Shot on 16mm for less than $50,000, Sam Raimi's visceral debut remains a benchmark of modern horror. Plot and acting are minimal - five stooges inadvertently awaken demonic forces - but then this isn't about intellect or intricacy: it's about intensity and intestines. Raimi hurls his camera about with real gusto, only pausing to linger on an inventive shot or Tom Sullivan's deliciously OTT make-up, and the action accelerates `til we're neck-deep in gore. Evil indeed.
DVD Extras:
Commentary with director Sam Raimi and producer Robert Tapert, commentary with star Bruce Campbell, trailer, photo gallery.A decent package thanks to two strong, entertainingly verbose commentaries, though the deleted scenes on the Region One Special Edition wouldn't have gone amiss. Significantly, this version is uncut, finally restoring the controversial `tree rape'.
