I like the fullscreen. I got the Ultimate Edition dvd set, and I watched both, but the fullscreeen one looks better to me. I like to see the tops of peoples heads.
The widescreen version is director-approved, and I have a widescreen TV, so the fullscreen version is obsolete to me.
You know, I get it. The widescreen version is a bit cramped at the top, and I don't believe that Sam Raimi composed it for the 1.85:1 screen (for a comparison, look at Stanley Kubrick's full-frame releases...while he may also "prefer" the 1.33:1 ratio, you can also see that he composed his shots so that they did not suffer from matting the way Evil Dead does) But I ask one thing: If a theater near you was going to play a 35mm print of Evil Dead for a midnight show, how many of you would say "nah, it won't be the full-frame version I prefer"?
Thankfully you can have your cake and eat it too with this new version.I've seen it both ways and it plays well either way.It's not as compromised in 1:33 as some other titles that have had considerable discussion over their intended ratios (like the original BLACK CHRISTMAS for one).In a theater I would want the wide version but at home,I'm easy,whatever strikes my fancy that night.
Theres people on here that havent seen Evil Dead? We should dump their books after class. I suppose I prefer the full frame, it just feels more 80's.
I would really love a full frame print with a 5.1 track... Either way, the full frame version is the one that used to scare me. But I don't think I like Anchor Bay's colors. I miss the print from the VHS I used to rent, so I really should have gotten the Elite disc when I had the chance. If we've had to watch Basket Case, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and Piranha in fullscreen for years, I don't know why anyone might complain about the film in fullscreen.
^ Well now I wouldn't go that far. Evil Dead is a unique case where, either by design or divine, it seems much better to me at 1.33:1. 99.9% of all other films should be shown in their theatrical ratio. Another movie I think is an exception is Kubrick's The Shinning. The reason being that many shots are composed with the Outlook Hotel framing the shot in 1.33:1. Since for all intent and purpose the Outlook is a character of the film this gives it a much more effective composition.
Warner's widescreen 2-disc edition of The Shining is the only version of the movie I ever bought. Though I had heard it was a fullscreen film before I nabbed the set. I gather the audio is so good on this DVD that I wouldn't even want to get another. I'm still not the biggest fan of the film. But that new disc helped a lot. The audio is so frickin' sharp, I feel like it was touching me. That doesn't happen for other discs unless I turn the volume up incredibly loud. But Warner's Twilight Zone: The Movie and Paramount's '09 disc of Friday the 13th Uncut had the same effect, so... it feels like DVD technology was just hitting its' peak about the time Blu-Ray came along. Now with Evil Dead on Blu-Ray, I believe HorrorDigital's review showed the fullscreen version is now a print looking more like Elite's disc? Good for Blu-Ray buyers, but I'm not there yet. I don't know why the 2007 Ultimate Edition's fullscreen has to look exactly the same as the widescreen print (colors, skin tones, etc) and we also only get a stereo track. (Cheapness, I guess.) Ug.
