As if the13-film Cronenberg retrospectivewasn’t enough, Beyond Fest, the highest-attended genre film festival in the US, is excited to announce its complete slate of 2018 programming featuring 46 features and 24 West Coast premieres of cinematic excess. Co-presented by Hulu and Shudder, Beyond Fest returns to Hollywood’s famed Egyptian Theatre for 14 days of cinematic splendor spanning Wednesday, September 26th - Tuesday, October 9th to generate funds for the nonprofit 501c3 American Cinematheque.
With a diverse slate celebrating cinema from all corners of the globeBeyond Festis proud to open with Gaspar Noe’s dizzying acid-nightmare CLIMAX, with star Sofia Boutella in person, while closing night honors are bestowed upon S. Craig Zahler, Vince Vaughn and their uber-rugged crime-opusDragged Across Concrete. Other hotly-anticipated titles making their West Coast debuts in the Hulu Theatre includeBad Times at the El Royalewith writer/director Drew Goddard in person,Lord of Chaospresented unrated and uncut by director Jonas Åckerlund,An Evening with Beverly Luff Linwith stars Aubrey Plaza and Craig Robinson joining director Jim Hosking in person, Steve McQueen’s electrifying, female-led thriller,Widows, master director Zhang Yimou’s jaw-dropping return to martial arts/wuxia,Shadowand the triumphant return of Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero for the world premiere ofBest F(r)iends: Volume 2. The Hulu Theatre will also debut a series of festive shorts created specifically by Hulu for their annual Huluween celebration.
Two of fall’s biggest genre heavyweights,HalloweenandSuspiria, receive very special screenings both in and out of this year’s festival. David Gordon Green’s electrifyingHalloweenheadlines ‘Halloween Day:’ a triple-bill celebration of The Shape that also features John Carpenter’s mythic original andBlack Christmas- personally selected by David Gordon Green and Danny McBride as a key inspiration behind their new nightmare. Halloween Day festivities also include aHalloweenflash tattoo parlor, Mondo/Death Waltz pop-up featuring exclusive products, and a live, in-theater recording of the Shock Waves podcast featuring the original Shape, Nick Castle. Luca Guadagnino’s brilliantly provocative take on Dario Argento’s seminalSuspiriaconjures witches out of festival via two sneak screenings on October 22nd. Courtesy of Amazon Studios,Suspiriawill screen twice for free at the world famous Cinerama Dome in Hollywood.
“We’re honored we get to champion the best filmakers in the world with the best film fans in the world,” said Beyond Fest Co-Founder, Christian Parkes. “To pair something as instantly-iconic asHalloweenwith a discovery like Emma Tammi’s chillingThe Windis a dream come true.”
The most beloved cult classics are celebrated with abundance via a series of special event screenings throughout the festival. Director Slava Tsukerman brings the all-new 4K restoration of his timeless Nu-York odessey,Liquid Sky, hometown superhero Don Coscarelli launches his new book, True Indie, with a free screening of his mumified masterpiece, BUBBA HO TEP, and martial arts legend Sonny Chiba joins in person with the immortalDoberman Cop. Horror icon/aficionado/director/writer Eli Roth presents part 1 of the “Slashers” episode from his upcoming AMC series, “AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth’s History of Horror,” along with the West Coast premiere of the painstakingly restoredManiacin dazzlingly grimy 4K. Joining Roth for a discussion of all things horror will beManiacdirector William Lustig. Two genre classics are revisited via double bills featuring all-new documentaries as Andre Gower ralliesThe Monster Squadcast and crew to suit up for a special screening paired withWolfman’s Got Nardsdoc, and Sam Jones and Melody Anderson reunite once more for a 35mm screening ofFlash GordonandLife After Flash. Anime masterpiece AKIRA and Robin Hardy’s pagan pleasurefest,The Wicker Man, are both given mega-rare 35mm screenings.
See below for the full lineup of newly announced film titles for Beyond Fest 2018. Tickets will be on sale via Brown Paper Tickets on Friday, September 14th at 12PM PST.Get your Beyond Fest 2018 tickets here.
