Championed by Stephen King, distributed simultaneously in cinemas and on video and dragged through the courts on grot charges from the tabloids... Sam Raimi’s groovily demonic horror didn’t exactly come quietly. Even now it has the power to shock (the tree-rape remains a wincer) but is wholly deserving of its place in the fanboy hall of fame – full of as much in the way of daring and imagination as squished eyeballs. Part II may have had the polish, but it’s the original that packs the punch.
DVD Extras:
Wonderfully boxed in a rubber Book Of The Dead casing, there's tons to revel in here. Raimi's commentary takes friendly potshots at Bruce Campbell, who also contributes a self-shot doc, Fanalysis, detailing his preparations for meeting fans on the convention circuit. There are also deleted scenes, outtakes, trailers, a featurette on how Palace Pictures picked up the movie and made a mint and even a whole other Campbell movie, 1987's Running Time.
