Amongst Horror fans, and movie fans in general, there seem to be two schools of thought. There are those who love Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn, and then there are simply those who have just never seen it because to see it is to love it. Although it’s already been released once in the Blu-ray format (and if its DVD life was any indication, this won’t be the last), this 25th Anniversary edition is more than just a fancy name slapped on the same old package.
The story doesn’t so much pick up where Evil Dead left off as it does quickly retell it, primarily because at the end of Evil Dead, Ash dies and they now had to explain how he didn’t. Since the rights to the first movie were owned by a different studio, the overall plot of Evil Dead was completely reshot, although Raimi and crew narrowed the group down to just Ash and his girlfriend, Linda. This is cause for much confusion, and many fans think Ash is simply dumb enough to have taken another girlfriend back to this awful cabin in the midst of evil inhabited woods.
Just as with the first film, it’s not long before the evil of the woods takes and possesses Linda, turning her into a horrifying, yet somewhat hilarious deadite. Ash then has to survive the night, which this time he succeeds (well, at least most of him does), only to have to survive one more night. In the midst of the madness, Ash is joined by Annie, the daughter of the professor who owned the cabin, her boyfriend and two hapless rednecks that showed them the way through the woods. None of them are aware of what they’ve gotten themselves into, or that most of them won’t live to see morning.
Evil Dead 2 does what every good sequel should and builds upon the original in every way, making it an all around better film. The horror and gore are cranked to 11, and Raimi’s trademark love of slapstick comedy is on full display.
Raimi also brings an unbelievably creative eye to the filming process. There are shots and techniques, many that he literally created such as the “Raimi-cam,” that add an extra layer to the already over the top setting and makes for a more visually engaging and mind-boggling experience.
The movie itself, though, rests on the mighty shoulders of B-movie star extraordinaire Bruce Campbell. Unlike his portrayal of Ash in the first film, which was the exact opposite of anything heroic, Campbell infuses his character here with not only more range, but some added confidence. This shift, found somewhere around when Ash has to chainsaw his own hand off because it “went bad,” moves Ash from simpleton that’s being tortured endlessly by this ancient evil to worthwhile adversary complete with witty one-liners and, in a most awesome bit of improvising, a chainsaw hand. Campbell’s true chops are all on display here and it’s no surprise that despite a career in lesser tiered films and TV, that he’s remained beloved and admired to this day.
Being in a day and age where nearly all Horror films have resorted to digital effects for any and all gore, it’s so refreshing to revisit a time when everything was practical. These effects, brought about by the now incomparable KNB effects crew (Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero, and Howard Berger), pushed the very limits of what had been done via practical effects, and truly showcase the creativity and passion these guys have for their craft and for being able to gross people out. KNB continues to be the go-to special effects team to this day, and it’s a genuine treat to be able to see them getting their bearings in this beloved cult classic. I’d take this work over CGI’d anything any day of the week.
High-Def Presentation
Having been previously released on Blu-Ray with a less than stellar transfer, many were worried that this would be another run of the mill cash grab. Lionsgate promised earlier this year that this release would get a brand new transfer and I can surely attest that this is much, much improved over the last Blu-ray release and is leaps and bounds above any of the earlier home releases before it.
The picture, a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encode, exhibits fine detail in the forefront and background with very little murkiness, save for some of the visual effects shots. Grain is evident throughout, but it never overabundant and comes off as natural. Black levels are also really impressive and no matter how dark the scene is, nothing gets lost which is excellent considering almost the entire movie happens at night. It’s still not going to be something you would use as demo material, but it’s assuredly the best the film has ever looked.
On the audio side of things, there’s not quite as big of a difference over the previous release, but this one just does edge out its predecessor. Outfitted with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix, the overall sound is sharper and more focused and some great moments take full control of the range of sound afforded it, making it quite the entertaining barrage of creepy noises and ghastly moans. Dialogue is focused front and center and remain a priority within the mix, which is impressive as the movie is pretty cranked up from the get go and stays that way throughout.
Beyond The Feature
Many of the special features included are ported over from previous releases, such as the audio commentary, and several of the behind the scenes looks. This disc does, however, feature a couple new additions, in HD no less, that help round out an already extensive look.
The best new addition is the documentary, ‘Swallowed Souls: The Making of Evil Dead 2.’ This documentary is broken up into seven different chapters and is extensively detailed and completely fascinating. To be someone that’s enjoyed this film for over half of my life, it’s incredible to have a feature breathe some new life and insight into the film, making this edition worth it for the documentary alone.
Although some of the other features are from previous releases, they contribute nicely and help to round out a more complete package.
Below is a complete listing of all the included special features:
Audio Commentary featuring Director/Writer Sam Raimi, Actor Bruce Campbell, Co-Writer Scott Spiegel and Special Effects/Make-up Artist Greg Nicotero
Swallowed Souls: The Making of Evil Dead 2 (HD, 98 min)
Cabin Fever: A “Fly on the Wall” Look Behind the Scenes of Evil Dead 2 (HD, 30 min)
Road to Wadesboro: Revisiting the Shooting Location with Filmmaker Tony Elwood (HD, 8 min)
Evil Dead 2: Behind the Screams (SD, 17 min)
The Gore the Merrier (SD, 32 min)
Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2 min)
Still Galleries
Evil Dead 2 is, without a doubt, one of the most beloved cult classics of our generation. From Raimi’s wacky yet precise direction to Campbell’s unbelievable performance as Ash to the KNB effects crew going above and beyond, everything just clicks for this film. Even 25 years later, new fans are discovering the film and loving it just as much as those that came before them, and a finer testament couldn’t be given.
Now, thanks to Lionsgate, Evil Dead 2 finally has the release that it deserves. With an exceptional PQ and AQ package, an incredible new documentary that will inform and entertain even the most die-hard fan, as well as many of the other supplements from throughout the years, this is THE definitive Evil Dead 2 to own.
Evil Dead 2: 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Review
The story doesn’t so much pick up where Evil Dead left off as it does quickly retell it, primarily because at the end of Evil Dead, Ash dies and they now had to explain how he didn’t. Since the rights to the first movie were owned by a different studio, the overall plot of Evil Dead was completely reshot, although Raimi and crew narrowed the group down to just Ash and his girlfriend, Linda. This is cause for much confusion, and many fans think Ash is simply dumb enough to have taken another girlfriend back to this awful cabin in the midst of evil inhabited woods.
Just as with the first film, it’s not long before the evil of the woods takes and possesses Linda, turning her into a horrifying, yet somewhat hilarious deadite. Ash then has to survive the night, which this time he succeeds (well, at least most of him does), only to have to survive one more night. In the midst of the madness, Ash is joined by Annie, the daughter of the professor who owned the cabin, her boyfriend and two hapless rednecks that showed them the way through the woods. None of them are aware of what they’ve gotten themselves into, or that most of them won’t live to see morning.
Evil Dead 2 does what every good sequel should and builds upon the original in every way, making it an all around better film. The horror and gore are cranked to 11, and Raimi’s trademark love of slapstick comedy is on full display.
Raimi also brings an unbelievably creative eye to the filming process. There are shots and techniques, many that he literally created such as the “Raimi-cam,” that add an extra layer to the already over the top setting and makes for a more visually engaging and mind-boggling experience.
The movie itself, though, rests on the mighty shoulders of B-movie star extraordinaire Bruce Campbell. Unlike his portrayal of Ash in the first film, which was the exact opposite of anything heroic, Campbell infuses his character here with not only more range, but some added confidence. This shift, found somewhere around when Ash has to chainsaw his own hand off because it “went bad,” moves Ash from simpleton that’s being tortured endlessly by this ancient evil to worthwhile adversary complete with witty one-liners and, in a most awesome bit of improvising, a chainsaw hand. Campbell’s true chops are all on display here and it’s no surprise that despite a career in lesser tiered films and TV, that he’s remained beloved and admired to this day.
Being in a day and age where nearly all Horror films have resorted to digital effects for any and all gore, it’s so refreshing to revisit a time when everything was practical. These effects, brought about by the now incomparable KNB effects crew (Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero, and Howard Berger), pushed the very limits of what had been done via practical effects, and truly showcase the creativity and passion these guys have for their craft and for being able to gross people out. KNB continues to be the go-to special effects team to this day, and it’s a genuine treat to be able to see them getting their bearings in this beloved cult classic. I’d take this work over CGI’d anything any day of the week.
High-Def Presentation
Having been previously released on Blu-Ray with a less than stellar transfer, many were worried that this would be another run of the mill cash grab. Lionsgate promised earlier this year that this release would get a brand new transfer and I can surely attest that this is much, much improved over the last Blu-ray release and is leaps and bounds above any of the earlier home releases before it.
The picture, a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encode, exhibits fine detail in the forefront and background with very little murkiness, save for some of the visual effects shots. Grain is evident throughout, but it never overabundant and comes off as natural. Black levels are also really impressive and no matter how dark the scene is, nothing gets lost which is excellent considering almost the entire movie happens at night. It’s still not going to be something you would use as demo material, but it’s assuredly the best the film has ever looked.
On the audio side of things, there’s not quite as big of a difference over the previous release, but this one just does edge out its predecessor. Outfitted with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix, the overall sound is sharper and more focused and some great moments take full control of the range of sound afforded it, making it quite the entertaining barrage of creepy noises and ghastly moans. Dialogue is focused front and center and remain a priority within the mix, which is impressive as the movie is pretty cranked up from the get go and stays that way throughout.
Beyond The Feature
Many of the special features included are ported over from previous releases, such as the audio commentary, and several of the behind the scenes looks. This disc does, however, feature a couple new additions, in HD no less, that help round out an already extensive look.
The best new addition is the documentary, ‘Swallowed Souls: The Making of Evil Dead 2.’ This documentary is broken up into seven different chapters and is extensively detailed and completely fascinating. To be someone that’s enjoyed this film for over half of my life, it’s incredible to have a feature breathe some new life and insight into the film, making this edition worth it for the documentary alone.
Although some of the other features are from previous releases, they contribute nicely and help to round out a more complete package.
Below is a complete listing of all the included special features:
Evil Dead 2 is, without a doubt, one of the most beloved cult classics of our generation. From Raimi’s wacky yet precise direction to Campbell’s unbelievable performance as Ash to the KNB effects crew going above and beyond, everything just clicks for this film. Even 25 years later, new fans are discovering the film and loving it just as much as those that came before them, and a finer testament couldn’t be given.
Now, thanks to Lionsgate, Evil Dead 2 finally has the release that it deserves. With an exceptional PQ and AQ package, an incredible new documentary that will inform and entertain even the most die-hard fan, as well as many of the other supplements from throughout the years, this is THE definitive Evil Dead 2 to own.
– Matt Hardeman
Shop for Evil Dead 2: 25th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray for a discounted price at Amazon.com (November 15, 2011 release date).
TheHDRoom may be paid a small commission for any services or products ordered through select links on this page.
Recommended for you