It's Halloween! Time For A New EVIL DEAD DVD!

Seriously, I'd love to be in the board meeting some time when Anchor Bay decides that what the world needs is yet another DVD edition of one of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead films. Seriously, there are about a hundred of them by now and here comes another one, though in their defense this does seem to be a rather good one. Releasing December 18th the Evil Dead Ultimate Edition is a three disc set that includes the widescreen version of the film, the original full frame version of the film, deleted scenes, a stack of new features and a bucket of blood. Well, no, no bucket but the rest is really there. Looks to be a nice package but at this point I'm still pretty happy with my squishy Necronomicon version and it'd take including the original short test film - Into the Woods - that Raimi and co shot to raise funds to make The Evil Dead for me to even consider shelling out for another edition. And just think ... now we get to do this all again on HD and Blu Ray! Huzzah!

Read on for the press release.

THE EVIL DEAD ULTIMATE EDITION GETS THE ³ANCHOR BAY COLLECTION² TREATMENT WITH 3-DISC DVD SET

Sam Raimi¹s legendary horror classic rises December 18th with reconstructed and restored scenes for the first time ever

TORONTO, ON ­ Just when you thought you¹d seen it all in The Evil Dead Anchor Bay Entertainment will commemorate the film¹s 25th anniversary with the all-new, three-disc The Evil Dead Ultimate Edition on December 18th, just in time for the holidays, making it the ³ultimate² stocking-stuffer for the horror fans in your life. The Evil Dead Ultimate Edition will be released under the prestigious ³Anchor Bay Collection² brand, which has previously released comprehensive DVD editions of such horror classics as Re-Animator, Phantasm and Hellraiser.

Over the years, Anchor Bay Entertainment has released numerous special editions of The Evil Dead, each one more dynamic and diabolical than the one that preceded it, in an effort to continually satiate and satisfy the ravenous hunger of the film¹s worldwide legion of fans. The Evil Dead Ultimate Edition tops -- and buries -- them all! Celebrate the original Sam Raimi masterpiece with two versions of the movie (for years, fans have demanded the release of the original full-frame version), six new featurettes that revisit the film¹s cast, crew, biggest fans and enduring legacy, plus never-before-seen production footage, outtakes and deleted scenes, reconstructed and restored specifically for this edition! That¹s enough to fill several Necronomicons!

Upon its release in 1982, The Evil Dead was immediately hailed as a new horror classic. Best-selling author Stephen King called the film ³the most ferociously original horror film of the year.² In the ensuing quarter of a century, The Evil Dead is one of the most influential, landmark horror films of all time.

The film launched the careers of writer/director Sam Raimi (the Spider-Man trilogy, Darkman, The Quick and the Dead), producer Robert Tapert (³Xena: Warrior Princess,² The Grudge, the Spider-Man trilogy) and executive producer/leading man Bruce Campbell (Bubba Ho-Tep, Sky High, Man With the Screaming Brain).

Five college friends, including Ash (Campbell) drive to a remote cabin in the woods for a weekend of fun. Little do they realize that their fun will soon turn to fear, as an unstoppable supernatural force has been unleashed and surrounds the woods around them. One by one, they fall victim to the demonic forces at large, resurrected as murderous demons which can only be destroyed by dismemberment. Easier said than done. Soon, only Ash is left to combat the evil before it consumes the world. It¹ll be a fight to the death Š and to the undeath.

The film¹s mammoth success has thus far inspired two equally popular sequels, Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn and Army of Darkness, as well as a series of popular video games with rumors of an upcoming remake produced by Raimi and Tapert¹s Ghost House Pictures.

The Evil Dead also stars Ellen Sandweiss (Satan¹s Playground, Brutal Massacre: A Comedy, the upcoming The Dread), Betsy Baker (the upcoming Witches¹ Night) and Sarah York (the upcoming Brutal Massacre: A Comedy).

Each disc in the Evil Dead Ultimate Edition contains extensive bonus features, many exclusively produced for this special edition and featuring never-before-seen footage:

DISC ONE (WIDESCREEN VERSION) SPECIAL FEATURES
* One by One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead ­ NEW!
* Audio Commentary by Director Sam Raimi and Producer Robert Tapert


DISC TWO (FULL-FRAME VERSION) SPECIAL FEATURES
* The Evil Dead: Treasures from the Cutting Room Floor -- NEW!
* Audio Commentary by Actor Bruce Campbell

DISC THREE SPECIAL FEATURES
* Life After Death: The Ladies of The Evil Dead ­ At home, on theroad andn behind-the-scenes with Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker and Theresa Tilly ­ NEW!
* The Ladies of The Evil Dead Meet Bruce Campbell ­ Ellen, Betsy & Theres join Bruce for an informal yakfest ­ NEW!
* Unconventional ­ Cast and crew reunite to discuss horror conventions an beyond ­ NEW!
* At the Drive-In ­ A no-holds-barred Q&A with a drive-in audience o hardcore fans ­ NEW!
* Reunion Panel ­ The once-in-a-lifetime panel at Chicago¹s Flashbac Weekend Horror Convention ­ NEW!
* Discovering The Evil Dead ­ A look at the British home video release o The Evil Dead and it¹s place in the ³Video Nasties² debate
* Make-Up Test
* Trailer
* TV Spots
* Still Gallery
* Poster & Memorabilia Gallery

You can also rest assured -- and in peace -- knowing that somewhere buried amongst The Evil Dead will be lurking an Easter Egg or two.

This holiday season, The Evil Dead Ultimate Edition DVD will knock Œem dead!