The new film “Boogeyman,” which opens today, didn’t screen for the press. But fans of the genre will make a point of checking it out, for a reason that has nothing to do with a big-name director, teen idol star, or big special effects budget. The draw in this case is the film’s producer: Sam Raimi.

Mr. Raimi has reached the pinnacle of his directorial career with two wildly successful “Spider-Man” films. But he is known to movie fans worldwide as the director of the “Evil Dead” trilogy – hilarious, over-the-top gorefests films made on small (though increasingly larger) budgets. Since tasting big box-office, he has used his clout to help push along a mini-revival of the American horror movie.

In recent years, the really scary films have been coming from overseas. “The Ring” originated in Japan. “Ju-On,” on which last year’s surprise hit, “The Grudge,” was based, came from Korea. Mr. Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures, which distributed “Ju-On” in America and produced “The Grudge,” is behind “Boogeyman.” Future productions include a sequel to “The Grudge” and the first American production by Thai horror twins the Pang brothers.

One trait “Boogeyman” and the “The Grudge” share with each other – and with “The Ring” and “Ju-On” – is an emphasis on atmosphere rather than gore: Things that go bump rather than those that bleed. Both were rated PG-13, something unheard of for a movie directed by Mr. Raimi, a man who has never shied away from excess. (Perhaps not coincidentally the PG-13 horror film has proven profitable in recent years.)

Mr. Raimi’s producing choices have not been without their share of controversy, however. In what is perceived by many fans to be a blasphemous move, he will be producing a (second) remake of his original masterpiece, “The Evil Dead,” which will begin filming later this year. Just don’t expect him to direct: The only thing on his slate right now is 2007’s “Spider-Man 3” and “Scarecrow.”