The Movie
Shrewdly conceived as a way to tap into the movie business via America's then-burgeoning drive-in theater market, The Evil Dead gave audiences what they expected when they bought their tickets, plus a whole lot more. In the now-classic horror movie setup, a bunch of young friends shares a remote cabin in the woods for the weekend. This time however, they unknowingly summon the forces of evil, which begin to possess them one by one, in horrible, violent ways.
There's heartbreak, betrayal, and buckets and buckets of blood (and guts, and weird white stuff that shoots out of the wounds of the evil dead). There is also an incredible originality on display, from disturbing moments such a girl being raped by sentient flora to the comedy played out on B-movie legend Bruce Campbell's bigger-than-life face. And the striking camera work that would become a Sam Raimi (Spider-Man) trademark is all the more impressive for The Evil Dead's nano-budget.
The Picture
The image displays more detail than I've ever seen on this movie, perhaps approaching the limits of what can be culled from the original 16mm film negative. Yes, in some scenes there is more grain than today's viewers might be used to seeing, but it actually varies from shot to shot. Some portions are unavoidably soft however, and there doesn't (yet) exist a non-destructive "Sharpen" button in the telecine booth.
Evil Dead is viewable in the director's original, preferred 4:3 aspect ratio with vertical black bars, as well as a matted, zoomed-in 1,85:1 version which is also quite strong, perhaps more enjoyable on the big 16:9 screen. This wide version does however expose the limitations of the video that much more. With a run time of only 85 minutes for the feature, this disc can still hit a bitrate typically 25-megapbits-per-second-and-up.
The Sound
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is the only English option, no archival mono, but it sounds pretty terrific, and faithful to the original track. All elements are clean and natural, and the nuances within the music are exquisite. The audio has been rechanneled but not excessively so, with some discrete noises and undeniably bold sound design for the unleashed evil moving through the woods, the music and effects often working together wonderfully. Nice surprises include a terrific scream phasing between the rears.
Volume is low however, so I needed to crank it higher than expected to achieve what I considered proper levels. There are also some anomalies inherent in the vintage audio, as at one point Ash (Campbell) is shouting down into a cellar, and we hear some echo but we instinctively feel like there should be more, across the speakers. But this is a fine accompaniment to the remastered video, no question.
The Extras
The new audio commentary with writer/director Sam Raimi, producer Robert Tapert and star Bruce Campbell puts them all in the room together this time, more serious and educational than in some tracks past. Disc Two is a "Limited Edition Bonus DVD" of previously released special feature, some not unavailable for years. "One By One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead" (54 minutes) is the most comprehensive, while "The Evil Dead: Treasures from the Cutting Room Floor" is the longest, almost a full hour of extended, alternate and deleted scenes. "Book of The Dead: The Other Pages" give us a two-minute, up-close look at the detailed prop via additional deleted footage.
"The Ladies of The Evil Dead Meet Bruce Campbell" (29 minutes) combines actor and actresses in a friendly interview session. "Reunion Panel" assembles the entire cast for a fan Q&A (31 minutes), "Unconventional" (19 minutes) takes a step back to discuss the convention scene, while "At the Drive-In" (12 minutes) is another fun live appearance. "Discovering The Evil Dead" (13 minutes) tells the tale of how the movie came to be distributed in England. And a one-minute Make-Up Test serves up lots of dripping blood and a clever technique that overlaps live-action and stop-motion in the same frame. All of this content is in standard definition, naturally.
Final Thoughts
What every low-budget horror-film aspires to be, The Evil Dead is a triumphant confluence of talent, inspiration and hard work. Some questioned the consequences of remastering this inexpensively produced cult favorite for HD, but the results scream for themselves.
Product Details
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