Five college students, Ash (Bruce Campbell), Shelly (Theresa Tilly), Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss), Linda (Betsy Baker), and Scott (Richard DeManincor), go on vacation heading to a secluded cabin in the middle of backwoods Tennessee. Once there they quickly discover a hidden cache of old tapes belonging to the former owner and a supposedly ancient book apparently bound in human flesh called “The Book of the Dead.” Curious, the group listens to the tapes inadvertently releases the ancient evil spirits of the forest forcing them to fight for their lives or else become possessed by vicious, blood-thirsty demons.

CRITIQUE

Next to maybe Halloween, this is probably the most famous no-budget horror movie of all-time. The script is all Hollywood camp B-movie cliché. The execution is anything but. For better or for worse (and a lot of people would argue the latter) this flick fundamentally changed the genre in a multitude of ways, the repercussions of its release and continued fame still felt to this very day.

But for writer and director Sam Raimi, star Bruce Campbell and producer Rob Tapert this film was meant to be nothing more than laugh-filled lark, a low-budget calling card that would hopefully showcase their skills and allow them to get a foothold in Hollywood. They never expected their gross-out chiller to become a massive underground sensation or become one of the most talked about and lusted after movies of the past three decades. They never anticipated making two sequels (Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, which is more or less a remake, and Army of Darkness) and having people constantly hound them hoping for a third. They never thought they’d be still talking about a picture today that they barely got the funding to complete 29 years prior.

Yet that’s just how these things sometime go, and it’s hard to imagine Raimi would have gone on to make his Spider-Man trilogy or Campbell would have become the humongous cult icon he is if The Evil Dead hadn’t have been released. The pair hit lightning in a bottle with this one, their combination of thrills, chills, laughs and gore a timeless treat audiences seemingly still can’t get enough of.

I will admit that the picture hasn’t always completely won me over. It’s purposefully stupid, and while some will say that is part of the script’s charm for my part it’s a trait that gets kind of old, especially during subsequent viewings. Additionally, I’ve always felt the climax never quite gets the job done, and while I’m sure that has plenty to do with budgetary limitations that still doesn’t make that fact any less disappointing.

Yet, like so many of Roger Corman’s genre classics from the 1970’s and 1980’s (like Piranha, Galaxy of Terror or Battle Beyond the Stars, just to name three) this is one of those pictures where you check your brain at the door and just allow the unique aspects of what’s being thrown on the screen to just wash over you. After a short buildup the tension Raimi and company unleash is nearly unrelenting, and starting with the rape of one character by a tree and continuing through a series of eye-gaugings, flesh-rippings and dismemberments the film just refuses to letup. Unlike the sequels while the comedic aspects are definitely here they do not get to take center stage, the filmmakers consumed with getting as far under the viewers skin as possible hoping they’ll be gasping for air come the climax unable to catch their breath.

By and large Raimi succeeds, and while some of the effects are certainly dated (heck, they were dated back in 1981 for gosh sakes) just the same they still haven’t lost any of their grotesque potency. What he and his crew put up onscreen with very little money financing them is extraordinary, and even though I’ve seen the picture multiple times there are still moments here that can’t help but make me turn my head away to stomach-churning for even me to easily digest.

So there you have it. The Evil Dead is a midnight cult film classic that deserves its status as film that simply must be seen to be believed. It isn’t perfect and it does have its flaws, but for genre fans it’s just so damn entertaining none of that really matters. Raimi may have gone on to bigger projects and more massive budgets but this is the arena I think he will always feel most at home, his 1981 debut still possessing viewers with its powerful gory gaze almost three decades after its original release.

THE VIDEO

The Evil Dead is presented on 50GB disc with two amazing transfers, one in its widely seen 1.85:1 aspect ratio and the other in 1.33:1, the aspect ratio Raimi originally shot the picture in. Surprisingly, especially for a film shot so cheaply and was never meant to look all that awesome to begin with, these transfers are downright extraordinary. I was, in point of fact, blown away by the both of them. This could be Anchor Bay’s finest hour, and for the life of me I just didn’t think the studio was capable of putting this much love and care into one of their hi-def transfers. Seriously, this is Criterion level stuff and potentially ends up ranking The Evil Dead as one of the superlative Blu-rays to hit the marketplace this year.

THE AUDIO

The film is presented with an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack with English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Again, Anchor Bay has gone above and beyond, and while not quite reaching the same level as the video this audio transfer is still quite astonishing. Fans will be more than pleased.

THE EXTRAS

There are two new extras, the first being that 1.33:1 transfer while the second is a brand-new audio commentary with writer/director Sam Raimi, producer Robert Tapert and star Bruce Campbell. It was interesting to watch the film in its director-approved aspect ratio, Raimi commenting that early VHS prints were pan and scan versions of the 1.85:1 release and not made from his original masters this being maybe the first time the film is presented properly in the way he always meant it to be seen. Definitely a great extra and one anyone who considers themselves an Evil Dead aficionado will be thrilled to have access to.

As for that audio commentary, while I personally loved it I imagine there will be those who will find it somewhat disappointing. The trio never actually talk about what’s going on in the film itself, instead focusing on the production, getting the financing, its subsequent distribution and what it has ultimately meant to all three of them and their subsequent careers. I found what they had to say fascinating, Raimi, Tapert and Campbell obviously very good friends with great memories who love reminiscing with one another. That said, if you want to know how the tree rape was accomplished or how the actors felt about any of the stuff required of them in any given scene you’re not going to learn any of that here, the remainder of the special features on the bonus DVD where some – if not all – of the answers to those types of questions can be found.

As for that DVD, the collection of featurettes, documentaries, trailers, TV spots and promotional items have all been culled from previous The Evil Dead DVD releases. While none of it is new I will say they have collected what I think is the best of the best of what Anchor Bay has created for this title over the years and I’m fairly certain fans are going to agree with me.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Evil Dead was never a title I thought particularly lent itself to the Blu-ray format. I was wrong. This is without a doubt the best looking and best sounding title I have ever seen come out of Anchor Bay’s vaults, and even if you own any of the previous DVD editions of the film I’d still recommend grabbing this two-disc limited edition release almost immediately.