Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 16, 2017

Ash vs. Evil Dead seemed long in the making following the cult successes of the first two low-budget films in the franchise and the somewhat bigger third that took the franchise in something of a different direction (and time) but maintained essentially the same familiar spirit. That third film released way back in 1992. From then to now isn't a gap, it's a generation or so. Plans to further the franchise were publicly discussed by the filmmakers and speculated and dreamed on by fans for a couple of decades, and the world and main character was finally brought back to life by way of a half-hour television show that was a fair bit successful and, most important to both the filmmakers (many of the primary drivers throughout franchise history returned) and the fans, it was extremely faithful to the original films and concept, returning Ash, his chainsaw, and of course the hallmark horror excesses that all made the films timeless entries within their genre. Ash vs. Evil Dead's second season not only furthers Ash's story as it was rekindled in season one, it sees him reunite with some old friends and in some familiar places, all the while pushing the envelope to its breaking point and, what the heck, stuffing it full of enough added blood and guts and some nasty creative juices to ensure it bursts in all its gory glory, as its tagline rightly proclaims.

Ash (Bruce Campbell) is living it up in Jacksonville, enjoying retirement from demon slaying after making a deal with Ruby (Lucy Lawless) to pass that burdensome and bloody torch to someone else. But even if he's not looking for the evil dead, the evil dead are looking for him. Now, along with his stalwart companions Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo), he's reluctantly called back into action and leaves the sun and fun and dead of Jacksonville, Florida for a trip back to his home town of Elk Grove where legend has it he's a mass-murderer, not a savior. He's not exactly welcome, but that doesn't prevent him from taking matters into his own hand and chainsaw in the seemingly never-ending pursuit of wiping out the evil that dogs him everywhere he goes.

Season two never holds back. Ash finds himself scooping up a loved one's brains, finds his head shoved up a corpse's anus, and of course he and his compatriots are rarely left unbloodied and are often so drenched in it they may as well have bathed in it. Like the previous season, this is certainly not for the squeamish. Filmed entertainment doesn't get more absurdly bloody and over-the-top as this. Body parts are smashed, severed, sliced, name it, it probably happens, and don't name it, it probably happens. The show does make extensive use of practical effects on the way to its insanely bloody excesses. They're well conceived and very detailed, slimy, and gross. But the show's, and the franchise's, trademark humor cuts it all just enough to keep the audience comfortable, to reassure viewers that it's all bloody fun and games and made for the entertainment value and the escape, not as some treatise on demon hunting or something. It's still going to be too much for many viewers, but for gore aficionados, bump season two (and season one, for that matter) to the top of the must-see list.

The season splits its time between several interesting locations, including Ash's old hometown, a morgue, and the franchise's famous cabin where it all went down in the first two films. No worries, those aren't exactly spoilers, because it's what happens in those places, and why, that makes the season. Of course it's all centered around demonic possession, prodigious bloodletting, and plenty of quips. The season flows well at a brisk ten episodes, though it definitely picks up towards the end with three terrific episodes, one of which recreates the 80s Slasher genre and, of course, the final two that offer all sorts of crazy fan service and storytelling goodness. With its structure and relentless repetition of new and inventive ways to splash the screen with gore, it smartly limits itself in terms of runtime. Anything longer would threaten to kill the pace and the fun, but the filmmakers keep it all nice, tidy, and enjoyably over-the-top without killing momentum.

Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Second Season's 1080p transfer fares well on Blu-ray. The digitally photographed show is a little smooth and clean, but never to the detriment of color or detail. Textural abundance is commonplace, with practical (mixed in with some digital as necessary) effects leading the way. Ripped flesh, exposed innards, sticky and lumpy creatures, there's nothing the track doesn't reveal in practically all its gross-out glory. Facial, clothing, and environmental textures are excellent, too. One of the highlights is the insane asylum where dusty surfaces, battered equipment, and the dark and dank and generally unkempt locale, even in low light, offers a treasure trove of visually interesting and appealing elements to discover in high definition. Colors are stable with reds, unsurprisingly, dominating. Blood and gore are copious and the color intensity matches. It's never too lively or phony, finding a nice balance between freshly bright and old and dark. Black levels hold deep and flesh tones appear fine. Noise is a factor, usually in lower light, but it rarely elevates beyond the level of minor annoyance.

Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Second Season features an active Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack. It's certainly never wanting for any more space, filling up the entire soundstage and taking full advantage of all the speakers in its arsenal to create a largely seamless and highly detailed sound presentation. The track, then, matches the show's tone of intensity and mayhem, always sending sounds all over with chaotic precision that heightens everything from revving chainsaws to gooey, fleshy leftovers. Musical cues are excellent, revealed with plenty of width, balanced surround activity, and a positive low end accompaniment. Whether general score or shrieking jump scare notes, balance and clarity are always excellent. Action scenes deliver wonderfully sharp gunfire, impactful crashes, and piercing screams and demon shrieks. One of the track's signature elements is its flawless ability and frequent willingness to offer both discrete and seamless transitional elements. Demons, characters, objects, and random sounds whoosh about with dynamic energy and sense of place while one-off voices and effects find stable positioning all over the stage, effectively engulfing the listener in the middle of every scene. Dialogue is clear and accurate with firm prioritization and front-center placement.

Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Second Season contains supplements on both Blu-ray discs, which include audio commentaries and bite-sized featurettes, none of which reach three minutes in length. Note one of the supplement titles offers a spoiler, so proceed with caution.

Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: Executive Producer/Actor Bruce Campbell and Actors Dana DeLorenzo, Lucy Lawless, and Ray Santiago for "Home." Executive Producer/Actor Bruce Campbell and Actors Dana DeLorenzo, Lucy Lawless, and Ray Santiago for "The Morgue." Executive Producer Rob Tapert and Actors Dana DeLorenzo and Lucy Lawless for "Last Call."

Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: Executive Producer Rob Tapert and Actors Dana DeLorenzo and Lucy Lawless for "Trapped Inside." Director/Co-Executive Producer Rick Jacobson, Executive Producer Rob Tapert, Executive Producer/Actor Bruce Campbell, and Actors Dana DeLorenzo, Lucy Lawless, and Ray Santiago for "Home Again." Director/Co-Executive Producer Rick Jacobson, Executive Producer Rob Tapert, Executive Producer/Actor Bruce Campbell, and Actors Dana DeLorenzo and Lucy Lawless for "Second Coming."
• Season 2 First Look (1080p, 2:17): A quick introduction to the season's core plot mechanics.
• Inside the World of Ash vs. Evil Dead (1080p, various brief runtimes): A collection of quick episode-by-episode recaps for the season, with emphasis on plot details and visual effects.
• Up Your Ash (1080p, 2:22): A closer look at making some of the nasty visuals from the morgue episode.
• Women Who Kick Ash (1080p, 2:08): Brief looks at Kelly, Ruby, and Linda B.
• Puppets Are Cute (1080p, 1:09): A short discussion of the season's popular puppet character.
• Dawn of the Spawn (1080p, 1:22): Exploring a new type of villain for the season.
• Bringing Henrietta Back (1080p, 1:35): Resurrecting a famous character from the Evil Dead film franchise.
• The Delta (1080p, 2:13): A look at the car that plays a prominent role in the season.
• How to Kill a Deadite (1080p, 2:18): Cast and crew discuss the methods of killing off the dead, supported by a brief look at some of the special effects in support.
• Fatality Mash-Up (1080p, 0:49): Rapid-fire kill shots.

Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Second Season delivers the goods. A quality narrative and pitch-perfect humor are nearly overwhelmed by the grotesque visual excesses, but the filmmakers and actors keep the ship upright at all times, balancing out all of the pieces into one intensely gory marathon of laughs and blood. Loop in good video and audio and a fair little collection of extras, and this one certainly earns a hearty, bloody recommendation.