Director Sam Raimi explained why he thought the title of “The Sinister Dead” was “stupid” when the legendary film was just being created.
In an interview with Empire, Raimi said that the title belongs to the film’s sales agent Irwin Shapiro.
“The original title of the [original] movie was ‘Book of the Dead,'” Raimi said. “But Shapiro sat Rob [Tapert], Bruce [Campbell] and me down and said, ‘Guys, we’re changing the name. Advertising space in the newspaper is paid by the inch, kid. We won’t have a five-word title. The “dead” can stay. One more word is possible. You can call it “101 Per Cent Dead” or “Evil Dead”.”
Choosing between the two options, Raimi leaned towards a simpler title: “101 Per Cent Dead?” I thought: “I will die first,” he said. But even the “Sinister Dead” did not like it at first. “How can something be evil and dead?” he asked. — I just thought it was so stupid.
Over the years, the name “Sinister Dead” has become a household name, as the franchise has grown to include video games, comics, numerous films, TV shows and even a musical.
Eventually, Raimi fell in love with the name. “Now I’m starting to like it,” he said. “That’s very good.”
In other news, the Evil Dead franchise is preparing to release Evil Dead Rise after they shared the official trailer earlier this year. It is expected that the upcoming horror will be an independent addition to the cult horror franchise, unrelated to either the original trilogy or the 2013 reboot.
Lead actor Bruce Campbell, who won’t be in the new film, told fans it was “the scariest movie ever.”
Fascinated by comics, Raimi also said that he would like to make a Batman movie in the future.
“I’ve always loved Batman,” Raimi told Empire in a new interview. “If I ever saw a bat signal in the air, I would come running.”
