Gorehounds Unite!

  I know what your all thinking.....ANOTHER Evil Dead DVD release! Don't I already have 5 or 6 of these? Why do I need this version too? Well all these answers to all these questions plus a whole lot more will be answered in this very review!

  I will proceed with this review in a different way than I do most of them as I expect anyone who even has a passing intrest in horror films will know the film and the stories behind the production and it's boom in the wake of the 80's video boom.

 This is the first edition of EVIL DEAD to have 3 discs which include both the anamorphic widescreen transfer and the full-frame 1.33:1 aspect ratio transfer together in one package. Both versions of the film are presented on seperate discs and have the best transfers of the film that fans have seen to date. I did notice however that a few moments on the widescreen transfer seem to be washed out and the sound dips ever so slightly but thats a small gripe considering all the substandard VHS and DVD Versions out there still.

 Now to answer the question of Why buy ANOTHER copy of The Evil Dead and is this truley the "Ultimate" edition of The Evil Dead? Read on to find out!

 Let's start with the question of " Is this the true ULTIMATE edition"? My answer to this would be...............No. Why you might ask? Well let me tell you, There is no new interviews, Retrospectives,commentarys, or anything else featuring Sam Raimi. There is the old early 90's commentary weve all heard on the previous releases dating back to the LaserDisc years but it's the same one weve listened to so many times before.  Until Sam Raimi has time to contribute fully to the DVD extra's and isnt too busy with the Spiderman Franchise and the proposed remake I can't consider it an "Ultimate" edition.

 Likewise this version still doesnt have the long awaited short "Into The Woods" that started the whole thing and helped the group raise the money to make the film. Until we have this on a disc there is no ULTIMATE anything. Granted it's out of Anchor Bay's hands being all the legal ramifications that surround the short will more than likely cause it to remain unseen for many more years to come.

 Now for the question of why you need this version over all the other ones out there right now! First off this is by far the nicest packaging job the Evil Dead films have recieved thus far (not counting the awesome Necronomicon version or the AMAZING UK trilogy box set). The box is much like a book with the thick front and back cover with the middle being a trifold that holds all three discs. It looks great on the shelf and is PERFECT for getting autographed as there is a free double sided poster packaged inside. Not to mention all the great artwork on each part of the Trifold.

This version also is packaged with an impressive amount of new extra features that are quite interesting and fun to watch. This is the stuff they needed to add a long time ago. The extra features alone give reason enough to pick this version up.

 Ok now lets take a more in depth look at all the new features that are available in this version:

DISC 1....

Widescreen Edition of the Film:

 Same Film we all know and love.

Audio Commentary:

Director Sam Raimi and Producer Robert Tapert discuss the film in this commentary thats been on all the Evil Dead DVD's up to this point.

One By One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead:

This is the featurette weve all been waiting for. This is a full 54 minute featurette that includes all new interviews, Behind the scenes footage, and alot more worth taking a look at. This is the feature that will make all the fanboys out there begin to drool as they watch it (myself included). I was impressed with all the new information that they revealed in this...there was so much we didnt know about the film! I'm just as suprised as you on this one.....I enjoyed the fact that they focused on the cast and crew as well as other filmmakers that were influenced by The Evil Dead. It adds a nice layer to the whole thing as you get the "fans" perspective as well. The interviews include the cast and crew of the film as well as Eli Roth, Edgar Wright, and more! The only depressing thing was not seeing any interviews with Raimi.

 DISC 2....

 Full Screen Version Of The Film:

 Same old version we know and love as well!

The Evil Dead:Treasures from the cutting room floor:

 This is actually the feature I was really excited to see and was the most disappointed with. Don't get me wrong there's alot to like here but the presentation is severely lacking as there is no commentary with it at all. Just a constant flow of  rare and unseen cut footage for a full hour. So be sure to watch this one in pieces or it will get very boring really quickly.

 DISC 3:

Life After Dead: The Ladies of The Evil Dead:

At home, on the raod, and behind the scenes with the beautiful ladies of the Evil Dead. Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly! This is actually a very informative and fun if not a little repetitive featurette focused completely on the women of the Evil Dead. Alot of good information is given out about their feelings n the film and why it took them so long to become such close friends after the filming stopped. The fan interaction at the conventions is also quite refreshing as these women really are into making their fans as comfortable as possible.

The Ladies Of The Evil Dead Meet Bruce Campbell:

 An informal panel type of discussion behind the scenes at a convention with the ladies and Bruce Campbell. Not much new here but worth a look.

Unconventional:

Ted Raimi, Richard DeManicor, the ladies, and cast and crew reunite to discuss horror conventions and beyond. This feature will be of particular intrest to anyone who goes to the various horror conventions around the world. Theres alot of funny stuff here and it's nice to see the shows from the point of view of the celebs at the convention as opposed to the fan.

At The Drive-In:

 A featurette involving the cast and crew doing  a panel before the showing of the film at Chicago's Flashback Weekend. This is great for the fan who can't get to the conventions as it gives you a nice look at what goes on at these types of shows.

Reunion Panel:

 Another featurette from the Flashback Weekend in Chicago. This is the formal panel done with the cast and crew that was in attendance. I liked this feature but would have liked to see one of the panels from another diffferent convention as Flashback Weekend tends to be a mess every year and not the best representation of a convention.

Various other trailers, makeup tests,still galleries etc that have all been seen before.

 Altogether I have to say this is a great package and well worth the $30.00 that you'll spend on it. The DVD will be released by Anchor Bay on December 18th and would be the ultimate stocking stuffer or gift for anyone who loves the horror genre. Go ahead put a little blood under the tree this year! ASH would approve!

Visit Anchor Bay on the web: http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com/

Also Visit Starz: www.starz.com 

And on starz myspace: Visit my myspace page and they are in the top 10 friends.

RATING:

4 out of 5 Severed Heads!