Highly inventive US film director/producer/writer/actor Sam Raimi first came to the attention of film fans with the savage, yet darkly humorous, low-budget horror film The Evil Dead. From his childhood Raimi was a fan of the cinema and before he was ten years old, he was out making movies with an 8mm camera. He was a devoted fan of The Three Stooges, so much of Raimi's film work in his teens, with good friends Bruce Campbell and Robert G. Tapert, was slapstick comedy based around what they had observed from Stooges movies.

Among the three of them they wrote, directed, produced and edited a short horror movie titled _Within the Woods (1978)_ , which was then shown to prospective investors to raise the money necessary to film The Evil Dead. It met with lukewarm interest in the US with local distributors, so Raimi took the film to Europe, where it was much more warmly received. After it started gaining positive reviews and, more importantly, ticket sales upon its release in Europe, US distributors showed renewed interest, and "Evil Dead" was eventually released stateside to strong box office returns. His next directorial effort was Crimewave, a quirky, cartoon-like effort that failed to catch fire with audiences. However, he bounced back with Evil Dead II, a racier and more humorous remake/sequel to the original "Dead" that did even better at the box office. Raimi was then given his biggest budget to date to shoot Darkman, a comic book-style fantasy about a scarred avenger. The film did moderate business, but Raimi's strong visual style was evident throughout the film via inventive and startling camera work that caught the attention of numerous critics.

The third chapter in the Evil Dead story beckoned, and Raimi once again directed buddy Campbell as the gritty hero "Ash", in the Gothic horror _Army of Darkness (1993)_ . Raimi surprised fans when he took a turn away from the fantasy genre and directed Gene Hackman and Sharon Stone in the sexy western The Quick and the Dead; four years later he took the directorial reins on A Simple Plan, a crime thriller about stolen money starring Bill Paxton and Bridget Fonda. In early 1999 he directed the baseball film For Love of the Game and in 2000 returned to the fantasy genre with a top-flight cast in The Gift. In 2002 Raimi was given a real opportunity to demonstrate his dynamic visual style with the big-budget film adaptation of the Stan Lee comic book superhero Spider-Man, and fans were not disappointed. The movie was strong in both script and effects, and was a runaway success at the box office. Of course, Raimi returned for the sequel, Spider-Man 2, which surpassed the original in box-office takings.

Raimi remains one of Hollywood's most creative, exciting and intelligent filmmakers.
Attended Michigan State University, East Lansing MI, as an English major. Joel Coen and Ethan Coen use many of Raimi's trademark camera movements in their films. Brother of Ted Raimi and Ivan Raimi. Has had an automobile named "the classic" in every one of his films. Always has his car (a yellow 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88) somewhere visible to the audience in all of his films (including a modified covered wagon, according to Bruce Campbell, in The Quick and the Dead) It is even visible in the Spider-Man trailer (the car that Spider-man jumps on). During the mid-80s, Raimi used to live in an apartment with actor Bruce Campbell, writer/director Scott Spiegel, writer/director Joel Coen, writer/producer Ethan Coen and actresses Holly Hunter, Frances McDormand and Kathy Bates. His wife Gillian is the daughter of Lorne Greene. Often casts his brother, Ted Raimi, in his films. Is a avid fan of Spider-Man comic books. Friends with director John Landis. Had cameos in Landis' Spies Like Us and Innocent Blood, while Landis did cameos in Raimi's Darkman and Spider-Man 2. Both also appeared in Stephen King's ABC mini-series The Stand. Many years before landing the role of director on the Spider-Man movies, Raimi planned to create a film based on Marvel's comic interpretation of "The Mighty Thor" with Stan Lee. While the movie never materialized, Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man and many other Marvel characters, became good friends with Raimi and later appeared in cameos on the Spidey flicks. In 2004, both he and the Coen brothers cast J.K. Simmons and Bruce Campbell in one of their movies; Spider-Man 2 and The Ladykillers. Has worked with actor J.K. Simmons four times - Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, For Love of the Game, and The Gift. Born on the same day as 'Weird Al' Yankovic' . His oldest brother, Sander, died in a swimming pool accident at the age of 15 while on a scholarship trip to Israel. Sander used to perform magic tricks for Sam and his friends; when he died, Sam learned to perform the tricks himself. His family name was changed from the German name Reingewertz. Ranked #33 on Premiere's 2005 Power 50 List #48 on the 2004 list and #37 in 2003. He wanted to adapt and direct The Shadow, but was denied the rights to do it. Instead, he created his own superhero with his film Darkman. Ranked #33 on Premiere's 2005 Power 50 List. Had ranked #48 in 2004. Ranked #23 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #33 in 2005. the only director/writer to have five video games evolve from his works.