“Everything I’ve done torments me”: why Sam Raimi would reshoot every movie he’s made
It’s no fun going through life full of regrets. Mistakes are inevitable, and life’s already goddamn hard enough. However, it’s the mindset that Sam Raimi sadly harnesses in response to his filmography.
Raimi is an interesting cinematic figure. He rose to prominence by making the classic horror The Evil Dead, an indie success that was derided by many as a ‘video nasty’. The film became notorious, although now it’s regarded as one of the best horror movies of the 1980s, an original gem among a minefield of Halloween wannabes.
You’d think that Raimi would continue to harness a career built upon his skills as an independent filmmaker, but he soon gave in to Hollywood’s demands for commercialism, which ultimately resulted in his take on Spider-Man, which was a huge success. Sure, it wasn’t video nasty territory, but it was a hit with critics and audiences alike, quickly leading to Raimi’s helming of two sequels.
Since then, Raimi has indulged in more big-budget movies that are a far cry from The Evil Dead, like Oz the Great and Powerful and even the Marvel slop Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. How the mighty sometimes fall. Has Raimi ever considered himself mighty, though? The filmmaker can’t help but scrutinise everything he has ever made, which is a tough position to be in when your work is so public.
When asked by the LA Times if there is anything he would change about his Spider-Man movies, he answered with a far bleaker response than the interviewer was probably expecting. Raimi didn’t pick out a few scenes that he wished he’d made more exciting or some costumes he would’ve altered. Rather, he replied, “What would I have done differently? I would have done everything differently, every single shot.”
This led him to explain his dissatisfaction with literally everything he has ever touched. “I think in every picture that I’ve ever made. Everything that I’ve done torments me. I really would like another chance, except I’d be too embarrassed to ever really try to do them again, and no one would want to see the same movie just done differently,” the filmmaker said.
To make good art, you have to have some level of trust in yourself if you’re going to confidently release it into the world. Raimi is a good example of the fact that imposter syndrome and harsh self-criticism always have the potential to linger, even when you’ve made classic movies that have been nominated for Academy Awards – the highest honour.
Raimi might have made some questionable movies, like the boring For Love of the Game and the unnecessary The Wizard of Oz spin-off, but he shouldn’t sit back and admonish himself for everything he’s ever made. The Evil Dead is a vital piece of horror filmmaking which has inspired many, and there are certainly directors out there who would die to make something as beloved as the supernatural classic.
