Genre-film festivals are popping up all over these days, but Los Angeles’ Beyond Fest goes, well, beyond. The lineup, announced yesterday, is certainly solid: The opening and closing night films, Brawl On Cell Block 99 and The Killing Of A Scared Deer, come fresh off of Fantastic Fest in Austin, and the festival will play host to the world premiere of Best F(r)iends, the Herzog-cribbing reunion of Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero that was announced last fall.
But where Beyond Fest really stands out is in its celebrity guests. Everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Dario Argento will be on hand for retrospective screenings (of Predator and The Running Man and Suspiria, respectively), along with Walter Hill and Edgar Wright talking The Driver and Baby Driver, composer Paul Williams looking back at Phantom Of The Paradise, Lea Thompson presenting Howard The Duck in 70mm, and Mick Garris paying tribute to late Masters of Horror George Romero and Tobe Hooper. Lower profile, but recommended by yours truly, are the West Coast premiere of Bad Black, the Ugandan DIY action film that was a hit at last year’s Fantastic Fest, and a Slumber Party Massacre retrospective with directors Amy Holden Jones and Deborah Brock.
Beyond Fest kicks off September 29 and goes through October 10 at L.A.’s Egyptian Theatre. Tickets go on sale on Fandango or through the American Cinematheque today, September 8, at noon PT, and you can see the full lineup below.
EGYPTIAN THEATRE
BABY DRIVER
Director: Edgar Wright
Country: USA
Runtime: 102 min.
Year: 2017
GUESTS: Edgar Wright & Walter Hill in Person
BAD BLACK (free screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Isaac Nawibana
Country: Uganda
Runtime: 60 minutes / Year: 2016
BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM
Directors: Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski
Country: USA
Runtime: 76 min.
Year: 1993
GUESTS: Andrea Romano plus voice actors TBA in Person
BEST F(R)IENDS
World Premiere
Director: Justin MacGregor
Country: USA
Runtime: 95 min.
Year: 2017
GUESTS: Tommy Wiseau, Greg Sestero and Justin Macgregor in Person
BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99
West Coast Premiere
Director: S. Craig Zahler
Country: USA
Runtime: 132 min.
Year: 2017
GUESTS: S. Craig Zahler, Vince Vaughn and Udo Kier in Person
DOUBLE IMPACT
Director: Sheldon Lettich
Country: USA
Runtime: 110 min.
Year: 1991 / 35mm
GUEST: Jean-Claude Van Damme and Sheldon Lettich in Person
THE DRIVER
Director: Walter Hill
Country: USA
Runtime: 90 min.
Year: 1978 / 35mm
GUESTS: Edgar Wright & Walter Hill in Person
HELLRAISER
Co-presented with Death Waltz Records + Friday Night Frights
Director: Clive Barker
Country: USA
Runtime: 94 min.
Year: 1987 / 35mm
ICHI THE KILLER – Digital Restoration
West Coast Premiere
Director: Takashi Miike
Country: Japan
Runtime: 129 min.
Year: 2001
HOWARD THE DUCK – 70mm
Director: Willard Huyck
Country: USA
Runtime: 110 min.
Year: 1986
GUESTS: Lea Thompson in Person
JEAN-CLAUDE VAN JOHNSON – Episodes 1 & 2
Presented by Amazon
World Premiere
Director: Peter Atencio
Country: USA
Runtime: 60 min.
Year: 2016
GUESTS: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Peter Atencio, Dave Callaham, Kat Foster, Moises Arias.
THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER
West Coast Premiere
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Country: UK, Ireland
Runtime: 109 min.
Year: 2017
MAYHEM
West Coast Premiere
Director: Joe Lynch
Country: USA
Runtime: 86 min.
Year: 2017
GUESTS: Joe Lynch and cast in person
NAPOLEON DYNAMITE – THE BOOTLEGGED EDITION
Theatrical Premiere
Director: Jared Hess
Country: USA
Runtime: 96 min.
Year: 2004
GUESTS: Cast and crew in person
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD – 4K Restoration
West Coast Premiere
Director: George A. Romero
Country: USA
Runtime: 96 min.
Year: 1968
GUESTS: Mick Garris & Masters of Horror in Person
OPERA (aka TERROR AT THE OPERA)
Director: Dario Argento
Country: Italy
Runtime: 100 min.
Year: 1987
GUESTS: Dario Argento in Person
PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE
Co presented with Creature Features
Director: Brian De Palma
Country: USA
Runtime: 92 min.
Year: 1974
GUESTS: Paul Williams in Person
PREDATOR
Director: John McTiernan
Country: USA
Runtime: 107 min.
Year: 1987 / 35mm
GUESTS: Arnold Schwarzenegger in Person
RAWHEAD REX 4K Restoration
Co presented with Cinematic Void and Friday Night Frights
West Coast Premiere
Director: George Pavlou
Country: USA
Runtime: 89 min.
Year: 1986
THE ROOM
Director: Tommy Wiseau
Country: USA
Runtime: 99 min.
Year: 2003
GUESTS: Tommy Wiseau, Greg Sestero and Guests in Person
THE RUNNING MAN
Director: Paul Michael Glaser
Country: USA
Runtime: 101 min.
Year: 1987 / 35mm
GUESTS: Arnold Schwarzenegger in Person
SUSPIRIA – 4K Restoration
LA Premiere
Director: Dario Argento
Country: Italy
Runtime: 100 min.
Year: 1977
GUESTS: Dario Argento, Udo Kier, Barbara Magnolfi in Person
SUSPIRIA – 35mm Italian Cut
LA Premiere
Director: Dario Argento
Country: Italy
Runtime: 98 min.
Year: 1977
GUESTS: Dario Argento and Barbara Magnolfi in Person
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
Director: Tobe Hooper
Country: USA
Runtime: 83 min.
Year: 1974
35mm
GUESTS: Mick Garris & Masters of Horror in Person
SHUDDER THEATRE
78/52 (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Alexandre O. Philippe
Country: USA
Runtime: 91 min.
Year: 2017
BEFORE WE VANISH (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Country: Japan
Runtime: 129 min.
Year: 2017
BETTER WATCH OUT (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Chris Peckover
Country: Australia, USA
Runtime: 85 min.
Year: 2016
COLD HELL (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Country: Austria
Runtime: 92 min.
Year: 2017
THE GRAPES OF DEATH AKA Les Raisins de La Mort (Free Screening)
Director: Jean Rollin
Country: France
Runtime: 90 min.
Year: 1978
HAUNTERS: THE ART OF THE SCARE (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Jon Schnitzer
Country: USA
Runtime: 88 min.
Year: 2017
JAILBREAK (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Jimmy Henderson
Country: Cambodia
Runtime: 92 min.
Year: 2017
LES AFFAMES (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Robin Aubert
Country: Canada
Runtime: 100 min.
Year: 2017
MOHAWK (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Ted Geoghegan
Country: USA
Runtime: 91 min.
Year: 2017
MY FRIEND DAHMER (Free Screening)
Director: Marc Meyers
Country: USA
Runtime: 107 min.
Year: 2017
REVENGE (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Country: France
Runtime: 108 min
Year: 2017
SEQUENCE BREAK (Free Screening)
West Coast Premiere
Director: Graham Skipper
Country: USA
Runtime: 108 min
Year: 2017
GUESTS: Graham Skipper, Cast and Crew in Person
THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE (Free Screening)
Co-presented by Etheria and Cinematic Void
Director: Amy Holden Jones
Country: USA
Runtime: 77 min.
Year: 1982
GUESTS: Amy Holden Jones in Person
Double Feature with SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II
THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II
Co-presented by Etheria and Cinematic Void
Director: Deborah Brock
Country: USA
Runtime: 77 min.
Year: 1987
GUESTS: Deborah Brock in Person
Double Feature with SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE