The "Evil Dead" series is an odd little footnote in movie history. With each subsequent film, director Sam Raimi changed the tone completely until we ended up here with "Army Of Darkness," one those dark comedies that's garnered a massive cult following. It may not have made back its cost in theaters, but this one continues to pull in money for Artisan on DVD.

Lowly S-mart clerk Ash is sucked into a vortex and manages to land sometime around the year 1300 A.D. Lost and confused, he is branded an enemy and sent to his death. After that doesn't go as planned, the villagers send him on a mission to retrieve the Necronomicon, an evil book that can send him back. After THAT doesn't go as planned, he makes the decision to stay and save the villagers from a plague of Deadites.

If a B-movie can be an epic, this is it. Sam Raimi's trademark style is in full force here, utilizing completely unique camera shots like only he can. Bruce Campbell has never been in finer form, easily becoming one of the most quoted characters in film history. He's smart, he's cocky, and he's a blast to watch.

Compared to normal Hollywood standards, the budget here is meager, but a huge leap from the first two films. Every dime is put to good use and it shows. There are a myriad of techniques used here including stop-motion (obviously a tip o' the hat to Ray Harryhausen), rod puppets, animatronics, and what has to be one of the largest casts of suit actors ever put on film. The special effects crew couldn't have pulled it all off any better.

While the first half of the film relies heavily upon comedy and priceless one-liners, the second half takes on a darker tone as the final battle begins. It's still funny, but the sight gags and cheesy puns are spread out more liberally. The again, it's probably for the better so you can take in the great effects instead of wiping tears of laughter from your face.

Of course, Bruce Campbell would become a cult icon of cinema and Sam Raimi would take over the two excellent "Spiderman" films. Even with all the special effects wizardry of the those films, you can see on screen that every single crew member had a blast making "Army of Darkness." You could even say this is more fun, energetic, and flat out more entertaining than the director's big budget films. If you've never seen this one, you need too. (**** out of *****)

Ok, try and follow me here. This is the 6th time this movie has managed to make an appearance on DVD. This 2-disc set here is actually a slightly tweaked reprint of one of the first runs, which commands quite a premium on the resale market. In other words, you probably can't afford it now. Thankfully, Artisan has re-released here (almost exactly) at a much more manageable price.