Sam Raimi says Stephen King "gave [him] his chance in the business" after supporting his horror movie The Evil Dead: "Nobody would touch Evil Dead with a 10-foot plague pole"

Sam Raimi is bringing a brand-new story to screens this weekend with Send Help, and it’s already received immense praise from critics, being his best-reviewed movie since Spider-Man 2. One critic he’ll probably be happy to hear from, most of all, is the legendary master of horror, Stephen King. In a recent interview with Cinema Blend, the Drag Me To Hell and The Evil Dead director revealed that he owed a lot to the author, who chimed in with his thoughts on Raimi’s directorial debut, when it began making the rounds at the Cannes Film Festival in 1982.

“Well, nobody would touch Evil Dead with a ten-foot plague pole,” Raimi recalled. “And then Stephen King happened to be in the theater in Cannes, the market. He saw it, and he gave us a great review in Twilight Zone magazine. And I was so honored because he was my giantest, largest hero, still is. He’s a tremendous influence.”