The Evil Dead [DVD] [2010]

You don't have to be some sort of massive horror nerd to know that The Evil Dead is quite an important film (although it probably helps). Originally called Book of the Dead (until that title was deemed `too boring' by studio bosses) this spooky, shlock-horror shocker was director Sam Raimi's very first full length feature! Not only that, but it was one of the first of the `splatter' type films of the eighties and gained infamy as one of the, um...'infamous' video nasties which burst onto the scene like a squishy wound due to the availability of home video players. It was made with a very low budget for this type of film, with a small spattering (or splattering) of cast and crew members, many of which taking responsibility for multiple jobs during production; star (and king of B-movies) Bruce Campbell was chief contact lens fitter during the shoot, for example.
The film was released in 1981 and tells the story of five college friends spending the weekend in a creepy cabin in the middle of the Tennessee woods. Everything is peaceful and idyllic (for about 10 minutes) until they discover a tape recorder in the creepy cellar and decide to see what's on it! This turns out to be as bad an idea as it sounds, as the tape contains a passage read aloud from the Book of the dead (see, that's why they wanted to call the film that). This passage awakens and seemingly `pisses off' a malevolent spirit in the woods which wants to come back from the dead by possessing the living....or something, I think that's its plan! The spirit `force' (as it's often referred to by geeks) is never actually seen and is only present throughout this sticky adventure via `point of view' camera shots and sound effects - many of which were just director Sam Raimi adding his own vocals to various sounds.
One by one (by one) the five friends are consumed by the evil force and transformed into demons of sorts, they aren't officially zombies as such, as they can fly around and are incredibly agile and strong. Also, they aren't interested in eating brains or any other bits and seem to want to taunt and terrorize the survivors rather than simply kill them off (or un-undead them off, to be more accurate). The `Deadites' (as they're referred to, also by geeks) tend to have `fun' with their victims and play psychological games with them before trying to `off' them spectacularly! The sole survivor Ashley Williams (played by Bruce Campbell) has to fight off his former friends, girlfriend and sister in an attempt to stay alive until morning, when the spirits can be driven away, with each confrontation getting bloodier and more graphically violent (yay).
Some of the film's highlights include Ash's newly `turned' sister taunting Scott from the cellar ("You're not gonna' leave me here, are ya'...are ya' Ash?"), the woods themselves coming to life and attacking anyone attempting to flee the cabin and Linda (Ash's girlfriend) transforming into a giggling, porcelain doll thing, shrieking with laughter as she tries to stab him with a knife that's almost certainly entirely too big! The film really doesn't let up after the awakening of the evil spirit and the constant action, bloody violence and imaginative camera moves and sound effects leave the viewer practically exhausted by the closing credits!
Sam Raimi is well known (by geeks and um, `norms') for his strategic use of camera angles and clever shot set ups and his films are instantly recognizable as `his' due to the specific look of his movies (also because they usually either have Bruce Campbell or his `classic' car in them, or both). This film is no exception, as there are lots of sweeping, frantic camera moves and some disorientating shots which add to the atmosphere and main character Ash's rapidly deteriorating mental state!
The creepy sound effects and music also add to the unsettling atmosphere, with the possessed friend's voices and sound of the main `force' spirit being particularly effective and chilling.
Overall then, this is a film that's aged well and just won't stay dead (like a lot of Ash's friends) and considering it's over 30 years old it still holds up as a well made and quite creepy horror classic. The effects are still, um...effective, especially the `deadite' make up (creepy white contact lenses etc) and the spectacularly squelchy end sequence (which is one of the messiest endings to any horror film, possibly trumped only by films like Braindead and Bad taste). Upon release this must have been incredibly scary and effective and it's doubtful we'll see any horror films coming out in the future that will have anywhere near as large an impact or influence as the Evil Dead has had over the years!
Overall score: 5 Necronomicans out of 5

It must be safe to assume, that must people looking this title up, already know the movie. Great film right! I was 20 then I saw this for the first time, recommended by the local Video Shop. I remember it clearly! So you have never seen EVIL DEAD? Shame on you!
Wonderful to see it out on Blu. Picture and sound quality, fully lived up to my expectations."I'm used to the laserdisc version" For this release, Sony have included, for what I can tell, all the previous DVD extras, plus a Picture in Picture track and of cause the much talked about new commentary track. I found this track very informative and entertaining, at the end, Sam & Co. speak about the picture format, not a spoil it for you guys.
Speaking of the format, this Sony release, only have the modified 16:9 picture. In my opinion, it looks great on a 16:9 TV, not squeezed at all, but as other reviewers have pointed out, the picture is chopped - if you what the dual picture option? Make sure you order the Anchorbay region A Blu ray.
Anyway, I guess the question you are really looking for: Is this BD worth the upgrade? Absolutly, Evil Dead looks great on blu ray!

Released in the years before cable TV and before video cassettes made low budget schlock available to the average viewer, Evil Dead found its audience with the midnight movie horror festival crowd. No way did it get a nationwide release. Privately owned cinemas bought prints and slowly the film spread from coast to coast and even made its way to Britain. But by this time videos were gaining popularity and it was released on cassette at the same time as a very limited theatrical release.

Critics and censors dismissed it as trash and not long afterwards it was relegated to the video nasty bin and banned. As silly as this may seem, that was the lunatic logic of James Ferman's BBFC. The fact that it is inventive and well directed was lost on them. And until fairly recently only cult audiences appreciated its value. With Sony's new Blu Ray we can all finally enjoy the uncut, definitive and best-looking presentation possible.

Originally released in 1981 as The Book Of The Dead, this was a feature length re-make of Sam Raimi's short film, Within The Woods. The plot (excuse) and story (violence) involves a quintet of friends, enjoying a few days of quiet at a remote cabin in the Tennessee woods. These are not Friday the 13th goofballs who want nothing but sex and skinny-dipping. They are realistic. And it all goes nicely until Scotty (Hal Delrich) finds an ugly-looking book (with a face) and an old reel-to-reel tape recorder in the basement. The tape is of an archaeologist explaining how he resurrected demons that took over his wife in the very same cabin. The professor is nowhere to be found, but the haunting burial rites and incantations written in Sumerian text in the ugly book, The Necronomicon Ex Mortis-Book Of The Dead, are on the tape also.

Sheryl (Ellen Sandweiss) freaks out. She hears a demonic voice out in the woods. "Join us!" Foolishly going out to investigate, she is raped by a tree. Although this particular scene isn't so hard to watch, the film still has the power to disturb and make you squirm. Once Sheryl returns, all hell breaks loose and Raimi has a helluva time firing torrents of blood of varying colors throughout the cabin. Limbs are hacked off with carefree abandon and poor old Ash (Bruce Campbell) has to take them all on at once.

The supernatural hijinks were repeated to a much lesser effect in the sequel, but here Raimi creates an atmosphere of dread and whatever that force is out in the woods - it's scary. It does have some humour, but first time around the filmmakers obviously wanted horror first. You'll wince a few times, no doubt. The raw tone goes hand-in-hand with the low budget and Raimi's bizarre, hardcore cartoonish style is much in evidence.

More time is spent building character. Ash loves his girlfriend and a simple little scene between them makes us root for him. He is still to become the hapless buffoon, as he will repeat in Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness. At the very least, Evil Dead is so popular that it can no longer be regarded as a cult movie. It's not a classic. Not yet. But it is highly regarded and definitely worth several viewings.

The Blu Ray sports a 1.85:1 1080p transfer that is wonderfully grainy and a DTS HD-MA soundtrack. Loads of extras are included, but sadly Within the Woods is not one of them.

NOTE:

The film was shot open-matte with a cropped theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Some shots are a little tight but it still looks good. Purists will disagree but the US edition is in 1.37:1. I guess you can't please everyone but at least you can choose which one suits you best.