# Ranking Every Sam Raimi Movie Part 1 - re:View Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4UxU0mu06M Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/H4UxU0mu06M Generated: 2026-02-08T16:37:41.627+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The hosts rank Sam Raimi's filmography, finding the process difficult because Raimi operates between making personal, signature films like "Drag Me to Hell" and studio projects, with their lowest-ranked films being "Oz the Great and Powerful" and "For Love of the Game," while "Crimewave" is noted for its interesting backstory involving the Coen Brothers. **Key Points:** - Ranking Sam Raimi's movies proved difficult because the hosts perceive two distinct types of his films: personal "Sam Raimi movies" and "just real movies," making direct comparison challenging. - The lowest-ranked film for one host was "Oz the Great and Powerful," while the other ranked "Army of Darkness" very low, leading to immediate disagreement and humorously threatening to cancel the video. - Raimi's second film, "Crimewave," co-written with the Coen Brothers, is considered painful to watch but interesting due to studio interference and the perceived failure that may have led to "Evil Dead 2." - "For Love of the Game" is ranked low due to perceived insincere schmaltz, a boring central romance involving Kevin Costner, and was apparently edited down from an R-rating to PG-13 after test audiences rejected seeing Kevin Costner's full frontal nudity. - The first live-action "Spider-Man" film is ranked relatively low (one host at #13, the other at #11) because one host strongly dislikes Tobey Maguire's quiet, "derp face" portrayal of Peter Parker, contrasting it with the comic character's attitude. - Raimi exhibits strong loyalty to actors, evidenced by J.K. Simmons appearing in both "For Love of the Game" and "The Gift," leading to his iconic role as J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man trilogy. - Raimi's signature directorial traits identified include the use of "crazy zooms," snap zooms, and old-fashioned montages, which are charming despite looking corny. **Context:** Rich and the co-host review and rank the entire filmography of director Sam Raimi, noting that this is timely because Raimi is one of the few directors they have covered (alongside John Carpenter and Joe Dante) who is still actively working, having recently released a new film that feels distinctly like a Raimi picture. The discussion immediately establishes that ranking his diverse output, which swings between horror, studio blockbusters like Spider-Man, and personal projects like "Drag Me to Hell," is exceptionally challenging for them. ## Detailed Analysis The hosts debate the difficulty of ranking Sam Raimi's filmography, identifying a split between his personal, quirky films and his more conventional studio efforts, noting that he often returns to his signature style after completing a larger project. Starting at the bottom, "Crimewave" (Raimi's second film, co-written with the Coen Brothers) is criticized for being unfunny despite creative set pieces, with its failure being cited as an important career moment leading to "Evil Dead 2." "For Love of the Game" is dismissed as uninteresting baseball schmaltz centered on a boring relationship, though it features J.K. Simmons, a frequent Raimi collaborator. "The Gift" is highly divisive, ranked near the top by one host but near the bottom by the other, who was distracted by associations with fraudulent psychics; however, both praised the acting and noted the appearance of future Aunt May, Rosemary Harris. The first "Spider-Man" film is ranked surprisingly low by both, primarily due to intense dislike for Tobey Maguire's interpretation of Peter Parker as too quiet and lacking a "mouth." They praise the supporting cast, especially Willem Dafoe and J.K. Simmons, and highlight Raimi's over-the-top, cartoonish horror elements when he leans into his style, contrasting this with the lack of personality in Peter Parker. They also discuss Raimi's signature techniques, such as the snap zoom, and his penchant for using the same visual gags across different films. ### Ranking Methodology - Ranking is based purely on personal favorites, not importance - Comparison between personal films like "Drag Me to Hell" and studio work is nearly impossible - Hosts aim to Frankenstein two separate lists into one singular ranking. ### Crimewave Analysis - This second film was a painful watch, described as "always wacky, never funny" - Studio interference led to producers attempting to lock Raimi out of editing - Its failure is considered an important career marker leading to "Evil Dead 2." ### For Love of the Game Critique - Described as scientifically designed not to appeal to the hosts, focusing on "two boring people in an on-again, off-again relationship" - The film was edited down from R to PG-13, reportedly because test audiences did not want to see Kevin Costner's full frontal nudity. ### The Gift Discussion - Ranked very differently by the hosts, one calling it a domestic drama with subtle supernatural elements - The strength lies in the acting, particularly Keanu Reeves playing an abusive husband - Rosemary Harris appears as Aunt May in a vision, marking another instance of Raimi reusing actors. ### Spider-Man (2002) Reception - One host strongly dislikes Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker as not having a "mouth" or confidence, while the other finds the contrast between geeky Peter and masked Spider-Man acceptable - The film is criticized for missing the point of Peter Parker's origin, making it about Mary Jane rather than self-responsibility. ### Raimi Stylistic Signatures - Raimi employs distinct visual techniques, including "crazy zooms" and elaborate, old-fashioned montages that look corny but charming - Bruce Campbell features a great cameo in all three Spider-Man films, highlighting Raimi's loyalty to actors.