Samuel M "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, writer and actor, famous for directing
the cult horror comedy Evil Dead series, the superhero film Darkman, and the Spider-Man
trilogy; his most recent work is 2013's fantasy film Oz the Great and Powerful.
Raimi has produced several successful television series and is the founder of Renaissance Pictures.
Recently, he worked as the producer of The Possession, and the 2013 remake of Evil Dead.
He is currently working on a film adaption of the critically acclaimed video game The
Last of Us.
He is the older brother of actor Ted Raimi and the younger brother of screenwriter Ivan
Raimi.
Early life Raimi, the fourth of five children, was born
in Royal Oak, Michigan, and grew up in Birmingham, Michigan.
He was raised in Conservative Judaism; his ancestors emigrated from Russia and Hungary.
Raimi graduated from Groves High School and later went on to attend Michigan State University,
where he majored in English but left after three semesters to film The Evil Dead.
Film Raimi became fascinated with making films
when his father brought a movie camera home one day and he began to make Super 8 movies
with childhood friend Bruce Campbell.
In college, he teamed up with his brother's roommate Robert Tapert and Campbell to shoot
Within the Woods, a 32-minute horror film which raised $375,000, as well as the short
comedic film It's Murder!
Through family, friends, and a network of investors Raimi was able to finance production
of the highly successful horror film The Evil Dead which became a cult hit and effectively
launched Raimi's career.
He began work on his second film Crimewave, intended as a live-action comic book—the
film was not successful, due in part to unwanted studio intervention.
Raimi returned to the horror genre with the seminal Evil Dead II.
With his brother Ivan Raimi, Sam Raimi also wrote Easy Wheels, a parody of the Outlaw
biker film genre.
A long-time comic book buff, he then attempted to adapt "The Shadow" into a movie, but was
unable to secure the rights, so he created his own super-hero, Darkman.
The film was his first major studio picture, and was only moderately successful, but through
it he was still able to secure funding for Evil Dead III, which was retitled Army of
Darkness and turned away almost totally from horror in favor of fantasy and comedy elements.
Army of Darkness, the final movie in the Evil Dead trilogy, was a box office flop, yet on
video became a cult classic.
In the 1990s, Raimi moved into other genres, directing such films as the western The Quick
and the Dead, the critically acclaimed crime thriller A Simple Plan, and the romantic drama
For Love of the Game.
Raimi achieved great critical and commercial success with the blockbuster Spider-Man, which
was adapted from the comic book series of the same name.
The movie has grossed over US$800 million worldwide, spawning two sequels: Spider-Man
2 and Spider-Man 3, both directed by Raimi and both grossing roughly $800 million each.
After the completion of the third Spider-Man film, he planned on producing two more sequels
but could not find a satisfactory script.
Prior to directing the Spider-Man films, Raimi lobbied to direct Batman Forever when Tim
Burton was ousted from the director's chair, but was rejected in favor of Joel Schumacher,
whose reputation at the time outshone Raimi's.
Raimi frequently collaborates with Joel and Ethan Coen, beginning when Joel was one of
the editors of Evil Dead.
The Coens co-wrote Crimewave and The Hudsucker Proxy with Raimi in the mid-1980s.
Raimi made cameo appearances in Miller's Crossing, The Hudsucker Proxy, and with Joel Coen in
Spies Like Us.
The Coen brothers gave Raimi advice on shooting in snow for A Simple Plan, based on their
experiences with Fargo.
He has also worked in front of the camera in The Stand as a dimwitted hitman, John Carpenter's
Body Bags as a gas station attendant, and Indian Summer in what is perhaps his biggest
role as a bumbling assistant to Alan Arkin.
The film was written by his childhood friend writer-director Mike Binder and shot at the
camp that they both attended when they were younger.
Raimi also produced the entire The Grudge franchise.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Raimi had expressed an interest in directing a film
version of The Hobbit, the prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
In 2008, Guillermo del Toro was selected as the director, with Peter Jackson as the executive
producer.
Raimi may direct By Any Means Necessary, the next film based on the "Jack Ryan" CIA character
created by Tom Clancy for Paramount Pictures.
Disney also approached him to direct W.I.T.C.H.: The Movie, based on the popular comic.
Blizzard Entertainment announced on July 22, 2009 that Sam Raimi will be directing a Warcraft
film.
However at Comic-Con International 2012, it was revealed that he would not be the one
directing the World of Warcraft adaptation.
On September 23, 2009, he became the producer for the British supernatural thriller Refuge,
which is directed by Corin Hardy and published by Mandate Pictures.
He will produce the remake of the Danish thriller The Substitute, which will be directed by
Scott Dickerson under his new Label Spooky Pictures.
Raimi produced with his company Ghost House Pictures the British thriller flick Burst
3D, which is directed by Neil Marshall.
Raimi directed Oz the Great and Powerful, which was released on March 8, 2013 by Walt
Disney Pictures.
He has taken himself out for directing a planned sequel.
On December 11, 2006, the website SuperHero Hype reported that director Sam Raimi and
Michael Uslan would co-produce a new film version of The Shadow for Columbia Pictures.
On October 16, 2007, Raimi stated that: "I don't have any news on 'The Shadow' at this
time, except that the company that I have with Josh Donen, my producing partner, we've
got the rights to 'The Shadow.'
I love the character very much and we're trying to work on a story that'll do justice to the
character."
On January 29, 2010, it was reported that Sam Raimi was searching for a new project
after it was announced that the Spider-Man movie franchise would be rebooted without
him.
The Shadow was said to be at the top of his list.
On Thursday, August 5, 2010, it was reported that Quentin Tarantino – who was attached
as a co-writer for the script – was attached to direct as well.
However, Tarantino denied this rumor, reportedly saying "That's totally made up."
Raimi, along with Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert, produced the remake of Raimi's The Evil Dead.
First-time feature filmmaker Fede Alvarez wrote and directed, and Diablo Cody was also
brought in to revise/rewrite the script.
Sam Raimi confirmed plans to write Evil Dead 4 with his brother; it was later specified
that this film would be Army of Darkness 2.
Alvarez revealed that Raimi will be directing the sequel to Army of Darkness.
In an interview with Erin Darling, Bruce Campbell announced that Army of Darkness 2 is not happening,
saying "It's all internet b.s.
There's no reality whatsoever.
These random comments slip out of either my mouth, or Sam Raimi's mouth, next thing you
know, we're making a sequel."
Television In addition to film, Raimi has worked in television,
producing such series as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and its spin off Xena: Warrior Princess,
both featuring his younger brother Ted Raimi and long-time friend Bruce Campbell, American
Gothic, Cleopatra 2525, M.A.N.T.I.S., 13: Fear Is Real, Young Hercules, and Jack of
All Trades.
In 2008 Raimi executive produced a syndicated TV series called Legend of the Seeker, based
on Terry Goodkind's best-selling The Sword of Truth fantasy series.
He is also the executive producer of Starz original television series Spartacus: Blood
and Sand and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena., Spartacus: Vengeance and Spartacus: War of
the Damned.
Recurring trademarks, motifs, and partners In his film and television projects, Raimi's
brother Ted Raimi and his friend Bruce Campbell often appear in on-screen roles, though these
appearances are often just cameos.
The trio have been working together since their college days.
Both Ted and Bruce have appeared in all three Evil Dead and Spider-Man movies, as well as
Hercules: the Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, which Sam produced.
In the Dead films, Campbell plays the recurring star role of Ash, while Ted played various
small parts every time.
In the Spider-Man films, however, Ted plays Daily Bugle advertising manager Ted Hoffman,
while Campbell has played different roles every time.
In Hercules and Xena, Ted and Bruce played the recurring roles of Joxer and Autolycus.
Raimi occasionally appears on-screen in his own movies, usually in similar fashion to
the cameos made by his idol Alfred Hitchcock: A silhouette behind a projection screen, a
passer-by with some kind of physical interaction with the film's protagonist, a hitchhiking
fisherman accompanied by Robert Tapert in The Evil Dead.
Raimi also wears a suit with white shirt and tie on-set in another homage to Hitchcock.
An adept fan will also notice Raimi's recurring usage of soda crackers as a back prop.
Raimi often works with film editor Bob Murawski, a fellow Michigan State University alumnus;
among Raimi's films edited by Murawski include the Spider-Man movies, The Gift, and Army
of Darkness.
He also frequently collaborates with composer Joseph LoDuca, another acquaintance from Michigan
who has provided the scores to most of his films.
Raimi has included a 1973 yellow Oldsmobile Delta 88 automobile in every film including
The Quick and the Dead.
Bruce Campbell, at Comic-con 2005, revealed that a special covered wagon frame had covered
the vehicle to maintain the motif of the film.
The yellow Oldsmobile also appeared in Drag Me to Hell, driven by the elderly gypsy woman.
A bottle of Maker's Mark also appears regularly in his movies.
The Classic does not appear in the final cut of For Love of the Game, however.
The scene in which it appeared was removed during the editing process.
Other Raimi screen-framing trademarks include: A distinctive camera shot where the camera
follows a moving object at high speeds creating a first-person point of view from the object
itself; A rapid dolly shot to bring a far-off object
suddenly into the center of the shot or to pull back from the main focal object to show
what is happening around the perimeter; Montage sequences with overlapping close-up
shots to establish a set of similar actions over elapsing time.
Extreme closeups using a wide angle lens.
In the Making The Amazing documentary on the Spider-Man 2 DVD, both Tobey Maguire and Bruce
Campbell jokingly describe Raimi's penchant for "abusing" actors: In order to get realistic
closeups of a character getting hit by debris, Raimi usually stands just off-camera throwing
items, swinging tree branches, etc., at the actor who is at the center of the shot.
Scenes from the documentary show that Raimi is the one throwing popcorn at Peter Parker
during the walk to the wrestling ring in Spider-Man and tossing gold coins around during the bank
robbery scene in Spider-Man 2.
In many of Raimi's movies, the camera itself is part of the action onscreen.
One of Raimi's most famous sequences involves a POV shot of actor Bruce Campbell being chased
through a cabin by an unseen evil force.
Personal life Raimi has been married since 1993 to Gillian
Dania Greene, daughter of actor Lorne Greene.
They have five children.
Three of the Raimis' children appeared as extras in Drag Me to Hell and Spider-Man 3
during the movie's final battle.
In 2007, Rolling Stone reported Raimi had donated $9,999 to the Republican Party.
Filmography As director
As actor As producer
Awards Catalonian International Film Festival Prize
of the International Critics' Jury 1981 Catalonian International Film Festival Best
Director Award 1990 Catalonian International Film Festival Time-Machine
Honorary Award 1992 Brussels International Festival of Fantasy
Film Golden Raven Award 1993 Fantasporto Critics' Award 1993
Cognac Festival du Film Policier Special Jury Prize 1999
Saturn Award Best Director Award 2004 Empire Award Best Director Award 2004
References
External links Sam Raimi at the Internet Movie Database