Evil Dead II Subtitled VHS Version Sam Raimi This second installment, with more elaborate SFX and Sam Raimi's characteristic polished camerawork, is closer to a remake than a sequel. While the rough-and-tumble, exciting style of the first film is somewhat diminished, it's a much more cohesive film overall. Evil Dead II (original title: Evil Dead II or Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn) is a 1987 American splatter horror film. Directed by: Sam Raimi Screenplay by: Sam Raimi Scott Spiegel Produced by: Robert G. Tapert Executive Producers: Irvin Shapiro Alex De Benedetti Starring: Bruce Campbell Music by: Joseph LoDuca Cinematography by: Peter Deming Edited by: Kaye Davis Distributed by: Shochiku-Fuji Release Date: United States: May 13, 1987 Japan: October 3, 1987 Running time: 85 minutes