Editing The Evil Dead (section)

===Background and writing===
[[Sam Raimi]] and [[Bruce Campbell]] grew up together, and have been friends from an early age.{{sfn|Dixon|2010|p=161}} The duo made several low-budget [[Super 8 mm film]] projects together.{{sfn|Campbell|2002|p=65}} Several were comedies, including ''[[Clockwork (film)|Clockwork]]'' and ''[[It's Murder!]]''.{{sfn|Egan|2011|p=16}}{{sfn|Campbell|2002|p=66}} Shooting a suspense scene in ''It's Murder!'' inspired them to approach careers in the horror genre; after researching horror cinema at [[drive-in theater]]s, Raimi was set on directing a horror film, opting to shoot a [[proof of concept]] [[short film]] – described by the director as a "prototype" – that would attract the interest of financiers, and use the funds raised to shoot a full-length project.{{sfn|Campbell|2002|p=66}}{{sfn|Becker|2006|p=64}} The short film that Raimi created was called ''[[Within the Woods]]'', which was produced for $1,600.{{sfn|Lamberson|2008|p=84}} For ''The Evil Dead'', Raimi required over $100,000.{{sfn|Campbell|2002|p=85–88}}

To generate funds to produce the film, Raimi approached Phil Gillis, a lawyer to one of his friends.{{sfn|Campbell|2002|p=85–88}}{{sfn|Konow|2012|p=412–413}} Raimi showed him ''Within the Woods'', and although Gillis was not impressed by the short film, he offered Raimi legal advice on how to produce ''The Evil Dead''. With his advice in mind, Raimi asked a variety of people for donations, and even eventually "begged" some.{{sfn|Campbell|2002|p=85–88}} Campbell had to ask several of his own family members, and Raimi asked every individual he thought might be interested.{{sfn|Campbell|2002|p=85–88}} He eventually raised enough money to produce a full-length film, though not the full amount he originally wanted.{{sfn|Campbell|2002|p=85–88}} Raimi said the film cost $375,000.<ref name="BobbieWygant">{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ccmkooeo5g&t=627s| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/6Ccmkooeo5g| archive-date=December 11, 2021|title=Sam Raimi "Darkman" 8/4/90 - Bobbie Wygant Archive|date=September 18, 2020|access-date=April 15, 2021|via=YouTube|url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

With enough money to produce the film, Raimi and Campbell set out to make what was then titled ''Book of the Dead'', a name inspired by Raimi's interest in the fiction of [[H. P. Lovecraft]].{{sfn|Campbell|2002|p=66}}<ref name="thingstoknow"/> The film was supposed to be a remake of ''Within the Woods'', with higher production values and a full-length running time. Raimi turned 20 just before shooting began, and he considered the project his "[[rite of passage]]".{{sfn|Campbell|2002|p=95}}