Shudder’s 2020 horror-comedy, Porno, features a demonic movie reel that has similar capabilities as The Evil Dead‘s Necronomicon. After a group of teenagers working at a movie theater discover the movie, they project it in an empty room only to find out that it is pornographic and—unfortunately for them—able to conjure a succubus. Similarly, the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis contains ancient spells that can set demons free on Earth. Here’s how The Evil Dead’s book inspired Porno‘s movie reel.
Sam Raimi’s cult classic horror movie stars Bruce Campbell as Ashley “Ash” Joanna Williams, who ventures to a cabin in the woods with his closest friends. The group discovers the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis in a hidden fruit cellar. As the words “Klaatu Barada Nikto” are spoken, ancient demons, known as Deadites, are set free with the intent of bringing hell on Earth. The Evil Dead gained such a large following that it spawned two sequels and a follow-up television series as well as a soft reboot by Fede Álvarez in 2013. It is currently being rebooted under the title Evil Dead Rise and will feature a female lead rather than the franchise’s beloved Ash. Raimi’s movie is one of the most popular depictions of H.P. Lovecraft’s fictional book of the dead. While Misha Green took on the book of names in her HBO series Lovecraft Country, many fans were left wondering where the Necronomicon was, as well as whether it would appear in season 2, since it’s such a big part of Lovecraft’s lore.
The Necronomicon is one of the most recognizable Lovecraftian symbols. As such, it’s entirely common for movies to take influence from its most popular rendition. Porno took inspiration from The Evil Dead’s Necronomicon because of its cult status and impressive ability to merge horror with comedy while demons are threatening to kill everyone it comes in contact with. There are several aspects that allude to the influence that Raimi’s movie had on Shudder’s latest addition to its lineup. Here’s each of them explained and how Porno’s movie reel can be considered a version of the Necronomicon.
The Necronomicon is one of several fictional books that H.P. Lovecraft created over his literary career. Each has their own backstory and can be made by anyone, at any point in time, depending on how powerful the individual is. According to mythos, the Necronomicon grimoire was created by Abdul Alhazred in 738 A.D., and has stood the test of time. The book was translated into several languages by various people. According to Lovecraftian mythos, there are several known copies in existence. It is also the only grimoire that can conjure demons. Therefore, it is entirely possible that a portion of the Necronomicon was translated into a visual format that was then discovered by the teenagers working at the movie theater in Porno.
When they discover the movie reel, it’s after a strange elderly man breaks through a wall in the theater, revealing a hidden room with it inside. It has bizarre markings on its case, but the reel itself has an eye at the very center of it. In popular culture, it is common that the Necronomicon has a face on it and, occasionally, an eye. The book of spells used in Hocus Pocus is another rendition of the book of the dead that is often recognized for its single eye and human skin cover. While The Evil Dead’s doesn’t have an eye, it does have eye sockets. Raimi’s movie features a group of friends in an isolated cabin, whereas Porno’s characters are trapped and isolated inside of the movie theater. The way that the demon traps them is similar to the cult classic.
The most undeniable inspiration that Porno took from The Evil Dead is how possession manifests. Both movies depict their possessed characters as having pronounced veins and icy skin as well as white or yellow eyes. They are also accompanied by a demonic voice that speaks alongside their human voice. There are several factors that contribute to the undeniable inspiration that Porno took from The Evil Dead, most obvious is the possessions but, even more than that, is how they created their own version of the Necronomicon that will now be kept under lock and key, just like all of the other copies that exist in the Lovecraftian universe.
