The Evil Dead's Blu-ray debut actually comes with most of the special features plopped onto a separate DVD disc; only a new commentary track, recorded in late 2009, with Writer/Director Sam Raimi, Producer Robert Tapert, and Actor Bruce Campbell is found on the Blu-ray disc. The commentary is a strong one, with the participants exploring the picture's origins and the state of filmmaking and the distribution system in the late 1970s, speaking on the people that helped make the picture possible, the business aspect of filmmaking, technical information, the shooting schedule, the general grind of the shoot and the difficulties surrounding it both in front of and behind the camera, the casting process and choice of shooting locales, the challenges of applying the makeup, creating the gore effects, tales from the set, and plenty more. This is a coherent, informative, and easy listen; longtime fans of the film will want to upgrade for this track alone, though the high quality video and audio presentations don't hurt, either.
The DVD disc contains a plethora of extras, all presented in standard definition, broken down into three categories: "Featurettes," "Trailer & TV spots," and "Photo Gallery." "Featurettes" contains the bulk of this package's supplements, beginning with One By One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of 'The Evil Dead' (53:46). This is a massive, absorbing, and all-encompassing documentary that examines the making of the film, its effects, its reception, the quality of Sam Raimi's direction, and much more. 'The Evil Dead:' Treasures From the Cutting Room Floor (59:24) is a massive collection of various raw alternate takes and footage from the making of the film. The Ladies of 'The Evil Dead' Meet Bruce Campbell (28:55) features Campbell and his three female co-stars reminiscing on the making of the film. Discovering 'The Evil Dead' (13:06) looks at how The Evil Dead became a Horror favorite. Next is Unconventional (19:09), a piece that features the cast discussing film conventions and their experiences in working them. At the Drive-In (12:04) features the cast giving away copies of The Evil Dead DVD at a screening of the film. Reunion Panel (31:19) sees the cast of the film speaking and answering questions at the Flashback Weekend Horror Convention in Chicago on July 30, 2005. Book of the Dead: The Other Pages (1:57) contains footage of Ash flipping through every page in the book. Finally, Make-Up Test (1:08) is a string of footage testing out some of the film's makeup and special effects. Also included in this set is the film's theatrical trailer (1:54), four TV spots (0:33 each), and a photo gallery.
