Within the Woods is a short film written and directed by Sam Raimi. Raimi, longtime friend Bruce Campbell, and other associates shot this movie on Super 8 mm film in an effort to raise money to produce a feature-length version of it. The full length version was titled The Evil Dead and garnered a big cult following and spawned two sequels and an off-broadway musical. Within the Woods is very similar to The Evil Dead in terms of plot devices, pacing, and effects. A group of four friends, Bruce , Ellen , Shelly and Scotty rent a cabin in the woods. The story begins with Bruce and Ellen going... on a picnic together. While walking towards the field where they are going to have the picnic, Bruce tells Ellen that the place they are staying "used to be part of an old Indian burial ground" and it was "very sacred and holy." She nervously asks him if it was cursed, but Bruce assures her that it will be fine because according to Bruce, "you're only cursed by the evil spirits if you violate the graves of the dead" and that they were only going to have a picnic.
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