this Ultimate Edition might be the final time I have to pick up a standard-definition DVD release of The Evil Dead
A bit more fun is "Life After Dead: The Ladies of The Evil Dead" because it gives viewers a fifteen-minute look at the often forgotten trio of females that appeared alongside the scene-stealing Campbell. But as much fun as "Life after Dead" and the also included "The Ladies of Evil Dead meet Bruce Campbell" are, they don´t paint the women in the best light. In both featurettes they come off as a bit catty, unappreciative of their fans, and slightly jealous of the fame Bruce Campbell achieved since the film´s release. The twenty-nine minute "Ladies Meet Bruce" should have been cut in half, which might have kept Ellen Sandweiss from seeming like a demanding and unlikable brat.
The most entertaining new addition to this set would have to be either the twenty-minute featurette "Unconventional," where the stars discuss the perils of attending the various comic book, sci-fi, and horror conventions, or "Reunion Panel," which was filmed at one of those cons. As usual, Sam Rami is absent but his brother and occasional "fake shemp" Ted is a welcome inclusion to the cast. His likeable nature alone makes watching "Unconventional" a must. Ted also shines on "Reunion Panel," a thirty-one minute group discussion the cast did with fans at a convention in the summer of 2005. The most forgettable of the new features would have to be either the minute-long, audio-less "Make Up Test" or "At the Drive In" that´s just thirteen minutes of the cast giving away copies of the twentieth-anniversary edition of the film to a somewhat uninterested live audience. The only fault I could find with this well-designed set is the cheap-looking menu screens that occasionally went completely black on two different DVD players, forcing me to have to eject and then restart the disc. I haven´t heard of this being a widespread problem, so perhaps I just got a bad set.
Film Value:
"The Evil Dead" is a genre classic and rightfully deserves every accolade that it has been handed, whether it came from Stephen King or some pimply faced teen who just saw it for the first time in his parents´ basement. If you don´t already own the movie, go out and buy this version immediately. If you already own the "Book of the Dead Edition" and don´t care about the new special features, then keep your wallet in your pocket. But if you´re like me and you´re a special-features junkie, it´s worth the price for the new stuff alone, plus it comes with a sweet, double-sided poster all encased in a gorgeous flip box. But to be fair, even though this has been dubbed" The Ultimate Edition," don´t be too surprised if another version hits shelves sooner than later. Both the original short film that inspired "Evil Dead"--"Within the Woods"--and the Campbell-filmed "Fanalysis" are missing from this release. Maybe the Blu-ray edition will have those on it. Either way, I´m a big enough sucker er, fan...to pick it up for a ninth time.
The most entertaining new addition to this set would have to be either the twenty-minute featurette "Unconventional," where the stars discuss the perils of attending the various comic book, sci-fi, and horror conventions, or "Reunion Panel," which was filmed at one of those cons. As usual, Sam Rami is absent but his brother and occasional "fake shemp" Ted is a welcome inclusion to the cast. His likeable nature alone makes watching "Unconventional" a must. Ted also shines on "Reunion Panel," a thirty-one minute group discussion the cast did with fans at a convention in the summer of 2005. The most forgettable of the new features would have to be either the minute-long, audio-less "Make Up Test" or "At the Drive In" that´s just thirteen minutes of the cast giving away copies of the twentieth-anniversary edition of the film to a somewhat uninterested live audience. The only fault I could find with this well-designed set is the cheap-looking menu screens that occasionally went completely black on two different DVD players, forcing me to have to eject and then restart the disc. I haven´t heard of this being a widespread problem, so perhaps I just got a bad set.
Film Value:
"The Evil Dead" is a genre classic and rightfully deserves every accolade that it has been handed, whether it came from Stephen King or some pimply faced teen who just saw it for the first time in his parents´ basement. If you don´t already own the movie, go out and buy this version immediately. If you already own the "Book of the Dead Edition" and don´t care about the new special features, then keep your wallet in your pocket. But if you´re like me and you´re a special-features junkie, it´s worth the price for the new stuff alone, plus it comes with a sweet, double-sided poster all encased in a gorgeous flip box. But to be fair, even though this has been dubbed" The Ultimate Edition," don´t be too surprised if another version hits shelves sooner than later. Both the original short film that inspired "Evil Dead"--"Within the Woods"--and the Campbell-filmed "Fanalysis" are missing from this release. Maybe the Blu-ray edition will have those on it. Either way, I´m a big enough sucker er, fan...to pick it up for a ninth time.
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[release]22417[/release]