EVIL DEAD 1 PRESS RELEASE!

EXPERIENCE
THE ULTIMATE SCREAM
WITH ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT'S
RELEASE OF THE EVIL DEAD!

The '80s Cult Favorite Will Be Available In Three Incarnations. TROY, MI -- Anchor Bay Entertainment announced today the release of one of the most successful and critically-acclaimed horror films of all time, The Evil Dead. The film has been digitally mastered and will be available in several incarnations. The first version of The Evil Dead will be released with four different jacket designs created from original photos from the film and will be priced at $9.99. At $14.98, The Evil Dead Collector's Edition contains the original theatrical trailer and liner notes from star Bruce Campbell. For the die-hard fan, The Evil Dead Limited Edition will be available in a provocative, silver metallic clamshell package, individually numbered up to 35,000. It will also feature a 32-page collector's booklet containing never-before-published photos of Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and the cast and crew, as well as excerpts from Josh Becker's working diary kept during the making of the film.

"Anchor Bay Entertainment has become the leading home entertainment company in the horror genre," commented Jay Douglas, Vice President of Acquisitions. "We have the opportunity with this release to introduce the audience to the ultimate scream! A tremendous amount of time and effort is committed to these collectible films and as a result, horror fans look for the Anchor Bay Entertainment label."

Five young friends set off for a vacation in a densely-wooded mountains of Tennessee. During their trip, they stumble upon the Sumerian "Book of the Dead" along with a tape recorder left behind by a long-vanished archaeologist. The tape contains translations of the book's passage and upon playing it, evil is once again unleashed. It possesses the living and only Ash (Bruce Campbell)can top the nightmare.

Stephen King called The Evil Dead "...the most ferociously original horror film of the year.."

The Evil Dead was director Sam Raimi's debut film. He was 23 years old at the time. Raimi and star Bruce Campbell were friends from high school where they made super-8 films together. In 1978, the two, along with Robert Tapert (who produced The Evil Dead ), formed Renaissance Pictures, Ltd. based on this screenplay. A 30-minute pilot version of the film shot on 8 mm and entitled "Within The Woods" was used to raise the production funds. The total budgetfor the film was $50,000 and it took four years from pre- to post-production. Among the crew was young filmmaker Joel Coen, who served as Assistant Film Editor on the production and Josh Becker who is also a renowned writer & director.

Since its inception, Renaissance Pictures has gone on to become a leading production company having earned critical praise for its spectacular action, strong dramatic stories, cutting-edge special effects and tongue-in-check humor. Both Raimi and Tapert currently produce the hit syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys as well as Young Hercules, a new half-hour action adventure series set to premier on Fox Kids Network this fall. In addition, the pair produced the action feature Hard Target and Timecop, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as well as The Quick and the Dead, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman.

Most recently, Raimi directed the suspense thriller A Simple Plan, starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton and Bridget Fonda, which is scheduled for release this fall. He is currently in pre-production on Universal Pictures 'For Love of the Game, starring Kevin Costner.

Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leader in the field of home entertainment. With a library of over 4,000 video and DVD titles, the company offers an expansive selection of theatrical, fitness, children's and special interest titles. The Anchor Bay Entertainment family of labels includes Mobil Masterpiece Theatre, The Britt Allcroft Co., Handmade Films, Hammer Film Productions, Collector's Editions and the Family Movies Collection. Anchor Bay Entertainment is a division of North Coast Entertainment which is owned by the Handleman Company.
# # #

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sue Procko or Maral Kaloustian
Sue Procko Public Relations
818/227-0677
sprockopr@aol.com

A word from Bruce!

"Salivating Deadites, Take Heart! After almost two decades, Evil Dead, the Ultimate Experience in Grueling Terror is back and better than ever! Say hello to " Mr. Official Re-issue." Gone are the days of running over to your pal Joey's to view a bootlegged copy of a really crappy copy of a copy - now, just think, you can watch this brand new video over and over again until it looks like a bad copy! For those of you just joining in the fun for the first time, sit back and enjoy this uniquely 70's brand of cheese. You'll laugh ( in parts - it's okay, I do too ), you'll wince ( beware the vines ), and you'll never look at a number two pencil the same way again. This humble little film spawned two sequels over the next twelve years. Sure, the budgets were bigger and the acting was better, but in Rural Tennessee that fateful fall of 1979, this was where it all began. For those of you who have been down the Evil Dead road umpteen times, you can thank yourself for this new version. Your fanatical loyalty to the cause has ultimately led to this re - release. On behalf of Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, I'd like to thank you for your patience, continued support and Lunacy. Making Evil Dead was like owning my first car - it was cheap, rough around the edges, but it eventually got me where I wanted to go. Drive safely, Best ,

( Signature )

Bruce

EVIL DEAD 1 RE-RELEASE LIMITED EDITION JACKET!
With Special 32 Page Journal
[CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE]