From what I recall of the commentary, I think there are some aspects of it that Raimi still prefers.

"...Could you describe if the search for materials for AOD included overseas resources, and clarify if you believe better materials were and/or are available?"

"For several months, both StudioCanal and myself literally searched the world for Director’s Cut film elements. The best we could find was a Japanese D2 [D2 is a professional ¾" digital video tape format] of the cut international version with the apocalyptic ending. So to create the ARMY Director's cut, we assembled the best elements using Bruce’s personal ¾" tape - the only existing element in the world of Sam’s original cut.

FYI, there were 3 edits of this film – Sam's original version, the cut international version with the apocalyptic ending and the Universal version. The original production company [Dino De Laurentiis] destroyed all the ARMY outtake footage when they went bankrupt."

The first ever footage of the remake Evil Dead screened at New York Comic-Con, and it is fucking crazy. We were on the fence as to what this movie would look like, and if the bit of footage just shown to the masses at NYCC is any indication, you guys might like this take on the old classic. Spoilers ahead.

Let's get to the goods: what was screened was a collection of hypercut gore shots. Serious gore shots. The director, Fede Alvarez claims that next to no CG was used during the filming of this remake, and from the brief bits that we saw on screen, that tactic is a good one. Mounds of shredded flesh filled the screen.

First, we saw the iconic cabin, which is introduced with the iconic Sam Raimi low-angle tracking shot. A group of new kids and Jane Levy push open the old cabin door, revealing leaves, dirt and a grubby cabin floor. Jane looks beat as hell and ready for her night of heroin withdraw (yes they are keeping the plot similar to the original). A trap door is discovered. A boy heads down the stairs and discovers THE NECRONOMICON! Sadly, we didn't get the money shot of the new book cover; all we saw was a book wrapped in black plastic, someone ripping into it and the familiar old pages. The character starts flipping through the Necronomicon, rubbing a pencil over the strange words. He recites the enchanted phrases. Jane lets out an insane high-pitched scream and then states, "We're all going to die tonight." This was already cut together pretty quickly; now things get even faster, so we're only getting flashes of the gore. I spot a girl in the shower cutting up the sides of her mouth, while one of her cabinmates screams, "What are you doing?" Another girl's arm looks like it's covered in boils, and she takes an electric carving knife to her bicep. Someone starts up a chainsaw (the crowd goes insane at this). Cut to another girl trapped in the woods, wrapped with branches. Yep, the raping tree is back. Jane returns with white eyes, white skin and a black tongue, which she sticks out, provocatively licking an exposed knife. Slowly the knife starts splitting her tongue in half. She's doing this right in front the boil armed girl's face. The crowd goes wild.

And that's it. At some point the worlds "Evil Lives Again" were splashed across the screen

As for the look, the new Evil Dead definitely has that green-toned horror films that all gore movies retained after Saw. It looks new, very new. It's definitely Evil Dead for the new generation. But it's balanced out by the very fleshy gore. Even from a hyper cut trailer the camera didn't cut away. You watched Jane slowly saw her tongue in half. And I think that will balance out the overall dark "newness" of the filter.

Above is an image they released at the panel, and it looks a little too generic horror movie for me. The footage was better, but the image does give us a great feel for the new look of the movie. No more bright red Raimi blood; it's dark and green and gross for the most part. Oh and finally, it's not funny. That's not the vibe this remake is going for. There was no camera winking, no sassy line delivery, just flesh slicing.

After the short premiere, the panel really began as Fede Alvarez, Jane Levy and Bruce Campbell all joined together on the stage. First up, Campbell revealed the words of advice/warning he gave Jane after she took the part. "Do you know what it feels like to be buried alive? Do you know what it feels like to have a tube stuck down your throat so you can projectile vomit?"

As for the Evil Dead superfans or horror nay-sayers who aren't thrilled with Hollywood remaking their classic movie, Campbell says the movie will feel like an old comfortable shoe, "Oh this feels like an old shoe, but it's an Evil Dead shoe, it's familiar."

Questions were taken from the audience, revealing Diablo Cody's involvement with the script. "As middle-aged men, we don't really know how young people talk," Campbell stated. "Oh, and she won a fucking Academy Award."

Alvarez elaborated further that he and his friend, Rodo Sayagues Mendez, penned the script together. Once they had a draft and they wanted to shoot, they brought in Cody to shape up the dialogue. Plus it helps that she was writing for a female protagonist. Oh yeah, if you didn't know about that twist, SURPRISE!

What's the big takeaway? The Evil Dead remake is certainly new. It's got the new look, the new vibe, and doesn't particularly charm like the original. That might be a deal breaker for some of the die hard fans (it wasn't for me as the original Evil Dead wasn't really that funny). But what it lacks in surreal it makes up for in disgusting tree rape and blood. So much blood.