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In a film like The Evil Dead, the plotline is usually rudimentary, and secondary to the gore: A group of young friends—here, Ash (cult favorite Bruce Campbell), his girlfriend, and three buddies—venture off into the woods for a weekend of young-adult fun at a dusty, creaky old cabin, where they're tormented till daybreak by one form of evildoer after another. The deadly deeds begin when they head down to the basement, where they find a recorded tape containing incantations from the Necronomicon Exmortis—an evil "Book of the Dead" said to be bound in human flesh. Unbeknownst to them, playing the tape unleashes an ungodly evil force that would possess their dead bodies and leave them in a state of perpetual undeadness, craving for those still living to join them. The only way to annihilate these demons is to completely dismember them with whatever tools are available. Talk about a weekend getaway gone horribly awry.

With this low-budget film, Sam Raimi brought something unique to the horror genre. His inventive use of frenetic camera work, the claustrophobic feel of the cabin, the sense of isolation, and the darkly comic satire to be found in the ridiculous proliferation of blood and gore, all paved the way for scads of subsequent cult horror films, none of which begins to compare.

It's hard to believe that, 20 years after its release, The Evil Dead's corporeal mutilation and graphic violence can still be so shocking. One girl is stabbed in the ankle with a sharp pencil, another is violated by some nefarious branches in the woods, heads are chopped off with reckless abandon, etc. Even more shocking is the package I received from Anchor Bay to promote the film's 20th anniversary. The DVD itself is encased in a frightening-looking book that fans will immediately recognize as the film's flesh-bound Necronomicon Exmortis. I thought I'd somehow received Jeffrey Dahmer's personal diary.

Inside is material truly worthy of a Special Edition moniker, although Anchor Bay is calling this one a Limited Edition. In addition to its special case (which some collectors will find looks odd placed among their Keepcases), the pages of this Book of the Dead package contain graphic sketches of human bodies at various stages of mutilation or decomposition. One drawing shows an arm, torn from the body, in progressive degrees of doneness (raw, medium, well)—a veritable feast for the horror fan. The type is cryptic, but you'll soon realize it's English. There is also a subscription offer for Rue Morgue magazine ("please have the bogeyman deliver my subscription . . . to my crypt"). An informative booklet by Michael Felsher, Bringing the Dead Home for Dinner: A History of The Evil Dead in Your Home, chronicles the rise of home video in the 1980s and the impact of that marketplace on the popularity of this film.

That's all before you even pop the disc into your DVD player. Once you do, you're in for a truly terrible treat. The THX-certified soundtrack is available in Dolby Digital 5.1 and 6.1 (matrixed) and DTS ES, which has a discrete sixth channel. The soundtrack has plenty of low-end energy, ambient effects are subtle but effective, and there's center-channel action aplenty, usually in the form of shrill screams and demonic laughter. The original score, by Joseph LoDuca, is eerily omnipresent through the side and rear channels. I didn't test the DTS and Dolby Digital 6.1 surround modes, but suffice it to say, if they sound anywhere near as good as the 5.1-channel track, they'll be bonuses for those with 6.1 receivers and rear center-channel speakers.

The Evil Dead is a very dark, very low-budget film with an overall grainy effect; the picture here looks as good as it can, and, incidentally, it has never looked this good before. Although there were no significant flaws in the 1999 DVD iteration of this classic, the new transfer looks cleaner, with slightly better shadow detail—important with such a dark film. All the blood and guts come to life (or, should I say, undeadness) with graphic clarity, especially in the interior cabin scenes.

A "making-of" documentary, production stills, a trailer, and a commentary track with director-writer Sam Raimi, producer Robert Tapert, and star Bruce Campbell are all splendid extras for the (ahem) diehard fan. There are also a Fanalysis documentary, a Discovering Evil Dead featurette, and TV spots, all of which make this Limited Edition truly special.

Whether a longtime fan or experiencing The Evil Dead for the first time, you should definitely take a peek at this Book of the Dead edition. You'll find yourself peering through your fingers or perhaps looking away, but, as when you pass a traffic wreck, your eyes will always return to the screen. Not for the faint of heart.