwise. You're like, you fucking idiot. Yeah.

Lily:

That's stupid.

Damien:

How stupid is that guy? Yeah. Like, he's gone in the basement. Yeah. How stupid is that guy?

Lily:

Like going outside and shouting who's there.

Damien:

Like, that's just stupid. There are so many of these things, which actually brings us, like, closer to the sort of context of the pod. Can I briefly explain how this happened?

Lily:

Please do. Okay.

Damien:

Right. And feel free to jump in because I think you might start it anyway. Can I bring up the jiu jitsu thing? Mhmm. Feels like, you know, like, important.

Damien:

Otherwise, like, you know, why would be like

Lily:

Who are we?

Damien:

Who are we? Oh. Oh. I can't see. We're going too much detail, but so here's the situation.

Damien:

Lily, you and I, we met on the mats. Oh, do you know what? Here's an interesting thing. It's a year ago in a couple of weeks. Right?

Damien:

Mhmm. Because we got our grading coming up, our winter grading. And the first time I met you was not on the mats. It was in the pub after grading. Right?

Damien:

And we were, yeah, we were doing our thing, and I'm like, who's that? And someone goes, oh, she trains with us. Oh, does she?

Lily:

I think it literally had been a week, to be fair.

Damien:

Right. So that's so you have to forgive me then that I I didn't know. Anyway, so I think I said hello to you that night, didn't know on the way out of the pub. Like, hello. Introduce myself.

Damien:

Right? Yeah. But that was, a year ago. So that year's gone by, and we both trained jujitsu. Anyway, we both also drink coffee, which isn't unusual, is it?

Lily:

And we both live in a similar area.

Damien:

We do. Basically neighbors as discussed. Right? So how does how does it all glued together? Well, we're sitting outside the coffee shop, and you're like, you're aware that I've been to see Black Phone two.

Damien:

You're like, what do you think about Black Stone two?

Lily:

Black Stone? I don't know. It doesn't exist.

Damien:

I think it doesn't. Although now, I might put a little screenplay together. But so you're like, Black Phone two. I'm like, I don't wanna talk about Lily. Yeah.

Damien:

I think I was quite manly when I said it, wasn't I?

Lily:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Very, very masculine.

Damien:

Don't talk about that because I don't wanna I don't wanna ruin it for you. Right?

Lily:

Because I was really excited about the conjuring four, and you basically shattered my dreams telling me that you weren't gonna go and see it because it was crap. Yeah. So that's why when I asked your opinion on Black Phone two, you were like, I'm I'm not gonna do that because I don't wanna sway you.

Damien:

Exactly. Exactly.

Lily:

And Yeah. Invalid.

Damien:

Invalid. Because, you know, one thing I've learned is that, there's no point shattering people's dreams because they just don't talk to you again.

Lily:

I mean, I don't have much choice.

Damien:

No. That's true. I will talk to you even if you're angry with me. That's just the way it is. Yeah.

Damien:

So so we you go and see Black Phone two.

Lily:

I do.

Damien:

I'm playing my PlayStation one night, and I I think I get yeah. I get the text because I didn't know you'd gone.

Lily:

I think I said, so dot dot dot Black Phone two.

Damien:

Right. And that's where it began, didn't it? And I'm like, oh, you've seen it. So we're probably gonna, like, do our own thing about Black Phone two, aren't we? So we'd have to go into detail here about the film.

Damien:

Mhmm. But what we realized after communicating about Black Phone two was that we were having a a jolly good laugh.

Lily:

I sent you a voice note, didn't I?

Damien:

So many.

Lily:

I was like, the the text is gonna be too long. I have so many things that I need to say about this. Yep. And then it went back and forth back and while she was still on PlayStation Yeah. To the point when I went to training the next day, someone else knew that I'd gone to see it.

Lily:

And it was because they've been playing two of you. And they were like, no, I went on Halloween. Because I said to Connie, do you wanna go see a horror film on Halloween?

Damien:

You did. Why wasn't I out on Halloween? I feel like I

Lily:

I'm not gonna answer that honestly. Yeah.

Damien:

I remember when I used to have parties and things.

Lily:

Because you're a loser.

Damien:

So it begins. Right.

Lily:

I was gonna say sorry, but I don't think I am.

Damien:

There's no need to be sorry. There's no need to be sorry. It used to be that I had fun on Halloween, and it is my favorite holiday. But, yeah, apparently, I'm anyway, no more parties for me. I'm too old.

Lily:

I mean, I went to the cinema because I had no other plans, so I'm really not judging you too hard.

Damien:

Notice that you didn't invite me. Okay.

Lily:

You'd already been to see it.

Damien:

Might wanna see it twice.

Lily:

No. You don't. Let's we we'll review that another time, but no. You don't.

Damien:

Right. Okay. So I may edit this bit out later, Lily. But what I'm gonna say is I have no idea how well this is going. Right?

Damien:

No idea at all.

Lily:

No.

Damien:

So we could either stop now and watch a bit back or just keep going, and I can just cut bits out.

Lily:

I really don't mind. I do think if you stop it now, we then have to re get back into it.

Damien:

We will lose the flow. Can I use my monster voice? Yes. Will lose the flow.

Lily:

Yeah. But equally, probably would be a good idea to know if it's

Damien:

Yeah.

Lily:

Terrible.

Damien:

Okay.

Lily:

Otherwise, it's wasted time, isn't it?

Damien:

I'm I'm also a fan of just charge charging on regardless.

Lily:

I mean, I think it's gonna be shitty. It's the first one. Right?

Damien:

Of course it is.

Lily:

It probably is gonna be a bit of a disaster, but that's kind of the point.

Damien:

I'm still having an issue with the groin thing.

Lily:

Are you cover are you covering yourself? I'm not. I'm I'm not, but I'm just like

Damien:

I don't know, man. I just I'm aware that I'm like

Lily:

Would you like to change the camera?

Damien:

No. I'm fine. Because I think, like, if we do episode two, then, you maybe adjust the camera. But this would be like the one we put, I remember that go on the first one they ever did where you could see his groin. It'd be like it'd be like some, be like a

Lily:

Menacee. Frog eye.

Damien:

What? What? What do mean I've got frog eye?

Lily:

Frog eye. Male camel toe.

Damien:

Is that what that is? I've never heard that expression.

Lily:

Have you ever seen kick ass? Yeah. It's in kick ass.

Damien:

Years ago.

Lily:

Yeah. He's got he, like, copies kick ass's outfit, the friend. And he's like, he's got frog eye.

Damien:

I do not remember.

Lily:

Oh, mate, I'm gonna find it.

Damien:

Mate, all I remember is that we've gone really off piece with the, the scene with, oh my god, Chloe

Lily:

Yeah. Moretz. That's kick ass two.

Damien:

Yeah. Ah, okay. Kick ass two where she comes in with a katana and takes out the whole room. Yeah. I love that scene.

Lily:

She's dressed really cool as well. The purple is just a vibe. Yeah.

Damien:

Super cool. What a good film. I need to watch that again. But it's not a horror film.

Lily:

It's not.

Damien:

We're talking about horror films.

Lily:

We're talking about horror films. Right. Okay. Okay. So

Damien:

What? Actually, you know what? We don't do we need to

Lily:

go and talk about what we watched? Probably not because, like I said, it's only Tuesday, and I watched the film yesterday.

Damien:

Yeah. Good. Cool. And the film was the film we're trying to talk about. Yeah.

Damien:

Crack on, Lily. Okay. Let's go.

Lily:

Let's do this.

Damien:

Talk about it.

Lily:

Am I allowed to say the name now?

Damien:

Yes. Okay. You're always allowed. I don't I can't I'm not the boss of you.

Lily:

When I said it last time, you were like, don't you say it yet?

Damien:

Yeah. That was more like a kind of a like a, anticipation thing.

Lily:

Right. Okay. I didn't get the memo on that one.

Damien:

Yeah. No. I know. I kinda just winged it.

Lily:

Go. So I can't remember why you gave me the honor of choosing the first film.

Damien:

Because I thought that would be a good thing to do.

Lily:

Okay. So not a very interesting reason.

Damien:

No. No. No. No. I think I was intrigued to know what your favorite horror was or the one you would pick.

Lily:

Yeah. So not necessarily favorite horror, but me and my sister, who also really like horror films, have been going through, like, horror films that are in series, like one two three. And we start with Scream, and then we watched Insidious and all of that sort of thing. And Evil Dead was next on the list, so I thought Killed Heatbirds Were One Stone.

Damien:

Had you ever seen it before?

Lily:

Not the eighties one. No. That's why I went was like, Connor, did watch Evil Dead? She was like, which one? I was like, oh, look how I text you.

Lily:

Which one? Which one? And then you said 1983. And I was like, that's weird because the TV's telling me it's 1981.

Damien:

Point of fact then. Okay. Let me slide this in real quick. 1981, release. Banned in The UK, Norway, other places in Europe.

Damien:

Released in '83, so two years it was banned. Why? Because do you ever heard the phrase video nasty? No. Right.

Damien:

Right. Right. Right. So is it like a you know, I'm old, don't you?

Lily:

No.

Damien:

Yeah. I never say it.

Lily:

You're so young.

Damien:

I know. Weird. I can remember the stuff then. So in the eighties, there was this thing called, like, video nasty. And I guess it was the BBFC, British bought

Lily:

Film. Yeah.

Damien:

Yeah. Those guys. Right? So and possibly someone called Mary White house, who, when I was a kid, was like the she basically told you what you couldn't, couldn't watch. Right?

Damien:

Okay. She's a bit like your nan, but mean. Right?

Lily:

And not related. Yeah. I mean yeah.

Damien:

And definitely not related to me. But, anyway, so we had this video, Nasty Thing. And so films would come out normally from America, and they were deemed to be too difficult for an English audience. Right? So they just got banned out of hand.

Damien:

But the thing that happened was that because it was the age of VHS video Mhmm. Meant that there was always someone at school who would, like, get their bag. Like, I remember this distinctly happening. That's I even remember the guy's name, but I'm not gonna bring it up. He opens his bag, and he's got kind of an array of pornographic magazines.

Damien:

Right? And The Evil Dead on VHS.

Lily:

What a selection.

Damien:

I know. Right? And I remember it so well. He's like Like that. Like, what do you want?

Damien:

And I'm like

Lily:

Pick your poison.

Damien:

Exactly. Do I have all of it? No. No. So I took The Evil Dead.

Damien:

So You did? I watched of course I did because I no. Always love horrors. Anyway, that was it. So

Lily:

How old were you at that time?

Damien:

Oh, like, what, in 1983 ish. Oh, wow.

Lily:

I'm just trying to figure out I was about 11. That explains choosing the horror over the porn as well. I reckon if you've given it two years, it might be different.

Damien:

All about Razzle. All about razzle. That that's what they call a deep cut. It's a deep deep holographic cut. Anyway, so, yeah, Video Nasty got banned.

Damien:

So 1981, America, 1983 in The UK. Continue.

Lily:

Okay. I forgot what I was even saying before that, to be honest. Know you said you said interject, but it almost felt like it. It was such a good story.

Damien:

It was a good story. I've got loads of these. It's gonna annoy the hell out of you.

Lily:

No. That's fine. That's fine. I can't remember what I was gonna say next.

Damien:

So you watched you sat down and watched it with Connie. Oh, your sister.

Lily:

Yes. That's okay. You can say her name.

Damien:

Can I? Okay.

Lily:

Well, we have now. I've said it at least twice.

Damien:

Okay. Fine. Okay.

Lily:

So I feel like the next thing is one of us is summarizing the film as fast as possible. Do you wanna take that challenge or shall I?

Damien:

I feel like you should.

Lily:

I feel like I should. Okay.

Damien:

See how close you were watching.

Lily:

Okay. Five friends, cabin in the woods, demon possession. I reckon that's pretty concise.

Damien:

That is concise. Yeah. How does it end though?

Lily:

Demon possession Okay. And death.

Damien:

And death.

Lily:

Lots of death.

Damien:

Okay. Okay.

Lily:

Would you describe it differently?

Damien:

That is super that is super concise. I was gonna add one bit to it, though, because demon possession is one of those things that doesn't necessarily just happen. Right? This is one of the silly things that happens in this film, of which that we're gonna speak of more, but this is the one, for me anyway. Five friends, car.

Damien:

Yellow car. Yellow car. Factoids. Yellow car drives over bridge, dodgy bridge.

Lily:

Very.

Damien:

Warning number one in my opinion.

Lily:

Yeah. Right?

Damien:

Yeah. Right. Get to Cabin In The Woods. Mhmm. Okay.

Lily:

Which they got for a steal. That's also you know?

Damien:

A steal. A steal. An absolute steal. It turns out it was a bit of a wrong one. However, was it the cabin or was it the thing that caused the possession?

Damien:

Oh, I found a book made of human skin, right, with, let's say, problematic Latin, which I'm going to read aloud.

Lily:

How would you know it's problematic Latin unless you spoke Latin, though? Yes. I agree the human skin is a red flag, but the Latin

Damien:

Yeah. Yeah. I guess so. I guess so. But but then the rest of it, as you say, so Latin book made of human skin, NecroComacon, and then, yeah, possession, and then death, basically.

Damien:

Lots

Lily:

of death.

Damien:

Lots of death. Yeah. So that's I reckon that's under a minute. Easy. Easy.

Lily:

Think originally under thirty seconds without all the fluff in between as well.

Damien:

So okay. So what happens in this movie then? Where are the bits where we can I'm gonna just, like, black phone to it. Where are the bits where we're like, look, you've made a serious misjudgment or or what's that podcast called?

Lily:

Yeah. Stupid Decision.

Damien:

First Stupid Decision in your opinion?

Lily:

I mean, me and my sister were already I was maybe it's not as far as a stupid decision, but we were already shouting at the TV Mhmm. When he's driving there and he's asking where they are on the map. And he's just not looking. My my sister was like, look where you're going. She's shouting so much.

Lily:

Yeah. That's and you know something bad is gonna happen there. Yeah. That's gonna happen. That's foreshadowing at its finest.

Damien:

It also, in any film or TV show, annoys me. I'm sure it does you too. Even in serious films sometimes and TV shows where someone's driving and they're just looking at other stuff. Yeah. If I take my eyes off the road for more than three seconds Right.

Damien:

My life expectancy is is lower Yeah. Than I'd like it. Anyway, entire conversations are being had in cars or whatever. Right? Yeah.

Damien:

So that's your first thing.

Lily:

I mean, it's yeah. I reckon so.

Damien:

K. The bridge has been mentioned. Right? Yeah. So the bridge.

Damien:

Uh-oh. This doesn't look like it's load bearing. There's a sign, I think, if I'm right, I do know what? I get confused between the various movies. Right?

Damien:

But there's sure there's a sign that says, like, three tons.

Lily:

Yeah.

Damien:

Right? But I would assume that that sign was put there when the bridge wasn't made of, like, I don't know, bits of broken balsa wood. Right? So I reckon that's significantly reduced in its weight capacity. Yeah.

Damien:

It's got holes in it. Wheel falls through.

Lily:

Wheel falls gets stuck

Damien:

Yeah.

Lily:

As well.

Damien:

I mean, I'm like, might go home. If that's the only way in and out to this woodland cabin. Wanna go home? Yeah. So that's my first major is is the bridge.

Damien:

Right? Yeah. The car, the bridge. Yeah. Next.

Lily:

I literally watched this yesterday, so it should all be fresh in my mind.

Damien:

If you haven't got one if you haven't got one, I've got a doozy.

Lily:

The basement. There's a

Damien:

Pre basement. Pre basement. We're not in the building yet.

Lily:

Go on.

Damien:

K. I'm I'm just helping you along because I know that you wanna get to, like, the, like, the the bits that are, like, potentially more

Lily:

No. I genuinely have a gap where I can't remember one in between.

Damien:

Alright. So I'm gonna go through. Right? So they get to the cabin. Do you remember?

Damien:

They're like, the door's locked.

Lily:

Oh, it's the rocking. Right. He's even he even looks alarmed.

Damien:

By it. Don't yeah. An unseen force.

Lily:

Which stops when he grabs the key. Right. Yeah.

Damien:

Now I've got another little thing here. Okay? If you'd if you'd indulge me for a second. Right? You know Eddie Murphy?

Damien:

Yes. Right. So Eddie Murphy had this, a, like, comedy show called Delirious.

Lily:

Right.

Damien:

Again, when I a kid, used to watch it, like, every day. It's it's problematic now, and it has not aged well. Right?

Lily:

Oh, god.

Damien:

But he had this kind of joke where and I think it was about the Amityville horror Yeah. Where if you buy a house with your family and you go in the house alright? I can use my button. Right? Use my button.

Damien:

Yeah. So you go in the house and you hear this voice. Bitch. I'm like he's like, yeah, honey. We're going home.

Damien:

Yeah. Alright. We're leaving. So I feel in the same way. If I went to a cabin in the woods and this thing's knocking, dunk, dunk, dunk, and then I was like, uh-oh, there's no wind.

Damien:

So why is that happening? And then I grab the key and it stops. In the same vein, I'd be like, guys, we're going home. Yeah. But they don't.

Lily:

That is a stupid decision.

Damien:

It is a stupid decision. Yeah. Not to go. Not to go is a stupid decision.

Lily:

To go in. To keep going into the cabin as well. Yeah. At that point, just no.

Damien:

Turn around. Exactly. Okay. Right. You gotta think of another one now because there are so many in the film.

Damien:

Right?

Lily:

There are. There are. So I'm working through it. I I how many times have you watched this film?

Damien:

Since I was born? Yes. Let's say about 30.

Lily:

Yeah. See, feel like you have so much more. I only watched it for the first time yesterday.

Damien:

No. No. I I don't expect you to remember all of it, but are there any, like, high points where you're like, are you idiot?

Lily:

Yes. But later on.

Damien:

Okay. Let's let's let's fast forward then. I have no how long have we been doing this?

Lily:

Probably ages.

Damien:

Twenty four minutes.

Lily:

And we are, to be fair, at at the first time move, we've done a bit.

Damien:

Okay. We're hammering through alright.

Lily:

So alright. To be fair, the question, what's the earliest moment everything started to go wrong?

Damien:

Okay. What is that moment?

Lily:

It's gotta be the basement, doesn't it? The basement. Or the yeah. It has to be the basement because that's where he gets the tapes.

Damien:

Right. Exactly.

Lily:

Which is the catalyst.

Damien:

Do you like the guy who goes in the basement or do you kind of want him to die?

Lily:

At first, hate him. Yeah. But he really grew on me. How? Because he actually had some, like, oomph, you know, like, when shit started to go wrong, he didn't hesitate.

Lily:

The other one was such a pussy.

Damien:

Right. I agree. But he didn't also hesitate in saying, leave her.

Lily:

Do you remember? Like, was horrible. Yeah. And he did, like, yeah. He was horrible, and I was thinking that he's a dick.

Lily:

But that's why I said he grew on me later on

Damien:

Okay.

Lily:

Because he got shit done.

Damien:

Alright. I've got a question for you now. You and I found a cabin in the woods. Right?

Lily:

Right.

Damien:

I've been hurt real bad by super supernatural forces.

Lily:

So I'm just gonna start punching you in the face. Not you.

Damien:

I mean, I guess you could, but, like, I'm hurt. Lily, I need to go home. Yeah. Right? Would you just just go?

Lily:

Does this this reflect badly on me as a person?

Damien:

I mean, let's let's assume it's a fantasy horror film.

Lily:

No. I think I'd be smart to leave you.

Damien:

I think you would. Would you go and get help though for later? Would you go to the pub?

Lily:

No. I'd definitely come back.

Damien:

Right. Okay.

Lily:

No. I probably would. Probably.

Damien:

Probably. Probably. Send an ambulance.

Lily:

But it's super you've been possessed by

Damien:

Yeah.

Lily:

Demons. So what am I gonna bring back that's gonna work other than a priest? An exorcist.

Damien:

Yeah. Exactly. Don't you know any?

Lily:

Have you met me?

Damien:

Yeah. Okay.

Lily:

Burst into flames.

Damien:

Oh, yeah. That's true. Although I have the correct name for it, as in my my true name.

Lily:

Oh, I thought you were gonna press the button and announce what your true name was.

Damien:

No.

Lily:

Okay. Anyway.

Damien:

Okay.

Lily:

So We skipped ahead. Skipped ahead.

Damien:

Right. He's going to the basement.

Lily:

Yeah. So that was already Yeah. Going alone, splitting up. Yeah. Classic horror movie move.

Lily:

Yeah. There's I feel like there's a flashlight in there somewhere as well.

Damien:

Flashlight? Flashlight. There is a flashlight. There is a flashlight. So it's always a trope that it doesn't really work where you have to hit it a few times.

Damien:

Right? Because for some reason, the batteries are always or the connection is loose. Yeah. I feel like in this one, it does work. I might I might be wrong.

Damien:

Does it

Lily:

work? I can't remember.

Damien:

It's just that dude that goes down on his own, doesn't he? Yeah. And everyone's like, don't go. And he's like, oh, it's a joke, ain't it? Even though they I know.

Damien:

Because the girl's like do you remember this? She's like no. He's like, it's just an animal.

Lily:

Oh, yeah. That's it. He is being really rude to her. Yeah. Yeah.

Lily:

He's like, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Damien:

Right.

Lily:

Yeah. He is a bit rude to her.

Damien:

Very rude, I'd say. Wouldn't stand, would it, these days?

Lily:

Oh, not if it was me.

Damien:

No. No. You would have front kicked him down those stairs so fast, and then probably smashed the stairs behind him.

Lily:

Yeah. Yeah. Sounds about right.

Damien:

So he's gone down into the cellar. Yes. And he's played a trick, ain't he? Guess? Well, okay.

Damien:

So let's let's let's play this backwards. You've gone in the cellar. I'm upstairs, and I'm worried about you because you're my friend. I'm like this. Lily.

Damien:

Lily. Lily, are you okay?

Lily:

And I'm just stone cold ignoring you.

Damien:

Nothing. So the audience assumes, uh-oh. He's dead now. Yeah. Always been gagged and put in a corner and whatever.

Damien:

Yeah. So Ash goes down.

Lily:

Ash I love that you know their names. I actually said to my sister whilst watching it, I'm not invested in these characters because I don't know any of their names.

Damien:

It's only because Ash Ashley Ash, like, then goes on to, obviously, star in Bruce Campbell, starts in Evil Dead two

Lily:

Yes.

Damien:

The TV show. Yes. Right. A number of things that spin off of this because he's best mates with Sam Rayden, who made the film right

Lily:

But I only started learning the names once they were shouting at them as demons or about them being dead and buried and stuff.

Damien:

I I think I think, yeah, because his girlfriend quite often is like

Lily:

He's shut up, Linda. You can tell he's really wanted to say that while she was human.

Damien:

So much. Right. So much. But, yeah. Her laugh was

Lily:

so fucking

Damien:

Oh, when she's not demon.

Lily:

She is a demon.

Damien:

Right. Okay. Yeah. Because she's sitting there, like, giving it all that. Anyway, we Yeah.

Lily:

Sorry. Skip. We skip. We skip. Okay.

Lily:

Anyway. So Yeah. I think other than this, this does happen before the tapes maybe when she goes out into she hit she sees and hears something outside in So the she goes out by herself in a thin dressing gown, asks if anybody's there Yep. Goes deeper into the woods

Damien:

Away from the house.

Lily:

Still up and saying that she knows somebody's out there. What that stupid decision.

Damien:

That is. Going to the woods when something bad's already happened. There's a little spider on my mind.

Lily:

I was gonna say, is there something there? Every now and then you just lean back

Damien:

and go

Lily:

a little bit closer.

Damien:

It's because I'm not sure if it's like if my eyes just wandering. But so yeah. So she goes outside, and now this happens, it is a dumb move. Right? She goes out into the woods on her own.

Damien:

No one around. Some bad stuff's happening. And this is why the film was banned because the next scene

Lily:

because the trees rape her. Right. What was the need in that? Ask Sam Raimi. Honestly, they've it's honest like, they've gone we need a bit of nipple Yep.

Lily:

And we need a bit of rape. Yep. And then we've hit the

Damien:

Welcome to the eighties.

Lily:

Hit the mark. Yeah. Just the one boo came out, I like classy. Like

Damien:

Classy. That wasn't what I thought. Classy. When I was a teenager, I thought, woah.

Lily:

Yep. I bet you did.

Damien:

As a grown man, I think. I imagine she was cold filming that.

Lily:

And just what the hell? I was so confused as to what was happening.

Damien:

Well, do you think that that was the point where she was kind of a that was the possession?

Lily:

Must have been.

Damien:

Was that the original possession?

Lily:

I feel like it must have been.

Damien:

You know that I said I watched that film maybe 30 times, like, since I was a kid? Mhmm. I still get very confused as to who is who once they've become possessed.

Lily:

Oh, do you?

Damien:

Yeah. Like, they're interchangeable for me. Like, they're basically freakish screaming women at this point with loads of They are. Prosthetics.

Lily:

Horrible. Like, my sister was saying, oh, can't wait to see how, like, bad this monster is, but they are quite horrific. Yeah. They are. And the

Damien:

makeup's not bad for the time. Right? Not at all. Yeah. It's pretty pretty first of it's bit like, but then the more demonic they get, the nasty they get, the more corn syrup that basically Yeah.

Damien:

Gets used. Right? Yeah. The the worse it is for sure.

Lily:

Also, it we only think that now because of what we've seen can be done better. Right? Whereas for its time, I can see why when that came out, it was so horrific.

Damien:

It was full on. I think it was like it was supposed to be I can't the exorcist must have been earlier. Right? It was at late seventies?

Lily:

I don't know. Remember that? To fact check it.

Damien:

Oh, yeah. We'd have to fact check it. I've done a lot of fact checking, won't we? Yeah. I can see that we do a lot of lot of this.

Damien:

Yeah. But so but I think the the evil day was the first kind of of its kind where it was like, oh, that's gross. Like, real body horror. Think there'd been, like, some zombie stuff before, like Night of the Living Dead and that kind of thing. But this was, like, how disgusting can you get in, like, the last it's been forward too far, but, like, the last sort of ten minutes of the film get really quite gross, don't they?

Lily:

I loved it. But Yeah. Right. Not

Damien:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Lily:

Okay. What we'd have done differently. So rather than going out into the woods in your very thin dressing gown and asking who's there, what would you have done?

Damien:

Worn my Patagonia duck down

Lily:

Down feather. Right.

Damien:

Now, first of all, I wouldn't have left the building Yeah. Straight away. That's just a no. Yeah. And I'd be like, maybe hang around near a window or something.

Damien:

I don't know what's going on out there, but I wouldn't be going out there. I would not get within distance of the cabin where if something did happen, I wouldn't be able to get straight back in again. If I had to go out, I think I would have tried to find something like a weapon or something like that.

Lily:

Shouldn't I've got someone to go with you?

Damien:

Oh, and that. Yeah. I would have been

Lily:

There's five friends. Like, there's four other people you could recruit.

Damien:

Come with me. We're gonna have a little look around and see what's what. And then if there's trouble, there's two of us. Right? Exactly.

Damien:

But this is one of the conventions, isn't it? We're gonna talk about quite a lot about different films is people insisting going out on their own in the dark is a really good idea. Yeah. It never is.

Lily:

Never.

Damien:

Yeah. Basements outside in woodland, never good. Even now, in real life, if you said to me, Lily you're Lily. It's for some freaky Friday situation. Right?

Damien:

If you said to me, Damo, go out in those woods yonder. Yeah. Right? For, like, say, an hour on your own, I still I wouldn't want to because woods are immediately creepy, aren't they?

Lily:

Yeah. Yeah. Pitch black as well. Yeah. Is that And you'd have to wear a skimpy dressing gown too.

Damien:

Why a dressing gown?

Lily:

Because that's what she was wearing.

Damien:

Was was it Dee Gown? Suppose it was, wasn't it?

Lily:

Yeah. A version of it.

Damien:

I thought it was a shift.

Lily:

I didn't know you were so up to date with women's clothing. No wonder you wanna be called Lily.

Damien:

I literally wear a kimono every day on a mass. Okay. Okay. So, yeah, a thin dressing gown that would catch on twigs and such.

Lily:

Precisely. Making it easy for the nipple exposure, obviously.

Damien:

Would be jeans and a jacket, definitely, and some good Timberland boots.

Lily:

Some sturdy shoes.

Damien:

Yeah. Some sturdy shoes. Yes. Okay. Right.

Damien:

So that's happened. She's been raped by a twig.

Lily:

By a tree?

Damien:

Yeah. Or let's say the forest spirit, whatever it is that they summoned.

Lily:

The trees are alive.

Damien:

Yeah. Yeah. Dicky lang Dicky Latin.

Lily:

Okay. Okay. Where are we at? Do we now lean more towards three to four escalating bad choices?

Damien:

Yes. I'm glad you're reading this thing that I printed out because I'm

Lily:

I'm pretty

Damien:

I'm quite a lot actually. You're helping So what we got? Done we've done the first dumb move. Right? That's happened.

Damien:

Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

Lily:

So after that, it do they play the tapes before or after that? I feel like it's after. Ash? No. It must be before actually.

Lily:

Because she comes in hysterical then demands they leave and then the car won't start. Yeah.

Damien:

Oh, that's right. And she's like, turn it off. Turn it off. Because Ash is

Lily:

just She's going chaotic.

Damien:

Yeah. Exactly.

Lily:

Hysterical.

Damien:

I swear that at some point, though, Ash does come back and he starts listening. He's got, like, an earphone thing because that's the, like, the bit where they explain where he's like

Lily:

The bond is and never

Damien:

I went to where it was Egypt for a lovely ruin. We found this and right? It's So like the history of, like, they come back, and now my wife is possessed. Yeah. And any way you can deal with it

Lily:

Is body dismemberment. Right.

Damien:

Yeah. Which is a great setup for any horror film, isn't it? Yeah. You've gotta cut her into bits now. Okay?

Damien:

Yeah.

Lily:

Okay. So they get in the car, car won't start. Yeah. And then they get to the bridge, it's fallen down. Again, he walks off on his own.

Damien:

And what does he say to her? Remember?

Lily:

Like, stay here.

Damien:

Stay where you are. Right.

Lily:

And what does she do? She doesn't wanna stay where she is.

Damien:

No. She wanders out into a lot of dry ice.

Lily:

The smoke machine was the unsung hero of that film. Yeah. It was literally like, Joy needs more fog. Yeah. Joy, this scene is missing.

Lily:

Fog.

Damien:

Yeah. Fog. Can you get me another smoke machine, please? I've only got a seven on the go.

Lily:

This one's dying. I need a new one.

Damien:

Yeah, man. But it is good. It's it so, I mean, like, a note for me on one of my favorite horror and directors generally, Sam Raimi. I used to really, like, love Sam Raimi. Then I went to university and then learned about other directors.

Damien:

But Sam Raimi was, like, one of those and and all the the things that he's done. So, like, it's like he's watched, like, a Hitchcock film and then kind of gone mad on it. Things like all the fog. Right? The the way that Ash disappears into the fog, she can't find him.

Damien:

And then there's that really unnecessary moment where this is, like, super super Sam Raimi thing, but, you know, he kind of almost, like, leaps out on her. Yes. Right? And you're like, why if right. Let's say you and I are in a car, and I'm like, literally stay there.

Damien:

Right? And you're like, I'm gonna ignore him. That tracks. Yeah. Exactly.

Damien:

You can so I wander off through the fog and smoke to find the broken now the bridge has been ripped up Yep. By unseen forces. Right. Demonic forces. So you get out of the car, because clearly you've not listened to me.

Lily:

No. I mean

Damien:

And then you're wandering around, and I'm circled back. Right? And I see you looking scared, like, Ash, Ash, or in this instance, Damon. Damon. And I'm like, the best thing I can do now is not to kind of carefully walk and go, hey.

Damien:

Hey, Lily. It's okay. I'm here. What Ash does is he leaps on her. Doesn't he?

Damien:

He just jumps out of the dry out of the fog and grabs her and immediately kind of has a pop at her. And I'm thinking like, if she wasn't shitting herself already, which she was, now she's dumped a load. Right? Because, like, that's so frightening to have just some Yeah. Anyway, seems weird.

Lily:

Okay. Next stupid decision.

Damien:

Okay.

Lily:

Probably one of yours because I feel I have given mine.

Damien:

Stupid decision. Right. So I suppose at a certain point, it's all kicked off. They've gone back to the house again. Can't go anywhere.

Damien:

The bridge is broken. Okay. Fine. In they go. And then I think okay.

Damien:

Alright. I I can't remember this distinctly, but the one that sticks out for me next is that his girlfriend

Lily:

Mhmm.

Damien:

Has now succumbed to the demonic possession.

Lily:

Okay. That is quite far along.

Damien:

Right. A general stupid thing is this. I think it happens earlier, but it's all a bit of a blur. Right? Because the the chaos begins, doesn't it?

Damien:

People become possessed, there's lots of, like Mhmm. Throwing people in the fruit seller and chaining them up and slamming hands and sitting on trap doors going boom a lot. Right? There's this stuff going on.

Lily:

I literally was like, it's Woody's Roundup.

Damien:

Yeah. And it takes so long. It's like and there's no Yeah. Is it no.

Lily:

Equally, that was a moment where that character what's his name?

Damien:

Ashley? Ash? What? The main guy? The one who survives?

Lily:

Not the guy who survives. No. The other one.

Damien:

I can't remember his name.

Lily:

But that one who's a dick originally.

Damien:

Yeah. Yeah.

Lily:

That is a moment where he grows on me because I'm like, yes. You got it done. She needed to be put away and chained up. You got it done.

Damien:

True. He is effective as a as a man, isn't he?

Lily:

And I have more as we go on.

Damien:

Okay. I do wanna know about this because I I saw him as nothing but a sociopath with the whole thing. Anyway so okay. Dumb things that happen. A general word of warning, in my opinion, is that if at a certain point someone has shown themselves as possessed by by demons, particularly like, you know, ones that, you know, like, their eyes go and then it's yeah.

Damien:

Yeah. They then become normal and go, oh, I feel a bit better now. I'm sorry all that bad thing happened. And then do you give him a hug? Or do you go, fuck you.

Damien:

I don't care what you say. I'm tying you up. Right? Might behead you because I don't trust that that's not coming back. So when his girlfriend is like,

Lily:

and

Damien:

he's like, shut up. Shut up. Right? And then she's like, oh, Ash. And he's I can't I gotta call her Linda.

Lily:

It is Linda.

Damien:

It is Linda. It is Linda.

Lily:

Linda. Shelly. Cheryl? Maybe? I remember there were two that were very similar.

Damien:

Are they not is these not the It is. The members of ABBA? No. No.

Lily:

It's Linda. Shelley was the one that's sort of irrelevant who you probably were like, she got yeah. She wasn't the girlfriend and she wasn't the first one. So she's the one in the middle. You're just like, oh, another one.

Damien:

Just quickly on that point. Two guys, three girls. Weird?

Lily:

I thought so. One's definitely a third wheel. Yeah. Or Fifth wheel.

Damien:

Guy whose name I can't remember.

Lily:

What is his name?

Damien:

He's there with two of them.

Lily:

He does seem like the kind of guy who would manage to pull two women Although at one because he's a dick.

Damien:

At one point, is it not mentioned that he's one of the girls is his sister?

Lily:

That would change things. This is what I mean. It really did just dive straight in.

Damien:

Yeah.

Lily:

Gave no context, no Yep. Relationships really, and all of a sudden, it's got that classic horror film bit where there's this romantic scene that serves nothing really

Damien:

to the plot. Just like

Lily:

what what was it the side eye with? She, like, sits next to him and she's, like, reaching the whole thing. And it just zooms in her eyes, and she's like and then he's like

Damien:

Is that when he's pretending to be asleep? And he's got, like, the so that little kind of the little ring on

Lily:

a The magnifying glass or whatever it Is

Damien:

that what

Lily:

it is? Or mirror or something. I don't know.

Damien:

See, suppose it's supposed to be, like, kind of funny romantic, but it just comes across as creepy, didn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Weird.

Lily:

And its significance then later on in the film is just like

Damien:

Right. And then because Lily, you're gonna have to watch Evil Dead two one day.

Lily:

I will.

Damien:

Right. And that But don't skip to that.

Lily:

Let we need to stay on track.

Damien:

Okay. So dumb things. Right. She turned yeah.

Lily:

She turned human again, but you think it's a stupid decision to hug her.

Damien:

And then carry her outside. And he's like, well, I'm gonna chop her up. And I'm thinking, yeah. That's what you should do. Yeah.

Damien:

Because clearly you've heard

Lily:

He's seen because the other guy chopped up the other one with an axe. And, that's why he grew on me. Because I was like, this guy knows what you've got to do.

Damien:

Listen to the guy who's wife. Right? Hesitate. But love is blind, Lily. And what's happened is that Ash is like, could do that.

Damien:

Okay. Put her on the table, train her up, chainsaw.

Lily:

I was like,

Damien:

yes. Here we go. Right? And then she's like, oh. He's like, oh.

Damien:

So I just I'll just bury her.

Lily:

Such wasted energy.

Damien:

Also, case in point, there's a couple of graves there, isn't there? Because I only bury two of them.

Lily:

Because Shelley Shelley. Is that I think it's just the one. It's just Shelley because the other guy buried Shelley

Damien:

Right. Okay.

Lily:

Before getting all, like, messed up.

Damien:

Have you dug a have you dug a grave before?

Lily:

I can safely say no.

Damien:

Okay. How long do you think it would take to dig a grave in a forest?

Lily:

A while.

Damien:

Right. Feels like that's a little bit kind of a a skip to me to assume that a person could dig a crave in the forest and that not take, six hours. Do you know what I mean? God.

Lily:

To be fair, the night I did say when I was watching it, this must feel like the longest night of his life because it did feel like it was going on forever. But in, like, that's the point. It's a torturous

Damien:

It is the point. When they when he sorts out the book Mhmm. Which is also, we'll we'll get to this, but how he gets the book into his hand. Oh. Don't don't My We'll get there.

Damien:

God. We'll get there. Right? It's Right. An exercise in frustration.

Damien:

Right?

Lily:

But also, the bit that I found quite funny is so he's buried her. Yep. And he's reaching for this magnifying glass locket or whatever it is. And then he gets jumped.

Damien:

Yep.

Lily:

But then so he never grabs the locket, but then miraculously, it's like back in his hand later on when he needs it.

Damien:

She's pocketing.

Lily:

Yeah. Like, you didn't grab it because you got rugby tackled by the zombie. Also,

Damien:

at what point are you getting attacked by, like, vicious demonic women? Right? And then in a little kind of hiatus, a moment of clarity, you're like, oh, what's that in my pocket? That's like super, super tiny. I would notice that as in that would be in the washing machine.

Damien:

Honestly. I wouldn't notice.

Lily:

No.

Damien:

Anyway, he has noticed, which is lucky for him. Yeah. Because he's gonna use that later, isn't

Lily:

he Okay.

Damien:

To to win.

Lily:

Do we think there's any more moments or stupid decisions that are worth mentioning, or shall we move on?

Damien:

We're forty five minutes in, Lily.

Lily:

I know. That's why I'm scooching it.

Damien:

I think you're probably to to push it

Lily:

on. I'm quite I think I've got this timekeeping thing.

Damien:

You're good at pacing. Yeah. I'm good at blathering bullshit. Seems to be a common common theme.

Lily:

So I guess it's a good thing to talk about because we're absolutely slaughtering the film and the decisions and all of that. But equally, be a pretty boring film if none of these things happened. Like if she didn't go outside and he didn't bury her or, like, if he did chop her up. Like, do know what I mean? All of these things would be over really quickly.

Lily:

So They would. The question is, why does that kind of stupidity work in horror?

Damien:

Well, I think a lot of it is down to the suspension of disbelief is one thing. Right? You know this is dumb as a spectator, but then it's like a pantomime in that you want to see the dumb thing sometimes. Depends on the kind of film and the tone of the film. Right?

Damien:

But as long as you wanna see the dumb thing because you wanna be able to look at the screen or shout at the person next to you on the sofa and go, why would you do that? Because it's frustrating, isn't it? Whereas if it was like everyone made, as you say, a sensible decision, like, no. I'm not going outside. Yeah.

Damien:

They'd be like, oh, okay. I'm gonna call the police. Yeah. And then the helicopter turns up and everything's fine. Yeah.

Damien:

And goes home. It's like, that wasn't a fun film. So I think it's like a lot of it is particularly with Evil Dead, it is weighted towards the horror, the body horror particularly. And, like because we know this later on because Bruce Campbell, plays Ash, is in awe of Sam Raimi's films, including Spider Man and everything else. So I think I'm gonna say something that's gonna come across, like, real snotty.

Damien:

But, like, when I did my film degree and we did horror and fantasy films for, like, a long time, one of the things that comes up all the time is this idea of the final girl. Right? So I think I've bored you with before at some point. Yeah? I think.

Damien:

So, like, the final girl is Ripley in Alien.

Lily:

Yeah. Yeah.

Damien:

Right? Buffy the Vampire Star is probably the most famous final girl.

Lily:

Iconic.

Damien:

Texas chainsaw, final girl. Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween, final girl. Right?

Lily:

But Sydney thingy in Scream. Exactly.

Damien:

So I was

Lily:

gonna say Sydney Sweeney. It's not Sydney Sweeney.

Damien:

Sydney Sweeney in

Lily:

Sydney.

Damien:

I'm sure she's been the final girl in something, Sydney Sweeney.

Lily:

Oh, the Sydney and

Damien:

Scream? Scream. Neve Campbell. Yeah. Yeah.

Damien:

That's right. Neve Campbell. So but the weird thing about this one is that I think that Bruce Campbell, Ash, is like Sam Raimi's muse because he's the final boy.

Lily:

I don't think he deserved to be No. To be honest. Absolutely not. I do not respect his character.

Damien:

No. I mean, it's dumb. I mean, the facial expressions alone.

Lily:

Caught under a shelf twice. You know, you're like, how is this guy caught under a shelf again? Fucking hell.

Damien:

You wanna watch the second film because it only gets worse from there.

Lily:

Yeah. I can imagine.

Damien:

But but I guess my point is that, like, you're asking the question, these dumb decisions. I think that this is more about, like, entertainment and it's almost like a circus form. Right?

Lily:

And I do think there's an element of human beings wanting to see horrible things happen. Of course. You know other films, like, completely unrelated, not really horror, but Nerve where they get to dare them to do messed up things for money, and it's always that it keeps escalating. It keeps escalating. And it's that's, I guess, what horror is a little bit about is how much can you take, especially the gore side of horror.

Damien:

Exactly. But like to your point earlier, do you think that, like, we we are pretty desensitized to that kind of body horror at this point? Like

Lily:

We are now.

Damien:

Right. Which seems a bit sad in a way. Yeah. Because, again, back in the eighties, the reason that film was banned was the rape scene in the forest, but also it was just deemed to be too horrible to watch.

Lily:

The expulsion of blood on his face and in his mouth at least three times, if not four Yeah. Yeah. Was so graphic. But saying that, we're desensitized to it now, but watching that yesterday, that stop motion was still so cool. And also still gross.

Lily:

Like, was watching it like, because it gets all that, like, pus oozes out and it's like thick. And I was like, for it to be that visceral most Yep. For that time period is mental, actually.

Damien:

I read something about that. I did read some facts, in case we needed some facts to kind of bolster time. Right? We'll Laugh. Yeah.

Damien:

For some reason, you and I can talk for hours about shit. So there's a whole thing about, like, you'll notice it if you compare to watch it again. There's a lot of shots of people, like, behind people Yeah. During that last ten, fifteen minutes of the film where, like, the guys were in a wig or whatever. It's because it was so cold when they filmed it, and the the whole shoot took, like, a year, and they lost some actors on the way.

Damien:

Right? They just lost them to other projects or because it was just so cold and it was such a hard shoot. So quite often, you're seeing different actors with makeup on or something. Oh, no. That's annoying.

Damien:

And and, like, you know, in different wigs and stuff. And then Sam there's a whole thing about Sam Remy talking about that stop frame animation and how long it took.

Lily:

I was thinking that.

Damien:

Right. And all that, like, sort of, like, point of view shots or reverse shots with Ash when he's looking at that happening and all that kind of thing. And you sort of forget that, like, these days, you've CGs looking at a tennis ball on a stick. Not that he's obviously watching the stop motion being made, but he's having to react to this. But the stop motion itself took ages.

Lily:

That was the one of the first things me and Connie talked about when it first came on. It was so retro, like, just the beginning of it. Yeah. But we were saying that you didn't have all of those effects and all of that stuff. That was one of the first things we talked about, even the sound, how there would have been a I remember what name she used for the person.

Damien:

But The Foley guy.

Lily:

A guy would sit yes. Sit there. And and so then every time there were certain sounds, I was thinking, oh, that guy must have had the best time ever.

Damien:

Man, you have reminded me of something in this film that I had never noticed before, and I was laughing because you know when the blood starts coming through the you look at the pipe for ages in the basement.

Lily:

And it shatters.

Damien:

Yeah. And then the blood and then it comes out the plug sockets.

Lily:

Yes.

Damien:

And then it fills a light bulb. Yeah. Right? Remember this. Right?

Damien:

So the sound of blood filling a light bulb.

Lily:

And it's like

Damien:

It's like

Lily:

You were near it. No. Do you know what also I loved, not for funny reasons, but because I just thought it was so artsy, was the blood dripping on the projector. Yeah. That was so cool.

Damien:

Yeah. That was really good, wasn't it? Yeah. I guess that's what made Sam Remy stick out. Like, you know, the film is a a nonsense thing.

Lily:

Is chaos. Because genuinely, I was there, like and give it its credit. It could build suspense. There were still times where I was when he's she's trying to get in and the keys are all wrong.

Damien:

I was like, oh my god. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Lily:

Okay. Yeah. Amazing. What was your favorite cliche?

Damien:

I I think, honestly, the asshole going into the into the cellar. Yeah. Because everything there is is is played out the way that it needs to be. You got that, like, arrogant college boy jock, whatever he is. Yeah.

Damien:

And he's like, I'm gonna play a trick on these guys. I'm gonna go into this this seller. And they're calling him and he's refusing to answer. Yeah. And, obviously, we, as your audience, think that he may already be dead.

Damien:

Yeah. We know that his friends are worried about him, and yet he chooses not to. So that, like, straight away for me is the an epitome of Yeah. A stupid decision. Although, that's not what kills him.

Damien:

He finds the book

Lily:

Yeah.

Damien:

To be fair. Yeah. But it's still the first proper cliche.

Lily:

Yeah. Yeah. I think we've kind of answered this question as well. So you probably don't need to go over it. But how this film compares to similar films.

Lily:

I almost don't know if it does. I feel like it's I mean, it doesn't now because there've been so many more. But based on its time Yeah. It was probably one of the Yeah.

Damien:

It was So one of I can't remember the the timeline on this, but, you know, the chap who the chap. God. Why can't I know his name? Peter Jackson. Ring a bell?

Damien:

Mhmm. Right. Okay.

Lily:

It does, actually.

Damien:

I feel like I got his name wrong. God. Know. I

Lily:

mean, I'm saying that. It could be completely wrong.

Damien:

Okay. I'm gonna get shot by someone if this goes out. Peter Jackson. Peter Jackson. Lord of the Rings.

Damien:

Right. Peter Jackson. He makes Lord of the Rings You are gonna get shot if that's wrong. Right.

Lily:

Asking me if that's right as well is like a chocolate teapot is useless. Oh my god.

Damien:

An underwater pony trekking club. Honestly. Garlic flavored chocolate.

Lily:

Right. Alright. Focus. Okay. Focus.

Damien:

So Pete Jackson. Right. Pete Jackson, amazing film made because obviously, like, Lord of the Rings was the thing, and then there's Lovely Bones or Heavenly Bodies. I can't remember. Anyway, it doesn't matter because this first film is a film called Brain Dead, which is super gory, super horrible.

Damien:

Like, he's like the New Zealand Sam Raimi. And I can't remember which came first, but they were a similar time. So that's the only thing I could compare it to at the time. Otherwise, I don't think there was anything like it.

Lily:

No. Hence, the point Yeah.

Damien:

Right. It's like you've not seen this before. It's disgusting. Yeah. You know?

Damien:

We'd had Jaws, I guess. It's 1975, '77. So we'd seen blood. We'd seen monsters.

Lily:

Would you class that as a horror?

Damien:

In a way, in the there was a generation of people who would not go in to see

Lily:

Yeah. It's scary. It's definitely scary. It's it's something good to think about. I don't know if I would have categorized that as horror, but I can see why it would be.

Damien:

I feel like there's the anticipation of horror.

Lily:

Like, know True.

Damien:

With that, and the muffin there, and the muffin there. And then you got the kid on the lily on the, you know, the blow up thing. And then Yeah. As an audience, you're like because you know what's coming.

Lily:

Yeah. That's true.

Damien:

Terrifying. Anyway, but, yeah, different.

Lily:

Okay. Self aware moment. How would each of us die in Evil

Damien:

Dead? Okay. You go first.

Lily:

Are we as in which character are we, or do we get our own original death?

Damien:

You're Lily in this situation.

Lily:

I am Lily. Yeah. Okay. I think it would probably be closer to the arrogant jock guy and that I would give it a good go at chopping people up, but I'd get got eventually.

Damien:

How though?

Lily:

That's what I'm trying to think. How did he just randomly got possessed, actually. I don't remember a a turning point.

Damien:

What? The dude? Yeah. What? The basement dude?

Lily:

Yeah. The arrogant guy. He has a scrap. He he's, like, dying, and he's, like, punching him and stuff to wake him up. Oh, he's

Damien:

that's right. Yeah. He's gone outside. He's tried to run away, hasn't he? And then he's come back later, he's all scratched up and put his mouth and stuff.

Damien:

Yeah. So, obviously, the the woodland spirits have got him. Right? The the forest. Yeah.

Damien:

I think that's what's happened there. He's I wonder if he was raped off screen and we just didn't ever saw him.

Lily:

Yeah. Do you know? I think that's probably what would happen to me. I think the trees would get me.

Damien:

They would get you. Yeah. I think you'd put up

Lily:

a bit of fighting the beard. Yeah. I agree.

Damien:

Yeah. Reckon you take a couple of those trees out before.

Lily:

Yeah. Like, just be like, snapping branches left, right, and center.

Damien:

You'd have found that action. You'd chopped a couple down.

Lily:

I think in yeah. Yeah. I'd give it a good go. I'd get rid of some, but I think I would get taken by the trees.

Damien:

I think you'd be found dead, but you would have sunk your teeth into a tree. Yeah. Like, right down to the park, like, through the park. Yeah. Yeah.

Damien:

Definitely.

Lily:

Okay. What about you?

Damien:

I I'm in the car. We're going over the bridge.

Lily:

Oh, this is on the way? Yeah. Are you are you first to die? Yeah. Oh.

Damien:

Ash is like, Damo, could you there's a hole. Could you come have a little look? See, I think the tire's gone through a hole. Yeah. Sure.

Lily:

I get out. The bridge.

Damien:

Warm down like this.

Lily:

So you don't even get possessed? No.

Damien:

I just I'm face down in the water. Just You can't swim. You just die on impact. I've a rock. Or if it's Indiana Jones, which was the first thing I thought, was then I'm eaten by crocodiles.

Damien:

I

Lily:

don't Naturally. Think Naturally. Okay.

Damien:

So that's me. I don't make it into the cabin.

Lily:

That is tragic.

Damien:

Possibly realistic.

Lily:

The smartest dumb thing in the film, so something that actually made sense. For me, it's the axe when he finally chops one of them up. I'm just like, finally, one of the men is getting it done. A provider is what he

Damien:

is. Provider.

Lily:

He delivers.

Damien:

He does deliver. He knows what to do. Yeah. I guess you're right. I think that and there's a moment where Ash has got his shotgun, and one's got their head through the window, and he's like

Lily:

He wastes a bullet. He just shoots on them. Honestly, I feel like he can't

Damien:

He gets one in the head, don't he?

Lily:

Oh, yeah. I've I've done it. He's just not redeemable for me. I think he's such a wet lettuce, honestly.

Damien:

And yet in in film number three, army of darkness Yeah. He obliterates loads of deadites.

Lily:

About fucking time. He's he's been so shit the rest of the time. He's a slow learner. Evidently.

Damien:

Give him a chance.

Lily:

I also like that she did fight off the trees eventually.

Damien:

Yes. She did.

Lily:

So fair play to her there.

Damien:

Yeah. She gave a good crack, didn't she?

Lily:

Okay. Yeah. So stupidity index

Damien:

Okay.

Lily:

Rates the overall decision making. So not the film, but the decision making out of 10.

Damien:

Okay. This is hard though. Well, it's not hard, but it's right. What do you compare it against? Like, a film where there are no good decisions, like a like a scary movie

Lily:

Yeah.

Damien:

Where the point is that they don't and it's silly. Yes. So, like, what's this out of 10? Yes. Okay.

Lily:

I reckon Zero is, like, the most stupid ever.

Damien:

Oh, what, like, the lower Yeah. Is super stupid. Yeah. Okay. So the higher it is

Lily:

The better the decision making.

Damien:

So something like, say, example, Sinister Yeah. Would be quite high because there's not a lot of bad decision making in there. No. Or you may differ because I think that's you may know that film better than I do.

Lily:

Yeah. I can only think of one really bad decision.

Damien:

Okay. Moving to that house in the first place. Yeah. Exactly. Okay.

Damien:

But I've got a thought about that. Okay. But that's gonna be

Lily:

whole different thing.

Damien:

Save it. For for this film, so Lo is bad. Lo is stupid.

Lily:

Yeah. Does that make sense to you, or do you wanna stop it?

Damien:

It makes sense to me. Okay. I'm gonna give it a three. Yeah. Is that what you're thinking?

Lily:

I was thinking three or four.

Damien:

Okay.

Lily:

So and I would probably have gone to three because it is quite catastrophic.

Damien:

It is, isn't it? There are some really bad decisions Yeah. In there. Like, all the

Lily:

way through. The fact that we filled an hour of bad decisions, I think, does emphasize just how many there are.

Damien:

We have done an hour, haven't we?

Lily:

Which is perfect timing though because we are coming to the end. Uh-oh. I mean, quick justification of the score. I feel like we have already done that to death by Yeah. Everything we've talked about.

Lily:

Either a lesson learned, a final thought, favorite line.

Damien:

A lesson learned. Probably just looks back to all this

Lily:

I think you said it in the beginning was as soon as you see that bridge, you're turning around and going home.

Damien:

That's the lesson learned. That's the lesson learned. It's like bad bridge to yeah. And if there's no other easy route back, then don't just don't go there.

Lily:

And also a lesson you highlighted without even realizing it is if you've seen your girlfriend turn into a demon and she turns back human

Damien:

Don't touch her.

Lily:

That you don't believe it.

Damien:

Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Or anyone, really. If you did that to me, if you demoned out on me Yeah.

Damien:

I would not trust you not to do that ever again.

Lily:

Think you're trust me in general anyway, though, so it's fine.

Damien:

I have learned I have come to trust you, Lily, as a brother. No. I no. I think it's like herpes. I don't think that stuff ever goes away.

Damien:

Oh my god.

Lily:

And on that note

Damien:

Okay.

Lily:

Next time, what are gonna talk about?

Damien:

I don't know.

Lily:

It's your turn to choose.

Damien:

Choose a film.

Lily:

It's your turn.

Damien:

Oh, shit. You've been on the spot. Right? Okay. I want to choose one that is more up to date Okay.

Damien:

So that we got, like we can reference it to other things. I think let's pick a goodie, shall we? We've mentioned it. Well, okay. We could do black phone two or we could save it and

Lily:

we could one? Do

Damien:

Contrafer. Oh, that's good because then we can yeah. Because they're two very different films.

Lily:

Yeah. They

Damien:

are. Aren't they? Right. Okay. Black Phone one.

Lily:

Oh, so I haven't watched it in ages. I can't really remember it. So we'd watching it again.

Damien:

Okay. I think I'm up for it. I think it's good. I can't remember how many bad decisions were in that film, but there's always there's always bad decisions.

Lily:

That's a provisional next week. If we think of a better one, then we'll change it.

Damien:

Okay. We can we can do that, can't we? We're grown ups. We we're grown We keep smashing the microphone. I mean, that's like, rule number one is don't touch the fucking microphone.

Damien:

So I keep crossing my arms. I can't trust myself. Right. Okay. So have we done it?

Lily:

I think so.

Damien:

We've done it. I don't know how well we've done it.

Lily:

I mean, we filled an hour, so there's gotta be something redeeming in there now.

Damien:

There has to be something, doesn't there?

Lily:

Or we can pray.

Damien:

And we haven't yelled at each other. No. No. That's good.

Lily:

I didn't think that was gonna happen.

Damien:

Well, I had a suspicion that spending an hour chatting together at some point, you'd get let me, because most people do.

Lily:

You do realize how many times I've spent more than an hour with you and stayed this

Damien:

You're very actually, you're yeah. Yeah. Is that jujitsu and it keeps calm?

Lily:

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Amazing.

Damien:

Okay. Right. We've done it. So the only thing we need to do now is actually introduce the damn thing.

Lily:

Oh, we did. Yeah. We did. It was just awful.

Damien:

Yeah. We need to do it now with some, like, kind of Okay. Enthusiasm, don't we? Think or something. Oh, did you read page two?

Lily:

Yeah. We've gone through the whole thing.

Damien:

Oh, yeah. We haven't we?

Lily:

I'm on it. I'm on it, mate.

Damien:

I'm so

Lily:

I mean, you're not because the only reason I'm on it is because you provided it. So actually, teamwork. Great teamwork.

Damien:

Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Do

Lily:

want me to say the tagline?

Damien:

Yeah. So what? Do you want me to do the title? You do the tag or you do all of it?

Lily:

Why don't we both, do all of it? You can pick and choose which one sounds best.

Damien:

Or should we try and do it at the same time? No. Like they like they do on podcasts. No. Do works.

Damien:

It's always awkward as well, ain't it?

Lily:

Yeah. Really awkward.

Damien:

Should we not do it? Should we defy convention? Or is a little bit of you wanna try?

Lily:

No. I'm happy to defy convention. Convention?

Damien:

Yeah. Okay. Okay. Right.

Lily:

It just feels too forced.

Damien:

It is forced, ain't it?

Lily:

I don't know why.

Damien:

I think we have a British sensibility. Yeah. Well, we like the idea of it, maybe.

Lily:

It does seem quite American, doesn't it? Like It does. Welcome to a series of stupid decisions.

Damien:

See, folks say it.

Lily:

The podcast where we celebrate every terrible choice in horror history.

Damien:

Okay. You've literally never spoken like that before, ever. I'm gonna give

Lily:

phone voice.

Damien:

Okay. I'm gonna give it a go, but I'm gonna do it like like a male version of that.

Lily:

Okay.

Damien:

I'm gonna use my telephone. Do it. My best boy voice.

Lily:

Okay.

Damien:

Okay.

Lily:

They've given me eye contact.

Damien:

Alright. Welcome. Oh my god. Are you serious? Should be looking at the camera as well.

Damien:

Right? Let the me look the light the light ring. Mm-mm mm-mm. This is the first one I will have done for an hour. Okay.

Damien:

Welcome to a series of stupid decisions, a horror podcast. I can't find a tagline.

Lily:

It's literally my name. It's not, though, is it? The podcast. Literally, there are series of stupid decisions.

Damien:

Oh, dude. You gassed it because my eyes can't read that.

Lily:

Okay.

Damien:

I got old eyes.

Lily:

How do you you that wasn't a telephone voice. That was like a performer voice.

Damien:

Was it?

Lily:

Do you want me to go?

Damien:

You do it.

Lily:

I don't know which I don't know how to do it.

Damien:

Isn't there some, like, thing where you put your tongue on the roof of your mouth, where is that photographed?

Lily:

Yeah, that's to get rid of a double chin.

Damien:

Oh, is it? Oh, okay. Do

Lily:

you want me to go telephone, voice? Try it. Okay. Wait, I can't look and do this. Okay.

Lily:

I I can't I can't take it seriously. I can't. Okay. That went really well.

Damien:

What's how we can do this? We gotta we gotta choose Okay. It Should I do the thing and use the tag?

Lily:

Sure. Yeah. Okay.

Damien:

Yeah. Right then. Alright. You got the tag? Ready?

Damien:

Yeah. Okay. You happy listening or welcome to? Welcome to? This is?

Damien:

This is?

Lily:

This is? This is. Is. That would make it so much easier. I think it's the welcome that's throwing

Damien:

me off. I don't really feel like

Lily:

a welcome anymore. Of Stupid Decisions.

Damien:

Yeah. Okay. A podcast. Oh, we swapped. Okay.

Damien:

Do you no. Do we mention oh, is it at the track line?

Lily:

Okay. This is a series of Stupid Decisions, the podcast where we celebrate every terrible choice in horror history.

Damien:

That's that's good. Do it again. Okay.

Lily:

You go. Let's alternate. Give me a break.

Damien:

I'm hot. Hang on. It's because I can't I actually can't read it.

Lily:

Do you want to write it bigger?

Damien:

I could put my glasses on, but I don't want to.

Lily:

You don't want to?

Damien:

No. K. Alright. You do it all. Okay.

Damien:

Okay.

Lily:

This is a series of Stupid Decisions, the podcast where we celebrate every terrible choice in horror history. I think you've done it. Like, fuck for that.

Damien:

Awesome. Right. Okay. Let's stop this, shall we? Yeah.

Damien:

Yeah. Happy. Okay.