Hollywood Gothique

The second portion of the American Cinematheque’s annual festival takes place at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, featuring screenings of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, TERROR CREATURES FROM THE GRAVE, THE RETURN OF DR. MABUSE, WEREWOLF IN A GIRLS’ DORMITORY, an Indana Jones triple bill, STAR TREK III & VI, THE DEVILS, BEATRICE CENCI, PORTRAIT OF [...]

 The American Cinematheque presents the first part of its annual festival at the Aero Theatre, including screenings of DRAGONSLAYER, LEGEND, JABBERWOCKY, ERIK THE VIKING, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, RED SONJA, LABYRINTH, and THE DARK CRYSTAL.
Location: Aero Theatre – 1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA (323) 634-4878
Link out: Click here
Start Date: Thursday, August 13 through Sunday, August [...]

Just a friendly reminder: Vampire-Con 2009 is this weekend. It kicks off with a two-day film festival on Friday and Saturday at the New Beverly Cinema, featuring five campy cult classics, including THE HUNGER, THE LOST BOYS, and COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE. Then on Sunday, Vampire-Con movies to the Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theatre in [...]

VAMPIRE-CON 2009 has finalized its schedule of panels for Sunday, August 16 – including one moderated by yours truly, titled “Why We Love Vampires: A Brief History of the Undead.” David J. Skal and Del Howison will be among the panelists; both of them appeared with me on a similar panel after a performance of [...]

It’s August, and you know what that means, right? It’s time for the American Cinematheque’s annual Festival of Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction Films. This is the festival’s ninth year, and as always it is filled with classics, cult films, rarities, and personal appearances. All that, plus the Los Angeles premiere of SEVENTH MOON, the new supernatural thriller from Eduardo Sanchez (co-creator of the BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, which will be given a 10th annivesary screening).

The festival takes place at the Cinematheque’s two theatres, starting at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica and winding up at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Films screen at the Aero from Thursday, August 13 through Sunday, August 16. Films screen at the Egyptian from Thursday, August 20 through Sunday, August 30.

The first ever Vampire-Con will kick off with a two-day film festival screening at the New Beverly Cinema, featuring five campy cult classics.

The films begin on Friday, August 14 with a double bill of COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE and LOST BOYS, followed by a midnight movie premier of MIDNIGHT SON. The films wrap up on Saturday with a double bill of THE VELVET VAMPIRE and THE HUNGER.

Check below the fold for more details.

Vampire Con 2009 has announced a Vampirella contest. In honor of the 40th anniversary of the popular comic book character, the self-proclaimed “first convention devoted to Vam-Pop Culture” is teaming up with Vampirella’s publisher, Harris publications, to sponsor a photo contest, inviting models to fill out the flimsy costume worn by the statuesque vampire-vixen. The winner [...]

Vamprie-Con 2009 – the “First convention devoted to Vam-Pop Culture” – has issued a press release announcing the guests who will be appearing on two panels, and yours truly is among them. On the afternoon of Sunday, August 16, I will moderate a panel titled “Why We Love Vampires: A Brief History of the Undead,” [...]

The 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival features several interesting horror & Fantasy titles, including EMBODIMENT OF EVIL (with Coffin Joe), I SELL THE DEAD (grave robbers menaced by zombies), NIGHT TIDE (atmospheric 1961 film starring Dennis Hopper), and ZMD: ZOMBIES OF MASS DESTRUCTION. The festival wraps up with a screening of Hayao Miyazaki’s PONYO on June 28.

The self-proclaimed “First convetion devoted to Vam-Pop Culture” celebrates the Creatures of the Night with a film festival, celebrity guests, a 40th anniversary celebration of Vampirella, and a moonlit danse macabre.

The Horror Writers Association presents the 2003 Stoker Awards. Besdies the award, the event includes panels, workshops, readings, and signings. Guests include Richard Matheson, Richard Christian Matheson, John Farris, David Hartwell, Mick Garris, Harry O. Morris. Lifetime achievement winners are F. Paul Wilson and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. Master of Ceremonies: Jeff Strand. Special Guest: Gary [...]

Hollywood Gothique is giving away three pairs of tickets to the American Cinematheque’s Far Out Space Films series, which runs at the Aero Theatre from Thursday, June 18 to Sunday, June 21.

Four nights of space sci-fi movies will screen – divided into three double bills and one marathon: FLASH GORDON, BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, a BATTLESTAR GALACTICA marathon, FORBIDDEN PLANET, and FANTASTIC PLANET.

All you have to do to win a pair of tickets is send us an email to STEVE@hollywoodgothique.com, expressing your preference for which evening’s program you would like to attend. Entries must be received by noon on Monday, June 15, in order for your name to be added to the list at the theatre’s will-call window.

The American Cinematheque presents this four-day series of science fiction films set in outer space (or at least, in the case of E.T., featuring an alien from outer space).  The films range from classic to camp to cult; some are elaborate Hollywood extravagnazas, while others are notably threadbare, but all are fun viewing.
Here is the [...]

This weekend, a three-day tribute to monster movie makeup men and artists arrives at the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Burbank. The guest list and tributes feature a good mix of classic and contemporary – everything from FRANKENSTEIN and THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON to HELLBOY and Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN. Events include a pre-show at 4:00pm on Friday (separate admission); a tribute to makeup artist John Chambers (Planet of the Apes, 1968), a tribute to Jack Pierce (who created the original Frankenstein makeup for Boris Karloff in 1931), a tribute to the Westmore family of makeup artists; plus live music and performances on Saturday night (separate admission).

Variety reports that PONYO, the new animated film from Hayao Miyazai will be the closing night feature for this year’s L.A. Film Festival. The screening will be on June 28 at 6:30pm in the Mann Village Theatre.
From Variety:
Hayao Miyazaki’s “Ponyo,” inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Little Mermaid,” features the voices of Cate [...]

Location: Egyptian Theatre – 6712 Hollywood Blvd in Hollywood (323) 466-FILM
Link out: Click here
Description: Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller (with overtones of necrophilia, as a private detective years to reconnect with a dead woman) screens as part of the American Cinematheque’s Bigger Than Life 70MM festival. Also screening at the Aero Theatre.
Start Time: 19:30
Date: 2009-05-13

Benjamin Christiansen’s excellent silent docu-drama about the history of belief in witchcraft screens as part of the series “The Witching Hour: Three Screenings Co-curated by Francesca Gabbiani.” Although it gets off to a slow start (the first section feels like a filmed lecture), this is an absolutely incredible film that uses dramatic re-enactments to illustrate [...]

Location: Egyptian Theatre – 6712 Hollywood Blvd in Hollywood (323) 466-FILM
Link out: Click here
Description: Stanely Kubrick’s masterpice of science ficiton – the “Ultimate Trip” – screens as part of the American Cinmeatheque’s Bigger Than Life 70MM festival
Start Time: 19:30
Date: 2009-05-10

This week, the American Cinematheque launches its month-long Bigger Than Life: 70MM Returns festival, which consists of classic films projected in the glorious widescreen format. After beginning with a couple of non-genre titles, the festival turns to science fiction, fantasy, and horror with screenings of THE ROAD WARRIOR, LIFEFORCE, and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. The first two screen [...]

To celebrate the Return of Famous Monsters of Filmland – the original monster movie magazine – the American Cinematheque presents a pair of classic horror movie double bills: SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) and GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942) on May 30 and DRACULA (1931) and HOUSE OF DRACULA (1945) on May 31. The screenings will be introduced by [...]

This month, the American Cinematheque presents Bigger Than Life: 70MM Returns, another festival of classic films projected in the glorious widescreen format – the high-definition of the analog film world. Although not specifically oriented to science fiction, fantasy, and horror films, several genre titles are included, such as THE ROAD WARRIOR, LIFEFORCE, and 2001: A [...]

DANSE MACABRE is a compilation of short films focusing on the occult, sorcery and the macabre, with works ranging from the silent era through the 1960s, including Carl Theodor Dreyer’s haunting road safety film, They Caught the Ferry (De nåede færgen) (1948) and avant-garde master Kenneth Anger’s Invocation of My Demon Brother (1969), a mesmerizing [...]

Benjamin Christiansen’s excellent silent docu-drama about the history of belief in witchcraft screens in conjuction with the current Houseguest exhibition at the Hammer Museum. This is the secoond in the series “The Witching Hour: Three Screenings Co-curated by Francesca Gabbiani.” Los Angeles-based artist Francesca Gabbiani has selected an eclectic range of works on paper, many [...]