Evil dead in full screen format

[mada]

Can anyone recommend a good uncut dvd version of the evil dead in full screen format? The only one I've seen is the one from Elite but I saw something about the new 16:9 releases having better quality, has anyone seen both of these?

BR
Mada

[zombi3]

I think the quality on the Elite disc is very nice. I've never seen the 16x9 version, but I do remember reading that the full screen version looks better. I also read the opposite, so I guess it's a matter of opinion. Anyway, if you're looking for a good full screen version, the Elite dvd is just fine. :)

[KillerCannabis]

Go with the Elite disc for the transfer and extras, but if you want some cool packaging and a few other extras, get the AB BOTD. I personally hate the 16X9 transfer, so I only watch my full frame Elite copy.

[Fart Lighter]

i found the picture and sound on the wrongly matted widescreen version to be very inferior to the Elite version. The elite has some minimal MPEG2 artifacting, but the picture on the WSversion is soft and murky. And then of course there's the matting....:mad:

[CJ]

I've got both the earlier fullscreen Anchor Bay release, in a limited edition perspex case, and the newer Book of the Dead version (with an amaray cover). Since Raimi has expressed that he only wants the w/s version on release from now on, I think I'll be holding onto my fullscreen disc as we may never see it released in that aspect ratio again.

Does anyone know how the AB and Elite fullscreen releases compare? On the AB DVD it says that the transfer was supervised by Raimi.

[jscott]

Originally posted by CJ

Does anyone know how the AB and Elite fullscreen releases compare? On the AB DVD it says that the transfer was supervised by Raimi.

I've been under the impression that the same transfer was used for Elite's release, and the Anchor Bay bare bones release (the Elite disc says the transfer was supervised by Raimi), but I could be mistaken.

[speanroc]

i 'm happy with my full frame japanese laserdisc which i think is

the best print to have

[betterdan]

I also have the older full frame Anchor Bay release and the newer Book of the Dead release. The widescreen one does look a little softer and being in widescreen looks a little odd but I just couldn't pass up that cool book.

[Pukenstein]

The old Anchor Bay barebones fullscreen looks better than Elite.

[Andrew]

The Anchor Bay barebones fullscreen and the Elite SE fullscreen are the exact same print. The Anchor Bay BOTD print is much darker and murkier. IMO, the Elite print is the best (on DVD that I've seen), as I think the widescreen is too cramped.

For the record, I have two copies of Elite's disc and a copy of the Book of the Dead.

[speanroc]

from what i have been told i haven't confirmed it yet,
but evil dead isn' t a 1.85.1 film so any prints with this ration are cutting
information top and bottom.

[Fart Lighter]

EVIL DEAD has 2 'correct' ratios (what this thread is all about),
in a manner of speaking.
The first is a matted 1.66:1 version which was how it was shown under it's premeire as BOOK OF THE DEAD, and how Raimi planned it. It has NEVER been shown in this ratio since.

After going on mass release, re-titled as THE EVIL DEAD it was always shown 4:3, something that the 'everything has been in widescreen at the cinemas since 1950' idiots over at the Home Theatre Forum really have a problem grasping. A bunch of mainstream idiots who have no idea of the existence of smaller independent cinemas that pre-dated multiplexes, and as such pass mis-information all over the net.

It got newly matted down to 1.85:1 (apparently with Campbell and Raimi's approval) for the first time when Anchor Bay put together a cleaned up print for new cinema exhibition, and it's this version that's on the new DVD, as well as playing in UK screens at the moment. it's a real shame that the film's own director would give the go-ahead for such a terrible re-formatting to go ahead, but he's not the first after all.

[If you want confirmation on ratio, it's covered in the EVIL DEAD COMPANION book.]

With regards to other differences, the Elite version is missing a shot where lighting strikes a tree. it's in the WS version, but I've no idea if it's in AB's original fullscreen DVD or not.

[jscott]

Originally posted by speanroc
i 'm happy with my full frame japanese laserdisc which i think is

the best print to have

Agreed.

[mcchrist]

The LD is pretty nice...

[Urotsukidoji]

My only problem with the BOTD edition, is that the picture is so clear, you can see the matting around the moon in some outdoor scenes. The older murky prints hide this nicely from view.

[zombi3]

Originally posted by Urotsukidoji
My only problem with the BOTD edition, is that the picture is so clear, you can see the matting around the moon in some outdoor scenes. The older murky prints hide this nicely from view.

I noticed the matted moon on the Elite disc too. The older VHS copies did hide this well, but unfortunately they hid just about everything else in the movie as well.

[Urotsukidoji]

There would have been no problem, if they had just released the BOTD edition with both the WS and the FS versions on the disc, everyone would have been happy, and no one would need to own 20 copies of the same movie.

[Andrew]

I woulda stuck with my Elite version either way, as I like the transfer (the actual look of the film elements) much better.

[JW77]

I'm perfectly happy with my fullscreen Elite DVD.

I don't think having the aspect ratio modified and cropping the film to 1.85:1 would improve the film in any way. This is a low budget film, and having the full-frame image sort of enhances that aspect of it.

And besides, there are few shots in the film that would be compromised by any kind of vertical cropping.

The only reason I would want to own the new AB version would be because of the two documentaries on it.

The "Book of the Dead" edition looked really neat, but I was leery of shelling out for it out of fear that the thing would deteriorate after a couple of years. (Bringing back memories of the "Slayer Bloodpack" single I bought about ten years ago... That I just happen to mention in another post.)