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From Amazon.co.uk
Writer-director Sam Raimi's extremely stylized, blood-soaked follow-up to his creepy Evil Dead isn't really a sequel; rather, it's a remake on a better budget. It also isn't really a horror film (though there are plenty of decapitations, zombies, supernatural demons, and gore) as much as it is a hilarious, sophisticated slapstick send-up of the terror genre. Raimi takes every horror convention that exists and exaggerates it with mind-blowing special effects, crossed with mocking Three Stooges humour. The plot alone is a genre cliché right out of any number of horror films. Several teens (including our hero, Ash, played by Bruce Campbell in a manic tour-de-force of physical comedy) visit a broken-down cottage in the woods--miles from civilization--find a copy of the Book of the Dead, and unleash supernatural powers that gut every character in sight. All, that is, except Ash, who takes this very personally and spends much of the of the film getting his head smashed while battling the unseen forces. Raimi uses this bare-bones story as a stage to showcase dazzling special effects and eye-popping visuals, including some of the most spectacular point-of-view Steadicam work ever (done by Peter Deming). Although it went unnoticed in the cinemas, the film has since become an influential cult-video favourite, paving the way for over-the-top comic gross-out films like Peter Jackson's Dead Alive.--Dave McCoy
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It's perhaps easy to forget in this era of post-modern cinematic irony, that there was a time not so long ago when all you needed to make a horror movie was style, wit, vision, an unrelenting determination to create the most enjoyable experience possible, and about 500 gallons of stage blood. After their low budget success with Evil Dead which we all rushed to see before it got banned back in the early eighties, Raimi, Tapert, Campbell et al, fuelled by some extra cash from Dino De Laurentiis, managed to put together one of the best made, energetically crafted, stupid-but-fun films of all time. Now nearly fifteen years old, time had diminished its vitality not a jot. And now its available in all its uncut glory on DVD. The commentary from Raimi, Campbell, Scott Spiegel and Greg Nicotero is frequently very amusing, points out several things I had never noticed before (but now I'll never be able to ignore them), and is a more than pleasant way to while away 80 minutes. Also included is a 'Making of' featurette which lasts about 30 minutes and deals with little more than how various special effects were achieved. Where this extra comes into its own, however, is in the tiny additional film made by the special effects boys in their lunch hour. 'Evil Dead Baby', tacked onto the end of the documentary, is a tiny hilarious take on ReAnimator and well worth fast forwarding to the end of the featurette for.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
The original is one of the scariest and most disgusting horror films you're likely to see. Evil Dead 2 is basically what The Evil Dead might have been like with a bigger budget. This isn't to say they're identical films mind. This one is more comical, actually it's downright hilarious (even the stuffed moose and the lampshade find it funny). Bruce Campbell is a screen legend on the back of the Evil Dead films alone and this will show you why. Evil Dead 2 doesn't take itself seriously at all and that's a good thing. Fantasic one liners, sickening amounts of blood and an immensely funny dismembered hand make this a must buy. If you like this check out the other installments in the series. Army of Darkness is the third and final Evil Dead film...
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Rob Payne
Format:DVD
After the low budget success (and notoriety) of The Evil Dead, director Sam Raimi revisited the same story of evil spirits terrorising a group of visitors in a log cabin with a bit more cash, the same hut in the woods, and the same main star (Bruce Campbell). What he came up with essentially has the same plot as the original (there is some debate as to whether this is a remake or a sequel) with better effects, some nice twists and a different ending. Where the Evil Dead was essentially a very harrowing horror, Evil Dead II mixes perfectly the elements of tense horror with comedy, bordering on slapstick.
It is a much more polished film than the Evil Dead, building nicely on the ideas in that film such as the kinetic camera-work and using them to better effect. Improved too is the performance of Bruce Campbell as hero Ash. His character is stronger and more assured, with bags more attitude and aided by some cracking one-liners, he puts in an animated and staggeringly energetic performance, spending more than half an hour of screen time alone as he battles the tormenting evil spirits and also to keep his own sanity.
Evil Dead II is a rarity in horror cinema, a film that manages to be both intentionally laugh-out-loud funny and scary at the same time. The tension makes the laughter short-lived and a little nervous. Plenty have attempted this difficult feat of mixing horror with comedy and the majority have failed such that here are really only a handfull of horror comedies that are also genuinely excellent films.
This is undoubtedly one of the best horror films ever made. Shocking, inventive, fast-paced, frenetic and wonderfully entertaining from start to finish.
It is a much more polished film than the Evil Dead, building nicely on the ideas in that film such as the kinetic camera-work and using them to better effect. Improved too is the performance of Bruce Campbell as hero Ash. His character is stronger and more assured, with bags more attitude and aided by some cracking one-liners, he puts in an animated and staggeringly energetic performance, spending more than half an hour of screen time alone as he battles the tormenting evil spirits and also to keep his own sanity.
Evil Dead II is a rarity in horror cinema, a film that manages to be both intentionally laugh-out-loud funny and scary at the same time. The tension makes the laughter short-lived and a little nervous. Plenty have attempted this difficult feat of mixing horror with comedy and the majority have failed such that here are really only a handfull of horror comedies that are also genuinely excellent films.
This is undoubtedly one of the best horror films ever made. Shocking, inventive, fast-paced, frenetic and wonderfully entertaining from start to finish.
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
good
i love this film its a great sequel to evil dead 1 and it is great fun to watch although it is a horror, it is not scary and is suitable for children possibly over 10
Published 21 days ago by Bailey Shooter
5.0 out of 5 stars
direector improving on original
this is just sam raimi improveing on an already brilliant movie clearly this is how evil dead should have been in the first place.
Published 21 days ago by mark magee
4.0 out of 5 stars
The "groovy" Evil Dead 2 (Blu-ray)
Lets clear something up to begin with.. This is definitely a sequel to The Evil Dead (1981) and not a remake. There are many miss-conceptions about this. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sneaky D
2.0 out of 5 stars
Evil dead 2
I brought evil dead 2 dvd fine for first hour unfortunaty after the first hour film becomes unwatchable jumps and skips
Published 1 month ago by Mark
4.0 out of 5 stars
Classic
This film is a classic b movie, blood, gore you name it this has got it. Don't expect new fangled special effects
Published 1 month ago by Neil Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars
so evil
this is the funniest and best of the evil dead films, but evil dead 1 is a little more scary. on the eage of your seat from start, to finish!
Published 2 months ago by john oakes
1.0 out of 5 stars
THIS IS A POOR REMAKE/SEQUEL (... who cares anyway)
Without the original classic, this movie makes no sense. People who love this are deluded. It's silly and bordering childish. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Travis Bickle
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
Couldn't be happier, arrived on time, and at £5 you can't go wrong, really like these b movies and Bruce is the best at them
Published 3 months ago by Solway84
5.0 out of 5 stars
Evil Dead II
I purchased this for a friend who loves horror movies and she said that this is a classic and just as good as the first one, if not better. Lots of gore and madness all round. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Dream Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cult Classic
There is a special kind of charm to the special effects in this perennial classic: you can tell just how much creativity went into creating the scenario - and even if many of those... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jassu1979
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