Editing The Evil Dead (section)

==Release==
===Theatrical===
Because of its large promotional campaign, the film performed above expectations at the [[box office]].{{sfn|Egan|2011|p=24}} However, the initial domestic [[Gross (economics)|gross]] was described as "disappointing."{{sfn|Egan|2011|p=26–28}} The movie opened in 15 theaters and grossed $108,000 in its opening weekend.{{sfn|Egan|2011|p=26–28}} Word of mouth later spread, and the film became a "[[sleeper hit]]". It grossed $2,400,000 domestically, nearly eight times its [[production budget]]. Sources differ as to whether it grossed $261,944 overseas, for a worldwide gross of $2,661,944, or $27 million overseas, for a worldwide gross of $29.4 million.<ref name="BOM">{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=evildead.htm|title=The Evil Dead|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[IMDb]]|access-date=May 19, 2012|archive-date=April 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419064455/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=evildead.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="TheNumbers">{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Evil-Dead-The#tab=summary|title=The Evil Dead (1983)|work=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]|access-date=October 23, 2019|archive-date=July 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710014855/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Evil-Dead-The#tab=summary|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Egan|2011|p=26–28}} Raimi said in 1990 that the film "did very well overseas and did very poorly domestically" and that its investors earned a return of "about five times their initial investment."<ref name="BobbieWygant" />

===Rating===
The film's release was met with [[controversy]], as Raimi had made the film as gruesome as possible with neither interest in nor fear of [[Film censorship in the United States|censorship]]. Writer Bruce Kawin described ''The Evil Dead'' as one of the most notorious [[splatter film]]s of its day, along with ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'' and ''[[I Spit on Your Grave]]''.{{sfn|Egan|2011|p=17}}{{sfn|Staiger|2005|p=125}}

In the UK, the film was trimmed by 49 seconds before it was granted an [[X rating#United Kingdom|X certificate]] for cinema release. This censored version was also released on home video; at the time there was no requirement that films had to be classified for video release. An anti-media organization campaign led to the film being branded a "video nasty". When the Video Recordings Act was passed in 1984, the video version was banned. In 1990, an additional 66 seconds were cut from the already censored version, earning the film an 18 certificate for home video release. Finally, in 2000, the uncut version received an 18 certificate for both cinema and home video.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/education/case-studies/the-evil-dead|title=The Evil Dead|website=bbfc.co.uk|date=August 3, 2020|access-date=February 14, 2022|archive-date=February 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214112617/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/education/case-studies/the-evil-dead|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the US, the film received an [[X rating#United States|X rating]]. Films with this label were quite violent and disturbing, and the [[Film rating|rating]] was often held by [[pornographic film|pornographic]] films.{{sfn|Hantke|2004|p=160}} The film has since been re-rated [[NC-17]] for “substantial graphic horror violence and gore”,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Evil Dead |url=https://www.filmratings.com/Search?filmTitle=evil+dead&x=0&y=0 |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.filmratings.com |publisher=Motion Picture Association}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-evil-dead|title=The Evil Dead|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=February 23, 2022|archive-date=February 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202141028/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-evil-dead|url-status=live}}</ref> though many recent home media releases have been released without a rating.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anchor Bay DVD release |url=https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91ZB1-Vj0VL._SX522_.jpg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212200730/https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91ZB1-Vj0VL._SX522_.jpg |archive-date=2022-02-12 |via=Amazon}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-16 |title=The Evil Dead – Ultimate Edition (2007) R1 DVD Cover |url=https://dvdcover.com/the-evil-dead-ultimate-edition-2007-r1-dvd-cover/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214234642/https://dvdcover.com/the-evil-dead-ultimate-edition-2007-r1-dvd-cover/ |archive-date=February 14, 2022 |website=DVDcover.com}}</ref>

The film was, and is still, [[List of banned films|banned]] either theatrically or on video in some countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/banned-the-most-controversial-films-1768299.html?action=gallery&ino=10|title=BANNED: The most controversial films|last=Davis|first=Laura|date=October 5, 2010|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=August 11, 2012|archive-date=February 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226204839/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/banned-the-most-controversial-films-1768299.html?action=gallery&ino=10|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Xavier|2004|p=195}}

===Home media release===
The first VHS release of ''The Evil Dead'' was released by [[Thorn EMI]] in 1983, and Thorn's successor company [[Home Box Office, Inc.#Home video|HBO/Cannon Video]] later repackaged the film. Former HBO Video's partner Congress Video, a company notable for [[public domain]] films, issued its version in 1989.<ref>{{cite book|title=The gorehound's guide to splatter films of the 1980s|author=Stine, Scott Aaron|publisher=McFarland|year=2003|page=114|isbn=0-7864-1532-0|quote=The Evil Dead (ABE; 85m); The Evil Dead (CNG; 89(85)m); The Evil Dead (EMI; 85m)}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Bowker's Complete Video Directory 1994|publisher=[[R.R. Bowker]]|page=266|year=1994|isbn=978-0-8352-3391-0}}</ref>

In its first week of video release, the film made £100,000 in the UK. It quickly became that week's bestselling video release, and later became the year's bestselling video in the UK, out-grossing large-budget horror releases such as ''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]''.{{sfn|Campbell|2002|p=151–152}} Its impressive European performance was chalked up to its heavy promotion there and the more open-minded nature of European audiences.{{sfn|Egan|2011|p=26–28}}

The resurgence of ''The Evil Dead'' in the home-video market came through two companies that restored the film from its negatives and issued special editions in 1998: [[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] on VHS, and Elite Entertainment on [[LaserDisc]]. Anchor Bay was responsible for the film's first [[DVD]] release on January 19, 1999, along with Elite releasing the special collector's edition DVD on March 30, 1999, and between them, Elite and Anchor Bay have released six different DVD versions of ''The Evil Dead'', most notably the 2002 "Book Of The Dead" edition, packaged in a latex replica of the ''Necronomicon'' sculpted by Tom Sullivan and the 2007 three disc "Ultimate Edition" which contained the widescreen and original full frame versions of the movie.{{sfn|Egan|2011|p=52-3}} The film's high-definition debut was in a 2010 [[Blu-ray]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ign.com/articles/2010/09/03/the-evil-dead-blu-ray-review|title=The Evil Dead Blu-ray Review|last=White|first=Cindy|date=September 3, 2010|website=[[IGN]]|access-date=May 7, 2013|archive-date=September 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925061353/http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/03/the-evil-dead-blu-ray-review|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Lionsgate Films]] released a 4K [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] edition of ''The Evil Dead'' on October 9, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3514073/lionsgate-gives-evil-dead-4k-treatment-october/|title=Lionsgate Gives 'The Evil Dead' the 4K Treatment This October!|last1=Miska|first1=Brad|website=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|access-date=August 8, 2018|date=August 6, 2018|archive-date=August 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807113424/https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3514073/lionsgate-gives-evil-dead-4k-treatment-october/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Evil-Dead-4K-Blu-ray/211492/|title=The Evil Dead 4K Blu-ray|website=Blu-ray.com|access-date=August 8, 2018|archive-date=August 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808203112/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Evil-Dead-4K-Blu-ray/211492/|url-status=live}}</ref>