Before Sam Raimi set out to make his 1981 horror masterpiece The Evil Dead, he made a 30-minute short film called Within the Woods. The short was made in 1978, it had a budget of $1600, and it's awesome, raw, horror movie greatness! The story centers around demonic possession and mysterious forces originating from the woods. The short is still really good despite the low budget and the special effects they were forced to improvise on the set. And yes, the short also stars Bruce Campbell.
This is what he used to get investors for The Evil Dead. He literally went out a begged for money to make The Evil Dead. He was looking for $150,000 to make it, and when he finally ended up raising $90,000 they went out and made the movie anyway. The rest is history, and now we have a terrifying looking remake of the film coming soon.
Watch the short that started it all, and let us know if you think it still holds up after 35 years! Enjoy the show!