Hollywood Gothique

Cinespia has announced the start date for this summer’s series of films screened at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery: May 15. This is not a genre-specific event, but as you can guess from the location, a fair number of appropriately spooky titles show up each year, along with some cult sci-fi and fantasy stuff. No titles have been scheduled yet, but Cinespia encourages you to visit their website and recommend some films you would like to see.

I’ve already put in a request for KURONEKO, the 1968 “ghost cat-vampire” movie from director Kaneto Shindo, whose ONIBABA (”Demon Woman”) is considered one of the classics of the horror genre (in an interview with me years ago, William Friedkins singled it out to me as one of the few great horror films, in his opinion). I’ve never seen KURONEKO (it’s not available on Region 1 DVD), but it has a good reputation – almost as good as ONIBABA, and I can’t think of a better place to see it then the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Some do’s and don’t’s for the series:

picnics and alcohol are permitted

bring pillows and blankets

no tall chairs

no dogs

no barbecues

DJs spin music before and after the screenings. There is parking on the cemetery grounds for $5.

Hollywood Forever Cemtery is back-to-back with Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The address is 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard. Phone: (323) 469-1181.

We will add information about screenings of fantasy films, mystery movies, horror-thrillers, and science fiction cinema as it becomes available.