From left, Dominique Dunne, JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson and Oliver Robins in 1982’s “Poltergeist,” screening in 35mm at Vidiots on Oct. 25.
(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Getty Images)
The 13 best horror movies to see in L.A. from now until Halloween
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You live in a movie town and there’s never a dearth of things to see. Still, you may not know that, when it comes to reviving classics, Los Angeles is experiencing nothing short of a golden age, with smart repertory programming unspooling everywhere, from classic movie palaces like the Egyptian to local video stores and the luxe, super comfy Academy Museum.
The choices for a local horror fan are more than just an embarrassment of riches. It’s like when you spill out your candy bag after a productive night of trick-or-treating and discover you have enough sweets to last a month and make a dentist scream in fright. Old-school Vincent Price shockers, gooey ’80s gorefests, a recently reclaimed cult classic or two: All await the adventurous. Don’t be discouraged if some of these have sold out — most venues have standby lines.
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‘Get Out’ (Vidiots, Oct. 24)
Eagle Rock Movie Theater
(Universal Pictures)
“Stay woke,” Childish Gambino sings on the soundtrack in the opening moments of Jordan Peele’s 2017 horror landmark. Is it even possible to heed that warning anymore? Let’s hope so. The movie still plays expertly: a well-stirred fable of false security and self-delusion, one that indicts phony liberalism as much as anything. (Bradley Whitford’s “By the way, I would have voted for Obama for a third term if I could” is a classic piece of misdirection.) Greetings from the sunken place. It will feel less like one at Vidiots when they screen the movie in 35mm.
“Get Out” is playing Oct. 24 at Vidiots. Tickets here.
“Get Out” is playing Oct. 24 at Vidiots. Tickets here.
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‘Child’s Play’ (New Beverly, Oct. 25, 26)
Fairfax Movie Theater
(United Artists / Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images)
An armchair psychologist’s theory: You can either roll with evil doll movies — a lasting genre that extends all the way to “M3GAN 2.0” — or you were too attached to your own dolls. (In which case, you’re probably living in an evil doll movie of your own.) Triggered or not, we recommend starting with the best and that’s Chucky in this 1988 slasher. After you sit through the New Bev’s 35mm print, you can (and should) stay for “Dolls,” directed by Stuart Gordon. This was actually the movie he made right after his immortal “Re-Animator,” even though it was held for a year to accommodate “From Beyond.”
“Child’s Play” screens on a double-bill with “Dolls” Oct. 25 and 26 at the New Beverly Cinema. Tickets here.
“Child’s Play” screens on a double-bill with “Dolls” Oct. 25 and 26 at the New Beverly Cinema. Tickets here.
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'Jennifer’s Body' (Academy Museum, Oct. 25)
Mid-Wilshire Movie Theater
(Doane Gregory / Twentieth Century Fox)
Few recent films have had quite the reversal of reputation as Karyn Kusama’s 2009 supernatural high-school thriller, which can now clearly be seen for the wise, witty gem it has always been. Overwhelmed at the time by the cultural backlash that swarmed both its star Megan Fox (fresh from the media firestorm of the “Transformers” franchise) and screenwriter Diablo Cody, after her meteoric ascent with the Oscar-winning “Juno,” initial audiences were unprepared for a savage horror-comedy about the traumas of navigating the world as a teenage girl. The bond of two best friends (Fox, Amanda Seyfried) is put to the test when, after a ritual sacrifice goes awry, one of them becomes a possessed succubus who must feed on human flesh. Kusama’s finely modulated direction keeps all the plates of the story spinning as the film moves between being funny, scary and surprisingly tender toward its characters. A conversation with Kusama, Fox and professor Tananarive Due, who specializes in horror, should make this a special evening.
“Jennifer’s Body” is playing Oct. 25 at the Academy Museum. Tickets here.
“Jennifer’s Body” is playing Oct. 25 at the Academy Museum. Tickets here.
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‘The Love Witch’ (Academy Museum, Oct. 25)
Mid-Wilshire Museum $$
(Steve Dietl / Oscilloscope Laboratories)
When the movie came out, a little over a decade ago, it played more like a comedy — closer to the Russ Meyer Playboy era it was both accurately recreating and, to a degree, lampooning. But today, in our witch-saturated moment filled with everything from “Wicked” to this summer’s stealth hit “Weapons,” “The Love Witch” feels downright radical. This special 35mm screening is not one to be missed: The special guest will be filmmaker Anna Biller, who wrote and directed the movie, an achievement of smart take-no-prisoners feminism and an indictment of the male gaze (though gaze you will at the riotously confident Samantha Robinson).
“The Love Witch” is playing Oct. 25 at the Academy Museum. Tickets here.
“The Love Witch” is playing Oct. 25 at the Academy Museum. Tickets here.
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‘Poltergeist’ (Vidiots, Oct. 25)
Eagle Rock Movie Theater
(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
One of the most subversive movies ever made by Hollywood, “Poltergeist” all but screams: Turn off your TV. Your cozy suburban block, your toys, your swimming pool, your bedroom closet — all these things will destroy you. The film is especially provocative for arriving in 1982, with Ronald Reagan and the summer blockbuster in ascent. Tobe Hooper, the genius behind “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” gets the director’s credit onscreen, but hands-on producer Steven Spielberg deserves the praise. It’s the mirror image of his happier fantasies and, in this 35mm presentation, you’ll be able to feel that connection, even though he rarely talks about it.
“Poltergeist” is playing Oct. 25 at Vidiots. Tickets here.
“Poltergeist” is playing Oct. 25 at Vidiots. Tickets here.
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‘Them!’ (Vidiots, Oct. 26)
Eagle Rock Movie Theater
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Giant nuclear-juiced ants — that’s the draw here. But it won’t take long before these nightmarish scenes of subterranean combat between insects and flamethrower-armed soldiers put you in mind, pleasurably, of movies like “Aliens” or “Starship Troopers.” As a product of 1954 and the Cold War, “Them!” has a goony appeal that still works. It also delights Angelenos for its recognizable shots of the concrete Los Angeles River spillway where the ants make their last stand, a future location for everything from “Grease” to “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” If you’re looking for something gentle to begin a young person’s horror obsession, this is it.
“Them!” is playing Oct. 26 at Vidiots. Tickets here.
“Them!” is playing Oct. 26 at Vidiots. Tickets here.
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‘Deep Red’ (Academy Museum, Oct. 30)
Mid-Wilshire Movie Theater
(Academy Museum)
Dario Argento, the maestro of voluptuously styled Italian horror, will attend this screening of his pivotal 1975 giallo thriller, which is a bit like saying the pope is coming to your local church this weekend. That’s reason enough to clear your calendar, especially if you’re looking to boost your Halloween cred. The 4K restoration will play in the Academy Museum’s huge 950-seat David Geffen Theater, in which Goblin’s ominous organ-and-prog-rock-band score will echo. Some Argento superfans prefer his saturated follow-up movie “Suspiria,” but “Deep Red” is a perfect way into what might become your next obsession: an adventure into pure cinema.
“Deep Red” is playing Oct. 30 at the Academy Museum. Tickets here.
“Deep Red” is playing Oct. 30 at the Academy Museum. Tickets here.
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‘Hellraiser’ (Vidiots, Oct. 30)
Eagle Rock Movie Theater
(Murray Close / Getty Images)
In a lovable piece of unexpected programming, the recent restoration of this audacious ’80s demon movie somehow scored a slot at last fall’s highbrow New York Film Festival. The late-night screening was a hoot, with many attendees flying their freak flags high in Pinhead T-shirts. The same communal atmosphere can be expected at this Vidiots showing. There’s an alternative universe in which horror author Clive Barker, stepping into directing for the first time with this incredible debut, had a robust filmmaking career, loaded with opportunities for smart stories pitched to adults. That universe, alas, is not our own.
“Hellraiser” is playing Oct. 30 at Vidiots. Tickets here.
“Hellraiser” is playing Oct. 30 at Vidiots. Tickets here.
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'Nosferatu' (Philosophical Research Society, Oct. 30)
Los Feliz Social Club
(Photofest)
Last year, director Robert Eggers told us about how he’d been obsessed with this 1922 silent classic since he was a boy. He’d been thinking about a remake for decades and, to be sure, his “Nosferatu” summoned plenty of gloomy atmosphere. But we’ll revisit F. W. Murnau’s original any day, drenched as it is in unrelenting dread, with an unforgettable vampire in actor Max Schreck’s Count Orlok. At this special screening, an original score will be performed live by Circuit des Yeux, the stage name of Haley Fohr, who sings alongside the projected image, all while wearing some seriously cool headgear.
“Nosferatu” is playing Oct. 30 at the Philosophical Research Society. Tickets here.
“Nosferatu” is playing Oct. 30 at the Philosophical Research Society. Tickets here.
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‘Black Sabbath’ (New Beverly, Oct. 31)
Fairfax Movie Theater
(LMPC via Getty Images)
The band took its name from this 1963 Mario Bava film and (we won’t lie) doom metal is a bit more fitting than what ultimately arrives here: a trio of miniature, mildly suspenseful tales, all of them introduced by a plummy Boris Karloff. But think of the movie as three bite-sized candy bars and there’s enjoyment to be had. Adding to the episodic vibe, your admission lets you stay for the following feature, 1962’s “Tales of Terror,” also comprised of three narratives, derived from the works of Edgar Allan Poe. It’s only by watching these movies that you can appreciate how shocking “Psycho” was in its day.
“Black Sabbath” plays in a double-bill with “Tales of Terror” Oct. 31 at the New Beverly Cinema. Tickets here.
“Black Sabbath” plays in a double-bill with “Tales of Terror” Oct. 31 at the New Beverly Cinema. Tickets here.
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‘Bride of Frankenstein’ (New Beverly, Oct. 31)
Fairfax Movie Theater
(Universal Pictures)
Electricity jolts through us in advance of director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s remake, due in March. It’s her first film since 2021’s “The Lost Daughter” and is set to star Jessie Buckley. Until then, we’re content to return to James Whale’s 1935 original, widely considered superior to the movie it follows. (Don’t worry, Franky fans — he gets a lot of screen time.) The film won’t exactly scare you, only if you consider how inventive horror movies used to be 90 years ago. Elsa Lanchester plays both Mary Shelley and the Bride, launching a thousand gender-studies theses in the process.
“Bride of Frankenstein” is playing Oct. 31 at the New Beverly Cinema. Tickets here.
“Bride of Frankenstein” is playing Oct. 31 at the New Beverly Cinema. Tickets here.
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‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ (Walt Disney Concert Hall, Oct. 31)
Downtown L.A. Live Music Venue $
(Universal Pictures / Getty Images)
An annual Halloween tradition, the Walt Disney Concert Hall becomes a place of revelry for fans of silent cinema (definitely show up in costume). This year’s movie is Universal’s 1923 Lon Chaney classic, but the main attraction is — and always will be — organist Clark Wilson, sitting at the hall’s enormous pipe instrument and performing his own score to the film live. Many of Hollywood’s first superproductions were, indeed, horror — blockbusters before the term was invented. And even a century later, you can understand why: Submitting to the hush of a silent movie is its own kind of rapture. This is where spooky begins.
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is playing Oct. 31 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Tickets here.
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is playing Oct. 31 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Tickets here.
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‘King Kong’ (Academy Museum, Oct. 31)
Mid-Wilshire Movie Theater
(United Archives via Getty Images)
Playing in the Academy’s cavernous David Geffen Theater, this deluxe opportunity should compensate for any hesitations you may have about the film itself. Yes, it’s the 1976 remake, which lacks the original’s poetry. Jessica Lange has been better in other movies. And if you’re still rattled by the sight of the World Trade Center, you’ll have that unintentional terror to deal with as well. Even so, there’s no denying how fun this one is with the right crowd, one that can splash around in the shadow of a classic and still have a good time. This is a new 4K restoration.
“King Kong” is playing Oct. 31 at the Academy Museum. Tickets here.
“King Kong” is playing Oct. 31 at the Academy Museum. Tickets here.
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