One of the top-grossing independent films of all time, The Evil Dead (1981) sparked a worldwide cult following, resulting in sequels, remakes, musicals, comic books, conventions, video games and a television series.

Examining the legacy of one of the all-time great horror films, this collection of new essays covers the franchise from a range of perspectives. Topics include The Evil Dead as punk rock cinema, the Deadites'' (demon-possessed undead) place in the American zombie tradition, the powers and limitations of Deadites, evil as affect, and the films'' satire of neoliberal individualism.