Essays on the Cult Film Franchise
Edited by Ron Riekki and Jeffrey A. Sartain
Published by McFarland
The Evil Dead really does mean a lot to a lot of people which gives hope that Ash and his companions will return to the screen again, large or small, in the near future. I also have to say, ‘No Ash, No Point’: I simply cannot see The Evil Dead work with out Bruce Campbell. This is not just my opinion, I cite the awful and humourless 2013 remake of The Evil Dead as proof. To say the point was missed entirely here, and without humour…
As a long-term fan of the Evil Dead franchise it is extremely pleasing to see such a well-edited and written book on said franchise. Highlights of this fine book include:
Sarah Cleary’s important “‘The Number One Nasty”’: How Britain’s Most Popular Eighties Horror Was Banned’ is an education.
‘Deadites and the American Zombie Tradition’- which deals with a question many Evil Dead fans ask: are the Deadites truly zombies?
I especially enjoyed the chapter on how the Evil Dead kick-started horror film production in Michigan.
Overall, a superb book on a superb series, and I couldn’t recommend it enough to all Evil Dead fans.
Oh, and if anyone from Renaissance Films reads this review, please remember the inescapable truth- NO ASH, NO EVIL DEAD! After all, you proved it yourself with the remake.
Hail to the King, Baby!
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-many-lives-of-the-evil-dead
