There are tons of cult horror films for fans to look back on and cringe, but there are very few that can still be considered solid pieces of cinema. Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead films are easily on the top of that list, and the first of the trilogy is finally getting the Blu-ray treatment, all thanks to Anchor Bay Films.

For the first time, Raimi’s Evil Dead is making it’s high definition debut, with two astounding 1080p anamorphic transfers (1.85 and 1.33 aspect ratio, for you who know what that means). Not only will you get the film with both audio and visual restoration, but the disc also comes with a brand new commentary by Raimi, long-time producer Rob Tapert, and the man himself, Bruce Campbell.

The release also comes with a second disc full of extra features, including:

•    One By One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead
•    The Evil Dead: Treasures from the Cutting Room Floor
•    The Ladies Of The Evil Dead Meet Bruce Campbell
•    Book of The Dead: The Other Pages
•    Discovering The Evil Dead
•    Unconventional
•    At The Drive-In

Check out an exclusive clip from the commentary after the jump, in which Bruce Campbell discusses his Viet Nam-like flashbacks he had after finishing the first film. Catch The Evil Dead Blu-ray in stores on August 30th.

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It’s no secret that some of us here at The Flickcast are huge Spartacus: Blood and Sand fans, having written about the Starz show during it’s premiere season, covering Andy Whitfield’s battle with a treatable form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, as well as Starz’ decision to film a 6- episode prequel to buy some time for Andy to recover.

So when Starz announced there would be a SDCC 2010 panel featuring Andy Whitfield and the cast and producers, we knew we’d be there to cover all of the Comic-Con exclusive news and trailers.

The panel opened with a trailer, mostly highlight from Season 1, however it was great fun to re-watch some of the best moments from the show’s first dozen or so episodes. As the lights went up, Andy Whitfield, Spartacus himself, walked onto stage to thunderous applause from the enthusiastic audience.

Andy looked great, rested and perhaps a few pounds below normal, but considering what he’s been through, medically-speaking over the past 9 months, he’s definitely recovered nicely. The rest of the panel attendees were introduced and included: Lucy Lawless (Lucretia), John Hannah (Batiatus), Viva Bianca (Ilithyia) and Steven S. DeKnight (Writer/Executive Producer)

Whitfield talked a bit about being grateful for the prequel, which bought him some time for him to undergo treatment and how thankful he was that the show stuck it out with him. He talked briefly about his illness, and joked that he can’t wait to get back to the gym to try and bulk up a bit for Season 2. Andy clarified that the doctors have cleared him to work, he’s feeling really great and has had plenty of time to really rest and reboot. “Bring it on!” He shouted as the lights started to dim for yet another video.

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In the rush to get things ready for our coverage of Comic-Con we occasionally miss information that we should have shared. One such instance is news from our fiends at Radical Publishing who will have a high profile panel and presence in San Diego this year.

A couple days ago they released their full schedule of events and we want to make sure and bring it to you before the Con starts in earnest tomorrow. Some of the guests for their panel include a veritable who’s who of comic book writers and artists including Jimmy Palmiotti, Rick Remender, Matt Cirulnick, David Hine and Keith Arem.

Plus, their panel will be moderated by non-other than Harry Knowles and they will have special appearances by Wesley Snipes, Antoine Fuqua and Sam Worthington. How’s that for entertainment?

So, if you’re in San Diego, be sure to catch all of these folks, and more, coming directly from Radical Publishing.

Click through for the complete press release giving you even more details. Also, check out the Radical Publishing website.

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Apparently, director Sam Raimi isn’t straying too far from comics now that his tenure with the Spider-Man film franchise is done. According to Variety, Raimi is now attached to direct Radical Comics’ Earp: Saints for Sinners. The film will be a co-production of Dreamworks, Radical Studios, Mandeville and Star Road, Raimi’s production company.

In case you’re not familiar, the story of the project is described as “a modern-day re-imagining of Western hero Wyatt Earp fighting outlaws in a ravaged society where the only boomtown left is Las Vegas.” Co-creator/writer Matt Cirulnick will adapt the graphic novel for the big screen.

There’s no word on how this new project will fit into Raimi’s already busy schedule which includes directing World of Warcraft, based on the popular MMO, and Oz, the Great and Powerful, a prequel to the The Wizard of Oz. However, according to reports, this will be his next film after WOW.

With Raimi’s undeniable talent and love for material such as this the combo of Raimi and pretty much any comic property should be cause for happiness among fans. Now that his directing of the adaptation is set, we can turn to other important things like what part Bruce Campbell is going to play.

Hard to believe but next year will be the 30th anniversary of Sam Raimi’s original cult horror film Evil Dead. The tiny film that he and a few friends shot in the woods would later become the springboard for he, partner Rob Tapert, and star Bruce Campbell to join the world of multi-million dollar production budgets and billion dollar film franchises.

Now, that tiny film can be immortalized into the modern era of HD with two separate conversions to the Blu-ray format. The film is getting two brand new 1080p anamorphic transfers that will flash forward the cult classic into today’s world of 60 inch plasma TV’s.

The film is said to also have some great new features, including an all-new audio commentary from Raimi, Tapert, and Bruce Campbell. The Blu-ray is set for release on August 31st, and will run for roughly $30.

Check out a complete listing of the bonus material, some of which you may remember from previous DVD releases of the film, and be sure to keep an eye out for this one as it hits your local video store.

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A few months ago, Robert Downey Jr. was speaking at an Iron Man 2 press conference and joked that he has been offered just about every role there was to be offered out there, since he blew up the screen in the first Iron Man film. It seems that this story is proof of that, as Disney has just signed him to star in the upcoming Wizard of Oz prequel, titled Oz: The Great and Powerful.

Raimi was confirmed to be directing the film over the weekend, and now will be working with the modern day chameleon, Downey. Of course, after the success of Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, the film will definitely be in 3D. From MTV:

“Oz: The Great and Powerful” is already set to star Robert Downey Jr. in the titular role. The story follows the future wizard, a circus wrangler in the real world, as he is carried away to the magical land by a tornado. The people who live there mistake him for a powerful being and thus, a legend is born.

This would be the first film that Raimi has been attached to since walking off of Sony’s Spider-Man 4 when they decided to go for a High School Musical-style reboot. While we’re sure Disney is hoping for a repeat of Burton’s Alice, we the fans are all hoping that we don’t have to sit through another 90 minute CGI acid trip.

If you’re hearing the ominous sound of clinking spurs, hissing rattlesnakes, and squeaking saloon doors, well, you’re probably crazy. But it also means it’s  Western Wednesday, and you’re just really excited!

I’m afraid I have to be a bit of a no-good yellow cheat this week due to a previous embargo engagement with one Mr. J. W. Hex.  (He just rides into town so rarely ….) but it never hurts to visit an old favorite, especially one that’s as much fun as The Quick and the Dead.

But first, I have to take you back into a sepia-tinted time of 1995.  I was 13, and I hated Westerns. I was all about sci-fi and fantasy, and no history was interesting to me unless it was medieval and European.   Westerns were a dusty, dull genre where everyone just drank whiskey,  had silly shoot-outs, went on cattle drives,  and visited brothels.

My family rented The Quick and the Dead, and my world was rocked. This Western starred a woman — a mysterious woman with no name.  She rarely spoke, and when she did it was always snarly.  She smoked a cigar.   It was the most original character I had ever seen. If more Westerns were like this, I thought, I would like them all.

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In a follow-up to my previous article about Andy Whitfield, whose epic battle with a treatable form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma has delayed Season 2 of Starz hit series Spartacus : Blood and Sand, Starz has announced that pre-production is underway on a new six-part prequel to the show.

While Andy Whitfield, who played the title role in the series, will briefly appear in two episodes of the prequel, it will be Lucy Lawless and John Hannah who take center stage. The story will center on the rise of the House of Batiatus and its champions before Spartacus arrives as a captured Thracian slave. With the title still to be determined, the prequel will begin production this summer in New Zealand, and is slated to air on Starz in January 2011.

Other returning actors include Peter Mensah (Doctore), Manu Bennett (Crixus), Antonio Te Maioha (Barca), Nick E. Tarabay (Ashur), Lesley-Ann Brandt (Naevia) – and others. New characters will also be added – most notably the gladiator who was champion of the House of Batiatus before Spartacus or even Crixus – who will help fill in the story about the people and politics in the House of Batiatus and ancient Capua as a whole.

“The prequel story maintains the excitement and entertainment value of the first season of ‘Spartacus,’ giving audiences the engaging experience they’ve come to expect,” said Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht. “We look forward to continuing the Spartacus story.”

Produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight, Spartacus: Blood and Sand was the highest rated show for the 18-49 demographic among all cable networks for 12 of the 13 Fridays on which it aired based on coverage rating. The production team remains intact for the six-part prequel which is expected to air later this year or in January of next year.

Back in 2005 an unknown director named Neill Blomkamp made a science fiction short with a few friends, a modest budget, and a Canadian production team. The short, titled Alive in Joburg, blew away many powerful people with its premise and blend of CG effects and documentary stock footage. Included in those powerful people was mega-director Peter Jackson, who decided to aid Blomkamp in adapting his low-budget short into a larger film called District 9, which turned into an overnight success.

Now, independent writers, directors, and 3D render artists everywhere ran back to their typewriters to come up with interesting and original new ideas, knowing that Hollywood is turning to them for a fresh start to an industry bogged down with sequels and reboots.

There are hundreds of nice attempts, but none of them have really stuck out as something that could be expanded into a major film. A year ago, a Uruguayan science fiction short titled Panic Attack!, by Fede Alvarez was the subject of a Hollywood bidding war, in which Sam Raimi got the rights to adapt the short. Now, it looks like we’re getting another great short for Hollywood to set their sights on with Ricardo de Montreuil’s The Raven.

The film is set in a dystopian future (2074), where futuristic robot cops have the authority to take down those who break the law with extreme force. The only person who has the potential to change everything is Chris Black, aka The Raven. Black has supernatural abilities that, if used in the right way, could save the free world.

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Yesterday, we were elated to bring you news that TNT had more guts and faith than NBC to renew Southland for another season. While we were so excited about the news, we neglected to notice that where a cable show gets a stay of execution, the fantasy series Legend of the Seeker gets the axe.

The series, based on the Sword of Truth book series by Terry Goodkind, had a good run, making it 40 episodes in 2 seasons, but it wasn’t pulling in the numbers that a network like The CW needed for it to survive. From EW:

The outlook had been bleak since last March, when many of Tribune Station Group’s markets dropped the syndicated series, which had been developed by Hercules/Xena producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert. ABC Studios, which produces it, kept shopping it around. But, I’m told, they found no takers. So, after two action-packed seasons, Legend is history.

The premise was much like many other stories we’ve heard before, including Star Wars in that a young farm boy learns that he has a destiny to take down the evil lord who threatens their world, alongside a kind old wizard and a beautiful princess. Add two droids and George Lucas may just sue somebody.

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Here at The Flickcast there is near unanimous love for the Starz Spartacus: Blood and Sand series. With its blatant gladiator-driven homo-eroticism, 300-level gore, violence and the treacherous characters whose destinies are tied to the sands of the Roman Arena of Capua and the House of Batiatus, there’s something for everyone.

Unfortunately, Spartacus lead Andy Whitfield has been diagnosed with a treatable form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, which leaves fans wondering just how Starz will handle Andy’s indefinite leave from the show while he is in treatment. A recent statement from Starz Entertainment indicates that it will postpone production on season 2, titled ‘Spartacus: Vengeance,’ while Whitfield undergoes cancer treatments.

Show writer Maurissa Tancharoe, elaborates via Twitter: “The second season is still happening; however, it is on hold at the moment due to star Andy Whitfield’s health problems.” Another tweet seemed to reassure fans that season 2 is definitely not cancelled declaring, “Season two of #Spartacus has NOT been cancelled. Don’t know where that rumor came from.”

Rumors have also surfaced that a prequel series could be under way with a younger actor filling Whitfield’s role as Spartacus, but it’s not clear if Lucy Lawless and John Hannah will be starring in that as well. NY Magazine seems to be confirming that Starz will be developing a 6-episode mini-series prequel to keep momentum going with the show’s nearly one million weekly viewers. Whatever happens, we wish Andy Whitfield a speedy recovery.

Sometimes when you’re looking around the far reaches of the Internets you find a lot of videos and whatnot that are, well, not really that interesting. For every Star Wars Kid there’s a USA Busty Adventure #3 that just doesn’t sit right. Fortunately, this time around we’ve found quite a treat for you.

Seeing as how we’re big fans of Sam Raimi’s work and loved the Evil Dead series of movies we’ve always wondered how they could possibly be improved upon. One thing we never thought of was to do Evil Dead in 60 seconds using clay. Fortunately, filmmaker Lee Hardcastle has done just that and shared his claymation creation over at Vimeo.

The video tells the entire Evil Dead story in a minute and allows you to experience the film in a new and funny way. Plus, claymation Bruce Campbell rocks.

Check out the video after the jump.

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