LA WeeklyA horrorific tribute to Carrie, Jonah and Kumail's final Meltdown at Nerdist Showroom, a trans film festival and more fun stuff to do and see in L.A. this week.
fri 10/14
Talk about a horrorific high school reunion. Some real kings and queens of film (and prom) will be on hand for the 40th anniversary of Stephen King and Brian De Palma's classic Carrie. Celebrating one of the most entertaining horror films of all time, the Carrie 40th Anniversary Fan Event, presented by weSPARK Cancer Support Center, will feature a screening of Scream Factory's brand-new restoration of the film, a Q&A with its stars and a 1970s prom-themed party afterward. Piper Laurie (the mother), Nancy Allen (the bully), P.J. Soles (the brat) and more will be on hand, as will drag queen/Carrie mega-fan Jackie Beat hosting the bash. The event will see the Ace turned into a high school gym, with photo booth and "best dressed" Carrie character costume contest. Go bloody, sexy or shamelessly '70s with this one — no matter what you wear, they're all gonna laugh at you! The Theatre at Ace Hotel, 929 S. Broadway, downtown; Fri., Oct. 14, 7 p.m.; $25-$125. acehotel.com/calendar/losangeles/carrie. —Lina Lecaro
The dog days of summer are over, and with them Cinespia's outdoor screenings. No matter: Paris, Texas commences the organization's movie-palace season, which should come as especially good news to anyone who can't stomach an entire month of horror movies. Harry Dean Stanton, who's 90 now, will be on hand to discuss Wim Wenders' heartsick road drama — one of two Palme d'Or winners screening this week — about a man trying desperately to reconnect with his estranged wife (Nastassja Kinski), son and his own sense of self. Palace Theatre, 630 S. Broadway St., downtown; Fri., Oct. 14, 8:30 p.m. (doors at 7:30); $18. (213) 553-4567, cinespia.org. —Michael Nordine
John Carpenter made Halloween nearly 40 years ago, and in some respects the slasher genre has yet to catch up to it. Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode is the measuring stick for all final girls to follow, a role that wouldn't be as iconic were she not relentlessly pursued by the masked, lurching Michael Myers. But you can't outrun something that's a part of you, especially when it refuses to die. Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A.; Fri., Oct. 14, 11:59 p.m.; $11. (310) 473-8530, landmarktheatres.com. —Michael Nordine
sat 10/15
With their deadpan expressions and serene indifference to such human concepts as irony and hipness, cats are not easily amused. But that's not going to stop a small constellation of comedians, actors, musicians and choreographers from gathering for the sixth annual CATbaret: A Celebrity Musical Celebration of the Alluring Feline, a benefit for the nonprofit feral cat–socialization shelter Kitty Bungalow Charm School for Wayward Cats. This year's cast includes Fred Willard, Nicole Sullivan, Elaine Hendrix, Nikki Hahn, Steve-O, Mo Collins, Tim Russ, Mindy Sterling, Charlotte Ross and dancer Benji Schwimmer. The biggest star, though, will be Nora the Cat, who will yowl a self-composed (!) song with a live jazz combo. Avalon Hollywood, 1735 Vine St., Hollywood; Sat., Oct. 15, 6 p.m.; $60-$175. (323) 730-1102, kittybungalow.org/catbaret. —Falling James
Southern California is becoming quite the hotbed of craft beer production, and the Burbank Beer Festival is banking on all those L.A.-area beer fans coming out for a tipple or two. There's a street-fair element to the event as well, and if you'd like to just come out for that, there's no fee. But if beer is the main draw, that'll cost you $45 for a wristband that allows access to the beer-tasting areas. (There's a different $10 wristband for designated drivers.) And of course it won't be all small, local producers on tap — crowd pleasers such as Gordon Biersch and Sierra Nevada will be available, too. Downtown Burbank, San Fernando Boulevard & Olive Avenue, Burbank; Sat., Oct. 15, noon-7 p.m.; $45. burbankbeerfestival.com. —Katherine Spiers
From the crappy plastic He-Man mask that came with your Woolworth Halloween costume in 1982 to the Scream "Ghost Face" mask everyone had to own in 1996 to the elaborate molded-rubber masks throughout the years, the Halloween mask is as much a part of pop culture as the horror movies we watch to scare ourselves every fall. Downtown gallery Lethal Amounts celebrates the Halloween mask in its various forms at "The Art of the Halloween Mask," an exhibit of everything from vintage masks from the 1960s to more recent creations by world-famous special effects artists. For fans of being freaked out, it's the most wonderful time of the year — art shows like this are among the reasons why. Lethal Amounts, 1226 W. Seventh St., downtown; Sat., Oct. 15, 8-11 p.m.; free. (213) 265-7452, lethalamounts.com. —Gwynedd Stuart
They're here — here in this case being Electric Dusk Drive-In, which, though not quite an Indian burial ground, nevertheless seems a fitting venue for Poltergeist. Written and produced by Steven Spielberg but directed by Texas Chainsaw Massacre auteur Tobe Hooper, this early-'80s horror standout is a strange melding of its makers' contrasting sensibilities that's most frightening in some circles for the persistent rumor that the film itself is cursed — several cast members died premature deaths. Electric Dusk Drive-In, 2930 Fletcher Drive, Glassell Park; Sat., Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6:30); $10 lawn, $14 car, $60 VIP. (818) 653-8591, electricduskdrivein.com. —Michael Nordine
Read any list of the scariest movies made since the year 2000 and you're certain to find Pulse near the top. For good reason: Kiyoshi Kurosawa's ghostly exploration of our relationship with technology feels more prescient with each passing year, and one scene in particular — which anyone who's seen the film can instantly identify — is terrifying in a way that feels timeless. Cinefamily/Silent Movie Theatre, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax; Sat., Oct. 15, 11:59 p.m.; $12. (323) 655-2510, cinefamily.org. —Michael Nordine
sun 10/16
Deborah Hay evolved from a highly trained modern dancer with Merce Cunningham into a pivotal player among the innovative postmodern choreographers centered at New York's Judson Church in the 1960s. Balking at existing strictures of modern dance, Hay devoted decades to creating works, often large-scale works, for untrained dancers as well as her own company and solo works for herself. In recent years she has circled back, creating for professional companies. This two-day tribute, A Platform in Three Parts, offers a taste of her path. Both afternoons are devoted to Hay's solo No Time to Fly, which became a trio, here reimagined and adapted as a duet performed by Jeanine Durning and Ros Warby. Both evenings are devoted to Cullberg Ballet performing Figure a Sea, Hay's collaboration with composer Laurie Anderson, which expanded No Time to Fly for a larger group of professional dancers. UCLA Freud Playhouse, 245 Charles E. Young Drive N., Westwood; Sat.-Sun., Oct. 15-16, 4:30 & 8 p.m.; $29-$49. (310) 825-2101, cap.ucla.edu. —Ann Haskins
Masters of puppets and pastors of muppets converge on the Puppetzilla Puppet Slam, a rare chance to see the members of the L.A. Guild of Puppetry display the talents that got them all the way to the National Puppetry Conference at Connecticut's hallowed Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. It's a mixed bag tonight — mixed bags actually make great puppets — and you'll see acts both serious and funny courtesy of Conference vets like Alissa Hunnicutt, a connoisseur of tabletop puppetry, Chinese rod puppetry and marionettes; and Pam Severns, who's worked on puppetry projects for everyone from PBS to IFC to MTV. Trepany House at the Steve Allen Theater, 4773 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz; Sun., Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.; $15, $10 in advance. (323) 666-4268, trepanyhouse.tix.com. —David Cotner
mon 10/17
When President Obama told a crowd, "Don't boo … vote," he wasn't talking to a room full of ghosts — but there's no shame in adding some festive fun to the election process. At UCB's Don't Boooo, Vote! a pair of seasoned — and dead — crusaders for voting rights make the trip back from beyond the grave to oversee an evening of comedy with guests and other "ghosts." Hosts Ghost of Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Julie Sharbutt) and Ghost of Frederick Douglass (Lucas Hazlett) want to make the audience laugh but get out the vote, too. As such, live humans will be on hand to help people register to vote online before the Oct. 24 deadline. UCB Sunset, 5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood; Mon., Oct. 17, 8:30 p.m.; $5. (323) 908-8702, sunset.ucbtheatre.com. —Neha Talreja
tue 10/18
The LA2050 grants challenge has put up a million bucks to make L.A. a better place to learn, create, connect and have fun. The idea is that by 2050, L.A. will have the largest community of artists in the country. Not only that, but it's scheduled to become one of the biggest international manufacturing and technology hubs, too. With that comes jobs and other good stuff to make L.A. a better place to work and live, as if that were possible. Public voting for the best grants projects kicks off Oct. 18, and to help get the word out, CelebrateLA is throwing a big shindig with food trucks, booze, freebies and more. Grand Park's Performance Lawn, 200 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Tue., Oct. 18, 6-9 p.m.; free with registration via connect@la2050.org. la2050.org. —Tanja M. Laden
For lovers of the art of the chamber ensemble, the long run of the now-venerable Emerson String Quartet is a particularly satisfying one. Marking four decades of truly authoritative music-making, the group presents a characteristically wide-angled program showcasing the Emerson's famed finesse in superbly varied repertoires: the "new" old-school romanticism of Johannes Brahms' String Quartet in A minor is paired with Egon Wellesz's knottily "post-tonal" Five Sonnets for soprano and string quartet, along with the opulent, dark densities of Alban Berg's Lyric Suite. For the latter piece, the ensemble is joined by another just plain legendary performer, soprano Renée Fleming. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown; Tue., Oct. 18, 8 p.m.; $45-$108. (323) 850-2000, laphil.com. —John Payne
The Innocents apparently scared a young Guillermo del Toro enough for him to include it in his ongoing Fuel for Nightmares series at LACMA. Rest assured that it'll unsettle you, too. Jack Clayton's deathly quiet adaptation of The Turn of the Screw is terrifying in its simplicity and, thanks in no small part to Deborah Kerr's haunting performance, one of the greatest horror films of all time. LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire; Tue., Oct. 18, 1 p.m.; $4. (323) 857-6000, lacma.org. —Michael Nordine
Vincent Price and Klaus Kinski (father of Nastassja) lead the New Beverly's latest grindhouse double feature in The Conqueror Worm and Jack the Ripper, respectively, which look to the past to plumb the depths of human depravity. Price is the self-appointed witchfinder general Matthew Hopkins in 17th-century England and Kinski is Saucy Jack 200 years later; rest assured that both men's exploits are depicted in as much gruesome detail as possible. New Beverly Cinema, 7165 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax; Tue., Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.; $8. (323) 938-4038, thenewbev.com.
wed 10/19
In 2010, The Meltdown With Jonah and Kumail was the only weekly comedy show held in the stuffy, spartan back room of Sunset Boulevard's Meltdown Comics. Chris Hardwick's Nerdist Industries subsequently popularized the space, Kumail Nanjiani joined Mike Judge's HBO series Silicon Valley, Jonah Ray landed the upcoming Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot and producer Emily V. Gordon became an in-demand writer of books (Super You), TV (The Carmichael Show) and film (2017's The Big Sick). After six years spent presenting the best in live L.A. stand-up — and three TV seasons on Comedy Central — The Meltdown goes out with a bang … and, likely, a few celebratory tears. Nerdist Showroom at Meltdown Comics, 7522 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; Wed., Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.; $8. nerdmeltla.com. —Julie Seabaugh
The Cure have endured for 40 years, and so has singer Robert Smith's hair. The quintessential British alt-rock titans have some of the most loyal fans around, and we're lucky enough to count as an Angeleno founding member and former drummer Laurence "Lol" Tolhurst. Tonight, Tolhurst discusses the band's beginnings, as written about in his new book, Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys, with Yahoo Music managing editor Lyndsey Parker. Named after The Cure's 1979 debut record, Three Imaginary Boys, Tolhurst's memoir looks back on his Catholic childhood in the London suburb of Crawley, meeting Smith at age 5, forming the group in 1976 and recording their first eight albums. Tolhurst also opens up about his struggles with alcoholism, leaving the band in 1989 and his falling out with Smith, with whom he's since reconciled. Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., downtown; Wed., Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.; $20. (213) 765-6800, grammymuseum.org. —Siran Babayan
Watching demons in L.A.'s most famous cemetery? Your October just got scarier thanks to Dana Gould. Cinespia and IFC co-present this screening of the first two episodes of new horror-comedy show Stan Against Evil, created by the comedian, podcaster and former writer for The Simpsons. Premiering Nov. 2, the series stars John C. McGinley as a recently retired sheriff and Janet Varney as his replacement, who team up to fight local ghouls lurking around a small town in New England that was the site of a 17th-century witch burning. The event includes a Q&A with Gould, McGinley, Varney, Deborah Baker Jr. and Nate Mooney, as well as Kogi and In-N-Out food trucks. Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood; Wed., Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.; (323) 221-3343, cinespia.org. —Siran Babayan
thu 10/20
Last week, Young Frankenstein was rereleased for one night only in theaters with a live introduction by Mel Brooks from the Fox lot, where the 1974 timeless, horror-movie spoof was shot. If that's not enough "Fronkensteen" for you, tonight Brooks signs Young Frankenstein: A Mel Brooks Book: The Story of the Making of the Film. Co-written by Rebecca Keegan, and with a foreword by Judd Apatow, the book delves into the evolution of what Brooks calls his proudest movie, dating back to the influence James Whale's original 1931 Frankenstein had on him as a child in Brooklyn, and includes interviews with cast and crew, as well as on-set photographs. The director also recounts first meeting co-executive producer and late, great actor Gene Wilder, and how the two conceived the parody while on the set of another Brooks classic, Blazing Saddles. Barnes & Noble at the Grove, 189 The Grove Drive, Suite K30, Fairfax; Thu., Oct. 20, 7 p.m.; free. (323) 525-0270, stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780061804657-0. —Siran Babayan
Between the popularity of Amazon's Transparent and the success of last year's indie hit Tangerine and Laverne Cox's general fabulousness, trans visibility in media is at an all-time high. Celebrate trans artists behind the camera and in front of it at Transnation Film Festival 2016. Trans performance artist and Transparent producer Zackary Drucker curated a program that includes Silas Howard's new short film, More Than T; the L.A. premiere of Diane From the Moon, which stars Mya Taylor from Tangerine; a new doc about trans activist Miss Major Griffin-Gracy; and a lot more. On Oct. 23, the final day of the three-day fest, Drucker hosts a tribute to Holly Woodlawn, best known for having her story told in song by Lou Reed in "Walk on the Wild Side." Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax; Thu., Oct. 20-Sun., Oct. 23 (no programming on Saturday); screenings are $12-$14. cinefamily.org/films/transnation-film-festival-2016. —Gwynedd Stuart
Matters pertaining to past and present, life and death and almost everything else exist on a sliding scale in the fictional worlds of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, many of which are sly political reveries about his native Thailand. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, which would be his crowning achievement even if it hadn't won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010, makes its fantastical elements (reincarnation, talking fish) feel familiar and even comforting. It stands as one of the best, most beguiling films in recent memory — and certainly the only one featuring ghost monkeys. The Aero screens it along with Weerasethakul's earlier Syndromes and a Century, both on 35mm. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica; Thu., Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m.; $11. (323) 466-3456, americancinemathequecalendar.com. —Michael Nordine
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