How a cult horror classic is being reborn as a live-to-film musical experience.
What happens when one of horror’s most notorious cult films gets a symphonic resurrection? In 1981, Sam Raimi made his directorial debut with the supernatural indie “The Evil Dead,” a low-budget cabin-in-the-woods chiller that became one of the genre’s most beloved cult classics. More than four decades later, the dead are rising again—this time with a live orchestra.
Audiences in Los Angeles, longtime fans and newcomers alike, are in for a Halloween treat when TIL Events, Street Food Cinema and Black Ink Presents unleash “Evil Dead In Concert,” part of the first-ever national tour. Following its U.S. launch in September, the tour will descend upon downtown LA for an exclusive three-night engagement, October 30 – November 1, at the historic Million Dollar Theatre.
Hosted by viral content creators the Croes Bros, the LA dates will also feature The Cellar: An Underground Evil Dead Experience — a first-of-its-kind immersive horror attraction designed by Burbank’s acclaimed Mystic Museum. For three nights only, the 1918 movie palace once opened by Sid Grauman will be transformed into an unforgettably sinister celebration of “The Evil Dead.”
Reanimating a Cult Classic Through Live Music
Black Ink Presents, a division of Terrapin Station Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment, specializes in live-to-film concert productions such as “The Nightmare Before Christmas In Concert,” “Labyrinth: In Concert” and “La La Land In Concert.” CEO and founder John Kinsner says “Evil Dead In Concert” continues the company’s mission to bring audiences closer to the cinematic roots of moviegoing.
“Growing up an ’80s kid, I thought there were so many cool films that could get the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ treatment,” Kinsner recalls. “And I’m such a fan of the history of the cinema experience. A lot of these theaters on the tour were old movie houses from the 1920s and ’30s. Going back in there with cult films and a small ensemble, where movies were originally shown with organ or orchestral accompaniment, connects us to that cinematic fabric.”
Musicians from New York’s Broadway circuit, whose timing and stage instincts make them ideal for such a hybrid performance, perform the score during “The Evil Dead in Concert.” (Photo: Black Ink Presents)
A Growing Live-to-Film Phenomenon
Over the past decade, live-to-film concert experiences have quietly become a global trend. Symphonies and independent producers alike have brought classic titles such as “Star Wars,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter” and “Titanic” to sold-out arenas and restored picture palaces, pairing film screenings with orchestral performances. What began as a novelty has evolved into a significant revenue stream for musicians, theaters and studios—offering audiences the emotional immediacy of live music with the familiarity of beloved movies. “Evil Dead In Concert” may be smaller in scale than those blockbuster franchises, but it taps the same appetite for communal nostalgia and cinematic rediscovery, tailored to a fan base that thrives on cult passion.
After the success of “Labyrinth: In Concert,” Kinsner and his team began looking for the next project—and immediately thought of composer Joe LoDuca, whose career began with Raimi’s 1981 original. LoDuca’s eerie score helped define the film’s atmosphere, and in 2018 he re-recorded it for a limited-edition vinyl release titled “Evil Dead: A Nightmare Reimagined.”
“We knew Joe was passionate about that reimagined score,” says Kinsner. “We just threw out the idea of a live concert screening, and with the size of the ‘Evil Dead’ fan base, we felt confident enough to take it on. It’s been a hoot.”
The Orchestra and the Audience
Taking a cult film on tour with a seven-piece ensemble is no small feat. It’s part concert, part film screening, part traveling roadshow. Kinsner assembled musicians from New York’s Broadway circuit, whose timing and stage instincts make them ideal for such a hybrid performance.
“They’re accustomed to keeping perfect time with on-screen action,” he explains. “But unlike studio players, they also feed off a live audience.”
To replicate the precision of a recording stage, the musicians perform with sheet music and synchronized cues on video monitors that display timing and measure counts—essentially a digital conductor. “We pack all of that technology on a truck—screen, projector, media server, lighting, sound consoles—and move city to city,” Kinsner says. “For the musicians, it feels like a live scoring session every night.”
That doesn’t mean it’s a stiff symphony performance. “Evil Dead In Concert” thrives on fan participation. “We have a costume contest before the show, and we tell the crowd that if they’re feeling it, give us a shout during the film—as long as it doesn’t ruin someone else’s experience,” Kinsner laughs. “When we did ‘Labyrinth,’ parents were bringing their babies dressed as Toby and tossing them in the air. We had to issue a disclaimer telling people not to do that!”
To replicate the precision of a recording stage, the musicians perform with sheet music and synchronized cues on video monitors that display timing and measure counts—essentially a digital conductor. (Photo: Black Ink Presents)
The Joy of Shared Terror
For audiences who’ve only seen “The Evil Dead” on VHS or streaming, experiencing it with a live orchestra is the ultimate communal thrill. “When the music itself comes alive as a character, it makes the heart beat faster, the movie scarier, the jokes funnier,” says Kinsner. “It’s the closest thing to watching the movie again for the first time. You’re surrounded by fans who know every line, and together you go on that journey again.”
He adds that LoDuca’s reimagined score will surprise even hardcore fans. “When you hear how Joe has expanded on the original themes and you see it performed live, it’s fantastic. You might never have paid close attention to the music before, but this presentation really brings it to the forefront. Joe even hosted the Detroit performance in his hometown—it was a blast.”
Immersive Mayhem in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles run takes the concept even further. Attendees will enter a fully realized “Evil Dead” universe complete with live scare actors, photo ops inspired by the Necronomicon, multi-sensory horror effects, themed cocktails, full bars and local fare from Grand Central Market.
“Street Food Cinema was enthusiastic about plussing up the LA shows since they fall on Halloween weekend,” says Kinsner. “We’re in this incredible old theater downtown with a creepy alleyway that leads into the basement. It’s perfect for ‘The Cellar’ experience.”
Hosting duties fall to the Croes Bros, the viral duo with 66 million followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Known for their comedy and dance videos, Gil and Jay Croes have recently reinvented themselves as horror filmmakers with their hit series “Uncanny Brothers,” which has amassed more than 1.5 billion views. They’ll bring that same fan-engagement energy to “Evil Dead In Concert,” welcoming audiences into The Cellar and sharing behind-the-scenes content across their social channels.
Building the Show
Mounting a production of this scale in historic venues presents unique challenges. “Sometimes you have sightline issues or limited stage space,” says Kinsner. “We have a team that works with each venue to make sure the show fits and that every ticket holder has a great experience.”
Cost is another balancing act. “We always have to weigh what fans think concerts should cost against the reality of chartering buses, trucks and all the gear,” he notes. “We want to keep prices reasonable while still investing in the best equipment and performers.”
Even the film presentation itself required customization. Rather than a standard DCP, the team rebuilt the film’s audio to control dialogue levels and mix in the live score. And the image is shown in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio—exactly as Raimi shot it on 16 mm. “Some folks wonder why the screen isn’t wider,” Kinsner says. “It’s because this is the director’s intended format, and we’re preserving that.”
Attendees of the Los Angeles event will enter a fully realized “Evil Dead” universe complete with live scare actors, photo ops inspired by the Necronomicon, multi-sensory horror effects, and themed cocktails. (Photo: Black Ink Presents)
Event Cinema’s Next Evolution
With live-to-film concerts proliferating worldwide, Kinsner sees productions like “Evil Dead In Concert” as part of the larger revival of communal moviegoing.
“I think this format will have an ever-increasing role in the new landscape of cinema,” he says. “It’s a tip of the cap to the origins of the cinematic experience. The more we ‘eventize’ moviegoing, the more we move the industry forward in how people engage.”
He imagines a future where certain films are conceived with live accompaniment built into their initial runs. “If a director or studio were to release a picture intended for that format from day one, it could really move the needle,” he suggests. “That’s the next logical step—it just takes someone willing to commit.”
After “Evil Dead In Concert” wraps, Black Ink Presents plans to bring “Labyrinth: In Concert” back for the film’s 40th anniversary and launch a new live-to-film production of Steven Spielberg’s “Hook.” And if Kinsner could mount any project, no matter how unlikely? “My personal dream concert would be ‘Tron: Legacy’ with Daft Punk,” he admits. “They don’t perform together anymore, but that film, those visuals, that soundtrack, with them on stage and a live orchestra—it would be incredible.”
Keeping Cinema Alive
For Kinsner, the success of “Evil Dead In Concert” is proof that theatrical moviegoing isn’t dead—it’s evolving. “The fact that we can take a forty-year-old film like ‘The Evil Dead’ or ‘Labyrinth’ and tour it around the country with a big production shows there’s still an appetite to experience them together,” he says. “Our job as producers is to make sure we do it in a way that’s meaningful to the people buying the tickets.”
In other words, the Book of the Dead may be bound in human flesh—but the heart of cinema, as “Evil Dead In Concert” demonstrates, still beats very much alive.
