The Big Picture
- Evil Dead II is a unique horror film that blended slapstick humor with bizarrely horrifying imagery, making it one of the first horror comedies of its kind.
- The success and popularity of Evil Dead II led to the franchise’s continued success with three more films and a beloved TV series.
- The resurgence of VHS and physical media releases, like the upcoming Vice Press Home Video release of Evil Dead II, reminds us of the art and extra goodies that come with these special editions, which streaming services cannot replicate.
There’s nothing better than horror films on physical media. While 4K and Blu-ray are the dominant format of choice these days, VHS has been making a bit of a comeback lately. Particularly in the horror genre. Now one of the most treasured horror sequels, Evil Dead II, is coming to VHS thanks to Vice Press. Reported by Bloody Disgusting, the release is a part of the company’s new line Vice Press Home Video. The art focused company has released a ton of limited edition movie poster prints in the last few years by their team of talented artists. Evil Dead II will be their first VHS release in the new line in collaboration with Vice Press’ Matt Ferguson, James Henshaw, and artist Florey. The line will also be sold under the UK physical media distributor StudioCanal.
Evil Dead II is such a unique film in the horror genre because it not only partially remade the first Sam Raimi classic, it took the franchise in a more comedic direction. This was one of the first horror comedies of its kind that blended star Bruce Campbell’s slapstick humor, and bizarrely horrifying imagery. This is also the film that made Ash a horror icon and showed just how creative Raimi could get. Its sense of escalation is tremendously satisfying to the point you’ll want to watch it again immediately. Given how short the film is, no one would blame you if you did.
Since 1987, the franchise has seen three more films and a beloved TV series in Ash vs the Evil Dead. The last film, Evil Dead Rise, premiered this past April and made a killing at the box office with $146 million worldwide on a small $20 million budget. Rise also had some of the best reviews of the franchise, holding a certified fresh rating of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. That wouldn’t have been possible without the success and popularity of Evil Dead II.
VHS Booming Again
While places like Best Buy are phasing out physical media, it’s releases like this that remind us why physical media is so cool. The convenience of streaming has nothing on the art and extra goodies that come with these kinds of special physical releases. In the modern context, it’s hard to believe there was a time when VHS sales were the reason certain movies got sequels. That goes double for horror. Burning out the tapes for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Evil Dead are what got films a wider audience back then. Evil Dead II exists because of the first film’s VHS success. The VHS boom of the 80s was very much a real thing, and it’s something that streaming is struggling to recapture. Physical media boutique labels like Scream Factory and StudioCanal are doing a better job in that department.
Vice Press Home Video launches with Evil Dead II on November 16. The VHS will come with two editions. There’s a Collector’s Edition with a clear clamshell case, double-sided cover art, and six postcards featuring Evil Dead II movie posters. Lastly, there’s the Blood Splatter Variant that comes with a cardboard slipcover and a screen printer blood-soaked black VHS. Vice Press will also sell the release’s artwork as prints separately. You can purchase the VHS and prints on Vice Press’ website from November 16. Stay tuned to Collider for updates.
Evil Dead 2
- Release Date
- March 13, 1987
- Director
- Sam Raimi
- Cast
- Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley DePaiva, Ted Raimi, Denise Bixler
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 84
- Genres
- Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
