Blu-Ray Review: 'The Evil Dead' (1981)

THE EVIL DEAD (1981)

Ah, another month, another version of The Evil Dead. It's become something of a running joke among fans -- if you don't like the current DVD of Sam Raimi's debut feature film, just wait a few minutes. Anchor Bay Entertainment, and Elite Entertainment before them, have made a cottage industry out of reissuing new editions of this splatter classic, which tells the familiar story of five teenagers who inadvertently unleash Kandarian demons while vacationing at a secluded mountain cabin. (Man, I hate it when that happens.) Most horror fans have lost count of the number of times they've bought this film over the years, with Anchor Bay repeatedly raiding their archives to create yet another "best ever" edition. It's hard not to react with cynicism each time a new version is announced, but fans keep reaching for their wallets. (Myself included, I must admit.)

Now Anchor Bay has upped the ante: the first-ever Blu-Ray edition of The Evil Dead has just hit store shelves. You know you want it. But how does it stack up against all the previous discs? Will you be able to justify to your beleaguered spouse why you need to buy this film for the 17th time? And what about the video transfer? After all, the movie was shot in grungy 16mm -- will Blu-Ray's enhanced clarity add anything new to the viewing experience?

Oh my, yes. This Blu-Ray edition of The Evil Dead is well worth its modest asking price. For a movie that was shot by a wet-behind-the-ears crew, under famously brutal shooting conditions, The Evil Dead's decidedly lo-fi photography makes the transition to HD with flying colors. The video transfer is quite simply a revelation; it goes without saying that the movie has never looked this good, not even during its original theatrical run. No amount of technology will ever make The Evil Dead look like a modern horror film (thank goodness), but this remastered, color-corrected 1080p transfer squeezes detail from the image that I never suspected was there. While watching the Blu-Ray, it almost seems like a person could count every hair on Bruce Campbell's head if he or she felt the urge. Aspect ratio junkies take note: the Blu-Ray includes both the original (and director preferred) 1.33:1 full-frame version, as well as an anamorphic matted 1.85:1 widescreen edition. Both look excellent.

The sound is top notch as well, though the jump in audio fidelity is more subtle. Quite frankly, the most recent DVD of The Evil Dead sounded just fine to my ears, and so does this new Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track. No complaints whatsoever; the dialogue is always discernible, and the subwoofer rumbles in all the right places. That's all I need. A French 2.0 audio mix is also provided, though I have not sampled it.

As for the supplements? Strap in.

First up is a brand new audio commentary featuring writer/director Sam Raimi, actor Bruce Campbell, and producer Rob Tapert. It's important to note that Campbell contributed a hilarious solo commentary to an earlier DVD edition, while Raimi and Tapert recorded a joint commentary without Campbell for the same disc. Sadly, both of these tracks were omitted from the Blu-Ray, so completists will want to hang on to their DVD. Fortunately, this new track is well worth a listen. Although covering some of the same ground as the earlier commentaries, you'll find a lot of very frank discussion about the difficulties of bringing this film to completion, The most alarming moment? A truly frightening anecdote from Campbell about falling asleep in the cabin and waking up to find an unknown man sitting beside him in the darkness. (Turns out it was a local hunter who took refuge in the cabin.) This commentary is a good listen, with lots of new information for Evil Dead fans.

That's the only extra feature on the Blu-Ray itself, but included with the package is a bonus DVD which recycles a bunch of documentaries and featurettes from earlier incarnations of the movie. Completists should once again note that some great supplements, like the Bruce Campbell-directed documentary "Fanalysis," from the limited edition "Book of the Dead" DVD version, is missing from the Blu-Ray. No doubt it will resurface on (sigh) the next HD edition.

Instead, you'll find the superb 54-minute documentary, "One By One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead." Boasting new interviews with the cast and crew, along with celebrity fans like Edgar Wright, Eli Roth, and Joe Bob Briggs, this enlightening celebration of The Evil Dead contains extensive behind the scenes footage, showing the difficulty Raimi and friends had in completing the movie. The 13-minute "Discovering The Evil Dead" recounts the battle to get the film released in the United Kingdom due to censorship issues, while "Treasures From the Cutting Room Floor" presents a full hour (!) of raw footage and outtakes from the shoot, personally selected by Sam Raimi himself. This is a fascinating inclusion, and is mandatory viewing for all aspiring filmmakers and editors.

Those three excellent supplements are slightly tapered by a selection of less interesting, and semi-redundant, featurettes. "The Ladies of The Evil Dead Meet Bruce Campbell," "Unconventional," "At the Drive-In," and "Reunion Panel" all feature the cast of the film reminiscing about the shoot, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of an audience. Many of the same anecdotes are repeated multiple times, and I can only imagine how sick Bruce Campbell and company must be of answering some of these questions.

A fun stop-motion animation test (which is weirdly called a "Make-Up Test" on the menu) is included, while "Book of the Dead: The Other Pages" features more of Tim Sullivan's amazing Necronomicon artwork. A collection of trailers, TV spots, and still photos round out the bonus materials.

So with all that said, what's the verdict? Do you really need another copy of The Evil Dead? If you own a Blu-Ray player, then yes you do -- the new video transfer is simply that good. Just don't toss your old DVD: the thought of never hearing that hilarious solo Bruce Campbell audio commentary again is just too heinous. But grab this Blu-Ray pronto.

However, let the record show that this is absolutely, positively, the last time I'm picking up a new copy of The Evil Dead. Uh, unless the next edition includes a copy of Sam Raimi's legendary short film, "Within the Woods." Or a commentary track with co-stars Hal Delrich, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly. Or more behind the scenes footage. Or any additional bonus content that I don't already have.

I mean it! I'm serious this time! After all, I need to scrape together enough cash to buy my 28th copy of Evil Dead II.

RATING: A

Locally, the Evil Dead Blu-Ray can be found at Best Buy in Dickson City. You can also get it from Amazon, along with the most recent DVD edition.

Check out the classic Evil Dead trailer on the left side of the page.

-----
Follow me on Twitter!