Last year, I went to the second annual Beyond Fest at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, and it was a hell of a thing. They had a killer of lineup of genre stuff both new (THE EDITOR, TOKYO TRIBE, THE CANAL) and old (THE MONSTER SQUAD, HALLOWEEN, HOUSE OF THE DEVIL), as well as un-genre films like NIGHTCRAWLER, MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN, and LOST SOUL: THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. The guys that ran the show weren’t content to let the films dictate the energy of the screenings on their own, and supplemented them with incredible special guests (incl. John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ti West, Fred Dekker, and Refn himself), crazy live acts (including a live score for TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and a Japanese gangsta rap performance before TOKYO TRIBE), and a ton of free beer, courtesy of their sponsor, Schlitz.
But, dare I say it, the lineup for this year’s fest looks even bigger, badder, and more of a must for L.A. denizens than last year’s.
You got L.A. premieres for the latest films from Joe Begos (THE MIND’S EYE), Hsaio-hsien Hou (THE ASSASSIN), and Takashi Miike (YAKUZA APOCALYPSE), as well as BONE TOMAHAWK, SPL 2, and HE NEVER DIED (with an post-film Q & A moderated by Shepard Fairey…yes, that Shepard Fairey). You also have screenings for LEGEND (with Brian Helgeland in attendance), THE INVITATION (w/ Karyn Kusama and Logan Marshall-Green appearing), and the magnificently impressive TOO LATE (w/ director Dennis Hauck).
But wait. That’s just the new stuff.
The reparatory screenings and the guests they’ve lined up are out of control. Perhaps the biggest deal is the fact that they’re screening THE ORIGINAL, X-RATED CUT OF KEN RUSSELL’S THE DEVILS IN 35MM!! They’ve screened edited versions of the original in L.A. before, but I believe this is the first time we’re going to be able to see the full versions of the controversial “rape of Christ” and “femur masturbation” sequences on the big screen.
Another biggie: AL PACINO will be on hand to introduce a 35mm print of DOG DAY AFTERNOON! He’ll be accompanied by Brett Ratner, but hey, nitpicks. Besides, The Ratt usually has his heart in the right place when it comes to classic films, so I don’t expect he’ll make any inappropriate jokes about the subject matter or anything dumb like that.
Bruce Fucking Campbell and Edgar Fucking Wright (which I believe the DMV has registered as their legal names) will be hosting a double feature of EVIL DEAD and EVIL DEAD II (both in 35), and may possibly perhaps maybe drop a little bit of goodness from the upcoming ASH VS. THE EVIL DEAD series. I don't know if you've ever heard anything about either of those flicks, but word is they're kinda fun with a crowd.
The Meltdown’s Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani hosted the MONSTER SQUAD screening last year w/ Dekker and select cast and crew, and are following that up this year with a screening of BETTER OFF DEAD, complete with Savage Steve Holland and members of the cast (pleeeease get Dan Schneider and/or Curtis Armstrong [edit: Armstrong appearance confirmed!!]) in attendance. It’s a movie that both holds up well and is a lovely time capsule of the sights and sounds of that MTV-dominated era, and Kumail and Jonah (usually) have the right mix of reverence and snarkiness to make that screening something special.
Fabrio Frizzi and an 8-piece orchestra will perform music from the composers career, following a screening of Lucio Fulci’s THE BEYOND.
They’ll be screening the 1925 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (in 16mm) with a live score accompaniment, along with an appearance by Lon Chaney’s great-grandson, Ron Chaney.
And last but not least, Ninja of Die Antwoord and CHAPPIE will be presenting a 35mm print of ERASERHEAD, as part of an event they’ve dubbed “A Night of Zef Absurdia.”
Oh, and did I mention 9 of these screenings are TOTALLY, COMPLETELY FREE?
For tickets to the ones that aren’t, and for the full lineup of films/events, visit the official Beyond Fest website, and don’t be too slow on the draw; last year, the HALLOWEEN screening with Carps and Curtis sold out nice and fast, and I’m thinking some of these will go sooner than later as well.
It seems like they’re really outdoing themselves this time, and are promising a show even crazier, louder, more anarchic, and beer-soaked than last year. I hope to see, and hopefully grab a brew (or five) with, some of my fellow L.A. genre fans geeking out in and around the Egyptian next month!
Beyond Fest starts October 1st and runs through the 12th.
