The first two Evil Dead movies look pretty good in 4K. Given their down and dirty raw production, it’s remarkable they hold up so well in the latest technological format. As soon as you press play on Army of Darkness on 4K UHD, you can tell it’s a step above not only the Evil Dead films but more 4K titles.
The Universal logo and opening medieval sand already look great. The red tunics of King Henry’s soldiers pop, and the silver armor shines. It just keeps getting better from there.
The matte painting extending the castle is seamless and still looks like a massive structure. The daylight sequences are so bright it feels like you’re out in California with Sam Raimi and the gang. The costumes, sets and props all look great, but it’s the low shots on the ground that really sell it.
Other details you’ll notice include the rust on the rim of the pit, the geyser of bright red blood, the dirtier Ash (Bruce Campbell)’s face gets. Speaking of dirt, was the dirt on the lens at the beginning always visible? No shade, that’s what happens when you film on location, but wow to bringing even that detail into focus.
Then there’s the whole windmill sequence with the little Ashes. Then there’s the two-headed Ash in the moonlight. Then there’s the wrong books schtick with the long face and bitey book.
When Ash returns to the castle, the courtyard glows by the fire light. All the deadite makeup and skeleton army show off the exquisite details of the practical effects work.
There’s not much surround to Army of Darkness, even with a DTS mix. You won’t miss it though. Everything is on the screen so you won’t want to shift focus to anything behind you anyway.
The 4K UHD still includes all the other cuts of the film on Blu-ray and bonus features from previous editions.
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