By MICHAEL GINGOLD
It’s a look at one of the undersung talents behind the four-decade-old horror classic.
Synapse Films is releasing INVALUABLE: THE TRUE STORY OF AN EPIC ARTIST, a feature-length documentary by Ryan Meade, on a limited-edition (1,000 units) slipcover Blu-ray. The doc focuses on Tom Sullivan, an artist/sculptor and college friend of Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert who became an integral part of the EVIL DEAD films–creating makeup effects and designing the Book of the Dead, among others. It includes archival behind-the-scenes Super-8 film footage, Hi8, VHS, and vintage audiotapes and photographs, original location visits and all-new interviews with Campbell, Ted Raimi, Josh Becker, Danny Hicks, Hal Delrich, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly [a.k.a. Sarah York] and others.
The all-region Blu-ray presents the movie in hi-def 1080p 1.78:1 widescreen, with uncompressed PCM English 2.0 stereo. The nearly four hours of bonus features include:
- OTHER MEN’S CAREERS: A bonus documentary about the life of filmmaker Josh Becker
- Vintage Tom Sullivan “In the Spotlight” interview (1989)
- Unedited interview with Tim Philo, cinematographer of THE EVIL DEAD
- Extended interview segments with Josh Becker
- INVALUABLE promotional trailers
- Ryan Meade short films: BONG FLY and COSMOS LOCOS
- BONG FLY behind-the-scenes footage
- Snap Shots: Motion stills gallery
- Reversible cover art
Retail price is $29.95; this slipcover edition is available only via Synapse Films and DiabolikDVD.
(Photo above: © Tom Sullivan)
