Editing The Evil Dead (section)

===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}}