Complete Your Collection Screwheads! - Where to Find Sam Raimi Films on Blu-ray or 4K UHD

If it weren't for the sheer talent and genius of Sam Raimi, it's not entirely certain that the modern horror and comedy genres would have ever met, fallen in love, and had a successful marriage to this day. Raimi started in the horror genre with his childhood friends shooting 8mm movies in their back yards. Once they finished school they made their first feature and with an iconic quote from horror maestro Stephen King, "The Ultimate in Grueling Terror," The Evil Dead set up Sam Raimi for life. But he wasn't just a pioneer in independent horror filmmaking. Throughout his long career, Raimi has directed numerous films of all genres. But he always remained true to himself with his unique visual style and ability to cross-pollinate genres with comedy. These efforts eventually led the indie horror director to make one of the biggest films of all time - Spider-Man. 

But here in the physical media world, it's universally known that Raimi's films have enjoyed release after release on physical media. Some films have enjoyed multiple releases on any given format. How many of us have bought Evil Dead II or Army of Darkness? If you started with VHS and worked your way through DVD, Laserdisc, Blu-ray, Bootleg, Collector's Editions, Steelbooks, and 4K Limited Editions you've picked up those films dozens of times by now. So for Raimi fans or newcomers aiming to complete their collections - where can you get Sam Raimi films on Blu-ray or 4K UHD?

The Evil Dead (1981)
Nobody can go anywhere without finding a copy of The Evil Dead in some form or fashion. There have been so many releases that it's almost impossible to start at the beginning. Right now the best options are in 4K releases. There was a solo release for the film itself with great artwork that comes with the 4K and Blu-ray Discs but that set has gone out of print. There is a smattering of duo discs with the first two Evil Dead films as well on Blu-ray. But the main attraction for those horror aficionados is the Groovy Collection which has the first two films and the TV Series Ash VS.

The Evil Dead is inside a great keepsake box with amazing new artwork and discs. Now the odd part about all of the Evil Dead films is the wealth of bonus materials that come with them and those hilarious commentary tracks with Raimi and his cohort Bruce Campbell. Those DVD copies of Evil Dead and Evil Dead II keep the original mistakes and visual blemishes intact, but on the Blu-rays and 4K releases, those mistakes have been fixed and the images cleaned up to perfection.

Most of the extras have transferred over onto the Groovy Collection, making it the ultimate way to view Evil Dead currently. Now there was an HMV Exclusive Cine Edition to Evil Dead in the UK, but the only difference here was that the version came with a poster and lobby cards. As more movies come out and these films are Physical Media mainstays, we're sure this film and its sequels will see more solo releases in the future, but for now - 

Crimewave (1985)
Everyone in the horror world was clamoring for more horror and Evil Dead from Raimi, Tapert, and Campbell. But before the iconic sequel, Raimi made a spoofy crime caper comedy called Crimewave with the help of his friends - the Coen Bros. Like a perfect Milford Man, a lot of people have seen nor heard of this film, but in 2013, Shout! Factory released it on Blu-ray. It's fairly easy to find still but does not have budget pricing. However, the premium is for all the commentary tracks and extras with Bruce Campbell here. The Region B release from Indicator is also available with new artwork. 

Evil Dead II (1987)
The world got lucky when Raimi and Campbell came back and re-imagined their instant classic horror film with a sequel that added Three Stooges humor to the gore and terror. Still to this day, most people say this sequel is the better of the trilogy and is perhaps one of the best sequels ever made. And like above, Evil Dead II has been released dozens of times over the years and has many of those same releases as The Evil Dead. And again, it'd appear the solo 4K UHD with Blu-ray has gone out of print so the Groovy Collection is currently your best value for the first two films including the complete Ash vs Evil Dead Series. 

Darkman (1990)
Darkman brought Liam Neeson, Sam Raimi, and Frances McDormand together in his first outing at making a superhero type of movie. A lot of this film was translated later into Spider-Man in 2000. But Darkman was finally released in 2010 in one of those early years of Blu-ray. But it wasn't until 2014 that Scream Factory made the big Collector's edition Blu-ray with tons of new bonus material. And now in 2024, Scream Factory gave it new life in 4K with some new extras as well.

Army of Darkness (1992)
Personally, this is my favorite movie of all time - still. I'm 42 years old and Boomsticks, deadites, and groovy one-liners still get me. This movie has been released perhaps the most times out of any Sam Raimi release and for good reason. It's because it's just that good. Through countless DVD versions, including the two-disc limited edition that included the alternate endings and deleted scenes, alternate artwork overs, brown-bag bootleg DVD releases and more. Blu-ray saw the film released countless times as well, along with 4K versions.

But it wasn't until recently that Scream Factory once again released Army of Darkness in a Limited Edition Steelbook Collection in 4K, which is the ultimate way to view the film in any of its formats or versions. No matter if the Scream Factory 4K is the standard affair or the Steelbook, the money that's shelled out for it is entirely worth the extra money. It just depends on what type of artwork or case packaging one prefers.

The Quick and the Dead (1995)
If anyone was told that the director of Evil Dead II made a Western film with Leo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman, and Sharon Stone, nobody would believe that for a second. But it happened and it was fantastic! However, not a ton of people remember that movie or talk about it, even though it's one of the most fun modern Westerns out there. In 2009 Sony released the film on Blu-ray with zero bonus features. And in 2018, it was released again in 4K with only a couple of minutes of deleted scenes - that's it. This movie begs for the Criterion treatment with that much star power! Maybe Sony will rerelease it with a new SteelBook and load up on those extras?

A Simple Plan (1998)
This Oscar-nominated movie also has an all-star cast and might have been Raimi's answer to his friend's film Fargo about average everyday people, money, and crime. The three Hollywood B's - Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thorton, and Bridget Fonda all star in this amazing movie which for some reason has NEVER seen the light of day on Blu-ray stateside with foreign markets the only place to import this classy thriller. But for the USA, DVD is the only way to view this film in physical media form. What gives, Paramount? If there was ever a candidate for a Paramount Presents premier release it's A Simple Plan. Japan did just get a new release of this film earlier this month - maybe one is coming our way too? Unless you're aching for it and don't mind importing, the HD disc status for this thriller is MIA (Missing in America). 

For The Love of the Game (1999)
Sam Raimi must have loved Kevin Costner in Baseball films because Raimi made his own with Costner here. The original part comes in how the movie is told, which is during the span of one season-end game where Costner's character is pitching a perfect game as he dissects his past life, his one true love, and retiring. Not a lot of people fell in love with this one, probably due to its over two-hour runtime, but it's sappy, it's Costner, it's Baseball. In 1999, Universal Studios released the film on Blu-ray with a bunch of deleted scenes and a long EPK extra with the cast and crew. Since then - crickets. Is there a Costner/Baseball collection out there? 

The Gift (2000)
Billy Bob Thorton must have fallen in love with Sam Raimi because he wrote the screenplay for this film that starred Cate Blanchett, Keanu Reeves, and Katie Holmes. This brought back Raimi to the horror genre with a supernatural detective storyline that works on a lot of levels. It might not have the gore or fun that his early movies had, but the horror and drama are there. Most recently in 2023 Australia's Imprint Films released the film on Blu-ray, but that has already gone out of print. The film is also available in various EU territories. Sadly, no word on a 4K release yet but maybe for its 25th anniversary? We can hope. 

Spider-Man (2002)
With a career as good as Raimi's up until now, anyone should be so lucky to work with such talented actors and friends and have the success he did. But then 2002 came along and Raimi, the man who made Army of Darkness, raked in over $850 million at the box office for the first live-action Spider-Man film. It made him, Tobey, Kirsten, and Willem household names and ushed in the modern comic book film. Over two decades later, it's still a great movie and has those iconic marks on Raimi's map that inclined his classic car and Bruce Campbell along the way.

Sure the film was remade and rebooted a few times over, but that original trilogy from Raimi still stands tall. After many iterations on DVD, all three films were released in combo packs on Blu-ray and most recently in 2022 in 4K with all of the trimmings. That is the ultimate way to view these films right now until Sony decides to revisit them for new Steelbook editions.

Spider-Man 2 (2004)
The success of Spider-Man was legendary and broke box office records at the time. There was no doubt that Raimi was going to make the sequel. He did and it made about the same amount of money the first one did. Like Evil Dead II, most people say this second Spider-Man film is the best of the trilogy. But everyone can remember that car crash sequence through the restaurant window. That's an all-time great sequence, plus Raimi's horror roots come to life in the creation of Doc Ock. The same goes for this film physical media-wise. Blu-rays and most recently the 4K set is the best way to go here. 

Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Since Raimi did a bang-up job on the last two films, Sony allowed him to go crazy, which was a mistake. The result was emo-dancing Spider-Man, and way too many villains to count that Spidey had to throw down with. It was met with scathing reviews, but it made the most money out of all three films. Raimi is still proud of it and like the previous two films, this third one sits in the trilogy set in Blu-ray or 4K for the choosing. 

Drag Me To Hell (2009)
After Raimi's six years with Spider-Man, he returned to his roots with the balls-to-the-wall horror film Drag Me To Hell. Unfortunately, the movie was PG-13, but that didn't stop Raimi from using gore, blood, and scares to frighten audiences everywhere. Not only that, he brought back the comedy and silly moments here that climaxed in an ending so insane, it must be seen to be believed. This is still a great movie and has been released a few times on physical media. First, there was a special edition of the movie on DVD and Blu-ray in 2012. But in 2018, Scream Factory released their Collector's edition of the film with new artwork and extras and in 2023, Australia's Via Vision Entertainment unleashed their deluxe Limited Edition with Lenticular Cover. While a 4K would be most welcome, either of these two releases on Blu-ray are fantastic purchases. 

Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013)
In 2013, Disney hired Raimi to make a prequel to The Wizard of Oz with James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, and more. The movie follows a young Oz who eventually becomes with wizard. It wasn't exactly great, but it had enough going for it and a ton of Raimi-isms that it made more than its money back in the box office. It's just not that memorable. Physical Media wise, this is a product of when 3D was all the rage, so there are Blu-ray versions still out there with and you can still find the 3D Blu-ray in certain corners but it's not as easy to come by. There is not any 4K talk yet and since it's Disney, that might not happen.

Ash vs Evil Dead (2015)
It became a running joke at comic book and horror conventions that when Bruce Campbell took the stage, nobody was to ask about Evil Dead 4, because the answer was a firm, "NO!" Never say never though, because Raimi, Tapert, and Campbell came back to the Starz and made three amazing seasons of an aging Ash versus the Evil Dead. Raimi even directed the first episode and produced the rest. It was funny, scary, corny, gory, and full of life. These individual seasons are available on Blu-ray, along with a big set of all three seasons in one tight pack. These are also available in the Groovy Collection mentioned above, but they're Blu-ray only. Maybe one day, the 4K of this beloved series will see the light of day but chances are slim. 

Doctor Strange and the Multi-Verse of Madness (2022)
The MCU decided to pay tribute to the amazing Raimi by bringing him to direct the sequel to Doctor Strange, which was the first horror film set in the MCU. Yes, it had Bruce Campbell selling pizza and the classic car. Raimi's comeback film to the superhero genre was met with critical praise and a billion-dollar box office treat. There is nothing Raimi can't do. This film saw Blu-ray and 4K release galore, even having their unique versions at various brick-and-mortar retailers with different packaging, gift items, and more. And for the die-hard 3D Blu-ray fans, you could import the film all the way from Japan! 

And that brings Raimi up to date with the movies he's directed (for now). Sure, there are tons more that he produced, co-wrote, or did second unit work for but as far as directing is concerned, Raimi has a master resume of entertaining films. One that everyone hopes is not finished yet because he has a lot more fun to have with his friends behind the camera. Let's all hope for more horror, comedy, westerns, and Evil Deads from Raimi.