I was excited to hear about the premiere of Evil Dead Rise at SXSW last week. Unfortunately, the post-screening Q&A was marred by an unfortunate incident involving a heckler.
During the Q&A, an individual in the audience became disruptive and began shouting obscenities at the filmmakers and actors on stage. This behavior is not only disrespectful to the hardworking cast and crew who put their hearts and souls into making the film, but it is also disrespectful to the other audience members who came to enjoy the screening and participate in the Q&A.
As seen in a video shared by Let Me Explain, the heckler becomes angry and yells, "This movie f---ing sucks!" before giving everyone on stage the finger. It is disappointing to see this type of behavior, especially in a setting where everyone is there to celebrate the art of filmmaking.
Fortunately, the cast and crew handled the situation with professionalism and grace. Bruce Campbell, who plays Ash in the Evil Dead franchise, bluntly told the heckler to "Get the f--k out of here." The venue staffer then escorted the individual out of the theater, allowing the Q&A to continue without further interruption.
It is important to remember that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but there is no excuse for disrupting a public event in such a disrespectful manner. As filmmakers and actors, we put our hearts and souls into making movies that we hope audiences will enjoy. We invite constructive feedback and criticism, but we will not tolerate disrespectful behavior that detracts from the experience of others.
I hope that everyone who attended the premiere of Evil Dead Rise had a great time and enjoyed the film. I also hope that this incident serves as a reminder to all of us to treat each other with respect and kindness, even when we may have differing opinions.