THE EVIL DEAD
DVD REVIEW

My Books and Movies!

E.C. McMullen Jr.
RUMOR

RUMOR: People are dying to know the truth

PERPETUAL
BULLET

"'Some People' ... may be the standout story in the book."
- John Grant, Infinityplus

E.C. McMullen Jr.
WILLOW BLUE

"'Willow Blue' will burrow under your skin and stay there long after you've put the book down."
- Jeffrey Reddick, Creator of
FINAL DESTINATION

IN OTHER BOOKS
E.C. McMullen Jr.'s
short story
CEDO LOOKED LIKE PEOPLE
in the anthology
FEAR THE REAPER

"This Ray Bradbury-esque is one of the most memorable and one of the more original stories I've read in a long time."
- Steve Isaak,
Goodreads

HORROR 201:
The Silver Scream

Filmmaker's Guidebook
featuring
RAY BRADBURY,
JOHN CARPENTER,
WES CRAVEN,
TOM HOLLAND,
E.C. McMULLEN Jr.,
GEORGE A. ROMERO,
and many more.

Extensively quoted in

PHANTASM
EXHUMED
The Unauthorized Companion

SATAN'S 3-RING
CIRCUS OF HELL

Forward by
GAHAN WILSON &
FEO AMANTE.
With Comic Art by
ALEX PARDEE,
WILLIAM STOUT,
STEVE BISSETTE,
FRANK DIETZ,
JIM SMITH,
FRANK FORTE,
ERIC PIGORS,
MIKE SOSNOWSKI,
OMAHA PEREZ,
DAVID HARTMAN,
STEVEN MANNION,
JACOB HAIR,
and more!

And In
CINEMA
E.C. McMullen Jr.
Head Production Designer

MINE GAMES
(Starring:
JOSEPH CROSS,
BRIANA EVIGAN,
ALEX MERAZ,
ETHAN PECK)

Dept. head
Special Effects Make-Up
(SFX MUA)

A SIERRA NEVADA
GUNFIGHT
(MICHAEL MADSEN & JOHN SAVAGE).

Production Designer

UNIVERSAL DEAD
(DOUG JONES,
D.B. SWEENEY,
GARY GRAHAM)

Art Director

THE CRUSADER
(COLIN CUNNINGHAM,
GARY GRAHAM)

Review by
E.C.McMullen Jr.

THE EVIL DEAD
REVIEWS

THE EVIL DEAD: Book of the Dead

- 1982
USA DVD Release: Mar. 5, 2002
Renaissance Pictures / Distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment, Inc.
Rated: Australia: R / Finland: BANNED / France: 12 / Germany: 18 (HEAVILY CENSORED) / UK: 18 / USA: R

Did I buy the THE EVIL DEAD: Book of the Dead Anchor Bay Entertainment edition?

Oh you bet I did.

It came last night, I was the UPS guy's last stop in this two bit Arizona town. The book comes wrapped in pretty plastic packaging with a yellow paper top, all sealed and fine. On the back of the yaller paper top is the only thing that lets you know the contents. They aren't written anywhere within the actual DVD book. Howzabout that? I guess the Raimi's are saving that for a future edition where they make another SE and leave yet something else out.

But I'm no collector, I'm a fan, so I tore the pretty plastic and paper box to shreds and laid my hands on the soft squishy rubber flesh of the DVD book.

Oh ho ho ho YES! Sooo PERFECT!

I made sure I was all alone, (I HATE pausing the disk so some idiot can go to the bathroom. This is an event you moron: Every time we do it!), turned off all the lights, sat down with a dead fish (I love eating fish), my bottle of V8 Splash (I'm partial to Orange Pineapple), and watched in happy awe!

So much, so very much to see and learn! Sigh!

I'm told there are Sci-Fi fans who argue over the merits of Star Trek vs. Star Wars, and Horror has its mirror. Horror movie fans and friends often argue over the merits of the NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD movies and THE EVIL DEAD movies. It goes on until I slap them around and tell them to shut the hell up while the movie is on.

This Book Of The Dead edition (The original title for THE EVIL DEAD was Book Of The Dead) makes the third THE EVIL DEAD release some kind of special edition or other DVD I've purchased. I'm a sucker I know, but this is the last THE EVIL DEAD DVD I'm going to buy (UPDATE: That was a lie. I bought the Anchor Bay three disc release. I may need help). The others go off to the used book store or something. THIS is the Primo copy!

Honest!

I can quit any time.

This edition is the best time to quit too because Anchor Bay took everything that they squirreled away here and there in their other editions and put them all together in this one volume.

You get:

1. A really cool latex "flesh" DVD cover designed by original THE EVIL DEAD artist Tom Sullivan. The guy who designed the book for the movie as well as the "look" of all the varmints. The book interior is taken from, and inspired by, the original book design. Tom can draw skulls all day long, doncha know, and true Deadites can read Tom's Introduction:

DEDICATED To Those Who Bled For The Evil Dead and their families, Friends, and Fans TS.
(I'll let yall have fun deciphering the rest of Tom's arcane text)

2. Inside the first book is a second booklet written by Deadite fan, Michael Felsher. The book was designed by Mike Ortiz!

3. Widescreen 1.85:1 enhanced for 16x9 TVs.

4. Audio Commentary by Writer/Director Sam Raimi and Producer Robert Tappert.

5. Audio commentary by Bruce Campbell

6. Behind the scenes footage and outtakes

7. A short (26 minute) documentary by Bruce called FANalysis (some of it is shot in Austin, Texas! Yes!)

8. DISCOVERING EVIL DEAD: an 18 minute documentary tracing the film's history (from a British point of view)

9. Theatrical Trailer

10. Lame TV Spots.

11. Poster and still gallery

12. Talent Bios

13. Digitally remastered in THX

14. And the languages are in English and French

For those who never bothered before, it's a hoot to watch the movie in French!

See THE EVIL DEAD in French! Hon! Hon! Hon!

What's more, the DVD menus are some of the best I've ever seen!

Any gripes? Just two: That thing about not having all the DVD features listed within the actual DVD case and two, the DVD comes in one of those sleeves that scratch the hell out of your DVD every time you pull it out to watch it.

I've got an easy fix for that, though. I have a few old clear CD cases laying around with cracks in their shells. I'm just going to take the clear plastic CD bed out of the jewel case, cut away the flanges so its flat, tear off that stupid slip cover that came with the book, and hot glue the plastic in there to keep the CD all nice and off contact with anything.

Then I'm going to track down Campbell & Sullivan & the Raimis and have them SIGN the sucker!

Now THAT'S a collector's item yall!

Something to pass down to the kids for sure!

GODDAM but this new DVD is FINE!

5 f*cking Shriek Girls!