Hail to the Deadites

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1:52

Hail to the Deadites

2020

1h 19m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

78%

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27 Reviews

50%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Filmmaker Steve Villeneuve examines the passionate fan base for "The Evil Dead" franchise. Features interviews with actors Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, Dan Hicks and others.

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Bill Bria

Vague Visages

It may sound strange to call a documentary about fans of a gory horror franchise “sweet,” but that’s exactly what Hail to the Deadites is — it’s no surprise that it comes from a Canadian filmmaker.

Jun 7, 2023

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Dan Lybarger

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The film's one-hour, 19-minute running time frequently seems ponderous because the fan conventions all look the same, regardless of where they are held. You've seen one hotel ballroom; you've seen them all.

Rated: 83/100

Jul 30, 2021

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Brian Orndorf

Blu-ray.com

Villeneuve captures the cheery cult vibe of the whole thing, also reinforcing just how special these delightfully goofy and grisly movies truly are.

Rated: B

Jul 23, 2021

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

... Hail to the Deadites is, without question, a loving tribute to the people who have enjoyed this particular bit of punk rock horror since its inception.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 23, 2021

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Jordan Bassett

NME (New Musical Express)

At an hour and 19 minutes long, Hail To The Deadites suffers from the typical blight of the mega-fan: loving your subject so much that you can't pick apart the good from the bad.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 17, 2021

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Alix Turner

Ready Steady Cut

Steve Villeneuve's affectionate exploration of Evil Dead fandom: memorabilia, cosplay, and passion. Primarily made up of interviews with cast, crew, and fans, broken up with songs and fan-made film clips.

Rated: 3.5/5

Feb 13, 2021

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Audience Member

I’m a Deadite, and I really wanted to like this movie…but it just passed the time really and I feel poorly encompassed the subculture of fans. I mean no offense in saying this, but this definitely felt like an amateur’s/first timer’s attempt at a documentary. I feel the movie focused way too much time on a small faction of fans and at signings from one or two conventions. Throughout the movie we see clips of pop cultural programs and entertainment that were influenced or direct parodies/odes of the Evil Dead trilogy. I think it would have been better to learn more about those. Also, there was an Evil Dead the Musical (saw it on tour…it’s awesome). We see clips from a performance and of backstage scenes. I would have liked an actual interview with the writer/director of how the musical came to be and how they got the rights to do it. Finally, I’m sure he was on a tight budget, but if this was done correctly, there would have been even more conventions, Evil Dead showings, and more interesting stories from fans. This just felt like it wasn’t a full effort at the subject material.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/28/22

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brad p

‘Hail to the Deadites' Documentary Pays Tribute to the ‘Evil Dead' Franchise's Most Ardent Fandom

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Steve Villeneuve

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Dan Hicks

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Hail to the Deadites: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Steve Villeneuve examines the passionate fan base for "The Evil Dead" franchise. Features interviews with actors Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, Dan Hicks and others.

Director: Steve Villeneuve
Producer: Glen Alexander, Steve Villeneuve
Screenwriter: Steve Villeneuve
Production Co: DiggerFilms
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 27, 2021
Runtime: 1h 19m

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