The Evil Dead Come to Town (Hall)
Halloween season is now in full swing and there are many spooky-themed events happening all around NYC. While I am not able to attend everything (more’s the pity) I have homed in on a handful of music-centric horror events, the first of which was a recent screening of Sam Raimi’s bloody and bold feature debut, The Evil Dead (1981). The movie was shown at local cultural treasure Town Hall in midtown Manhattan and included a live performance of the musical score. But before we cue the music we should probably tell you about the film itself.
Original poster art
Cabin in the woods
Five Michigan college students on fall break drive up to a remote cabin in the Tennessee mountains for a little R&R. Our group includes Ashely a.k.a. “Ash” (Bruce Cambell), an unassuming and happy-go-lucky guy. He is joined by his sensitive and artistic sister Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss) and his kind and understanding girlfriend Linda (Betsy Baker). Rounding out the group is the jokester Scott (Richard DeManincor)—a bit of a boorish loudmouth—and his cynical girlfriend Shelly (Theresa Tilly).
After a long drive up a windy mountain road and over a rickety bridge the gang arrives at the dilapidated cabin; the word “rustic” does not begin to describe the inhospitable and foreboding looking structure. Among its bumpkin-chic decor is a deer trophy head and a forbidding trap door to a cellar (HELL no). At this point we already know something unearthly roams the woods, with POV shots of something prowling the forest surrounding the cabin. But no matter, the group settles for a night of relaxing, drinking, and camaraderie by a roaring fire.
An unfortunate find
It is not long before Scott and Ash find their way to the cellar and uncover some macabre and quite disconcerting artifacts, including an old tape recorder. Curiosity piqued, they decide to play the tape, which we learn is recorded by Professor Raymond Knowby, an archaeologist who speaks of completing an epic excavation amongst the ruins of an ancient civilization known as Kandar. Knowby and his wife came to this very mountain cabin on a research retreat to study their findings. What findings you ask? Only a translation of an ancient Sumerian text that refers to various burial practices and funeral incantations. As if these texts were not frightening enough, we learn that the book containing the original text (known as the “Necronomicon”) is bound in human flesh and inked in human blood.
An unusually large moon seems to hover over the cabin and a swirling fog rolls in as the group listens to the recording with increasing interest and concern. Knowby begins reciting the Sumerian text, which can be used to resurrect demons that typically dwell isolated in the deep forests. Of course, this summoning of ancient and quite nasty demonic forces invites possession of the living (why on earth one would want to do this is anybody’s guess). Anyway, you can see where this is going and it’s nowhere good.
“Join us…”
Our fall breakers are now fair game as members of the group begin falling prey to demonic possession. And let’s just say that those possessed are not difficult to identify with their eyes turned white, their skin scarred, flaky, and ashen. These human-inhabiting demons, which will eventually be referred to affectionately by Evil Dead super fans as “Deadites” often move like marionettes as they giggle, growl, laugh manically, and taunt the living. The Deadites’ primary modus operandi is to maim and kill all the living around them with extreme prejudice and by any means necessary.
What ensues is a night of bloody mayhem as the Deadites go to work terrorizing the group around the cabin and the surrounding woods. Meanwhile, Ash emerges as an effective, if reluctant, demon fighter. Good thing our archaeologist left a pro tip for anyone listening and foolish enough to read from the Necronomicon: Deadites can only be destroyed by bodily dismemberment. We are in for one hell of a night!
On to the show…
In a word (or two), the Town Hall event on October 1 was “bloody” awesome! In attendance were devout Dead Heads (no, not those Dead Heads), casual horror film fans, and several folks who had never seen this gem of 80s horror cinema.
The film was screened in all its grainy, ferocious, and gory splendor. The seven-to-eight-piece orchestral ensemble (strings and percussion) punched up the proceedings and created a wonderful sense of live tension and atmosphere. One of the things I was impressed by was how well the ensemble, causally dressed in seasonal plaid, synched their performance with the action on screen. I also learned that composer Joe LoDuca re-recorded his score for the movie in 2018 by expanding some of his original themes and introducing some new arrangements. He did a wonderful job enriching the original music while maintaining The Evil Dead vibe. If you are curious you can listen to the re-worked score entitled “Evil Dead: A Nightmare Reimagined,” below.
Town Hall on West 43rd Street between 6th & 7th Avenues.
The event included some nice additional touches like spooky mood lighting around the periphery of the theater’s seating areas and a themed drink called “The Shelly Temple” (poor Shelly). The audience was strongly encouraged to interact with the film by screaming, laughing, and/or shouting—nothing was off the table. It was a damn good time.
”Evil Dead in Concert” events are currently being held across the country. It includes more than 50 shows, so if you are interested, check out the schedule to find if it is coming to a city near you.
Evil Dead in Concert dates
Sadly, I do not recall the name of the ensemble or its members and for the life of me cannot find their names on Town Hall’s website or anywhere else for that matter. As I understand it, the performers for each of these concerts are local to the host city, so we are talking quite a few groups to keep track of. I have written Town Hall asking for this information and if I hear back I’ll be sure to share it in a future post.
It also occurred to me that the was last time I attended an event at Town Hall was back in December 2011 for a live performance of the long-running public radio show “A Prairie Home Companion” to celebrate my Mom’s birthday. It was a wonderful show that delivered all the sardonic humor and warm and fuzzy vibes it was known for. The “Evil Dead in Concert,” on the other hand, was a slightly different affair. But before we move on, please indulge me a quick plea to support public media, which is currently under assault by those in power in Washington. Check out this link to take action!
(The rest) of my two cents
From the very first frame, The Evil Dead establishes an an atmosphere of menace - the archetypal creepy cabin, unnatural mists rising from the earth, unseen malevolent forces probing the woods, voices beckoning the living to “join us.” I really appreciate the effective blending of otherworldly supernatural frights with very tactile, visceral physical horror.
A young and mostly very green cast acquit themselves pretty well especially when playing the trash-talking, liquid-spewing Deadites. From what I understand, additional actors also stepped in for certain stunt-specific sequences, including Sam Raimi’s brother Ted. Bruce Campbell would go on to become the ultimate everyman-type hero with a knack for delivering classic one-liners and his unique brand of physical slapstick comedy. His cult movie icon status would grow exponentially with follow-up films including the delirious and demented horror/comedy Evil Dead II (1987), the charming horror/fantasy Army of Darkness (1992), and the fun—though in exceedingly poor taste—Ash vs. the Evil Dead series (2015-2018).
This movie succeeds in large part due to the sheer moxie and low budget DIY creativity of writer/director Sam Raimi, makeup and visual effects director Tom Sullivan, and the entire creative team. The film features a slew of wonderfully inventive practical effects, which even include stop motion animation.
International lobby cards
Tim Philo’s camera work keeps things lively, employing Dutch angles and effective progressions shots through the woods and the cabin’s cramped interiors. Budgetary restraints compelled him to forgo more expensive Steadicam technology for a “shaky cam” whereby the camera was mounted to a piece of wood and toted around by two crew members. This technique turned out to be quite effective, especially for scenes where demonic forces are tracking or chasing their victims.
Lastly, we want to give a quick nod to Sam Raimi’s distinct style of filmmaking reserved primarily for his horror, fantasy, and superhero films, including the original trilogy of Evil Dead films (1981-1992), Darkman (1990), the Spiderman movies of the aughts (2002-2007), and Drag Me to Hell (2009). These movies are infused with a frenzied energy with quick cuts, skewed camera angles, and action sequences unfolding at a pace that challenges your senses to keep up.
Raimi has a wry sense of humor and playful sensibility, demonstrating that horror can indeed be fun, even as the blood sprays, the demons shriek, and all hell breaks loose. In short, he just goes for it! This fierce and fun approach to filmmaking reaches its nexus with the Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, two movies I can’t wait to cover down the road.
In the meantime, The Evil Dead franchise is alive and well and showing no signs of returning to an ancient slumber. In addition to the original set of Evil Dead films, there was a 2013 remake of the original directed by Fede Álvarez, the successful Evil Dead Rise in 2023, and upcoming Evil Dead Burn in 2026.
If you were an adolescent in the 1980s there was a good chance you caught this on VHS as I did. Its cult status in horror circles has only grown since then.
"The Evil Dead: A Nightmare Reimagined" - Full Vinyl Soundtrack by composer Joseph Loduca
Did you know
While the budget for The Evil Dead was approximately $330,000-$350,000, it made approximately $2.4 million in the U.S. and $27 million worldwide.
The Evil Dead was expanded from a 1978 Sam Raimi-directed short called Within the Woods.
There is an infamous scene where one of the characters is sexually assaulted by trees; this may be triggering for some viewers so be forewarned. For what it’s worth, Raimi later expressed regret for including this scene in the movie.
The cast and crew of 13 actually stayed at the cabin during shooting. I can’t imagine that was a pleasant experience.
Fans of 1970s horror cinema may spot the half-obscured poster for Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes (1977) during the cellar scene.
The cabin featured in The Evil Dead didn’t actually have a cellar; those scenes were
filmed elsewhere.
Raimi had ambulances parked outside the film’s premiere in Detroit to triage cases of cardiac arrest or "instant insanity.” This type of showmanship is in keeping with the spirit of William Castle. For the uninitiated, Castle was a mid-century b-movie producer and director known for staging gimmicks at local theaters that screened his horror films (including The House on Haunted Hill and The Tingler).
The Evil Dead was deemed objectionable and obscene in several countries in the 1980s. In fact, In the U.K. it earned its way onto the infamous "video nasties” list.
The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival where it garnered the praise of Steven King, who subsequently wrote a review of the film. More on this in the supplements below.
Behind the scenes photos
How did I watch?
Anchor Bay blu ray
Cast (abridged)
Bruce Cambell – Ashley 'Ash' J. Williams
Ellen Sandweiss – Cheryl
Richard DeManincor – Scott
Betsy Baker – Linda
Theresa Tilly – Shelly
Crew (abridged)
Director – Sam Rami
Cinematographer – Tim Philo
Writer – Sam Rami
Composer – Joseph LoDuca
Editor – Edna Ruth Paul
Makeup – Tom Sullivan & Bruce Campbell
Producer – Rob Tapert
Running time: 1h 26m
Recommendations Based on The Evil Dead
Demons (1985)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Army of Darkness (1992)
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Supplements-
10 Filmmaking Lessons From the 'Evil Dead' Franchise (nofilmschool)
25 Interesting and Spine - Chilling Facts About The Evil Dead (All The Right Movies)
How Stephen King Helped Save The 'Evil Dead' Franchis(Collider)
The Evil Dead: The Horror Shocker that Set Off a Culture War (BBC)
