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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Writer-director Sam Raimi's extremely stylized, blood-soaked follow-up to his creepy Evil Dead isn't really a sequel; rather, it's a remake on a better budget. It also isn't really a horror film (though there are plenty of decapitations, zombies, supernatural demons, and gore) as much as it is a hilarious, sophisticated slapstick send-up of the terror genre. Raimi takes every horror convention that exists and exaggerates it with mind-blowing special effects, crossed with mocking Three Stooges humor. The plot alone is a genre cliché right out of any number of horror films. Several teens (including our hero, Ash, played by Bruce Campbell in a manic tour-de-force of physical comedy) visit a broken-down cottage in the woods--miles from civilization--find a copy of the Book of the Dead, and unleash supernatural powers that gut every character in sight. All, that is, except Ash, who takes this very personally and spends much of the of the film getting his head smashed while battling the unseen forces. Raimi uses this bare-bones story as a stage to showcase dazzling special effects and eye-popping visuals, including some of the most spectacular point-of-view Steadicam work ever (done by Peter Deming). Although it went unnoticed in the theaters, the film has since become an influential cult-video favorite, paving the way for over-the-top comic gross-out films like Peter Jackson's Dead Alive. --Dave McCoy
Product Description
Ash (Bruce Campbell), the sole survivor of The Evil Dead, continues his struggle with the forces of the dead. With his girlfriend possessed by demons and his body parts runnning amok, Ash is forced to single- handedly battle the legions of the damned as the most lethal -- and groovy -- hero in horror movie history! Welcome to Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn, director Sam Raimi's infamous sequel to The Evil Dead and outrageous prequel to Army of Darkness! So, sit back, strap in and rev up the chainsaw: Evil Dead II has returned...like you've never seen or heard it before!
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
76 of 82 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Up until this past year's hilarious "Shaun of the Dead," this film, "Evil Dead II," really had no competition whatsoever for the funniest Horror film ever made. It would be easy to rave about this Cult Classic filled with trick photography, stop-motion animation, over-the-top gore-soaked casualties, Bruce Campbell's charming chin, and one of the most underrated endings in film history, but I will point out why this particular DVD is exceptional instead. What makes this DVD rock is that the sound has been digitally remastered into THX surround sound. The sound-effects in this film are essential to magnify the humor and horror to its great heights. The other reason to get this DVD is the commentary which includes writer-director Sam Raimi, star Bruce Campbell, co-writer Scott Spiegel, and special make-up effects artist Greg Nicotero. I swear that listening to these guys self-deprecate and otherwise rip on themselves and the movie is as much fun as watching this film for the very first time. No kidding. I was rolling with laughter. For the quintessential backstory on this film may I recommend Bruce Campbell's thoroughly enjoyable book, "If Chins Could Kill," which is loaded with reminiscences about his time before, during, and after making this landmark Horror film classic. "Evil Dead II" is a necessary purchase for any Horror film afficionado. Highly recommended.
34 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It comes in a groovy little tin with the European poster style on the top and inside has the booklet, a little ad for the video game and the dvd itself.
The booklet claims to have "rare photos", but it's just pictures from scenes throughout the movie that we've seen before- nothing special, but has some good insights from the special effects guys and Bruce.
Now for the DVD
I was really pleased with the extras- the commentary was a lot of fun- I enjoyed it more than the first Evil Dead special edition because Sam Raimi actually throws in a lot more tidbits with Bruce and friends to back him up. There were no long pauses, everyone had something interesting to say and it's just a lot of fun listening to them mock the dialogue and point out the mistakes. Plus, there's only four people on the commentary so no one is overwhelmed and we can hear everyone talking- I think too many people on commentaries can be frustrating. Also find out what Kurt Russel's fav. line is from "Evil Dead 2" in a quite hilarious memory Bruce brings up.
"The Gore The Merrier" featurette was very cool- it's lengthy too so we get to see a lot of the cool effects being made and used in the final product. We also see Raimi, Campbell and the rest of the crew clowning around and also a ridiculous/funny little skit that the special effects team came up with- about a baby that comes back from the dead for revenge. The documentary was shot with a crappy camera, but back in '86'87- home video cameras sucked anyway so I wasn't surprised- it's fine though- just a little grainy.
The theatrical trailer was edited very well- I hadn't seen it before and I was pretty impressed how spooky they made it.
The video game preview is awesome- like a teaser trailer, but it's really neat- gotta see it for yourself.
The bios only consist of Bruce and Raimi, but they're better than most bios you find on dvds.
Photos- no big deal- some candid shots.
Widescreen and full screen formats- sweet. Love it when they have both.
And...sound is great. Overall, nearly poi-fect dvd- I just would've liked some out-takes- cuz we know there was a lot of laughing going on from the reminiscing we hear on the commentary.
Buy it- definately worth it- great menu too, pretty much everything is worth mentioning!
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
If you've never owned "Evil Dead II" before, or if you've owned it a million times already across VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc, VCD, DVD, and Blu-ray, the new 25th Anniversary Edition by Lionsgate is THE version to have.
Lionsgate apparently returned to the original camera negative for this new transfer, and it shows. Detail is far above and beyond every previous home video release, including the dreaded waxed-over Blu-ray from Anchor Bay. A strong grain structure is present, although some mild DVNR tampering is visible--the grain generally moves as grain ought to, although sometimes it becomes more static, but never at a standstill. Color grading is a lot more dynamic and pleasing with realistic flesh tones and beautiful lighting I swear I've never quite seen before, while the contrast is more stable with night scenes looking appropriately dark, while daytime and near-dusk scenes look more appropriate and fitting than ever before. Black levels are solid, although there have been concerns of black crush being involved--that is, when shadow detail is lost, the shading variances gone and blacks being "crushed" instead. This doesn't appear to be any defect of the mastering, however; the film has always been dark, and it's my belief that the stark, detail-free blacks are due to underexposure during filming. The '98 VHS tape, THX- and DiviMax-mastered DVDs, and original Blu-ray (all from Anchor Bay) that I own all feature the same "problem" (*); I believe it was an artistic decision and one that I find to be visually striking. To top it all off, the original age restriction warning before the Rosebud logo returns, which had been excised from Anchor Bay's Blu-ray.
*(This is not to say that old home video releases are correct and that they should be used as a guideline for how the film should look; old video masters should never be the standard of quality in any respect since they are often very inaccurate to the original film source. I'm simply saying that I doubt very much that ALL of these previous video masters would be so goofed up as to feature the exact same levels of black crush as featured on the Lionsgate Blu-ray, so it is almost definitely part of the original photography. The DiviMax/Book of the Dead DVD and Anchor Bay Blu-ray, by the way, are transferred from the same master.)
Full-res screenshots of the title can be viewed at caps-a-holic, which also compares this release to the Anchor Bay one.
Some may be upset to hear that the wires used to hold up the flying eyeball have been digitally removed. This doesn't bother me since they were never meant to be seen in the first place, but there is a quaintness that is now missing with their removal; far as I can tell, the rest of the wires remain intact, which is odd that they'd only fix the one. If only they'd gone all-out and fixed all the wires, the huge tear in Ted Raimi/Possessed Henrietta's rear, and fixed the shots where unfinished sets are seen. Hey, if you're going to fix one thing, why not fix it all à la "Blade Runner: The Final Cut"? It should be all or nothing; fix it all or leave it well enough alone.
The only audio provided is a DTS-HD 5.1 track with English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles optional. An uncompressed original mono track would have been appreciated (coded as 2.0 dual mono); I've never been too wild over surround re-mixes, especially since only the original mix represents the intentions of the filmmakers. But, the 5.1 mix does the job well enough.
Extras include an all-new 100-minute documentary titled "Swallowed Souls: The Making of Evil Dead II", split up into several chapters and featuring endearing new stop-motion effects recreating scenes from the film (a whole full-length recreation of the film in this fashion would be a load of fun to see). The doc is fun and informative with a lot of new trivia that I'd never heard before, such as the existence of co-writer Scott Spiegel's short film "Attack of the Helping Hand" and its influence on the "Evil Dead II" script. A 30-minute behind-the-scenes production video is also provided, showing off among other things scenes which were deleted during the editing process which all have plenty of fascinating effects, and it's unfortunate that these scenes were not found and restored for this Blu-ray release as separate deleted scenes. A 7-minute return to the shooting locations is also new, and the standard definition "The Gore the Merrier" and Tom Sullivan photo commentary featurettes from the Anchor Bay DVDs are provided as well. The movie commentary is the same entertaining one which has been around since I believe one of the LaserDisc releases. The US trailer is thankfully presented in HD, and there are HD photo galleries as well.
"Evil Dead II", the fantastic sequel to the low-budget, DIY "The Evil Dead" (it's NOT a remake; the first seven minutes merely recap the first movie since rights to the footage could not be acquired), has never looked this pretty and detailed on home video, and is DEFINITELY worth the upgrade. (The THX-mastered DVD from 2000 can finally be retired.) Strangely, the restoration and transfer is not of the same caliber as Bob Murawski and Anchor Bay's work on the first film, so it's unfortunate that Lionsgate did not throw at the project quite the same amount of money and talent as the first film's HD restoration received, but it's an impressive transfer nonetheless, and the film has certainly never looked this good beyond its original theatrical exhibition. HIGHLY recommended for fans of this insane splatter comedy masterpiece and for newcomers as well. Sadly, the disc is Region A-locked. Sorry, overseas fans; hopefully you'll see this transfer released in your area before long.
Now if only "Army of Darkness" (both theatrical and director's cuts) would receive a Blu-ray release that doesn't look like sun-baked vomit. At least the NTSC Region 3 DVD put out by MGM exists.
Lionsgate apparently returned to the original camera negative for this new transfer, and it shows. Detail is far above and beyond every previous home video release, including the dreaded waxed-over Blu-ray from Anchor Bay. A strong grain structure is present, although some mild DVNR tampering is visible--the grain generally moves as grain ought to, although sometimes it becomes more static, but never at a standstill. Color grading is a lot more dynamic and pleasing with realistic flesh tones and beautiful lighting I swear I've never quite seen before, while the contrast is more stable with night scenes looking appropriately dark, while daytime and near-dusk scenes look more appropriate and fitting than ever before. Black levels are solid, although there have been concerns of black crush being involved--that is, when shadow detail is lost, the shading variances gone and blacks being "crushed" instead. This doesn't appear to be any defect of the mastering, however; the film has always been dark, and it's my belief that the stark, detail-free blacks are due to underexposure during filming. The '98 VHS tape, THX- and DiviMax-mastered DVDs, and original Blu-ray (all from Anchor Bay) that I own all feature the same "problem" (*); I believe it was an artistic decision and one that I find to be visually striking. To top it all off, the original age restriction warning before the Rosebud logo returns, which had been excised from Anchor Bay's Blu-ray.
*(This is not to say that old home video releases are correct and that they should be used as a guideline for how the film should look; old video masters should never be the standard of quality in any respect since they are often very inaccurate to the original film source. I'm simply saying that I doubt very much that ALL of these previous video masters would be so goofed up as to feature the exact same levels of black crush as featured on the Lionsgate Blu-ray, so it is almost definitely part of the original photography. The DiviMax/Book of the Dead DVD and Anchor Bay Blu-ray, by the way, are transferred from the same master.)
Full-res screenshots of the title can be viewed at caps-a-holic, which also compares this release to the Anchor Bay one.
Some may be upset to hear that the wires used to hold up the flying eyeball have been digitally removed. This doesn't bother me since they were never meant to be seen in the first place, but there is a quaintness that is now missing with their removal; far as I can tell, the rest of the wires remain intact, which is odd that they'd only fix the one. If only they'd gone all-out and fixed all the wires, the huge tear in Ted Raimi/Possessed Henrietta's rear, and fixed the shots where unfinished sets are seen. Hey, if you're going to fix one thing, why not fix it all à la "Blade Runner: The Final Cut"? It should be all or nothing; fix it all or leave it well enough alone.
The only audio provided is a DTS-HD 5.1 track with English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles optional. An uncompressed original mono track would have been appreciated (coded as 2.0 dual mono); I've never been too wild over surround re-mixes, especially since only the original mix represents the intentions of the filmmakers. But, the 5.1 mix does the job well enough.
Extras include an all-new 100-minute documentary titled "Swallowed Souls: The Making of Evil Dead II", split up into several chapters and featuring endearing new stop-motion effects recreating scenes from the film (a whole full-length recreation of the film in this fashion would be a load of fun to see). The doc is fun and informative with a lot of new trivia that I'd never heard before, such as the existence of co-writer Scott Spiegel's short film "Attack of the Helping Hand" and its influence on the "Evil Dead II" script. A 30-minute behind-the-scenes production video is also provided, showing off among other things scenes which were deleted during the editing process which all have plenty of fascinating effects, and it's unfortunate that these scenes were not found and restored for this Blu-ray release as separate deleted scenes. A 7-minute return to the shooting locations is also new, and the standard definition "The Gore the Merrier" and Tom Sullivan photo commentary featurettes from the Anchor Bay DVDs are provided as well. The movie commentary is the same entertaining one which has been around since I believe one of the LaserDisc releases. The US trailer is thankfully presented in HD, and there are HD photo galleries as well.
"Evil Dead II", the fantastic sequel to the low-budget, DIY "The Evil Dead" (it's NOT a remake; the first seven minutes merely recap the first movie since rights to the footage could not be acquired), has never looked this pretty and detailed on home video, and is DEFINITELY worth the upgrade. (The THX-mastered DVD from 2000 can finally be retired.) Strangely, the restoration and transfer is not of the same caliber as Bob Murawski and Anchor Bay's work on the first film, so it's unfortunate that Lionsgate did not throw at the project quite the same amount of money and talent as the first film's HD restoration received, but it's an impressive transfer nonetheless, and the film has certainly never looked this good beyond its original theatrical exhibition. HIGHLY recommended for fans of this insane splatter comedy masterpiece and for newcomers as well. Sadly, the disc is Region A-locked. Sorry, overseas fans; hopefully you'll see this transfer released in your area before long.
Now if only "Army of Darkness" (both theatrical and director's cuts) would receive a Blu-ray release that doesn't look like sun-baked vomit. At least the NTSC Region 3 DVD put out by MGM exists.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Brutal High Def
The restoration is bestial/genius.Is perfect and beautiful, so full of unique continuation Raimi's mimetic. Read more
Published 6 days ago by valentin
Our put upon hero Ash has never looked better or bloodier
I've owned this film a total of four times now, the widescreen VHS, the laserdisc, the original DVD and now this stunning new 25th anniversary BD which in my opinion is the final... Read more
Published 26 days ago by John W.
Hilarious and Horrific...one of great horror films!
What's it about?
Sole survivor Ash returns to the abandoned cabin with his girlfriend Linda. Read more
Sole survivor Ash returns to the abandoned cabin with his girlfriend Linda. Read more
Published 1 month ago by brainsickhorror .com
Just replacing old VHS edition
Wonderful! I also updated my Army of Darkness from VHS to DVD at the same time (different seller, though) and I'm so thrilled to be able to watch this with all the capabilities of... Read more
Published 2 months ago by dbs
Cheap, cheesy, enjoyable.
I enjoyed watching, and the cheap special effects were laughable . . . so I laughed. It is not highbrow humor so do not expect it to be. Read more
Published 2 months ago by NumberNerd
Cult Classic Comedy-Horror in HD!
I saw Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn open in theaters in March 1987 & have remained a rabid fan ever since. Does this blu-ray of the cult classic impress? Yes it does! Read more
Published 2 months ago by C. Bitondo
Groovy!
If Evil Dead 2 is a sequel to the original Evil Dead, it is essentially a sequel to the original concept of the series, that is a story where demons, released from the pages of a... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Omnes
Amazing movie
When I was much younger I found this movie scary. With all the changes in horror like improved special effects and the point that I've seen it well over forty time its more... Read more
Published 3 months ago by J
EVIL! spelled backwards is LIVE!
When it comes to classic 80's horror you can't go wrong with Evil Dead 2. Evil Dead 2 is a remake of the first movie, but done in a good way. Read more
Published 4 months ago by George Carabetsos
Amazing movie
I used to not be a big fan of the first movie the first time I saw it and loved part II. But looking back this movie is inferior to the first movie but still an amazing flick. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Matthew Lucas
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