Don’t miss this John Carpenter double bill that both showcase stunning performances by actor Keith David and sport devastatingly haunting cinematography by Dean Cundey. Admission includes limited edition maniacal mask screen prints, a very special raffle with vintage John Carpenter prizes, a live pre-show performance by Harry Garland on the Castro organ and an extremely rare 35mm trailer reel of John Carpenter’s career following the features.

Celebrate the Bay Area Premiere of the 4K restoration of John Carpenter’s They Live (1987) which feels as relevant as it was when released 35 years ago along with a crisp, new 4K restoration of John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). Pro-wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and renowned legend Kurt Russell achieve mythical status as they both battle supernatural brain-washing and body snatching beings. Throw in Rob Bottin’s jaw-dropping special effects that are still revolutionary today as they were 40+ years ago and the results are two of the most subversive science fiction movies of the 1980s. (Did we mention that there’s an alley brawl that is officially the longest fist-fight in film history!?!) Come protected by wearing your Ray-Bans! Both films Rated R. 4K Restoration DCPs courtesy of Universal.

ABOUT THEY LIVE (PG-13) 1hr 37m:
Nada (Roddy Piper), a wanderer without meaning in his life, discovers a pair of sunglasses capable of showing the world the way it truly is. As he walks the streets of Los Angeles, Nada notices that both the media and the government are comprised of subliminal messages meant to keep the population subdued, and that most of the social elite are skull-faced aliens bent on world domination. With this shocking discovery, Nada fights to free humanity from the mind-controlling aliens.

ABOUT THE THING (1982) (R) 1hr 34m:
In remote Antarctica, a group of American research scientists are disturbed at their base camp by a helicopter shooting at a sled dog. When they take in the dog, it brutally attacks both human beings and canines in the camp and they discover that the beast can assume the shape of its victims. A resourceful helicopter pilot (Kurt Russell) and the camp doctor (Richard Dysart) lead the camp crew in a desperate, gory battle against the vicious creature before it picks them all off, one by one.

6:00pm – Walk In Reel /Doors
6:45 pm- 7:00 pm w/ Harry Garland, Castro Theatre Organist 
7:00 pm – 7:15 pm intro w/ Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
7:15 pm – 8:52 pm – THEY LiVE (PG-13) 1h 37 m
8:52 pm – 9:05 pm Intermission 
9:05 pm – 9:20 pm  intro w/ Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
9:20 pm – 10:54 pm – THE THiNG (1982) (R) 1h 34 m
10:54 pm – John Carpenter 35mm trailer reel
11:20 pm – Closing remarks w/ Jesse