Horror Films & Cult Classics

California hosts hundreds of film festivals throughout the year but there's really no bigger fan base than those who devour the horror/sci-fi film genre. September through November are popular months to roll out the blood-red carpet for film festivals honoring the latest and best in scare movies.

Hollywood and Los Angeles are the epi-center of the action, but there are festivals throughout California to celebrate the Halloween season's arrival. Here's a sampling of exciting horror film festivals coming to California:

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

The longest-running midnight movie of all time stars Tim Curry as the kinky yet endearing transsexual from Transylvania" Dr. Frank N. Furter, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as his hapless guests Brad and Janet, Meat Loaf as motorcycle-riding rough trade and author Richard O'Brien as the hunchbacked butler Riff Raff. It's a delightful spoof of Hollywood horror movies and melodramas.

ENCINITAS: The Rocky Horror Picture Show Every Friday at Midnight
La Paloma Theatre
471 South Coast Highway
Encinitas, CA
lapalomatheatre.com
$10 approx.

PITTSBURG: The ORIGINAL The Rocky Horror Picture Show 
Doors & Bar open at 10
California Theatre
351 Railroad Ave.
Pittsburg, CA
925.427.1611
$12 - All Tickets $15 Survival Kit
pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com
With preshow entertainment and live shadow casting by Barely Legal! The longest-running midnight movie of all time stars Tim Curry as the kinky yet endearing transsexual from Transylvania" Dr. Frank N. Furter, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as his hapless guests Brad and Janet, Meat Loaf as motorcycle-riding rough trade and author Richard O'Brien as the hunchbacked butler Riff Raff. It's harmless musical fun—a delightful spoof of Hollywood horror movies and Old Dark House melodramas. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was the first—and is still the best—interactive movie experience! Bring your sense of humor and purchase your survival kits early.

REDDING: Rocky Horror Picture Show, musical 
Repertory Theatre production
axiomrepertorytheatre.com
Old City Hall
1313 Market Street
Redding, CA 96001
$30, shastaartscouncil.org
(530) 241-7320
 Bring bubbles, small squirt guns (with water), newspaper, rubber gloves, glow sticks, quarter rolls of toilet paper, cards, and a bell. You can also buy a Rocky Horror party at the concessions counter.
Cast:  Tanya Stedman as Trixie the Usherette/Phantom  | Brady Hannigan as Brad | Halie Benfer as Janet | Narrator Bob Koroluck |  Michael Osa as Riff Raff | Nicole Srp as Columbia  | Kris Dickey-Rodola as Magenta  | Louie Licon as Frank 'N' Furter  | Michael Jones as Rocky  | Keith Rose as Eddie/Dr. Scott | Tristan Ford as Phantom  | Ashley Nascimento as Phantom  | Madison Nascimento as Phantom

Barely Legal Rocky Halloween Shows in Bay Area
barelylegal.rhps.org
- Costume Contests!
- Horrifyingly Fun Prizes!
- Ridiculous Games!
- Loads of Audience Participation!

MODESTO:  Rocky Horror at the State Theatre in Modesto!
facebook.com/events/1212040998942594

PETALUMA:  Rocky Horror at the Phoenix in Petaluma facebook.com/events/246115522544390/

ALBANY:  Rocky Horror at the Twin Cinema in Albany.

LIVERMORE:  A few BL'ers will be performing songs from Rocky Horror at a charity event in Livermore.

PITTSBURG:  Rocky Horror at the California Cinema in Pittsburg.
facebook.com/events/1953466511591202/

BERKELEY:  Rocky Horror at the UC Theatre in Berkeley.
facebook.com/events/271335486715732/

HOLLYWOOD: Screamfest Horror Film Festival October  TCL Chinese 6 Theatres
6801 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
screamfestla.com
Festival pass $206-310
Individual shows $11 approx.
Screamfest was formed in August 2001 by film producers Rachel Belofsky and Ross Martin in order to give filmmakers and writers in the horror/sci-fi genres a venue to have their work showcased to people in the industry.

MONTE RIO: Fright Flicks in October
20396 Bohemian Highway
Monte Rio, CA
riotheater.com
$8, $6 juniors and seniors

SANTA CRUZ: October Horror
Del Mar Theatre
1124 Pacific Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA
$6.50-8.50, landmarktheatres.com

House October 13, 2017 (Japanese with English subtitles)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 
Night of the Living Dead 
Halloween 
The Rocky Horror Picture Show 

LIVERMORE: Young Frankenstein 
Vine Cinema
Livermore
vinecinema.com

WEST LOS ANGELES:  Fright Flicks
Nuart Theatre Los Angeles
11272 Santa Monica Boulevard
landmarktheatres.com
 

SAN DIEGO: Midnight Movies at Ken Cinema
Rocky
Ken Cinema San Diego (619) 819-0236 landmarktheatres.com/san-diego
Rocky Horror Picture Show with Live Shadow Cast Saturday, October 21, 2017 Midnight
Shadow cast is a group of actors who get onstage to do a performance of a movie while the movie itself plays on the background, therefore casting shadows on the screen.
Also showing: John Carpenter's Halloween 

SACRAMENTO: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, musical  Green Valley Theatre Company
3823 V Street Sacramento, CA 95818
$18, greenvalleytheatre.com
Get out your corset and heels and come be a part of the Sacramento Halloween tradition. The Rocky Horror Show by Richard O'Brien is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical
 

SAN FRANCISCO: The Rocky Horror Picture Show 
Victoria Theatre 2961 16th Street San Francisco, CA 94103 
$30-40, victoriatheatre.org
Back for its third-annual fully-staged production, Richard O'Brien's iconic The Rocky Horror Show warps back to the Victoria stage just in time for Halloween in this Ray of Light Theatre event.
 

SANTA ROSA: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, musical  6th Street Playhouse
52 W. 6th Street
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$26-36, 6thstreetplayhouse.com

SACRAMENTO: Horror Film Festival  The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Historic Colonial Theatre
3522 Stockton Blvd. Sacramento, CA
Sacramento Horror Film Festival is much more an intimate experience than going to the megaplex. When you purchase tickets to a show you can potentially meet the filmmakers and cast and crew of the films you are about to watch. Other mediums of entertainment such as performance art, comedy, and live music are sometimes thrown into the mix.

SAN FRANCISCO: Midnight Movies at Clay Theatre
2261 Fillmore St.
San Francisco, CA
landmarktheatres.com
 Rocky Horror Picture Show October 28, 2017 |  October 31, 2017 with live shadow cast  bawdycaste.org
 

LONG BEACH: The Art Theatre

Rocky Horror Picture Show Every Saturday at Midnight
Friday the 13th 

The Art Theatre
2025 East 4th Street
Long Beach, California 90804
 arttheatrelongbeach.org
With Live LB Original Shadowcast Every Sat Night at Midnight! Costumes and audience participation galore! This low-budget freak show/cult classic/cultural institution concerns the misadventures of newlyweds inside a mad scientist's strange mansion.

MERCED: The Rocky Horror Picture Show 
The Merced Theatre Foundation Presents
mercedtheatre.org
301 W Main St
Merced, CA
 

RIVERSIDE: Hocus Pocus & Corpse Bride 
Tombstone Cinema Presents
Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery
14th Street & Pine Street
Riverside, CA
$10
evergreen-cemetery.info
Bring low back chairs and/or blankets to sit on. All Proceeds benefit Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery

SANTA MONICA: All Night Horrorthon 
 Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Ave,
Santa Monica, CA 90403
$25, americancinemathequecalendar.com

HOLLYWOOD: Night of the Living Dead   
Cinespia Presents the movie... Hollywood Forever Cemetery  Gates 5:15 / Movie 7 Halloween Night!
cinespia.org

NORTH HOLLYWOOD: ZedFest Zombie Film Festival  zedfest.org
Laemmle Noho
5240 Lankershim Blvd.
Acme Noho
5124 Lankershim Blvd.
Zed Fest was founded by Ed Stephens to support and encourage independent low budget filmmaking outside the Hollywood System.

 

San Francisco Another Hole in the Head
Brea Everybody Dies Horror Film Festival
Downey Late Night Horror Film Festival
Hollywood Shock Film Festival
Midnight Black International Festival of Darkness
It's so dark, we can't figure out if there's a festival.

HOLLYWOOD: Shriekfest
shriekfest.com
Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Ave Hollywood CA 90028
Shriekfest is an international festival and screenplay competition that receives submissions from all over the world. The festival is dedicated to getting horror thriller sci-fi fantasy filmmakers and screenwriters the recognition they deserve.

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Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.