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The Evil Dead (1981)
The Evil Dead (1981) poster
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The Evil Dead (1981)

Horror • 1h 25m

Director: Sam Raimi

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IMDbThe Movie Database (TMDB)

Best English-friendly release

Sony 4K Blu-ray steelbook

Unaltered version: 2007 Ultimate Edition DVD? Or 35mm scan

Updated 4 months ago

Best video release

Sony 4K Blu-ray steelbook

Sony 4K Blu-ray steelbook, correct audio pitch and more bonus features

Confirmed to be a port of Sony's international 4K, encode different to Lionsgate's. Audio in the correct pitch and a cross-selection of archive extras where the Lionsgate had only one audio commentary. High Def reviewer thought the 2.0 was a mixdown of the 5.1 track.

Unaltered version: 2007 Ultimate Edition DVD? Or 35mm scan


Upcoming

Best audio release

LaserDisc has the original Mono

Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray audio is in the wrong pitch while the Sony release is in the right pitch

Additional info

All releases after 2010 have digital alterations to some scenes. https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=999332

UHD tiers

Solid
Sony:

correct audio pitch and more bonus features

Confirmed to be a port of Sony's international 4K, encode different to Lionsgate's. Audio in the correct pitch and a cross-selection of archive extras where the Lionsgate had only one audio commentary. High Def reviewer thought the 2.0 was a mixdown of the 5.1 track.


About the film

In 1979, a group of college students find a Sumerian Book of the Dead in an old wilderness cabin they've rented for a weekend getaway.

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Part of Evil Dead

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Director: Sam Raimi

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Italy Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray

Director: Sam Raimi

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Scream Factory 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

(only the US Theatrical is in 4K)

Best Audio:

US Theatrical: 1993 MCA/Universal Home Video LaserDisc [41603]

Director: Fede Álvarez

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

UK StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Director: Lee Cronin

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray > French Metropolitan 4K Blu-Ray > WB 4K Blu-Ray

Additional Info:

Britain StudioCanal/French Metropolitan 4K Blu-Ray has a exclusive director's solo commentary.

More from Sam Raimi

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Director: Sam Raimi

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Theatrical: Sony 4K Blu-ray

2.1 Cut: Sony Blu-ray

Additional Info:

2.1 Cut received a 4K remaster for a cinema release. No announced home video release yet.

Director: Sam Raimi

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Disney 4K Blu-ray

Director: Sam Raimi

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2D version: Disney Blu-ray

3D version: Disney 3D Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Disney Blu-ray or 3D Blu-ray

Additional Info:

US Disney Blu-ray has additional Second View extra missing on international releases

International Disney 3D Blu-rays come with the regular Blu-rays

Director: Sam Raimi

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Scream Factory 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Universal LaserDisc [40978]

Director: Sam Raimi

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Theatrical: Sony 4K Blu-ray
Editor's Cut: Sony Blu-Ray

Director: Sam Raimi

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Disney 4K Blu-ray

IMAX Version: Disney+ Streaming

Director: Sam Raimi

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray > Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray: the old master looks problematic and the new scan from the interpositive looks marvelous, just like Existenz from Vinegar Syndrome. Encoding by Engine House is excellent.

Director: Sam Raimi

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

US Cut: Sony 2025 Steelbook 4K Blu-ray

International Cut: France 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

US Cut: Sony 2025 Steelbook 4K Blu-ray (2025 Steelbook has Dolby Vision)

International Cut: France 4K Blu-ray

Director: Sam Raimi

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Director: Sam Raimi

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Scream Factory 4K Blu-ray

More from Sony

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Director: Frank Oz

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Director: Dennis Hopper

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony UK 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Roland Emmerich

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Director: David Lean

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Additional Info:

The 5.1 on Sony 4K Blu-ray is from the 1989 70mm mix. The original is 4-track. not on the disc.

Director: John G. Avildsen

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Original Stereo mix: Columbia Pictures LaserDisc, Sony 4K Blu-ray 

5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray, Sony Blu-ray 

Dolby Atmos remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray 

Director: John G. Avildsen

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Original Stereo mix: Columbia Pictures LaserDisc, Sony 4K Blu-ray 

5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray, Sony Blu-ray 

Dolby Atmos remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray 

Director: Satoshi Kon

4K · Disappointing
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Sony 4K Blu-ray is very smeary with the upscaling but has correct aspect ratio and very good HDR grade.
UK Blu-ray has wrong colors, and Sony 2007 Blu-ray is the worst (encoding and AR)
See professorwho's review

Director: Ben Stiller

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Comparisons

Audio Notes:

Spectrograms

Director: Luc Besson

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · fanrestore.com (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2020 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray vs 2017 Sony 4K Blu-ray (20th annivesary) vs 2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray (Luc Besson Box Set). The first two have totally different texture.

  • StudioCanal: More natural looking. Better defined grain. The white balance is rather yellow/orange. Some say it is closer to the original theatrical release.

  • 2017 Sony: More vibrant and impactful. The white balance is rather neutral. While color noise and grain can look busy because it had been sharpened and had micro-contrast boosted.

  • 2025 Sony: Supposedly an improved version of the 2017 release? Shows around 20mbps-higher overall video bitrate. caps

Audio Notes:

The Atmos on the Sony release is reportedly better than StudioCanal's.

Additional Info:

Disc info of the box set discs. This film have recieved multiple encode/versions in different regions over the years. The 2017 Germany4K Blu-ray is encoded differently than the 2017 Sony but not better. Also, the same can be said to 2024 France Gaumont 4K Blu-ray while comparing to the 2020 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. The StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray omits all the extras from previous releases, being barebones.

Director: Frank Capra

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Frank Capra Boxset Blu-ray

Edit history

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Researched and maintained by

tyyuxvanshadyDaniellemgmAdamA

· last reviewed 4 months ago

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