I saw Hail to the Deadites...

I discovered a dandy documentary on Evil Dead's undying legacy: Hail to the Deadites. 

Written/directed by Steve Villeneuve, Hail to the Deadites (released through Shout! Video) is to Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell's mad brainchild what Trekkies is to Gene Roddenberry's "Wagon Train to the Stars" and its impassioned devotees, only a lot more grotesque, to say the least. 

The documentary emphasizes the 1981, Stephen King-praised, indie effort, Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn, Army of Darkness and Evil Dead: The Musical, but the true thrust of the piece fulfills the documentary's point: the fans, who rant and rave why they relish the Lovecraftian/Necronomicon-fueled franchise. 

Special focus falls upon Brie Cummings and Elise Holmes, renowned Evil Dead uber-connoisseurs, as well as Adam King, the foremost Ash Williams impersonator (plus several others, who do a pretty, good job emulating "The Chin"), though a variety of aficionados join the hearty parade, each ardent in his/her appetite for anything and everything Evil Dead related. (BTW: The wedding segment is a joy to behold; and AC McCray, a WRSW DJ, gives a tender account of how he and his wife named their son after Campbell's iconic character, because of the infant's fighting spirit.) 

Then there are the franchise's costars and production contributors, including Tom Sullivan, Ellen Sandweiss, Cassie DePaiva, Sara Berry, Richard Dimanincor, Richard Domeier, Dan Hicks, Theresa Tilly, Betsy Baker and Ted Raimi, who offer observations on the Deadite legion. Campbell is also on hand, with his reactions to those devoted enough to wait in line for hours to meet him.

For marginal effect, the documentary flaunts genuine, Evil Dead props (a number displayed by Bruce's brother, Doug), along with numerous, nifty collectibles: t-shirts, action figures, statues, posters, stills, trading cards and above all, those fierce-facial Necronomicon reproductions (of which I'm proud to say, I own two). 

If you dig Evil Dead (or any facet of franchise following), Hail to the Deadites is a must-see. View it on Amazon Prime, Pluto TV, Shudder and/or iTunes to enter the ranks your own, demonic ilk.