'Evil Dead' in Concert

Overview

This Halloween, the sound of chainsaws will echo through the Palais Theatre — plus plenty of screaming, demonic spirits and unhinged mayhem, too. To celebrate every horror fan's favourite occasion, the St Kilda venue is playing host to a ghoulish movie-and-music combination like no other. Not only will Sam Raimi's 1981 splatter classic The Evil Dead hit the big screen, but an ensemble of musicians from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will play a reimagined version of the scary flick's score.

The latest in the MSO's growing series of film-focused live performances, this show is extra special, with the score's original composer Joe LoDuca also making an appearance. Nearly four decades since he first whipped up the perfect soundtrack for a chilling vacation in the woods, he'll hit the keyboards to revisit the movie that first brought him to fame — and helped make stars out of Raimi, actor Bruce Campbell and then-assistant editor Joel Coen (yes, one of the Coen brothers) as well.

The Evil Dead has spawned two Raimi-directed sequels, a 2013 remake and Campbell-starring TV series Ash vs Evil Dead, because it really is impossible to destroy the Necronomicon — even when you're toting a trusty boomstick. But the original film remains an absolute horror delight in its own right, as does its tale of five holidaying college kids who head up to a secluded cabin, only to find themselves unexpectedly facing off against evil.

Relive the carnage from 8pm on Thursday, October 31, with tickets on sale now.