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Beyond Fest 2024, the genre film festival based in the United States is returning for its 12th presentation with an 82-feature lineup for 15 days of cinematic spectacle! This year’s celebration includes a killer roster of firsts, special screenings, anticipated reunions, and more fan-favorite filmmakers than most cinephiles could handle for one momentous event! This year’s collection of films and creators is better than ever, so prepare yourself for a gauntlet of big-screen wonders, a popcorn diet, and random encounters with celebrities and fans alike.

Per Beyond Fest’s official press release (with some flavor text sprinkled in):

Beyond Fest, the biggest and highest-attended genre film festival in the US is excited to announce its complete slate of 2024 programming comprising 82 features, including 16 World Premieres, 4 International Premieres, 1 North American Premiere, 3 US Premieres, and 25 West Coast Premieres. After entertaining over 25,000 guests in 2023, Beyond Fest returns for its 12th edition, spanning September 25th – October 9th.

The long-awaited unveiling of Gary Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot, the west coast premiere of Terrifier 3, a 30th anniversary Speed reunion with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, and focus on filmmakers Sam Raimi and Shane Black are among the many highlights of the 12th edition of Beyond Fest, which will hit Los Angeles starting Sept. 25.

Other big-name titles include the international premiere of Toho’s My Hero Academia: You’re Next and the west coast premieres of The Brutalist, the immigration thriller that is coming off a Silver Lion award for best director at the Venice Film Festival. Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner Anora, Donald Trump origin story The Apprentice, and Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch are also on the docket And there will be the U.S. premiere of Sarah Paulson’s suspense thriller Hold Your Breath.

Billing itself the largest genre film festival in the United States,...

Oh, Canada debuting this week on the Croisette is high time to see lesser-seen Schrader on the Criterion Channel, who’ll debut an 11-title series including the likes of Touch, The Canyons, and Patty Hearst, while Old Boyfriends (written with his brother Leonard) and his own “Adventures in Moviegoing” are also programmed. Five films by Jean Grémillon, a rather underappreciated figure of French cinema, will be showing

Series-wise, there’s an appreciation of the synth soundtrack stretching all the way back to 1956’s Forbidden Planet while, naturally, finding its glut of titles in the ’70s and ’80s––Argento and Carpenter, obviously, but also Tarkovsky and Peter Weir. A Prince and restorations of films by Bob Odenkirk, Obayashi, John Greyson, and Jacques Rivette (whose Duelle is a masterpiece of the highest order) make streaming debuts. I Am Cuba, Girlfight, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Dazed and Confused are June’s Criterion Editions.

Bob Odenkirk is in stable condition after suffering a “heart-related incident” on the set of “Better Call Saul.” Reports surfaced on Tuesday, July 27 that Odenkirk was rushed to the hospital after collapsing on the set of the sixth and final season of the AMC drama series. The production films in New Mexico. While Odenkirk’s representatives confirmed his hospitalization to numerous outlets, no cause for his collapse was given for several hours. Now Odenkirk’s team has issued a statement confirming the actor is in stable condition.

“We can confirm Bob is in stable condition after experiencing a heart-related incident,” reps for the actor said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). “He and his family would like to express gratitude for the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, as well as his cast, crew and producers who have stayed by his side. The Odenkirks would also like to...

No one would accuse of Bob Odenkirk of being a slacker, but his feature-film directing career has never quite taken off. His projects include TV series, comedy specials, short films, and the odd music video, but movie success eludes him — even when he’s directing longtime pals like Will Arnett, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, and Jenna Fischer. Of his three films, only his debut, festival hit “Melvin Goes to Dinner,” earned mostly positive reviews, and none were box-office hits.

And while he’d like another shot (“I look forward to doing it one day”), Odenkirk puts any blame for failure squarely on himself.

“I think my experiences were pretty rough, and one of the reasons was I didn’t really fully embrace the stories I was telling,” he said. “I sort of learned that that’s your first job as director, to love every aspect of the story and really,...

In addition to being a modern comedy giant, Bob Odenkirk seems like a really nice guy. He’s like the Dave Grohl of comedy, minus the backlash. The movies have not treated him all that well, however, particularly in the case of the Mr. Show-derived Run Ronnie Run, which became a heavily-compromised affair. Still, Odenkirk has to date managed to produce three features as a director, and they remain largely under the radar as far as mainstream audiences are concerned. With his star having risen via Breaking Bad, and now Better Call Saul, Odenkirk seems poised for greater popular recognition. Here’s hoping the extra clout can him back behind the camera making features because, as good as the first three are, it feels like the best is still ahead of him.

Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003)

Mr. Show fans could not have expected Odenkirk’s debut feature to be...

There are certain stars that seem to burn brightly when given brief exposure, and yet may fade or twinkle less when overexposed. Sometimes, with just a cameo or a secondary, even tertiary role, an actor's presence is like a welcome fresh breeze. It's like tapas, a perfect sampling of their talent and verve that never overstays its welcome.

The following 12 actors are pretty awesome when nibbled as amuse bouche. I'm recognizing the greatness of these actors in ensemble pieces, roles with less screen time, or even just bit parts. That's not to say all of them should never have leading roles. That's not to say that there haven't been better cameo performances. It's just that when shining in brief glimpses, these actors and actresses tend to be at the top of their game.

Kevin Spacey: Moon, Austin Powers in Goldmember, Glengarry Glen Ross

Jack Black: Anchorman, Run Ronnie Run,...

I’ve been a huge supporter of IFC Films and their unique acquisitions since picking up a copy of director Bob Odenkirk’s underrated comedy “Melvin Goes to Dinner” several years ago. Their releases seem to be in tune with my unusual cinematic sensibilities, particularly when it comes to horror. The company’s latest imprint, IFC Midnight, is dedicated to delivering off-beat, under-the-radar productions that will appeal to those who find themselves consistently straying from the mainstream. Listed below are just a few of the features that IFC will unleash this summer in theaters and VOD. Straight from the press release, here’s a few of the titles currently slated for release: The Human Centipede (First Sequence): Written and directed by Tom Six, the film is a truly one-of-a kind horror film about a mad scientist who achieves his sick lifetime fantasy of creating a human centipede. Entertainment Weekly...

By Neil Pedley

There is plenty of (semi)lighthearted fare at the art house this week with Danny Boyle tracking a "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" whiz kid in Mumbai, Arnaud Desplechin looking at a family reunion in France and a Bollywood musical playing out in Miami, followed by films that are distinctively more "hardcore," whether that refers to Harry Potter fans or elderly curmudgeons. Oh, and there's also some globetrotting carnage with our man Craig -- Daniel Craig.

"B.O.H.I.C.A."

If this debut effort from "Melvin Goes To Dinner" producer turned writer/director D.J. Paul is to be believed, the best way to support our brave boys serving overseas is to send them some sunscreen and a truckload of Sudoku books. Marooned in the middle of the Afghan desert guarding a radio tower, four army reservists (Adam Rodriguez, Nicholas Gonzalez, Kevin Weisman, Brendan Sexton III) do battle with the...