After 7 years of hard work, Hail to the Deadites will have its world premiere next month at the Fantasia International Film Festival. Check out the trailer and read more about the documentary below.
Related Article: Fantasia’s 24th Edition to Take Flight as a Cutting-Edge Virtual Festival
Synopsis:
Inspired by the 1981 classic’s cult following, Hail to the Deadites is a documentary about the fans of the Evil Dead franchise. Through interviews with the cast, crew, collectors, fans, freaks and geeks, Hail to the Deadites seeks to illuminate the darkest reaches of the Evil Dead franchise’s undying and still-growing popularity, a popularity that has spawned four films, a TV series, comic books, figurines, and surpassed even its creator’s wildest dreams.
Hail to the Deadites puts the spotlight on the fans that cultivated and spread this groovy pop-culture infection! It celebrates those who’ve celebrated the films! “Some people might find it weird to not see any footage of the franchise in the documentary but this is what I’ve been aiming for since day one. I’m really proud to say that everything you will see or hear in this documentary was created by the fans. So, rev your chainsaws and load your boomsticks, it’s time to give the Deadites some sugar, baby!” – Steve Villeneuve
Besides meeting with fans around the world, the 80 minutes documentary feature interviews with Evil Dead franchise cast members such as Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Tom Sullivan, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley DePaiva, Sarah Berry, Rick Domeier, and Bill Moseley.
Given the continuing uncertainty related to physical cinema spaces and large gatherings which will likely continue through the remainder of the calendar year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Fantasia International Film Festival decided to mount their 2020 edition as a cutting-edge virtual festival in August. From what we heard so far, the movie should be available on the Fantasia online platform from August 20th to September 2nd. All film screenings will be geo-blocked to Canadian audiences and only accessible from within the country, vastly expanding the number of viewers we can engage with outside of Quebec.
DiggerFilms is an independent film company specializing in genre cinema. Whether it’s short or feature films, the creative team thrives to push the limit on each production. Based in Montreal, DiggerFilms can offer films with both American and European influences to please different crowds.
Are you (virtually) attending the Fantasia International Film Festival this year? Are you excited to check out Hail to the Deadites? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.