An Brilliant Low Budget Horror with Imagination and Loaded with Dark Humour.

Rating: 9/10 (29 August 2005)

Five College Friends (Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Besty Baker, Hal Delrich & Sarah York) has decide to stay for the weekend in a abandoned cabin in the woods. Since one of the young friends has discover an tape recorder, when the five listen to the tape. That tape has the power to awakening the evil spirit. Then one by one, the evil spirit is killing them until someone has to stop the Evil Dead.
Written and Directed by Sam Raimi (Spider Man Trilogy, Darkman, A Simple Plan) made an unique horror/fantasy that is filled with black humor and amusing gory moments. For a then first-time filmmaker, who had his shares of plenty amateurish production. The way the directed handle the strong visual style and camera-work are certainly first-rate. It is has an star-making performance by B-Movie Star Cult Actor:Campbell.
The DVD from Elite Entertainment has an clear Pan & Scan (1.33:1) aspect ratio and an strong-digitally remastered:Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Stereo 2.0 Sound/6 Channel Surround Sound. DVD has two different running commentary tracks by the director:Raimi and producer:Robert Tapert. But the most enjoyable is the audio track by actor:Campbell . DVD also has behind the scenes footage, outtakes and more.
The DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment, especially from the Book of the Dead Collector's Set. Actually contains re-printed pages from the film for the first time and also the DVD is in the first time in anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an digitally remastered-Dolby Digital 5.1 Expanded Surround Sound (Also in DTS 6.1 ES Digital Audio). Beside the two hidden features on the DVD and the two new featurette are only from the Book of the Dead edition. Alternative 2002 DVD from Anchor Bay has the same features from the Elite DVD and also an collector's booklet & two hidden features.
The latest DVD Edition is a Three-Disc Set from Anchor Bay Entertainment, which it's called Ultimate Edition. Three DVD's has plenty of new features including an new documentary with the cast, the crew & fans of the film (Expect director:Raimi and actor:Campbell don't feature on the documentary) on Disc 1. Which it's the Widescreen version. On disc 2... The Full Screen Version, the DVD has the nearly hour-long deleted outtakes from the film, if you are an fan of "The Evil Dead". You will certainly find it fascinating and it also included an hidden feature. Disc three has plenty of amusing featurettes with the casts and a crew member of the feature with hidden bonus features. Two things are missing from the previous DVD's are the deleted scenes and an amusing featurette with Bruce Campbell from the "Book of the Dead" edition.
The latest Blu-ray edition, Blu-ray has an strong Pan & Scan (1.33:1) and an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer. The disc has an new Dolby Digital 5.1 HD Sound. The Blu-ray only new special feature is the running commentary track by writer/director:Raimi, producer:Robert Tapert and actor:Bruce Campbell. It doesn't includes the two original running commentary tracks. You better keep your Elite DVD or the Anchor Bay DVD with bonus features. The bonus DVD includes most of the special features of the Ultimate Edition. "The Evil Dead" is a major cult classic, for over 25 years that critics and especially fans of the feature make it special until this day. It's not for everyone but Raimi has plenty of imagination and skill makes it worth seeing. Followed by two sequels. (**** ½/*****).