Army of Darkness (Collector’s Edition): Blu-Ray Review
Arriving on Collector’s Edition Blu-ray this week is Sam Rami’s third chapter in the “Evil Dead” saga, “Army of Darkness”. This is the absolute best release so far and includes everything you could possibly want, thanks to Scream Factory.
I am an “Evil Dead” fan, but “Army of Darkness” still remains a personal favorite and one of the most quotable genre flicks ever. What I love about the three films is how different they are from each other. In this Collector’s Edition, we get three disks which include the theatrical version, the director’s cut, and the international version. It was a tough decision on which to watch first, but I went with the international cut. It may not be my favorite of the three, but this was a new 4K scan and I just had to see how it looked. Personally, i will always be partial to the US theatrical version mainly because it was the one I watched countless times over the past two decades.
The three different “Army of Darkness” cuts is only part of the reason this release is so amazing. The amount of bonus features for each release is just as impressive. “Army of Darkness” fans will want to pick this one up for sure, regardless of how many other versions they already own.
Bonus Features
DISC ONE (Theatrical Version, 81 min.) – 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0
• NEW Medieval Times: The Making Of “Army Of Darkness” Featuring Interviews With Star & Co-Producer Bruce Campbell, Actors Marcus Gilbert, Ted Raimi, Timothy Quill, Richard Grove, Bill Moseley, Patricia Tallman And Angela Featherstone, Director Of Photography Bill Pope, Editor Bob Murawski, Production Designer Anthony Tremblay, Composer Joseph Lo Duca, Costume Designer Ida Gearon, Special Make-Up Effects Artists Howard Berger, Tony Gardner, Robert Kurtzman, And Greg Nicotero, “Pit Bitch” Performer And Effects Artist William Bryan, Mechanical Effects Artist Gary Jones, First Assistant Director John Cameron, Visual Effects Supervisor William Mesa And Stunt Coordinator Christopher Doyle (96 min.)
• Original Ending
• Original Opening With Optional Commentary By Sam Raimi And Bruce Campbell
• Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary By Sam Raimi And Bruce Campbell
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Home Video Promo
DISC TWO (Director’s Cut, 96 min.) – 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0
• Audio Commentary With Director Sam Raimi, Actor Bruce Campbell And Co-Writer Ivan Raimi
• NEW Additional Behind-The-Scenes Footage From KNB Effects (55 min.)
• Vintage Creating The Deadites Featurette (21 min.)
• Vintage “Making Of” Featurette
• Extended Interview Clips With Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell And Robert Tapert
DISC THREE (International Cut, 88 min.) – 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0
• NEW 4K Scan Of The International Inter-positive
• Television Version With Additional Footage (90 min., Standard Definition (1.33:1), DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0)
• Theatrical Trailer
• NEW Still Galleries With Rare Behind-The-Scenes Photos From Production Designer Anthony Tremblay, Visual Effects Supervisor William Mesa And Special Make-Up Effects Artists Tony Gardner And KNB EFX, Inc. (Over 200 Stills)
• NEW Still Gallery Of Props And Rare Photos From The Collection Of Super Fan Dennis Carter Jr.
• NEW Storyboards For Deleted Or Alternate Scenes
• Vintage The Men Behind The Army Featurette (19 min.)
By: Marc Ferman