You know what I love the most about Beyond Fest? It starts in September and hits me like a brick to the face, getting my increasingly easily-tired ass into fighting shape for the October onslaught. If you're at home any night in October in Los Angeles, it's a choice - and you're likely missing out on something awesome.
And because of the two screen setup, you have to make tough choices just within Beyond Fest itself! Their second screen - where the movies all show for free, thank you - has selections like Mary starring Gary Oldman, the Alien doc Memory: The Origins of Alien, and a special repertory showing of the cult fave "Class of '81" slasher Madman. Also, the US premiere of Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson, and if you aren't aware of how the infamous filmmaker (whose immortal Dracula vs. Frankenstein will also be showing) died, I'd suggest saving it for the film - it's in Abducted in Plain Sight "wtf" territory.
But naturally the big screen - i.e. the legendary Egyptian in Hollywood - is where all the big guns and special guests will be, none more special (in my house anyway) than Tom "Mother _____" Atkins in the house for a triple feature of The Fog, Halloween III, and Night of the Creeps. William Friedkin will also do a Q&A, which in my experience is worth a ticket on its own but showing it with The Exorcist is a nice bonus, I guess. And I don't know if any other festival can manage to rope in Oliver Stone, Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, and Don Murphy for a Natural Born Killers 25th anniversary screening and Q&A.
In addition to the top-notch repertory programming, there's also plenty of new stuff - Parasite! Jojo Rabbit! VFW! COLOR OUT OF SPACE!!!! It was a year ago this week that I was sitting in that same theater letting Mandy assault my eyeballs - I can't wait to return for Nic Cage and Spectrevision's grand reunion (especially with Richard Stanley along for the ride this time). Read on for the complete lineup, and get your refresh finger ready - tickets go on sale (via BrownPaperTickets) this Saturday at 10am PST.
BEYOND FEST ANNOUNCES ITS FULL SLATE FOR
THE RETURN OF LA’S BIGGEST GENRE FILM FESTIVAL
Beyond Fest announces its line up with 39 features including West Coast premieres of PARASITE, JOJO RABBIT, DOLEMITE IS MY NAME, COLOR OUT OF SPACE, THE LODGE, the world premiere of MISTER AMERICA, and reunion anniversary screenings of NATURAL BORN KILLERS and JENNIFER’S BODY.
Los Angeles, CA – Tuesday, September 3, 2019 - Beyond Fest, the highest-attended genre film festival in the US, is excited to announce its slate of 2019 programming, comprised of 39 features including 3 world premieres, 2 US premieres and 17 West Coast premieres of cinematic excess. Beyond Fest returns to Hollywood’s famed Egyptian Theatre for 14 days of cinematic splendor spanning Wednesday, September 25th - Tuesday, October 8th to generate funds for the nonprofit 501c3 American Cinematheque.
With a diverse slate celebrating cinema from all corners of the globe, Beyond Fest is proud to open with a double-barrelled-double-bill from LA provocateurs Spectrevision, featuring COLOR OUT OF SPACE, with director Richard Stanley in person, and Adam Egypt Mortimer’s DANIEL ISN’T REAL. Other hotly anticipated titles making their West Coast debuts include two stunning social satires; this year’s transcendent Palme d’Or winner, PARASITE, with writer/director Bong Joon-Ho in person, and Taika Waititi’s brilliantly provocative and timely tale, JOJO RABBIT. Eddie Murphy returns in bombastic fashion in Craig Brewer’s DOLEMITE IS MY NAME, which is paired with Rudy Ray Moore’s original 1975 Blaxploitation classic DOLEMITE, Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s Sundance sensation, THE LODGE, delivers supremely chilling scares, director Ant Timpson will be joined by star Elijah Wood as he presents his electrifying directorial debut, COME TO DADDY, and festival sensation LITTLE MONSTERS tears up the big screen courtesy of Beyond Fest alumnus Abe Forsythe.
World premieres also take center stage with Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington’s trip fantastic, MISTER AMERICA, directed by Eric Notarnicola. Starring Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington as Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington, Tim runs for office. Both will be present to share stories from the political hotbed of San Bernardino County. One of the most iconic periods of genre cinema is exhaustively celebrated in the definitive 80’s horror documentary IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS, directed by David A. Weiner, and will be accompanied by an epic panel of filmmakers and talent from the legendary era. Also receiving its world debut is the new anthology film PORTALS from luminaries Gregg Hale, Liam O'Donnell, Eduardo Sánchez, and Timo Tjahjanto.
“As the world hurtles towards its impending demise we’re happy to once again celebrate some of the most progressive and exceptional filmmaking out there,” said Beyond Fest Co-Founder, Christian Parkes. “To share a Palme d’Or winner from a master director alongside something undiscovered and as exhilarating as THE VAST OF NIGHT is everything that Beyond Fest believes in.”
The most beloved cult classics are celebrated via a series of special event screenings throughout the festival. Leading this year's repertory slate and closing out the festival is a special 25th-anniversary reunion of Oliver Stone's incendiary masterpiece, NATURAL BORN KILLERS, featuring a post-screening Q&A with director Stone, stars Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, and producer Don Murphy in-person. Legendary actor Tom Atkins joins us for a special triple bill featuring three of his most beloved and iconic roles in THE FOG, HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH and NIGHT OF THE CREEPS. Director Karyn Kusama reunites with star Megan Fox for a 10-year anniversary screening of their genre-bending JENNIFER’S BODY, Elliott Gould makes a rare appearance to share his stories as Philip Marlowe following Robert Altman’s personal print of THE LONG GOODBYE, the master William Friedkin joins us to talk about the most terrifying film ever made, THE EXORCIST, and we go gonzo with two "How did this get made and why were they marketed to kids?" screenings featuring Stewart Raffill’s hyper-gory-high-school-rom-com-dinosaur-horror TAMMY AND THE T-REX and the theatrical premiere of MOOCH GOES TO HOLLYWOOD, directed by Richard Erdman and starring Vincent Price, which is best described as BENJI meets MIDNIGHT COWBOY in the VALLEY OF THE DOLLS.
LA gets its shine this year in a series of screenings featuring locals Joe Begos, Travis Stevens and UK transplant Bernard Rose. Hesh renegade Begos unleashes his trademark carnage in a double-bill featuring the West Coast premiere of Fangoria Films’ super-siege VFW and his psychedelic bad-LA-acid-trip, BLISS. Producer turned writer/director Travis Stevens casts his artfully disturbed eye upon GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR with stars Phil Brooks (aka CM Punk) and Elissa Dowling in attendance, and Bernard Rose takes us back to a transitional Japan to explore the collision of honor and culture in his beautifully composed SAMURAI MARATHON 1855.
Special events are led by cult legend Joe Bob Briggs as he brings his one man show to the Egyptian’s famous stage for JOE BOB PRESENTS: HOW REDNECKS SAVED HOLLYWOOD and award-winning composer Joe LoDuca who will be performing his new score before the LA premiere of Sam Raimi’s THE EVIL DEAD 4K restoration, presented by Mondo. There’s more undead action from Cinematic Void as they present the new 4K restoration of Jorge Grau’s ethereal classic THE LIVING DEAD AT THE MANCHESTER MORGUE and are joined by Death Waltz Recording Co. for a record release screening of Joe Giannone’s summer camp slasher MADMAN. Friday Night Frights returns for a 30th anniversary screening of the Italian giant monster run amok, KILLER CROCODILE, by Fabrizio De Angelis.
In addition to the main theater, the Egyptian’s 90-seat second screen will host 13 free screenings including the US Premiere of David Marmor’s critically-lauded 1BR, a special screening of the brilliant Gary Oldman and Emily Mortimer chiller MARY, directed by Michael Goi, the West Coast Premiere of Andrew Patterson’s Midnight Madness selected THE VAST OF NIGHT, the US Premiere of David Gregory’s brilliant Al Adamson documentary BLOOD & FLESH: THE REEL LIFE AND GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON in a double with Al Adamson’s crazy DRACULA VS FRANKENSTEIN with an array of special guests, including the first ever public appearance of the silver screen’s most elusive Dracula, Zandor Vorkov, the LA Premiere of Alexandre Philippe’s ALIEN documentary extraordinaire MEMORY: THE ORIGINS OF ALIEN, the West Coast Premiere of Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ incredible, genre-defying SWALLOW, the West Coast Premiere of Mirrah Foulkes’ madcap Sundance standout JUDY & PUNCH, and for the first time, four shorts blocks celebrating bite-sized genre brilliance from near and far.
See below for the full lineup of newly announced feature film titles for Beyond Fest 2019. Beyond Shorts will be announced shortly. Tickets will be on sale via Brown Paper Tickets on Saturday, September 7th at 10 AM PST.
BEYOND FEST 2019 PROGRAM
EGYPTIAN THEATRE
BLISS
Director: Joe Begos
Country: USA
Runtime: 80 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Director Joe Begos and cast in person
COLOR OUT OF SPACE
West Coast Premiere
Director: Richard Stanley
Country: USA
Runtime: 111 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Director Richard Stanley and Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, Josh Waller in person
COME TO DADDY
West Coast Premiere
Director: Ant Timpson
Country: Canada | New Zealand | Ireland | USA
Runtime: 93 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Director Ant Timpson and Elijah Wood in person
DANIEL ISN'T REAL
West Coast Premiere
Director: Adam Egypt Mortimer
Country: USA
Runtime: 96 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Director Adam Egypt Mortimer and Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, Josh Waller in person
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME
West Coast Premiere
Director: Craig Brewer
Country: USA
Runtime: 118 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Writers Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander in person
DOLEMITE
Director: D'Urville Martin
Country: USA
Runtime: 90 min.
Year: 1975
THE EVIL DEAD: REIMAGINED 4K Restoration
West Coast Premiere
Director: Sam Raimi
Country: USA
Runtime: 85 min.
Year: 1981
GUESTS: Featuring live performance from Joe LoDuca
THE EXORCIST Director’s Cut
Director: William Friedkin
Country: USA
Runtime: 128 min.
Year: 1973
GUESTS: Director William Friedkin in person
THE FOG
Director: John Carpenter
Country: USA
Runtime: 89 min.
Year: 1980
GUESTS: Tom Atkins in person
GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR
West Coast Premiere
Director: Travis Stevens
Country: USA
Runtime: 93 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Writer/Director Travis Stevens, Phil Brooks and Elissa Dowling in person
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH
Director: Tommy Lee Wallace
Country: USA
Runtime: 98 min.
Year: 1982
GUESTS: Tom Atkins in person
IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS
World Premiere
Director: David A. Weiner
Country: UK
Runtime: 240 minutes
Year: 2019
GUESTS: To be announced
JENNIFER'S BODY
Director: Karyn Kusama
Country: USA
Runtime: 102 min.
Year: 2009
GUESTS: Director Karyn Kusama and Megan Fox in Person
JOE BOB BRIGGS’ “HOW REDNECKS SAVED HOLLYWOOD”
Special Event
Country: USA
Runtime: 120 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Joe Bob Briggs in Person
JOJO RABBIT
West Coast Premiere
Director: Taika Waititi
Country: Germany | USA
Runtime: 108 min.
Year: 2019
LITTLE MONSTERS
West Coast Premiere
Director: Abe Forsythe
Country: Australia | UK | USA
Runtime: 94 min.
Year: 2019
THE LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE 4K Restoration
West Coast Premiere
Director: Jorge Grau
Country: Spain | Italy
Runtime: 93 min.
Year: 1974
THE LODGE
West Coast Premiere
Director: Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz
Country: UK | USA
Runtime: 100 min.
Year: 2019
THE LONG GOODBYE
Director: Robert Altman
Country: USA
Runtime: 113 min.
Year: 1973
GUESTS: Elliott Gould in Person
MISTER AMERICA
World Premiere
Director: Eric Notarnicola
Country: USA
Runtime: 90 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington in person
NATURAL BORN KILLERS (Closing Night)
Director: Oliver Stone
Country: USA
Runtime: 118 min.
Year: 1994
GUESTS: Director Oliver Stone, Juliette Lewis, Woody Harrelson and Don Murphy in person
NIGHT OF THE CREEPS
Director: Fred Dekker
Country: USA
Runtime: 88 min.
Year: 1986
GUESTS: Tom Atkins in person
PARASITE
West Coast Premiere
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Country: South Korea
Runtime: 132 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Director Bong Joon-ho in person
SAMURAI MARATHON 1855
West Coast Premiere
Director: Bernard Rose
Country: Japan | UK
Runtime: 103 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Director Bernard Rose and actor Danny Huston in person
TAMMY AND THE T-REX
West Coast Premiere
Director: Stewart Raffill
Country: USA
Runtime: 82 min.
Year: 1994
GUESTS: Director Stewart Raffill, producer Diane Kirman and actor John Goff in person
VFW
West Coast Premiere
Director: Joe Begos
Country: USA
Runtime: 92 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Director Joe Begos, William Sadler and Stephen Lang in person
SECOND SCREEN - SPIELBERG THEATRE
1BR (Free Screening)
US Premiere
Director: David Marmor
Country: USA
Runtime: 90 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Director David Marmor and Producer Alok Mishra
BLOOD & FLESH: THE REEL LIFE AND GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON (Free Screening)
US Premiere
Director: David Gregory
Country: USA
Runtime: 100 min.
Year: 2019
GUESTS: Director David Gregory in person, Director of Photography Jim Kunz and Producer Nicole Mikuzis in person
DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN (Free Screening)
Director: Al Adamson
Country: USA
Runtime: 91 min.
Year: 1971
GUESTS:Actor Zandor Vorkov, Actor/Producer/Stuntman Gary Kent, Actor/Producer/Stuntman Jon ‘Bud’ Carson, Actor/Producer Ken Osborne and Cinematographer Mike Ferris in person
JUDY & PUNCH (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Mirrah Foulkes
Country: Australia
Runtime: 105 min.
Year: 2019
KILLER CROCODILE (Free Screening)
Director: Fabrizio De Angelis
Country: Italy
Runtime: 90 min.
Year: 1989
MADMAN (Free Screening)
Director: Joe Giannone
Country: USA
Runtime: 88 min.
Year: 1981
MARY (Free Screening)
Special Screening
Director: Michael Goi
Country: USA
Runtime: 84 min.
Year: 2019
MEMORY: THE ORIGINS OF ALIEN (Free Screening)
LA Premiere
Director: Alexandre O. Philippe
Country: USA
Runtime: 95 min.
Year: 2019
MOOCH GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (Free Screening)
Theatrical Premiere
Director: Richard Erdman
Country: USA
Runtime: 51 min.
Year: 1971
PAGANINI HORROR (Free Screening)
Director: Luigi Cozzi
Country: Italy
Runtime: 88 min.
Year: 1989
PORTALS (Free Screening)
World Premiere
Director: Gregg Hale, Liam O'Donnell, Eduardo Sánchez, Timo Tjahjanto
Country: USA
Runtime: 85 min.
Year: 2019
SWALLOW (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Country: USA | France
Runtime: 94 min.
Year: 2019
THE VAST OF NIGHT (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Andrew Patterson
Country: USA
Runtime: 89 min.
Year: 2019
Attend Beyond Fest:
Tickets for Beyond Fest 2019 will be made available for purchase through Brown Paper Tickets and the American Cinematheque.
For the latest developments, visit the Beyond Fest official site www.beyondfest.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter.