Writer-director Sam Raimi should have left well enough alone: this bigger budget quasi-remake of his own classic horrorshow The Evil Dead brings little to the table except a better vintage of blood. Stripped (for the most part) of the cheesy effects and rough tech credits that made the original so much fun (and truly scary), Evil Dead II, though not without its moments, is simply unnecessary. The film's many fans, however, should rejoice in this release, which features a top-notch anamorphic THX-certified widescreen transfer; a commentary by Raimi, star Campbell, the co-writer and SFX artist; and an assortment of other dark goodies. A weak optional purchase. (S. C. Sickles)[DVD Review—Oct. 4, 2005—Anchor Bay, 84 min., not rated, $39.98—Making its fourth appearance (at least) on DVD, 1987's Evil Dead 2 sports an improved transfer with Dolby Digital 5.1 or stereo sound. The audio commentary and a behind-the-scenes featurette are carried over from the “special edition.” In fact, the only new DVD extra here is the 17-minute photo slideshow “Evil Dead II: Behind-the-Screams,” narrated by Tom Sullivan (who worked on the special effects in the film)—that and the creepy packaging (a spongy replica of the Book of the Dead that screams when you press an eyeball). Bottom line: although our first reviewer's take on Evil Dead 2 was unfavorable, this is one of VL editor Randy Pitman's favorite camp horror films. If you don't own the special edition, you should definitely consider adding this one.]
Evil Dead II: Special Edition
Anchor Bay, 84 min., R, $29.98 Vol. 15, Issue 6
Evil Dead II: Special Edition
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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