So two masters of horror cinema had a joke that lasted for years

Every now and then Sam Raimi makes the cash register ring with superhero films such as “Spider-Man” or “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness”. But many film fans mainly think of squirting blood and deformed bodies: With films like “dance of the devilRaimi became an acclaimed horror directorwhose works have long sparked heated debates about acceptable violence, but at the same time have been celebrated by genre fans for their subversive entertainment factor.

The situation was similar to the filmmaker, who died in 2015 Wes Craven: The creator of the series ‘Nightmare On Elm Street’ and director of the first four ‘Scream’ parts regularly had serious problems with child protection. But while some voices accused his works of glorifying violence, others had fun with it.

In this regard, it should come as no surprise that these creative people, cut from the same cloth, spent years having fun and lovingly mocking each other.. Although you had to pay close attention to notice this Easter egg…

It all started with a torn poster!

The cinema year 1977 left a huge mark on cinematic pop culture: not just because the ‘Star Wars’ saga began. But also a decades-long series of teasing references in horror cinema: Wes Craven dropped the shocker “Hill of bloody eyes‘ also known as ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ and left genre fans guessing wildly.

In one scene you see a torn poster with the image of a great white shark. Fans saw this as Craven’s attempt to stake out his territory: Steven Spielberg’s horror blockbuster “Jaws” was the news yesterday, but the real horror was only now coming. It has not been proven whether Craven actually meant this – but it is known that this is how Sam Raimi understood the scene and felt inspired by it:

In 1981, Raimi opened the “Evil Dead” franchise with “Dance of the Devils” and shows a badly destroyed “The Hills Have Eyes” poster on a basement wall in the background.. In 2007, Raimi explained his thoughts in an interview with : “I thought it would be funny to take apart a ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ poster in ‘Evil Dead’ and say to Wes, ‘No, this is real horror, buddy!'”

It continued on television!

It was important for Raimi to emphasize in the same interview that it was intended as an endearing aside. Craven answered Raimi’s friendly attack in Nightmare: Murderous Dreams (now better known under its original title “A Nightmare On Elm Street”): In order not to fall asleep and thus become a potential victim of the dream killer Freddy Krueger, the main character Nancy watches a horror film on television.

But the shocker doesn’t have the effect Heather Langenkamp’s heroine hopes for: she keeps falling asleep while watching it. And the movie that bores Nancy so much is of course: “Dance of the Devils”! Raimi responded a few years later in “Dance of the Devils II“: In the creepy forest cabin that serves as the main setting, Freddy Krueger’s iconic bladed glove hangs on the wall – as if it were a hunting trophy.

Craven didn’t miss the opportunity to answer that again: In the slasher milestone “Scream”, movie fan Randy, played by Jamie Kennedy, suggests several films during a party – including “Dance of the Devils”. But party audiences reject the film in favor of John Carpenter’s classic “Halloween.”

And it ended with a poster!

With “Scream” the exchange of blows came to a temporary end. However, Sam Raimi returned to this running gag once again after the “Scream” mastermind died far too early. In this way, Raimi wanted to pay tribute in his own way to the filmmaker, for whom he developed not only collegial respect, but also a real friendship.

The conclusion of this long, friendly feud comes in the penultimate episode of the second season of “Ash Vs Evil Dead.” In it, the title character, played by Bruce Campbell, walks past a movie theater. There’s a poster there, the poster for Craven’s Hill of Bloody Eyes. The condition: mint.