Evil Dead II [1987]

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1987
Running Times: 72 mins [Sweden] 80 mins [Germany] 81 mins [Australia] 85 mins [USA]
Format: Technicolor
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Renaissance Pictures
Executive Producers: Alex De Benedetti, Irvin Shapiro
Producer: Robert G. Tapert
Co-Producer: Bruce Campbell
Production Manager: Joseph C. Stillman
Production Co-Ordinator: Elaine Dysinger

SCRIPT
Script: Sam Raimi, Scott Spiegel

DIRECTION
Director: Sam Raimi
1st Assistant Director: Joseph Winogradoff
2nd Assistant Director: K. Siobhan Phelan

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Peter Deming
2nd Unit Director Of Photography: Tim Philo
Night Exterior Director of Photography: Eugene Shlugleit
Camera Operator: Joe Wallikas
1st Assistant Camera: Hamid Shams
2nd Assistant Camera: Brigette Alexander
Additional Assistant Camera: Brendan Creadle
Crane Operator: Bob Brown
Electricians: Chris English, Maribel Rodriguez
Gaffer: Robert Duffin
Key Grip: Larry Steinberg
Grips: Billy Pierce, Josh Steinberg, Roy Gittens
Best Boy: Rubin Rodrigues
Stills: Mike Ditz
Camera Systems: JDC America

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Kaye Davis
Assistant Editors: Michael Jonascu, Paul Harris
Apprentice Editors: Dorothy Tapert, Rob Anderson
Negative Cutting: Reel People Inc

MUSIC
Music: Joseph LoDuca; Camille Saint-Saëns [from Danse Macabre, Op.40 - uncredited]
Conductors: Dennis J. Tini, Joseph Loduca
Music Editor: Chris Rabideau
Music Technical Consultant: Sheldon Newmann

SOUND
Sound Recording: West Productions Inc
Sound Mixer: Tom Morrison
Re-Recording: West Productions Inc
Re-Recording Mixers: Andrew Schatz, David West
Sound Effects Editors: John V. Bonds Jr, Kevin Hill, Cindy Rabideau, Steve Sheranian, Brian Wedewer
Additional Sound Effects: David Yewdall
Additional Synthesised Sound Effects: Drew Newmann
Assistant Sound Editors: Thomas Bush, Yvonne Preble
Foley Artists: Mike Dickeson, Julie Spears
Dialogue Editor: Chris Rabideau
Boom Operator: John Walter

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Wendy Bell
Wardrobe: Vicki Graef
Assistant Wardrobe: Randall Ouzts
Armour: Costume Armor Inc

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Designer: Mark Shostrom
Special Make Up Effects: Howard Berger, Robert Kurtzman, Gregory Nicotero, Shannon Shea, Aaron Sims, Bryant Tausek, Mike Trcic
Cosmetic Contact Lenses: Larry Odean
Henrietta Transformation And Hand Animation: Rick Catizone, Anivision
Rotten Apple Head Designer: Greg Onychuk
Sculptor: Steve Wang
Sculpting And Detail: Michael Burnett, Tony Gardner
Molds And Casting: Brian Penikas
Tree Branch And Rotten Apple Head Foam Fabricators: Mark Wilson, Teresa Burkept

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Acme Special Effects
Animator: Tom Sullivan
Animated Dance Sequence / Tree Branch / Rotten Apple Head: Doug Beswick Productions Inc
Stop Motion Animation: Doug Beswick
Assistant Animator: Brian Rae
Effects Photography Supervisor: Jim Aupperle
Animation Photography: Larry Larson
Special Effects Cinematography: Daniel S. Noga
Effects Camera: Bruce Schermer
Special Effects Foreman: Vern Hyde
Special Effects Assistants: Dale Johnson, Dave Thiry
Miniature Supervisor: James Belohovek
Miniatures: Illuminations; Magic Lantern Inc; Bob Dyke, Tom Hitchcock
Matte Painter: Bob Kayganich
Line Up: Rocky Mahoney
Visual Effects Production Assistant: Vicki L. Engel [uncredited]
Detail And Painting: Margaret Beserra
Main Title Animator: Katherine Kean
Mechanical Designer: Bill Notaro
Mechanicals: David Kindlon
Stop Motion Armature: Yancy Calzada
Optical House: BIGIL Post

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Philip Duffin
Art Directors: Randy Bennett, Philip Duffin
Assistant to Art Director: Andy Boswell
Set Decorator: Elizabeth Moore
Set Dresser: Wayne Leonard
Property Master: Blanche Sindelar
Special Props: Tony Elwood
Construction Co-Ordinator: Larry Fox
Carpenters: Jerry Adams, Reed Downy, Wayne Gathins, Charles Lear, Scott Shamis
Set Painter: William Hamilton
Lead Man: Johnna Butler

MISCELLANEOUS
Payroll Services: Bon Bon
Production Accountant: Diane Dankwardt
Assistant Accountant: Cathy Carpentar
Dance Choreography: Andrea Brown, Susan Labatt
Animated Dance Choreographer: Tam G. Warner
Caterers: Linda Ohman, Paul Ohman
Transportation Studio Manager: David Goodman
Horse And Riders Provided By: Pam Billingsley, Ricky Billingsley
Production Secretary: Ruth Jessup
Production Assistants: Davi Trotti, Karalyn Parsons, Mary Ann Creamer
Insurance: Great Northern
Completion Bond: The Completion Bond Company Inc

LOCATIONS
Locations: Detroit, Michigan, USA; Wadesboro, North Carolina, USA; Wilmsboro, North Carolina, USA
Location Contact: Pryor Gibson

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special Thanks: B.V. Hedrick; Betty Huntly; Harry Huntly; Henry Little

STUNTS
Stunt Co-Ordinator: Gary Jensen
Stunts: John Casino, Sandra Lee Gimpel, Ben Jensen, Debbie Lynn Ross, Blanche Sindelar

CASTING
Additional Casting: Samuel Warren

CAST
Bruce Campbell [Ash]
Sarah Berry [Annie Knowby]
Dan Hicks [Jake]
Kassie Wesley [Bobbie Joe]
Theodore Raimi [possessed Henrietta]
Denise Bixler [Linda]
Richard Domeier [Ed Getley]
John Peaks [Professor Raymond Knowby]
Lou Hancock [Henrietta Knowby]
Snowy Winters [dancer]
Sid Abrams, Josh Becker, Scott Spiegel, Thomas Kidd, Mitch Cantor, Jenny Griffith, Roc Sandstorm (real name: Bruce Campbell) [fake Shemps]
William Preston Robertson [voices of the hand / the dark spirit / the deer head / the enchanted bbjects]
Sam Raimi [knight - uncredited]

Having survived the initial onslaught of the evil dead, Ash is joined by another group of characters who also fall foul of teh marauding spirits. Ash is able to open a time-space portal to get rid of them - but can he close it before it sucks him through?

A change of pace for the Evil Dead series which saw comedy playing a much more central role than the horror. The opening scenes are impressive, with Raimi's camera more restless than ever, and the climax is good though a lot of the stuff in between is hard to get through. The comedy is mostly of the Three Stooges / slapstick variety - those who like that sort of thing will love it. The rest of us will be pining for the raw ferocity of the original.

UK
Video Distributor: 4 Front Video [0789473]
DVD Distributor: BMG Music Programming [74321671609]

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Rosebud Releasing Corporation
Video Distributor: Vestron Video International
Laserdisc Distributor: Elite [EE3845]; Image [IDVL5212]
DVD Distributor: Anchor Bay [DV10504; DV11189 - Limited Edition; DV 11188 - Special Edition]

Australia
Rating: R

Finland
Rating: banned

France
Rating: -12

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 18
Cut by 8 seconds in 1987 for theatrical release - the offending scene is of someone being kicked in the head. A further 2 seconds were cut by the BBFC later in the year for the video release.

USA
Rating: R

West Germany
Rating: 18

1988
Fantasporto
Best Film [Sam Raimi] - nominated

1987
March
13: USA - theatrical release

May
22: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC [for theatrical distribution - cut by 8 seconds]

June
26: UK - theatrical release

July
8: France - theatrical release

August
13: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC [for video distribution - cut by 2 seconds]

1988
February
Day Unknown: Portugal [shown at the Fantasporto Film Festival]

1989
February
5: Sweden - theatrical release

1996
February
21: Japan - laserdisc release

1998
January
27: USA - laserdisc release [Elite [EE3845]]

October
6: USA - DVD release [Anchor Bay [DV10504]]

1999
January
6: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC [for video distribution]

June
28: UK - DVD release [BMG Music Programming [74321671609]]

2000
August
11: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC [for video distribution]
29: USA - DVD release [Anchor Bay [DV 11189 - Limited Edition]; [DV 11188 - Special Edition]]

September
11: UK - video release [4 Front Video [0789473]]

Kiss Your Nerves Good-Bye!

2 Terrifying. 2 Frightening. 2 Much!

The Comedy / Horror of the Decayed

Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn - UK title
Tanz der Teufel 2 - Jetzt Wird Noch Mehr Getanzt

SEQUEL TO
The Evil Dead [1982]

SEQUELS
Army of Darkness [1993]
Evil Dead: Hail to the King [2000]

SEE ALSO
Aliens [1986]
Altered States [1980]
Blood Simple [1984]
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 [2000]
The Brave Little Toaster [1987]
Cast a Deadly Spell [1991]
The Dead Hate the Living [1999]
Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb [1964]
Dr Terror's House of Horrors [1965]
Evil Ed [1997]
The Exorcist [1973]
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money [1999]
Furankenshutain tai chitei kaijû Baragon [1965]
The Hand [1981]
The Haunting [1963]
Idle Hands [1999]
Jason and the Argonauts [1963]
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday [1993]
Jungfrukällan [1960]
Kamillions [1989]
The Little Shop of Horrors [1960]
The Mummy [1999]
Night of the Living Dead [1968]
The Nightmare Before Christmas [1993]
A Nightmare on Elm Street [1984]
Poltergeist [1982]
Poltergeist II: The Other Side [1986]
Psycho [1960]
Raising Arizona [1987]
The Shining [1980]
Sleepy Hollow [1999]
Stryker's War [1985]
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre [1974]
Toy Story [1995]
Within the Woods [1978]
The Wizard of Oz [1939]

MAGAZINES

Melody Maker 27 June 1987 p.32 [UK]
review

Video Watchdog 46 pp.37-39 [USA]
article

comedy; horror; decapitations; chainsaws; stop motion animation; zombies; disembodied hands; the necronomicon; archaeologists; sieges; monsters; demons; time travel; sequels; shotguns

The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television
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