The Origin Of Evil Dead Rise's Grater Scene Is Just As Disturbing As You Think
It's hard to choose which scene in the new "Evil Dead Rise" film should earn the title of "most disturbing." There's the horrifying line of "mommy's with the maggots now," a tattoo needle getting a little too close to an eyeball, and Ellie's (Alyssa Sutherland) yummy-looking egg concoction. However, one moment, in particular, is creating quite the buzz on social media: the cheese grater scene, which sees the everyday kitchen utensil brutally used on the leg of Beth (Lily Sullivan).
In fact, filmmaker Lee Cronin's thought process for creating this scene was just as chilling as fans might think. He told Empire, "It's what I like to call the leg-guine scene. They [cheese graters] always terrify me for cooking, because it feels so easy that you could lose some knuckles." He added in an interview with Far Out, "I think we've all grazed our knuckles on a cheese grater and gone, 'Oh God, imagine if that was worse.'"
For Cronin, brainstorming such a unique horror movie battle wasn't done in a studio or other professional environment. Rather, it came to him from the comfort of home as a certain global threat lurked just outside his door.
Lee Cronin thought of the cheese grater scene during COVID quarantine
"Evil Dead Rise" was penned by Lee Cronin in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was forced to quarantine for weeks on end. Therefore, if one was wondering why it largely takes place at Ellie's residence, this is why. Cronin used his home — and kitchen — for inspiration. He told Far Out, "I wrote the film during the first wave of COVID-19 when the entire world was locked in their homes, with an evil force outside the door. We didn't know what this thing was, so I spent a lot of time just looking at the trappings of everyday life."
This included thinking about how a demonic battle could take place in what's supposed to be a place of safety, and also what household items could be used in an epic battle. Cronin knew he wanted to have a fight scene take place in Ellie's kitchen, and realized that a cheese grater — the kitchen utensil that he fears the most — would be perfect to include. He said, "I just remember thinking I needed some sort of unique weapon in that scene, and I guess I walked into my kitchen and saw the cheese grater and thought, 'Oh, I have not seen that enough before.'"
Cronin's domestically deadly idea may not be seen in many horror flicks, but that's exactly why it's resonating so strongly with the masses.
Fans are loving Lee Cronin's cheese grater scene
Even before the official release of "Evil Dead Rise" on April 21, the masses latched onto Lee Cronin's beloved cheese grater scene. Despite the "Evil Dead Rise" trailer being jam-packed with other moments of gore, fans are sharing his fascination with the kitchen utensil.
On Twitter, attendees of early screenings are sharing photos of goodie bags that they received at the theater. By far, the favorite item appears to be a miniature cheese grater, the inclusion of which was a truly clever marketing strategy. @Magneta_Ray revealed that the tiny grater is actually functional. In fact, their friend accidentally cut her finger on it. Other fans are posting photos of temporary "Evil Dead Rise" tattoos that feature the name of the movie and (you guessed it) a cheese grater. Some, like @Geekgirl1343, are contemplating making the tattoo a permanent fixture on their body. As for @zombie_simon, he managed to get Cronin himself to autograph a full-sized cheese grater.
Every horror movie has an item that's synonymous with it, from the masks of Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees to the Heart of Damballa in "Child's Play." It seems that the starring object of "Evil Dead Rise" is the cheese grater, which truly exemplifies Cronin's goal to make the film simultaneously brutal and slapstick.