The Evil Dead--Full Uncut Version [1982] with Special Features [DVD]

Absolute cult classic. The Daddy of Video Nasties. Bruce is king

The Evil Dead is a classic horror film. Despite not taking itself too seriously it has more artistry than a lot of self-important horrors; director Sam Raimi's shots are magnificent. He uses windows like Hitchcock, framing his characters through and beside them in a way which evokes deep tension. His set is both fake and compelling. There were times when I saw studio lights, and the moon, in a perfect blue square against a pitch black sky, is clearly a projection, but these imperfections add to the effect. When night falls The Evil Dead wallows in its unrealism, creating a place of pure imagination.Five students, among them series hero Ash (Bruce Campbell), travel to a remote cabin. (Their motives are rather light; this doesn't seem to be a sex 'n' drugs break, so why they're renting a lonely shack is unclear.) In the basement they find the Book of the Dead, and a recording in which the cabin's last tenant, an archaeologist, reads passages from it. This awakens evil souls which stalk the night outside, possessing the students one by one.Unlike its two sequels Evil Dead is a pure horror film. What humour there is comes from the absurd extremity of the gore; amputated limbs writhe, bodies are hacked and blood flies everywhere. The most disturbing part is the infamous "tree rape" scene, though it's shown more by implication than detail. Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness toyed with the genre in a knowing, comedic way. This film doesn't have that satirical layer, though it's more self-aware than its contemporaries. It doesn't waste time on useless plotting yet develops a much better threat than the soulless Jason Voorhees, for instance. If given a choice between Evil Dead and a Friday sequel, I'd pick Evil Dead any day. It's an exercise in classic chills, mixing Hitchcockian suspense with visceral shocks. It's lurid, but it isn't depressing. Like the best horrors it evokes an enjoyable fear; it's the kind of shocker which must have been fun to make. The spirits woken by the Book are childishly sadistic; they giggle and taunt incessantly, taking joy in their evil as all great villains do. These ghouls deserve to stand alongside Darth Vader and the gremlins in a pantheon of great pop baddies. For those seeking a scary good time, Evil Dead is perfect.

I am an massive horror fan I love Horror, I also have only seen the evil dead remake I would say though I love Orphan, and also the Conjuring like evil dead it has a good story about five late teens to twenty somethings go to the woods in a cottage . which must be about 400 Years old full of history well I am not saying Evil Dead is mainly based on that . but the cottage looks historic but the old text readings the recordings give a feel that an exorcism or an procession happened there the music is fabulous also when the trees grab the women’s legs and rape her it was so controversial at the time it was an original video nasty and like the Exorcist the music sets the scene. An ten out of ten very happy customer .

Hi, there is very little that has yet to be said about this cheap horror masterpiece put together in 1978 and released in the UK in 1982 before a very successful run on home video which prompted it's return to late night horror screenings at your local fleapit. Messrs Raimi, Tapert and Campbell raised money from rich dentists in the Michigan locality to pay for the extended shoot after convincing them they could make a movie, after screening for them a horror short known as Within the Woods, also starring Campbell. The various documentaries that have been produced charting the development of Evil Dead (some of them as extras on this DVD) talk of a distended shooting and production process that lasted 4 years, as Producer Rob Tapert, Director Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell repeatedly had to go back to the well to secure the financing to finish to movie off. That's not to mention the horrendous shooting conditions, sometimes in the dead of winter, with Campbell being repeatedly covered in Caro Syrup (some kind of processed substance used in doughnuts) whilst running around in the dead of night smacking hapless actresses with foam wooden beams and discharging an actual shotgun because they couldn't afford a prop firearm! Hilarious! I have watched this numerous times throughout pre-DVD years having owned a great quality video copy of the movie which to this day remains a better quality of transfer than this most recent DVD edition. This movie has been re-issued on DVD on numerous occasions and has yet to match the visual quality of the original video special edition, which to my ongoing irritation, I actually sold to a second hand shop way-back-when in the mists of time! The visual transfer of this particular edition is satisfactory and betters the sharpness of the special edition DVD that accompanied the Book of the Dead edition released in 2008, though there have been some complaints that the most recent Blu Ray released of the movie also suffers from the same issues. Perhaps this may be due to the quality of the original print that subsequent Disc re-issues have failed to address? It was made in 1978 after all. Watching it recently the picture hasn't aged well, with numerous continuity issues and differing film stock which makes for a slightly jarring viewing experience. But I suppose that's not really the point. Like it or loathe it EVIL DEAD is still a classic and should be promoted as such to all those who have yet to see it! Perhaps in the fullness of time we'll receive the ultimate Blu Ray release with a Star Wars A New Hope style digital restoration.

its so crap its goodbut to give it credit the special effects are fantastic considering there was no CGI back in 1979 or 1980 when it was madethis cd or video back then was classed as a video nasty because it made people kill others according to the pressgive it a go you might be lucky like I was and get it for under £3 including postageI am going to get the other 2 to see if the actors have learned to act

This is the one of my favorite movies of the 80's and although the remake (evil dead II, not the 2013 version) is slicker and shows the money which was pumped into it, the original is the best, As for the latest version of this classic it should have been name the almost evil dead.

Was delivered the wrong version of the movie. However the movie quality is brilliant, it was delivered on time and the dvd case and disc are in good condition.It was a cheap purchase anyway which I wasn't too upset over the mix up.