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Review: Evil Dead Anthology Bluray Set

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For years Evil Dead fans have been the subject of mass double dipping. It seems like every year there is a new release of one of these classic films promising to be the “definitive edition” to end all collecting. The holy grail of Evil Dead video releases would be one that contained all four films into one life size replica of the Necronomicon. So safe to say that many Dead fans rejoiced back in September when this was announced:

Daaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnn

SWEET MOTHER OF KANDARIAN DEMONS THAT IS AWESOME! It was a nut shot to all of the die-hard fans of the series. All four films in a true sized Book of the Dead edition, a replica dagger, and it was said that it would also contain the ever elusive Within The Woods, the short film precursor made to pre-sell the original film. A major blow was sent to many as the set was also announced as only being available in Australia/New Zealand retailing at about $186. Luckily I got my hands on a copy, but just as our hero Ash’s journey, I too found myself on a roller-coaster of emotion and sanity going through the set. Let’s break down the set. First of all, this is what the actual set looks like:

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Right off the bat, they look like the props from the films. The dagger looks nothing like the original dagger in the promo photo and the book is a different cheaper design. It is the right size though, being almost twice the size of the Anchor Bay Book of the Dead DVDs released in the early 2000’s But it also feels, cheap. The rubber looks and feels fragile like it is hanging on by the pure grace of god, and I just took it out of the box. The dagger is based more on the one in Evil Dead 2 and newly designed by Tom Sullivan. Though it isn’t to scale, it is still pretty detailed and has a little weight to it making it a fun addition. Alright, lets open it up and summon some evil forces already:

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Kanda

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Kanda!

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KANDA!

There is no denying that Tom Sullivan’s artwork is still some of the most hauntingly awesome and amazing parts to come out of the franchise. Each page he made gives the fear drive in the films and helped establish the films’ ominous presence. The artwork looks and feels great, and this is made solid by the fact that this is the first Book of The Dead set to be bigger than the average DVD case. Opening the few few pages and holding the dagger feels like I could summon some nasty evil presence in the woods. Sadly, this is one of the last positive thing I have to say about the set.

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Ok, one more page to look at. Damn that’s awesome.

Yes the cover feels/looks cheap but the pages are wicked dope, it comes with a dagger, has all four films on Blu-ray plus three discs of bonuses! Surely it must be worth the steep nearly $200 price tag right? Warms my cold black heart knowing you still have faith in not getting ripped off on Evil Dead home releases.

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At this point I feel like I am just teasing you posting these pages.

Yes, the films look great. High definition really brings out a lot of the strengths and budgetary weakness in the films. But these are already available at a cheaper price elsewhere. The discs are reprints of older editions with the same standard def Anchor Bay special features. My biggest gripes with the Blus are two things: Evil Dead 2 is the only Region 2 Blu Ray disc in the whole set. This is a major blow because while most of the other discs are region free, this set includes two that are in fact Region 2 (the second being one of the bonus DVDs). Also, the set only includes the Director’s Cut of Army of Darkness. An Evil Dead Anthology set without Ash saying “Hail to the king, baby?” Feels worse than Deadites swallowing your soul.

The first bonus disc is “Invaluable”, a new documentary about Tom Sullivan. The film bounces back and forth from interviews, to Tom himself reflecting on his career, and revisiting sites from the production of the first two films. I am really glad we finally have some more stories from the man who created the book/deadites, I just wish it was from a better film. The documentary starts off with bloopers of the filmmaker trying/failing to introduce Sullivan. This along with the opening title card saying “Produced, directed, shot, and edited by” one person sets the tone for the rest of the film. Honestly, it could have been at least 45 minutes shorter. There are some stories that didn’t need to be included in the film. Who cares who hooked up with who in college? There are a few of those types of stories in the documentary that should have been left on the cutting floor. The film also has some pacing issues, some weird timeline chooses with the stories, a fake out ending about an hour into it, gets repetitive for a good portion, and suffers a bit in lack of focus. That being said, there are some great stories from the sets that are great to hear.

Tom Sullivan comes off as a great hardworking guy who loves to tells stories. He has some great insight to the behind the scenes on the films. He also expands upon other non-Evil Dead factions of his life including trips to Japan and working on The Fly II. The documentary also follows Tom to various locations related to the shoot including the original basement, the house the cast and crew lived in during production, and where they shoot both the grave digging scene along with most of Within The Woods. Tom’s enthusiasm for the films really show and come through in the film as he is excited to show all the stories and places revolving Evil Dead. Overall there are some great stories to come out of this documentary, but its poor pace, lack of focus, and long runtime make it a bit tiring. Maybe if it was cut into a few smaller segments then it might have been easier to digest.

The next two discs are pretty lackluster because they are a bunch of old Anchor Bay special features. In fact, thats all they are. The only thing that was added to them is the 2nd special feature disc is coded as Region 2. Honestly, some new special features, along with the short film Within The Woods, could have saved this set.

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But the pages are sooooooooooooo cool.

There is no doubt this set looks and sounds epic on paper, but the execution is poor. Between switching formats and region coding on the discs, the lack of new special features, poor choices on the cover design, and of course, lack of Within The Woods, the set feels like a cheap cash in on the Evil Dead name. Do I condemn this set? Not entirely. Collector’s will buy this set because thats what collectors do. Hell, I bought the set and I already own at least three copies of each film. And they should. The set is cool enough to have with any Evil Dead collection, as long as you can part with $186 easily.

Hopefully the new Starz show will finally bring us what we want from an anthology set. Maybe a director’s approved set like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks the Complete Mystery set? One can dream.

Buy the set here!

Side Note, if you still want to see the Invaluable documentary you can purchase it through Tom Sullivan’s site. They are also offering signed copies and posters using some of Tom’s original Evil Dead poster design from when it was Book of the Dead. Purchase Invaluable here!

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‘Violent Night’ Director’s Next Project is a Shark Movie

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Sony Pictures is getting in the water with director Tommy Wirkola for his next project; a shark movie. Although no plot details have been revealed, Variety confirms that the movie will start filming in Australia this summer.

Also confirmed is that actress Phoebe Dynevor is circling the project and is in talks to star. She is probably best known for her role as Daphne in the popular Netflix soap Bridgerton.

Dead Snow (2009)

Duo Adam McKay and Kevin Messick (Don’t Look Up, Succession) will produce the new film.

Wirkola is from Norway and utilizes a lot of action in his horror films. One of his first films, Dead Snow (2009), about zombie Nazis, is a cult favorite, and his 2013 action-heavy Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is an entertaining distraction.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

But 2022’s Christmas blood fest Violent Night starring David Harbour made wider audiences familiar with Wirkola. Coupled with favorable reviews and a great CinemaScore, the film became a Yuletide hit.

Insneider first reported this new shark project.

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Why You May NOT Want To Go In Blind Before Watching ‘The Coffee Table’

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You might want to prepare yourself for some things if you plan to watch The Coffee Table now rentable on Prime. We aren’t going to go into any spoilers, but research is your best friend if you are sensitive to intense subject matter.

If you don’t believe us, maybe horror writer Stephen King might convince you. In a tweet he published on May 10, the author says, “There’s a Spanish movie called THE COFFEE TABLE on Amazon Prime and Apple+. My guess is you have never, not once in your whole life, seen a movie as black as this one. It’s horrible and also horribly funny. Think the Coen Brothers’ darkest dream.”

It is hard to talk about the film without giving anything away. Let’s just say there are certain things in horror movies that are generally off the, ahem, table and this film crosses that line in a big way.

The Coffee Table

The very ambiguous synopsis says:

“Jesus (David Pareja) and Maria (Estefanía de los Santos) are a couple going through a difficult time in their relationship. Nevertheless, they have just become parents. To shape their new life, they decide to buy a new coffee table. A decision that will change their existence.”

But there is more to it than that, and the fact that this might be the darkest of all comedies is also a little unsettling. Although it is heavy on the dramatic side too, the core issue is very taboo and might leave certain people sick and disturbed.

What’s worse is that it is an excellent movie. The acting is phenomenal and the suspense, masterclass. Compounding that it’s a Spanish film with subtitles so you have to look at your screen; it’s just evil.

The good news is The Coffee Table isn’t really that gory. Yes, there is blood, but it’s used more as just a reference than a gratuitous opportunity. Still, the mere thought of what this family has to go through is unnerving and I can guess many people will turn it off within the first half-hour.

Director Caye Casas has made a great film that might go down in history as one of the most disturbing ever made. You have been warned.

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Trailer For Shudder’s Latest ‘The Demon Disorder’ Showcases SFX

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It’s always interesting when award-winning special effects artists become directors of horror films. That is the case with The Demon Disorder coming from Steven Boyle who has done work on The Matrix movies, The Hobbit trilogy, and King Kong (2005).

The Demon Disorder is the latest Shudder acquisition as it continues adding high-quality and interesting content to its catalog. The film is the directorial debut of Boyle and he says he is happy that it will become a part of the horror streamer’s library coming fall 2024.

“We are thrilled that The Demon Disorder has reached its final resting place with our friends at Shudder,” said Boyle.  “It’s a community and fanbase that we hold in the highest esteem and we couldn’t be happier to be on this journey with them!”

Shudder echoes Boyle’s thoughts about the film, emphasizing his skill.

“After years of a creating a range of elaborate visual experiences through his work as a special effects designer on iconic films, we’re thrilled to give Steven Boyle a platform for his feature length directorial debut with The Demon Disorder,” said Samuel Zimmerman, Head of Programming for Shudder.  “Full of impressive body horror that fans have come to expect from this master of effects, Boyle’s film is an engrossing story about breaking generational curses that viewers will find both unsettling and amusing.”

The movie is being described as an “Australian family drama” that centers on, “Graham, a man haunted by his past since the death of his father and the estrangement from his two brothers. Jake, the middle brother, contacts Graham claiming that something is horribly wrong: their youngest brother Phillip is possessed by their deceased father. Graham reluctantly agrees to go and see for himself. With the three brothers back together, they soon realize they are unprepared for the forces against them and learn that the sins of their past will not stay hidden. But how do you defeat a presence that knows you inside and out? An anger so powerful it refuses to stay dead?”

The movie stars, John Noble (The Lord of the Rings), Charles CottierChristian Willis, and Dirk Hunter.

Take a look at the trailer below and let us know what you think. The Demon Disorder will begin streaming on Shudder this fall.

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