Big Picture Big Sound

Evil Dead Blu-ray Review

By Rachel Cericola

The Film

I can be a bit of a movie purist. I like my Star Wars with Mark Hamill, I've completely wiped the third Godfather from my memory, and I consider the only good Evil Dead to be a Bruce Campbell Evil Dead. Without a doubt, he helped to propel the series to its current cult classic status. So when he and long-time collaborator Sam Raimi announced that there would be a remake, I got goosebumps -- just not in a good way.

The Evil Dead reboot does have Raimi and Campbell listed with producing credits and the actor/author (If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor is a must-read!) even makes a small cameo. More importantly, both really pushed the film during its theatrical release, so they can certainly take some of the blame for what's here.

Mia (Jane Levy from TV's Suburgatory) is the main focus in the film, as is her drug problem. That's the reason she and all of the kids come to that cabin. There's always a cabin.

However, her drug addiction appears to be the least of everyone's problems. While thumbing through the Book of the Dead, her friend Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) unleashes a demon that attaches itself to Mia. No, that ghostly look and the puking have nothing to do with withdrawals. It's demons, people! From there, all hell breaks loose -- literally.

EvilDead-still.jpg
Jane Levy scares up some heebie-jeebies in the remake of "Evil Dead." Photo: © 2013 Evil Dead, LLC.

Without a doubt, the Evil Dead reboot has some scary moments. Unfortunately, it has a lot more gross moments, with gratuitous blood spewing from everywhere and everything. More importantly, it doesn't have that campy vibe that made the original such a classic. There's no one with Campbell's delivery and presence to bring the whole thing together. Sure this Evil Dead is scary, just like every other generic horror flick. At the very least, it's got better production values than its namesake. Does that make it a better movie? Hells no. Hail to the king, baby.

The Picture

If you like your Evil Dead slick and stylish, you'll be pleased as bloody-colored punch with this 2.39:1 image. The shaky-cam is sorely missed, but no one can say that this isn't a good-looking film. It's pretty dark throughout its entire 91-minute runtime. That said, what you'll be able to see through the slits of your fingers is pretty darn sharp. Every gory detail is on display here, but the black levels are certainly the image's strongest standout.

The Sound

Sony delivers some serious heebie-jeebies with its included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat, because it's filled to the brim with the sort of skin-crawling sound effects that will have you checking the locks and possibly the basement. There are flies buzzing around the soundfield, creaking floors, pouring rain, screams, and a stabby soundtrack belting with clarity out of every single speaker. And really, who doesn't love the immersive sounds of a staple gun?

The Extras

EvilDead.jpg
First-time feature director Fede Alvarez pops up throughout this release's crop of short extras. There's an entire seven minutes dedicated to the director, with other featurettes covering the production process and star Jane Levy. Bruce Campbell also pops up in a 10-minute short to help dissect how and why they decided to reboot the series. For even more details, there's a lively commentary track that has Alvarez and Levy sitting down with stars Lou Taylor Pucci and Jessica Lucas, as well as writer Rodo Sayagues.

Final Thoughts

The original Evil Dead was campy fun, thanks to the insanely cool colaboration of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi. We need more of that and less remakes. Sure, the reboot is nicer looking and better sounding, but it will never match up to the original.

Product Details

  • Actors:Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore
  • Director: Fede Alvarez
  • Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English, Portuguese), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French, Spanish, Thai), DVS 2.0 (English)
  • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Chinese, French, Indonesian, -Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Rating: R
  • Studio: Sony
  • Blu-ray Disc Release Date: July 16, 2013
  • Run Time: 91 minutes
  • List Price: $35.99
  • Extras:
    • Commentary with Jane Levy, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Director Fede Alvarez, and Writer Rodo Sayagues
    • Directing the Dead
    • Evil Dead the Reboot
    • Making Life Difficult
    • Unleashing the Evil Force
    • Being Mia
    • Previews
    • Digital Copy
    • UltraViolet Digital Copy

What did you think?

Overall
Video
Audio
Movie
Extras
View all articles by Rachel Cericola
More in Blu-Ray and DVD
Big News
Newsletter Sign-up
 
Connect with Us