Encyclopedia Of Detroit

Film director Sam Raimi was born on October 23, 1959 in Royal Oak, Michigan. Most famous for the Evil Dead series and Spider-Man trilogy of films, Raimi was fascinated with making movies from a young age. He made short movies using an 8mm camera in his teens with friends Bruce Campbell and Robert Tapert, who would collaborate with Raimi for years. Their film Within the Woods generated the funds needed to make The Evil Dead, a low-budget horror film that employs gore, humor, and tropes that have come to define the genre. It was released in 1981, and premiered at Detroit’s Redford Theatre on the city’s west side before being distributed broadly. The film was a hit, and developed a cult following that would eventually be treated to Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness, and the T.V. series Ash vs. Evil Dead. The original film received a stage musical adaptation in 2003, and a modern film reboot in 2013.  

In 2002, Raimi directed Spider-Man starring Tobey Maguire, which set a new opening weekend box office record of $115 million. It also garnered positive critical reception, in a time when comic book movie adaptations were not guaranteed successes. Raimi directed the film’s sequels: Spider-Man 2, released 2004, and Spider-Man 3, released 2007. In addition to writing and directing other movies like Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, he also produces films and television series through his production company Renaissance Pictures.  

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