Army of Darkness: The Director`s Cut (Official Bootleg Edition) (US)
Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas
Certificate: none
Running Time: 96 mins
Retail Price: $24.98
Release Date:
Content Type: Movie
Synopsis:
Stranded in the 13th century, Ash gets mistaken for a spy from a rival kingdom. After proving his innocence, he agrees to help retrieve the Book of the Dead in exchange for being sent back to the 90`s. Unfortunately things do not go as planned, and soon an evil version of himself is on the loose amassing a skeleton army to retake the book and rule the land. Ash then has to help defeat the oncoming hords with just a handful of men, a chainsaw, shotgun and trusty car...
Listen up you primitive screwheads!
At last, here lies the closest thing to an "official" Director`s Cut of "Army" that you`ll ever find. Personally, I think there is always merit in any version of the film that preserves what the makers intended. So, for your consideration we submit the REAL film, complete with the original ending, which I think is far more appropriate.
On behalf of Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, I`d like to thank all you loyal fans (you know who you are) for your loyal support of this ridiculous series of films - you are directly responsible for the demand to make this version available. May you revel in 96 minutes of excess and may you never, ever, run out of sugar...baby!
Best to ya
Bruce "Don`t call me Ash" Campbell
Special Features:
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Storyboards
Video Tracks:
Widescreen Anamorphic 1.66:1
Audio Tracks:
Dolby Digital Surround 2.0 English
Directed By:
Sam Raimi
Written By:
Ivan Raimi
Sam Raimi
Starring:
Embeth Davidtz
Bruce Campbell
Soundtrack By:
Joseph Lo Duca
Danny Elfman
Director of Photography:
Bill Pope
Editor:
Bob Murawski
Production Designer:
Tony Tremblay
Producer:
Bruce Campbell
Robert Tapert
Distributor:
Universal Pictures
Dino De Laurentiis Communications
Renaissance Pictures
Your Opinions and Comments
Groovy? You betcha!
"Army of Darkness" is the final (until "Evil Dead 4", which will most likely never happen) film in the trilogy and it goes out with a bang. Unlike the previous two which had their feet stuck in the horror genre (well, apart from "Evil Dead 2" which had one foot in horror and the other in comedy) this one takes a massive leap into comedy/slapstick... And pulls it off extremely well!
If you were lucky enough to get the limited 2 disc Anchor Bay version of "Army of Darkness" (or rich/stupid enough to buy one from eBay) then you`d know what to expect. For those that don`t fall into those categories then basically what we have here is the directors cut of "Army of Darkness" with 15 minutes of extra footage along with the original ending. The only way to watch this movie is this baby, it gives you a much better viewing and the original ending is by far the better, even without "Hail to the king, baby".
The disc comes with a Widescreen Anamorphic 1.66:1 transfer which is superb compared to the VHS version I have. However compared to many other releases, especially the "Evil Dead 2" release, the picture isn`t the best... It isn`t horrid don`t get me wrong but grain really stood out at times. A bit more work on the extra footage incorporated into the film would also have been nice but it`s great to have them in there anyway. It doesn’t have the “S-Mart” ending but if you want that then get the theatrical version. The audio is great but unfortunately only in Dolby Digital Surround 2.0 not the 5.1 we had been promised.
Onto the features - We have a commentary, some deleted scenes and storyboards. Not the greatest collection of extras but, and this is a big BUT, the inclusion of the deleted scenes is a must for any deadite fan (I really like that alternative opening). The commentary with Sam and Bruce is superb and has Ivan Raimi joining in after a while.
Now its question time... *Drum roll* Ahh, forget it I`ll just say this - If you haven`t already got it then get it. Right? Good.
The Army of Darkness is a fantastic, fun film and the final of the Evil Dead films. Bruce Campbell stars once again, as Ash and brings with it some fantastic one-liners through out the film.
The quality of the video here is not very good and neither is the sound. The extras are also pretty thin, with the already mentioned audio commentary being the reall stand out. I was very dissappointed that the alternative ending was not put on this DVD as it is still a great ending.
Anyway, having the full directors cut of this great film is good enough.
This films has achieved a cult status amongst horror fans, due mainly to the direction of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell`s excellent performance as Ash.
Although Army of Darkness drops the splatter of the previous two Evil Dead films in order to homage everything from Ray Harryhausen to Mad Max 2 and The Three Stooges to Bruce Lee, the film actually works really well. The final battle, pitting the madcap Campbell against the skeleton army of the dead is a joy to watch (if a trifle overlong) and the jokes come thick and fast. The special effects, shot in the days before CGI ruled everything, hold up surprisingly well - and the film is held together extremely well by Campbell, a fantastic and very talented comic actor. Make no mistake about it, this really is Campbell`s film, and he gives it his all - Sam Raimi really let the big guy let rip in this film, and Army of Darkness is never dull to watch.
Three versions of Army of Darkness have been released - the original, the same with a tacked-on 'director's cut' ending, and the full director's cut with the ending in normal continuity.
Army of Darkness is a must for Evil Dead fans and genre enthusiasts, and it's a surprising, entertaining journey into the world of weird cinema for everyone else. The 15 minutes of additional footage is a great treat, and despite the sometimes below average image quality, this disc is well worth picking up for those who were unable to get their hands on the limited edition release.