Evil dead question
 

hello, i was wondering which version( dvd) of evil dead and evil dead 2 is the best for the money ,, i was not sure which version is better, thanks..

Evil Dead: Book of the Dead Edition (best look and extras but croped for widescreen...looks good, though)

Evil Dead 2: Anchor Bay stand alone release with Commentary by Sam, Bruce etc., short doc and Video game preview.

Army of Darkness: Know you didn't ask but Boomstick Edition

If we're not sticking to Region 1, best version is the Hong Kong Region 3. Far superior transfer. :)

As far as Army of Darkness, I'd have to go with the Region 3 MGM release. It has a far better picture than any US Region 1 release.

thanks guys..

yeah, what he said

But if you want OAR, Elite Special Edition is best

Technically the OAR is 1.66:1, but...

has anyone heard anything recently about a r1 box set?

Instead of referring to the error-ridden IMDb, get Bill Warren's excellent "The Evil Dead Companion" at your local bookstore. In it, it is made clear that the film was intended to be projected at 1.66:1. Given the projection standards at the time, it was likely shown in most venues at 1.85:1.

DJ

The Elite DVD is APPROVED by Sam and Bruce, therefore it is the correct transfer. The colors pop on that transfer and the sound is quite nice. The Anchor Bay disc is extremely washed out and doesn't look has good. The Elite has the same supplements has the BOTD, sans the two doc's. Best thing to do is to get the Elite and the Anchor Bay BOTD or Regular Edition, the two doc's are on the regular disc has well, just hidden.

So:

Evil Dead - Elite Special Edition and Book of the Dead
Evil Dead II - Special Edition
Army of Darkness - Boomstick Edition

Apparently the Book of the Dead edition has some small tweaks done to a couple of visual effects and the Elite version does not have these tweaks.

tweaks? really? I've never heard this. I know that in the AB disc that you can clearly see the matte lines around the moon in a couple of shots because the damn transfer is so bright, in the Elite you can't see it. Is that what your referring too?

dvdcompare.net

And the 1.85:1 Anchor Bay transfer was personally supervised by Sam and Bruce. They chose 1.85:1, so it is therefore the currently correct transfer (presumably superceding all previously puportedly correct transfers).

You can always count on death, taxes, and Evil Dead threads repeating over and over...

DJ

This is the first time I've heard of Sam and Bruce approved the AB transfer. In fact I remember that Sam had nothing to do with the AB disc at all.

Until you find some actual proof, the Elite SE remains the definitive presentation of the film. The back clearly states that the transfer is "Personally Approved by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell."

dead by dawn dead by dawn

now give me some sugar baby

I'd have to track down the original articles, but from memory, reframing to 1.85:1 was Sam Raimi's idea, although he was too busy to supervise the work himself. Bruce Campbell was to supervise, but I'm not sure if he actually did.

And Anchor Bay's website clearly states that the 1.85:1 disc features "newly restored state-of-the-art digitally remastered picture and sound, and loaded with incredible new extras, all personally supervised by director Sam Raimi."

DJ

Well, then both are accurate representations of the director's vision.

I personally prefer the Elite.

Although it just sounds like they put that on the back of the AB disc to please fans, since it sounds almost exactly like the Elite DVD. I doubt Sam or Bruce had anything to do with it.

Unless you subscribe to the belief that it's the intentions of the creator when they created it that matter most, not what the creator decides twenty years later. (IE: the classic 'Star Wars' debate.)

And your informed basis for this doubt is...?

None, I'd imagine, given that you'd never even heard that the transfer might've been approved as of a few posts ago. Clearly, you didn't follow the progress of the disc in the months leading up to its release. Word was at the time that Sam was busy on Spider-Man, so he took a supervisory and approval role in the preparation of the transfer. Hands-on work was done by Bruce, and the transfer was done at their agreed-on AR of 1.85:1, and Sam approved the final product. Sam and Renaissance Pictures were still heavily and directly involved in the disc's production, as they even withdrew their allowance to include Within the Woods at the last minute (causing a bit of havoc for Anchor Bay). Sam and Renaissance approved every aspect of the final product. You have no clue what you're talking about.

Instead of spreading FUD in an attempt to always be right even when you're ill-equipped to argue, try letting the documented evidence speak for itself.

DJ

Then the Elite disc fails that test, as well, since the film was intended to be projected at 1.66:1 during principal photography.

DJ

No it was not. If it was then the Elite DVD would have been 1:66:1. It was APPROVED by Sam and Bruce at 1:33:1.

Both of them are "Personally Approved" by Sam and Bruce.