Halloween isn't for another month, but it's never too early to binge on good horror movies. John Carpenter's The Thing is one of the best. Elsewhere, a long-lost Hitchcock film sees the light of day. more ›

Thousands of years ago, the pharaohs revered the scarab. This weekend, the Egyptian Theatre comes together to worship The Beatles. A Celluloid Celebration of John Lennon's 70th Birthday begins Thursday with the premiere of Nowhere Boy, a dramatization of Lennon's early life and the formation of Beatles proto-type The Quarrymen.... more ›

Halloween comes a little early this year, as the film that introduced the world to Michael Myers tears through The Egyptian on a double bill with the classic sci-fi/horror hybrid The Thing. It's part of a weekend long tribute to writer/director/producer/composer/probably-leaving-something-out-because-he's-done-everything John Carpenter, that also pairs '80s action funfests They Live (best film starring a wrestler, hands-down) and Big Trouble in Little China, as well as a personal favorite, Escape from New York, and its sequel Escape from L.A.. If that isn't enough to plot your escape, Carpenter himself will be appearing at the Friday show. His latest film, The Ward, just opened at the Toronto International Film Festival, and maybe if a bunch of us ask really nicely he'll talk about it. more ›

I can't tell you where or how I first learned of Damon Packard, but his experimental-nostalgic-acid-horror-collage Reflections of Evil melted my brain forever. Packard excels at melding "borrowed" footage from '70s TV, science fiction & God knows what else with his own paranoid fantasies for pure cinematic psychosis. more ›

There are plenty of ways to scare yourself silly this weekend in LA. If you're
too old or wary for trick-or-treating, then why not head to the local cineplex?
Here are five movies playing around town that range from frightening to fun.

• Doom - The Rock returns in this sci-fi/horror flick set in a futuristic Mars research facility. Predictably, the facility loses communication and is quarantined. The Marines discover the source of the trouble: the researchers opened a portal to hell. Rock and company battle with a slew of otherworldly demons and denizens. [ trailer | local showtimes ]
• Saw II - The sadistic serial killer "Jigsaw" is back. This time he makes eight victims play a sort of "reality" game to see who, if anyone, survives. The tagline is "oh yes, there will be blood." Consider yourselves warned. Surprisingly, squeaky-clean Beverly Mitchell makes an appearance in this flick, along with Tobin Bell, Franky G and Shawnee Smith. [ trailer | local showtimes ]
• The Fog - Tom Welling, Maggie Grace and Selma Blair star in a remake of John Carpenter's classic movie. Century-old ghosts roll in with a creepy layer of fog, wreaking havoc on the local Northern California town. [ trailer | local showtimes ]

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LAist is feeling a little bit depressed at the current selection of new films playing at the local cineplex. We're just feeling a little bit taken advantage of, and you're about to read why. more ›