Discovering 'Evil Dead' (2002 Video) User Reviews

Why, Sue, you old rascal, I thought you were dead, and... ahhhhhh!

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 7/10 · 18 September 2010]

This is the only featurette on the DVD of The Evil Dead. It is a series of interviews intercut with clips of the film and stills of covers and art for various movies that are put in the same category as it. This regails the story of how the flick was discovered, the big scandal caused by the idea that these weren't just a healthy release of emotions and frustrations, but in fact could inspire real-life violence, the talent that they could see in Raimi's debut, and the originality of it and how it reinvigorated the genre. There is no deep analysis of the picture itself in this, but there isn't meant to. They do talk about what makes it great(and let's be honest, they're absolutely right... Sam is one of the results of someone growing up watching tons of this stuff... uh, and The Three Stooges), including the camera-work, editing and sound-side. No one who was a part of making the first one appears in this. Stephen King is mentioned/referenced. There is brutal, bloody gore and disturbing content in this. I recommend this to anyone who likes the subject(and this doesn't spoil it, if you haven't seen it yet). 7/10

This is more fun than watching the outtakes . . .

[charlytully · 6/10 · 15 August 2011]

. . . since the outtakes (18 minutes on the 2002 "remastered" Anchor Bay DVD) merely emphasize that the original classic THE EVIL DEAD was an extremely amateur effort (the 'tweeners portrayed in this summer's SUPER 8 seem a cut above the actual, slightly older crew seen in THE EVIL DEAD outtakes). Further, this was a point that hardly needed underlining. By contrast, director David Gregory's DISCOVERING THE EVIL DEAD (included on the same DVD, along with "Ash" actor Bruce Campbell's largely forgettable semi-related short, FANALYSIS) is provocative in a historical fashion. Interviewing Palace Pictures co-founders Stephen Woolley and Nik Powell (DEAD's original distributors), as well as THE EVIL DEAD COMPANION author Bill Warren, DEAD fans learn some of their darlings' back story, as in why did THIS particular sophomoric effort become so influential, when there were arguably at least several dozen efforts of comparable value "artistic" floating around in this "video nasties" era. A large part of the answer can be summarized in one word: PLASTICS (oops, no; that was THE GRADUATE). I mean, MARKETING. This 13-minute short sketches out some of the details behind that word, from the people who were in on THE EVIL DEAD on the ground floor.

Discovering Evil Dead

[bettyc24 · 10/10 · 24 March 2005]

i really think this movie was classic. funny but kinda scary at the same time. i have thought about that kind of stuff happening I'm sure u have as well. even though this flick was a bit laughable it was still a horror movie i would watch over and over again. my brother turned me on to this movie a long time ago and i couldn't believe they came out with a part 2. i liked this movie because it was well done and it made me jump. and i never jump at horror movies. i have seen some really bad horror movies and this was not one of them. it was like a clone of the re-animator now that was a movie. that guy was really demented. you have to love these movies. anyone who loves horror can enjoy these movies. well i hope i don't sound too stupid,but i loved this movie.

Discovering Evil Dead

[Michael_Elliott · 2 June 2016]

Discovering 'Evil Dead' (2002)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Stephen Woolley and Nik Powell, co-owners of The Palace, are interviewed about how they became aware of THE EVIL DEAD and they discuss the steps they took to buy the film and get it released. Also on hand is author Bill Warren who throws in a few bits of trivia on the film's release.

If you're a fan of THE EVIL DEAD then you'll know that the movie has been released all over the world in a variety of special editions. Countless extras have been produced for the film and this here is a good one and certainly worth watching. Both Woolley and Powell do a very good job at telling their story and you certainly get a great idea of what the U.K. release was like and how well the film did on video. They also talk about the controversy that soon hit the film and of course the Video Nasties would follow.