The Evil Dead Blu-ray delivers stunning video and audio in this exceptional Blu-ray release
Five twentysomething friends are holed up in a remote cabin where they discover a Book Of The Dead. An
archaeologist's tape recording reveals that the ancient text was discovered among the Khandarian ruins of a
Sumerian civilization. Playing the taped incantations, the youths unwittingly summon up dormant demons living
in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.
"'Evil Dead' is the most ferociously original Horror film of the year." -- Stephen King.
Is there a better no-budget Horror movie than The Evil Dead? The Sam Raimi (the Spider-Man
trilogy)-directed 1981 genre
icon is a tough picture to beat not only amongst its low-budget contemporaries, but throughout
the
entire spectrum of Horror, from the smallest-in-scope fright flicks to the multi-million-dollar
franchises that have been re-imagined and amped up for modern
audiences.
The Evil Dead understands what makes good Horror, and it isn't a lot of money and a
flashy
story. Sam Raimi's picture is a back-to-basics effort that leaves extraneous elements out of the
picture in favor of a venerable bloodbath of ooey-gooey grotesque goodness built around the
simplest
of plots and the most basic of characters. Raimi leaves nothing to the imagination and gives his
audiences exactly what they crave over 85 minutes of delectable nastiness; a minimalist set-up is
all
that stands in the way between viewers and one of cinema's most gruesomely entertaining
pictures
of all time, and one watch is all that it takes to see why The Evil Dead has withstood its
budget
and the test of time to hold up as one of hardcore Horror's premiere pictures.
Alive and intact for the last time.
Five teenagers -- Ash (Bruce Campbell, My Name is Bruce),
Shelly (Theresa Tilly), Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss), Linda (Betsy Baker), and Scott (Richard
DeManincor) -- are on vacation in Tennessee. Their destination: a small, remote cabin in the
middle of nowhere
where they hope to spend a few quiet evenings enjoying good food, fine drinks, and one another's
company. The trip to the cabin if fraught with peril, however, as they barely avoid an accident on
a windy road and nearly fall through a rickety bridge. Undeterred, the quintet arrives at the cabin
where they find an old tape recorder and an ancient tome. The tapes, containing the recordings of
an archeologist, call the book "The Book of the Dead;" it's said to be bound in human flesh and
penned in human blood and with the power to call to consciousness the demons that slumber in
the nearby woods. Unfortunately, the tape wakes the evil spirits who begin to possess the five,
transforming them into hideous creatures with a thirst for blood and violence. Can any of the
teenagers
survive the night against an ancient and deadly force freshly unleashed on an unsuspecting group
of innocents?
The Evil Dead is a film school-quality picture that gets everything right, from the broadest
generalizations to the most intricate of minutia, and it does so with a story that's made of almost
nothing but Horror
cliché. Few pictures can endure so many elements that seem straight off of
page one of the "Scriptwriting For Dummies" manual and not only work, but thrive as part of a
movie built around hackneyed elements like the "dark and stormy night" and the ominous "don't
go in there!" basement. It's Sam Raimi's craftsmanship; his ability to do so much with so little
money; the dedication of his cast; his impeccably lit, designed, and furnished locations; and his
keen sense of direction that seems to frame everything from the bigest action scenes to the most
monotonous set-up shots with such precision that all make The Evil Dead worth watching,
even if only to revel in how well it's made given the low-budget struggles behind the movie.
Indeed,
Raimi masks all kinds of deficiencies not through cinematic trickery or throwing countless dollars at
the problem, but instead by handling the barrage of genre clichés with a straightforward approach
and building off of them to create a series of events that make a cohesive whole. Whereas lesser
pictures might simply go through the motions and kill off its characters one-by-one in what would
ultimately feel more like a series of vignettes rather than a complete and linear picture, Raimi uses
typically
"dumb" characters and their foolish actions to great effect and integrates the consequences of
their missteps into the remainder of the film, thereby justifying the picture's ultra-violence
within the context of the building story. That's not to say that The Evil Dead is all about
its story -- it's little more than a means to an end to splatter the screen with yuk -- but Raimi uses
every little chunk of the film to build towards the picture's brutality which defines the entire film,
and its third act in particular.
Never mind Raimi's prowess as director; The Evil Dead is first and foremost a hardcore
genre picture
that gets right to the point and never relents. From a tree-raping scene to mutilated body parts
oozing pure nastiness, Raimi's picture never wants for anything more gut-wrenching,
blood-curdling, and vomit-inducing than what it puts on display through most of its runtime and its
final 20 or 30 minutes in particular. It's still admirable that The Evil Dead never quite
feels as nasty as it really is considering the level of hardcore gore on display, and that's a credit to
Raimi's ability to immerse his audience into the picture and make it a complete event rather than
just a hodgepodge of filmed blood and various innards strewn all over the screen. Still, there's no
mistaking
where most of The Evil Dead's budget was spent. The violence and gore look fantastic
even approaching the film's 30th birthday; there's something to be said for not just the practical
gore elements used throughout the film but also the honest makeup effects, even if they don't
look just
right at the seams in high definition. Still, one can't help but admire the craftsmanship and
attention to detail that went into creating all of the film's demon-possessed individuals at
their various stages of decay and transformation. The Evil Dead is no doubt a tough
watch -- maybe even an impossible one -- for viewers with less than an ironclad stomach, but the
picture is nevertheless a must-see for those who can take it to
revel in just how good the gore and makeup look on a budget many times smaller than even the
average generic slasher that doesn't come close to approaching the same level of excellence as
The Evil Dead.
Last but not least is the contribution of the cast and Bruce Campbell in particular. The movie and
the franchise that would ultimately make Bruce a household name, The Evil Dead gives
the actor plenty of maneuvering room to do his thing, even if his performance is physically
understated in this part as compared to his efforts in the two sequels -- Evil Dead II: Dead By
Dawn and Army of Darkness.
Here, Campbell plays the part of Ash with a more serious, frightened, and genuinely crushed and
defeated demeanor, whereas in the sequels he would turn the character and, by extension, the
franchise, into something far lighter and humor-oriented than what's found in The Evil
Dead. In a way, The Evil Dead kinda-sorta parallels the A Nightmare on Elm
Street franchise with its gloomier and far more serious first picture and lighter, more
mischievous and mass audience-friendly sequels. It's that shift in tone that
allows Evil Dead II to play out as something more like a "remake-lite" of The Evil
Dead; though much of Dead By Dawn feels like a copy of the original, that lighter
tone makes the movie seem
far fresher than it otherwise should. Of course, by the time Army of Darkness rolled
around, the franchise had stepped fully into the obviously comedic and had fully embraced an
almost
completely audience-friendly veneer at the expense of the hardcore visuals seen in the first two
pictures. No matter the tone, though --
grisly serious or comically humorous -- Campbell plays his signature role in all three films at a level
worthy of his status as the world's number-one B-movie actor, and despite all of Sam Raimi's
efforts, the Evil Dead films probably wouldn't have worked nearly as well without Bruce in
the lead role.
The Evil Dead debuts on Blu-ray with two versions of the film found on one disc: a
1.37:1-framed transfer that approximates the picture's original aspect ratio, and a 1.85:1 "enhanced"
presentation. Whichever of the two viewers select, Anchor Bay's Blu-ray delivers a high quality image
across both versions. Make no mistake, The Evil Dead looks its age and budget; there's
nothing shiny, bright, or fresh about this movie, but that roughly-hewn texture is reflective of the
original elements. Still, Anchor Bay's transfer delivers an unparalleled Evil Dead viewing
experience; the image retains a fair bit of grain while print damage and random other anomalies are
kept to a minimum, resulting in what is, generally, a handsome and strong film-like texture. Fine
detail is never exemplary, but The Evil Dead wasn't shot with top-end equipment and was
captured at 16mm rather than higher-resolution 35mm. With that in mind, what's here looks
marvelous, with the
transfer bringing out all there is to see in faces, clothes, and the wooden planks that make up the
cabin's walls and flooring. Blacks are absorbing and deep without devouring too much in the way of
necessary detail, while flesh tones appear accurately rendered. Though there's some obviously soft
and smeary elements -- some shots surrounding the sequence where Ash gives Linda the necklace,
for instance -- The Evil Dead impresses a great deal on Blu-ray, and fans can rest assured that
this is the best the film has ever looked across both of the offered aspect ratios.
Anchor Bay brings The Evil Dead to Blu-ray with a wonderfully satisfying Dolby TrueHD 5.1
lossless soundtrack. Though it's not a perfect track -- some elements, like crunching leaves underfoot,
leave a bit to be desired -- it's almost a revelation considering how effortlessly it flows, how natural the
various elements play out, and how spacious and clean most of the mix sounds. The track isn't quite
as powerful as one might expect; some of the heavier elements, like the hanging bench seat that
beats
against the cabin's wall upon the group's arrival, is surprisingly understated but no less an effective
mood-setting sonic tool. Still, there are some heavier elements later in the film that provide a heftier
experience, and the track also handles some of the louder effects -- notably the frighteningly loud
shrieking noises made by the demons -- so well that they're capable of sending chills down listeners'
spines. Anchor Bay's lossless mix also delivers an absorbing environmental ambience throughout,
whether the slight drip-drip-drip sound as Ash enters the basement in search of a missing Scotty
early in the film or various creaking wood floorboards and blowing winds that make their presence
known at several points during the film. Music plays cleanly and accurately across the front and at
just the right volume and power at reference levels, accompanied by a fair but not overbearing
amount of
surround support in tow. Rounded out by pitch-perfect dialogue reproduction, The Evil Dead's
TrueHD soundtrack will impress even longtime fans of the film.
The Evil Dead's Blu-ray debut actually comes with most of the special features plopped onto
a
separate DVD disc; only a new commentary track, recorded in late 2009, with Writer/Director Sam
Raimi, Producer Robert Tapert, and Actor Bruce Campbell is found on the Blu-ray disc. The
commentary is a strong one, with the participants exploring the picture's origins and the state of
filmmaking and the distribution system in the late 1970s, speaking on the people that helped make
the picture possible, the business aspect of filmmaking, technical information, the shooting
schedule,
the general grind of the shoot and the difficulties surrounding it both in front of and behind the
camera, the
casting process and choice of shooting locales, the challenges of applying the makeup, creating the
gore effects, tales from the set, and plenty more. This is a coherent, informative, and easy listen;
longtime fans of the film will want to upgrade for this track alone, though the high quality video and
audio presentations don't hurt, either.
The DVD disc contains a plethora of extras, all presented in standard definition, broken down into
three
categories: "Featurettes," "Trailer & TV spots," and "Photo Gallery." "Featurettes" contains the bulk
of
this package's supplements, beginning with One By One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of
'The
Evil Dead' (53:46). This is a massive, absorbing, and all-encompassing documentary that
examines
the
making of the film, its effects, its reception, the quality of Sam Raimi's direction, and much more.
'The Evil Dead:' Treasures From the Cutting Room Floor (59:24) is a massive collection of
various raw alternate takes and footage from the making of the film. The Ladies of 'The Evil
Dead' Meet Bruce Campbell (28:55) features Campbell and his three female co-stars
reminiscing on the making of the film. Discovering 'The Evil Dead' (13:06) looks at how
The Evil Dead became a Horror favorite. Next is Unconventional (19:09), a piece
that features
the cast discussing film conventions and their experiences in working them. At the
Drive-In (12:04) features the cast giving away copies of The Evil Dead DVD at a
screening of the film.
Reunion Panel (31:19) sees the cast of the film speaking and answering questions at the
Flashback Weekend Horror Convention in Chicago on July 30, 2005. Book of the Dead: The
Other Pages (1:57) contains footage of Ash flipping through every page in the book. Finally,
Make-Up Test (1:08) is a string of footage testing out some of the film's makeup and
special effects. Also included in this set is the film's theatrical trailer (1:54), four TV spots (0:33
each), and a photo gallery.
The Evil Dead is a watershed picture that's united critics, genre fans, and casual moviegoers
alike -- despite its excessive brutality and visual nasties -- as a shining example of how filmmaking
done right can overcome even the smallest of budgets. Although it's probably not quite the best
example of a micro-budget picture that works better than most other movies many times its size --
that honor goes to Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi -- The Evil Dead is nevertheless a
can't-miss movie for its honest and straightforward approach to its genre, getting every element
absolutely right even under
less-than-ideal conditions and a minuscule budget. The vision and skill of Director Sam Raimi, the
eagerness of its cast and the
work of Bruce Campbell, and the no-frills Horror storyline packed with scrumptious gore all come
together for one of Horror's preeminent pictures, one that's spawned two strong but vastly
different-in-tone sequels and made careers for both its director and lead actor. Despite its deserved
reputation as one of the more visually grotesque pictures of all time, The Evil Dead is,
simply
put, a must-see for any film fan. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of The Evil Dead delivers a
1080p transfer that's easily the best home video release the picture has ever seen. Also in tow is a
marvelous lossless soundtrack and a incredible array of thorough, absorbing, and entertaining extra
content. No doubt there will be another (or
three or four or five) Blu-ray release of The Evil Dead at some point in the future, but this
package is well worth the asking price and is worthy of inclusion into every Blu-ray collection.
The
Evil Dead receives my highest recommendation.
When Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead was released on Blu-ray, it came out in a limited edition set, which included a special features DVD. Now Amazon and other retailers are already sold out of this first edition and are selling a single-disc release, which drops most ...
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that it will release The Evil Dead on Blu-ray in the UK on October 11. Edition details are similar to the US release, with the major addition of a Picture-in-Picture track covering the legacy of this cult movie. On ...
With the extraordinary number of times the film has been re-issued (seems to be an annual tradition), it's somewhat surprising that it took this long for The Evil Dead to be released on Blu-ray. The film, much like its sequels Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn and Army ...
Anchor Bay Entertainment has revealed the full details for the Blu-ray release of Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead, which as previously reported will come out on August 31. The BD will include not one, but two new HD transfers (one in 1.85:1 and the other in the original, ...
Anchor Bay Entertainment has officially announced the 1981 horror movie The Evil Dead for Blu-ray release on August 31, in a brand-new hi-def transfer, supervised and approved by director Sam Raimi, and featuring an all-new audio commentary with Raimi, Robert Tapert ...
One of the movies with the most home video releases ever is now going high-def. An early announcement to retailers indicates that, on August 31, Anchor Bay entertainment will release Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead on Blu-ray. There is no information regarding technical ...
All countries
