Watch Evil Dead 2 - Dead by Dawn online, on Blu-ray or DVD (1987)

Evil Dead 2 - Dead by Dawn

1987

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

from 15,127 members

Available on LOVEFiLM Instant for 44 more days

This high-octane semi-sequel to Sam Raimi's cult hit The Evil Dead has nearly eclipsed its predecessor's reputation thanks to an endless barrage of hyperkinetic camera acrobatics, rapid-fire editing and splatstick gore effects ... not to mention a truly goofy performance by Bruce Campbell. Nearly the entire storyline of the previous film has been re-shot and presented in a drastically condensed form within the first few minutes: rock-jawed but clueless hero Ash (Campbell) now visits the mountain cabin only with girlfriend Linda (played here by Denise Bixler). Upon arrival at the cabin, Ash discovers the Sumerian Book of the Dead, the ritual dagger and a reel-to-reel tape containing the professor's translations of the book's hieroglyphics. The incantations summon an unseen, growling spirit from within the woods, which bursts into the cabin and takes possession of Linda's soul. Ash is forced to decapitate her with a shovel, after which he buries her in the forest. At first dawn, Ash tries to make his escape, but is promptly set upon by the spirits, given a solid thrashing and nearly possessed himself, saved only by the arrival of sunlight. Cut off from the outside world, Ash is forced to hole up in the cabin and wait for the next demonic onslaught -- which arrives sooner than expected, led by Linda's rotting corpse. After being bitten by Linda's chatty decapitated head, Ash's hand becomes independent of his body and begins pummeling him repeatedly. The story then jumps to a local airport, where the professor's daughter Annie (Sarah Berry) and her partner Ed Getley (Richard Domeier) have just arrived with the missing pages to the Necronomicon. They employ a cranky pair of local rednecks, Jake (Dan Hicks) and Bobbie Joe (Kassie Wesley), as guides to lead them through the dense woods to the cabin ... where, at that very moment, Ash is removing his belligerent hand with a chainsaw, creating yet another ambulatory foe. Driven to the brink of insanity, Ash fires blindly at a noise outside, unaware that the new arrivals are Annie and company. Bobbie Joe is injured by the gunshot, which incurs the wrath of Jake, who knocks Ash senseless and locks him in the fruit cellar. Believing her father was murdered by Ash, Annie plays the rest of the professor's recording to learn the truth, and discovers her possessed mother was buried in the same cellar -- and not exactly resting in peace. This touches off a string of unbelievably gruesome (and hysterically funny) events, including Henrietta's transformation into a stop-motion creature (reminiscent of a Ray Harryhausen creation), Ed's sudden metamorphosis into a toothy, levitating ghoul, and Ash's climactic confrontation with the forest demon itself. The obvious glee with which Raimi and company present this cavalcade of slime-drenched monstrosities and Three Stooges pratfalls makes it impossible to take seriously as a horror film, but Evil Dead 2 is nevertheless essential viewing among connoisseurs of truly demented cinema. The film's sardonic coda opened the way for a slightly less successful sequel, Army of Darkness.~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Evil Dead 2 - Dead by Dawn details

Formats:	15 DVD, Blu-ray, LOVEFiLM Instant
Starring:	Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley, Richard Domeier
Director:	Sam Raimi
Genres:	Comedy, Horror - Zombies, Ghosts/Supernatural
Studio:	MOMENTUM PICTURES
Collections:	80s Comedy, Back to the 80s, Bad Taste, Cockneys and Zombies, Cool 80s Comedy, Decades: 80s, Evil and/or Dead, Evil Residents

Title	Runtime	Certificate
Evil Dead 2 - Dead by Dawn	1hr 20 mins	15

LOVEFiLM Instant Information

Run time:	1 hour 20 minutes
Rental release:	To be confirmed

Name	Discs
Evil Dead 2 - Dead by Dawn	15 Feature

DVD Information

Run time:	1 hour 21 minutes
Rental release:	22 Oct 2001
Main languages:	English
Dubbed:	German, Spanish, Italian
Subtitles:	Dutch, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish

Name	Discs
Evil Dead 2 - Dead by Dawn	15 Feature

Blu-ray Information

Run time:	1 hour 21 minutes
Rental release:	29 Sep 2008
Main languages:	English

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Most helpful review Evil Dead 2 - Dead by Dawn

Someone with a fresh soooul!

By JediSi (301 reviews) from Kent , 01 Sep 2007

[Highly rated reviewer]

Evil Dead II is a terrific piece of film. It has the spine-chilling haunting horror characteristics, the jump out of your skin scenes, copious amount of gore, and oodles of comedy.

Sam Raimey thoroughly encapsulates the sensation of isolation in and in the vicinity of the cabin. One of the magnificent factors concerning the film is that the 'monster' isn't the zombies so far as it is the ethereal malevolent spirit.

There are occasions where the effects are tacky but it essentially supplements the films appeal. The characters are good as well: The archaeologists daughter and her boyfriend, the backwards hillbilly and his delightful girlfriend. Then there is Ash. It’s worth seeing for his one-liners alone.

I consider this to be an finer flick than the first Evil Dead.
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Its a Good Film.

By Alandario (3 reviews) , 24 Apr 2013

Firstly got to say to the people who think the film is bad, it was made on a shoestring budget, with no CGI that we have today, and the actors where amatuer. Based on that the film is good and was pant pooingly scary at a time when such films where quite rare. The original was banned i think in the UK. The Evil Dead was the base for many films that came later and should be praised for its originality. After all there are plenty of dire horror films that are made on much bigger budgets that are total rubbish. It my be hard to look at an older film like this with the type of effects we can do today, but apreiciate it for what it was, a work of art from a bunch of people having fun:)
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Dead By Dawn! Dead By Dawn!

By mottchew (3 reviews) , 23 Apr 2013

What an amazing movie. One of the best in its genera. Funny, gory (not so) great effects and Bruce Campbell is a legend. Turns out that my work colleges have not seen it so I am now considering getting a new job. I feel let down by them, This film is a brilliant piece of cinema
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Never gets old.

By a customer , 13 Apr 2013

I love this entire franchise. Could honestly watch the Evil Dead films over and over and not get bored of them. I mean that. If you haven't seen any of them, I suggest you acquire them somehow and just watch them back to back and marvel in the awesome goriness that is the timeless, perfect product of Sam Raimi's genius. And if you have seen them already, there's really no harm at all in watching them again. And again. And again.
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Go on.

By a customer , 12 Apr 2013

Just watch it. Right now. Just watch it. Right now.Just watch it. Right now. Just watch it. Right now. Just watch it. Right now. Just watch it. Right now.

I am not at all subjective with my opinions. They are founded in reason and subjectivity.
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More of the same...why not

By showmethemoney (484 reviews) from South Wales , 25 Mar 2013

We love this, it never gets old, just more of the same insane madness. They're all cult classics and we can't get enough of them. This isn't the best of the bunch but its still great fun to watch. Hopefully the reboot will do them all justice. Ash is so likeable and funny, his presence alone makes the series worth watching!
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