Halloween season is upon us, and nothing goes better with popcorn than a good horror movie.
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With Los Angeles historically at the center of movie production, it’s no surprise that several events kick off spooky season in September and continue throughout October. Some film festival events feature Q&As with directors, writers and actors, while others are geared toward gathering around a movie screen for cult classics.
Here’s a look at some of the film festivals, celebrations and Halloween-themed movie screenings happening around Southern California.
Beyond Fest
Beyond Fest returns Sept. 23 to Oct. 6 with an 81-film programming schedule, and while not all of them are horror movies, some in this year’s lineup will send a chill down your spine.
This year, horror fans can enjoy “A Decade of Decay,” a day-long celebration of Robert Eggers’ work, chronologically screening “The Witch,” “The Lighthouse,” The Northman” and “Nosferatu.” Eggers will join the audience to discuss his body of work and give an exclusive, first look at footage from his upcoming film “Werwulf,” which hits theaters this Christmas.
The fest will also host the premiere of “V/H/S/MIXTAPE,” bringing together RZA, Flying Lotus and Ernest Dickerson. Other horror films at this year’s fest include the West Coast premiere of Mike P. Nelson’s outrageously fun giant-snake-gone-wild “Beware Boiúna,” Zachary Wigon and Maika Monroe’s “Victorian Psyco,” Raviv Ullman and Greg Yagolnitzer’s body-horror comedy “Drag,” Joshua Giuliano’s serial killer survial tale “River,” Samjad’s vampiric gore thriller “Half,” Adam Egypt Mortimer’s hallucinatory “Pathetic Fallacy,” Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kölsch’s nature horror “The Shallow,” and Jordan Downey’s horror-thriller “The Cycle.” Jane Schoenbrun’s “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp” will also premiere its “VHS Edition.”
There will also be 10th anniversary celebrations, including Fede Álvarez returning with Rodo Sayagues, Stephen Lang and Danny Zovatto for a very special screening of “Don’t Breathe.” Jeremy Saulnier will also step back into the “Green Room” with some special guests, and Babak Anvari and Narges Rashidi join to celebrate “Under the Shadow.”
Other notable showings include Ken Russell’s “The Devils,” playing simultaneously in 35mm screenings at the Egyptian Theatre and Aero Theatres, and a variety of premieres and emerging filmmakers’ works showing for free at the Los Feliz 3.
While the event focuses mostly on films, it will also show upcoming horror series, including the first two episodes of Prime Video’s “Carrie,” where Mike Flanagan will join the cast. Brad Caleb Kane will also appear in “Crystal Lake,” the prequel series to the “Friday the 13th” franchise.
When: Various times from Sept. 23-Oct. 6.
Where: Various Los Angeles venues, including historic theaters such as the Egyptian Theatre, Los Feliz 3, Aero Theatre and Directors Village.
Information: americancinematheque.com.
Screamfest
One of the longest-running Halloween/horror film events, Screamfest Horror Film Festival draws some of the biggest names in film to smaller movies.
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This year’s Screamfest will open with Jeremy Weiss’s latest feature, “The Night Driver,” starring Josh Lucas, David Arquette, and Alyssa Milano. Other highlights include “The Caged,” by Jeffrey Scott Collins, starring Edmund Kingsley, Callen Carter, and Raffi Chapman; “Grow,” by Brian Gottlieb, starring Annet Mahendru and Philip Tabor; and “Wounds,” by Ron Krauss, starring Jack Kilmer and Paris Jackson.
Screamfest will also host filmmaker Michael Dougherty for a special screening of “Trick R’ Treat,” which will open with the brand-new 4K restoration of Dougherty’s “Season’s Greetings,” the Screamfest 2003 Best Animated Short winner that first unleashed the iconic burlap-masked character Sam on the world. Dougherty will join attendees for a Q&A, giving fans a chance to hear directly from the filmmaker about the making of his iconic works.
As part of the celebration, 50 lucky random attendees will receive a copy of Legendary Comics’ “Trick R’ Treat Witching Hours,” featuring four brand-new stories starring Sam, and will be invited to an exclusive Screamfest Lounge signing with Dougherty, writers Todd Casey, Zach Shields, Curtis Waugh, and artists El Garing and Breehn Burns. The graphic novel will also be available for purchase ahead of its official release, and all attendees will receive exclusive “Trick R’ Treat” stickers and posters.
When: Various times Oct. 6-15.
Where: TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles.
Information: screamfestla.com.
Cinespia
What better way to celebrate Halloween than hanging out in a cemetery? Cinespia’s October programming will attract fans of all horror stripes to Hollywood Forever. Lighter-hearted audiences can catch a showing of “Corpse Bride” on Oct. 3 to kick off the month. Classic horror film buffs can celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Carrie,” along with a special DJ set by Janelle Monáe to commemorate the ultimate prom night from hell on Oct. 10. Girls supporting (alleged) women’s wrongs can gather for a showing of “Jennifer’s Body” on Oct. 30. To wrap up, sci-fi enthusiasts can enjoy John Carpenter’s “The Thing” on Halloween night.
When: Oct. 3, 10, 30 and 31.
Where: Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles.
Information: $31.02 at cinespia.org.
Street Food Cinema’s Boo-ze, Bites and Frights
Street Food Cinema is back with its 21-and-older Halloween event, turning Heritage Square Museum into a gathering of spooky aficionados for Victorian home tours, adult trick-or-treating, food trucks, drinks at the bar and other artifacts from market vendors.
Horror fans can catch a different and exellently paired double feature on select nights in October, which includes “Obsession” and “Companion” on Oct. 16, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “A New Nightmare” on Oct. 17, “Sinners” and “Blade” on Oct. 23, and “Jennifer’s Body” and “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies” on Oct. 24. Street Food Cinema will also host a special showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Ford on Oct. 31.
When: 5:30 p.m. Oct. 16-17, Oct. 23-24 and Oct. 31.
Where: Heritage Square Museum, 3800 Homer St., Los Angeles. and The Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E, Los Angeles.
Information: Admission is $45 for showings at the Heritage Square Museum and $41 for showings at The Ford via streetfoodcinema.com.
The Frida Cinema’s Camp Frida X
Now in its 10th year, Camp Frida X at the Frida Cinema is serving up another year of unique movie-watching experiences. The annual all-night horror movie marathon has a hauntingly great surprise lineup, complete with themed goodies, drinks, exclusive merch, vendors, photo ops and a few more surprises.
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When: 3:30 p.m. Oct. 17.
Where: The Frida Cinema, 305 E 4th St #100, Santa Ana.
Information: $40-$60 at thefridacinema.org.