‘Halloween Ends,’ Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,’ ‘My Best Friend’s Exorcism’ on Slate for Beyond Fest’s 10th Anniversary

The world premiere of Halloween Ends will close out the 2022 edition of Beyond Fest, the Los Angeles-based genre film festival that is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism, based on the Grady Hendrix best-seller, Christmas Bloody Christmas, and Nocebo, starring Eva Green and Mark Strong, are other horror movies among the 10 premieres the festival will unveil during its run Sept. 27 to Oct. 11.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, fresh from its debut at the Toronto Film Festival, will have its U.S. premiere at Beyond Fest, with other festival circuit darlings, Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, Mark Mylod’s The Menu, and Triangle of Sadness also on the bill.

The remake of Hellraiser, starring Jamie Clayton and Goran Visnjic, will receive a special screening with director David Bruckner and the cast on hand for a Q&A, while slasher pic, Sick, will have co-writer (and Scream co-creator) Kevin Williamson in attendance.

This year, retrospectives include work from Indian filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli (maybe you’ve seen his big breakout, RRR) and Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, while William Friedkin will make a rare appearance to discuss Cruising, the 1980 thriller that features Al Pacino as a detective going undercover in New York’s S&M gay subculture.

And legend William Shatner will be saluted not for his Star Trek work but his schlocky 1970s thrillers, The Devil’s Rain, Kingdom of the Spiders, and Impulse. The triple feature will culminate with a Q&A with Shatner.

Halloween cult classic Trick ’R Treat is getting what is being billed as its first-ever theatrical showing Oct. 1. a free screening at Hollywood Legion Theatre that will include a Q&A with writer-director Michael Dougherty.

Beyond Fest is also having an IMAX component this year, with a series of screenings being held at IMAX headquarters in Playa Vista. Films include Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, directed by Brad Bird, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity and George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road.

Running in partnership with American Cinematheque, Beyond Fest will screen on IMAX at the TCL Chinese as well as Hollywood Legion Theatre, Aero Theatre, Los Feliz 3, and IMAX headquarters. All ticket sales go to the non-profit film institution.

Dates and details are at beyondfest.com, with tickets going on sale Sept. 14 via via americancinematheque.com

“With over sixty films playing across five incredible theatres, the Beyond Fest Tenth Anniversary Edition is a true celebration of the theatrical experience uniting filmmakers with the greatest audience in the world,” said American Cinematheque director of programming and creative, Grant Moninger, in a statement. “It’s a gift to the great city of Los Angeles.”