Plot: What’s it about?
Ash (Bruce Campbell) and his girlfriend Linda (Denise Bixler) decide to spend a relaxing weekend in a remote cabin the woods, but their weekend will be anything but relaxing! Ash finds an old tape recorder, and is curious at to what is on the tape, so he gives it listen. The content of the tape is a recording by Professor Knoby, who is reading selections from the Necronomicon, or the Book of the Dead. What Ash does not know is that the mere reciting of the passages from the recorder is enough to awaken the evil spirits in the dark forest. Linda is taken by the evil spirit, and only after a long, exhausting encounter is Ash able to finally defeat the evil within his dead love. But that’s just the beginning for Ash, as there is evil everywhere in the house, and soon a the daughter of the Professor makes her way to the cabin with a few people, and mistakes Ash for the killer of her parents! Needless to say, Ash has a very bad streak of luck, and it only gets worse as the movie goes along. Can Ash and the visitors find a way to quell the evil, return the woods to a safe place to be, and save their own lives before it overtakes them all?
This is a true cult classic in every sense of the word and to be honest, this is one heck of a series of horror movies. You can watch as the series evolves with each new installment, which is quite impressive. The first film seems based on horror, the second blends horror with comedy, while the third film is downright slapstick comedy. This is a natural process though and as such, the fans never become alienated by the changes. This one is a deft blend of gore and humor and the results are nothing short of inspirational. This film had a shoestring budget, but manages to have some terrific special effects and never really show the lack of funds. The make up effects are well done, with some very interesting choices, such as the stop motion ballerina dance of Linda’s decapitated corpse or the flood of a red visceral liquid from the cellar. I happen to love the sequence where Ash loses his mind and begins to laugh along with the cabin’s objects, especially the bit with the lamp. This Blu-ray disc offers an improved transfer & sound mix, more than enough reason for fans to upgrade.
Directing is Sam Raimi, who also directs the original Evil Dead and the third film in the series Army of Darkness. Raimi’s work can be also be seen in For Love of the Game, A Simple Plan, Darkman, and The Quick and the Dead. The acting is decent on the whole and while this isn’t classical style in motion, the actors capture the tone and pace of the flick very well. Ash is such a likable character, and is played with mastery by Bruce Campbell (The Hudsucker Proxy), who plays Ash in all three Evil Dead films. Ash’s frequent turns into desperation are so funny to watch, as he goes from crying to laughing desperately to crying again. Ash is one of the true icons of the horror genre, and seems to get better with each film in the series. Other cast members include Denise Bixler, Sarah Berry, Richard Domeier, Theodore Raimi (Shocker, Army of Darkness), Dan Hicks (Class Action, Darkman), and Kassie Wesley. While not exactly a star studded cast, the cast does a nice job. Not Shakespeare or anything, but good for this style of film. But really, Evil Dead 2 is a one man movie, with Bruce Campbell carrying the film, and he is spectacular.
Video: How does it look?
Evil Dead II is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The nature of the production here kinds of limits the transfer, as the movie can only look as good as the source allows. This movie will never look polished or pristine, to remove the grain would inhibit the film’s natural visual texture. Even so, this new transfer provides an improved image without question, one that surpasses the standard release in all aspects. The image is much clearer here, so the visuals seem cleaner and more refined. Not that detail is eye popping, as it isn’t outside of a few scenes, but the enhancement in depth is obvious. The contrast is dead on too, I can’t imagine any better black level reproduction than this. So while the product limitations do hold back this transfer at times, this looks better than any version I’ve seen before.
Audio: How does it sound?
The improved transfer is nice, but this is where the upgrade kicks in more than ever. The uncompressed PCM 5.1 option is awesome, so the film’s unique sound design is replicated to perfection. The scene where the sound bounces around the cabin is incredible, as as several other sequences. The gunshots, the screams, the wails, it all sounds fantastic. The audio sounds natural too, so the surround presence never comes off as forced in the least. This is better than I ever expected, an immersive soundtrack that makes the most of the movie’s sound design. This disc also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option.
Supplements: What are the extras?
New in this Blu-ray release is a fast facts track, which supplies anecdotes and behind the scenes trivia, a fun one time diversion. The rest of the goodies we’ve seen before, but they’re welcome returns. There is an audio commentary track that features actor Bruce Campbell, writer/director Sam Raimi, special makeup effects artist Greg Nicotero, and cowriter Scott Spiegel. This track is a fun ride and while you won’t learn too much about the production, you will have some laughs. I like these humorous tracks, but I wish more information were included as well. The Gore The Merrier, a behind the scenes featurette, shows some special effects works and interview segments. This piece runs about half an hour and is well worth the time to check out. This disc also includes the Evil Dead II: Behind the Screams featurette, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
