Tag: flesh-for-frankenstein

Beyond Fest Announces Beyond Chicago Spin-Off
Beyond Fest Chicago 2026 runs April 2-5.

Preview:
- Beyond Fest is launching a Beyond Chicago spin-off.
- Movies including ‘Obsession’ and the new ‘Faces of Death’ will screen.
- It’ll run between April 2-5 at the Music Box Theatre.
  
  While we more commonly associate Beyond Fest with its annual fall screening in Los Angeles, the team is looking to take the show on the road.
A new regional spin-off, Beyond Chicago, is planned to happen in the Music Box Theatre venue next month, promising the likes of new Bob Odenkirk-starrer ‘Normal’ and a special 35mm screening of the Shaw Brothers classic, ‘The Kid with the Golden Arm.’
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Related Article: Beyond Fest’s Full 2025 Line Up Includes ‘Bugonia’ and ‘Black Phone 2’

What other movies will screen at Beyond Chicago?

Bob Odenkirk in ‘Normal’. Photo: Magnolia Pictures.

Tied to ‘Normal,’ Odenkirk will be introducing a print of 1974’s original ‘The Taking of Pelham One Two Three’, while the action madness continues via stunt icon k bringing his instantly infamous epic-fight-fest, ‘The Furious’ to Chicago.

In addition to brand new movies, there will also be screenings of restorations, including a 4K version of ‘Speed Racer’ introduced by co-director Lilly Wachowski in person, while a late night screening of 1973’s ‘Flesh for Frankenstein’ in 3D is planned as a tribute to the late Udo Kier.

How can I get tickets for Beyond Chicago?

Emile Hirsch in 2008’s ‘Speed Racer.’

The event runs between April 2-5 at the Music Box.

Tickets are on sale to members on March 5 and general public on March 6. Free tickets for Screen 2 will be available to Music Box members on Wednesday 1 April and general public on Thursday 2 April.

For more information, visit beyondfest.com and musicboxtheatre.com.

A scene from ‘The Yeti’. Photo: Well Go USA.

Selected List of Movies Playing at Beyond Chicago:
- ‘Flesh for Frankenstein’ (1973)
- ‘The Taking of Pelham One Two Three’ (1974)
- ‘The Kid with the Golden Arm’ (1979)
- ‘Speed Racer’ (2008)
- ‘One Spoon of Chocolate’ (2025)
- ‘Obsession’ (2025)
- ‘The Furious’ (2025)
- ‘Normal’ (2026)
- ‘Over Your Dead Body’ (2026)
- ‘Faces of Death’ (2026)
- ‘The Yeti‘ (2026)
Buy Bob Odenkirk Movies and TV on Amazon
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March 5, 2026
Cult Cinema Icon Udo Kier Dies at 81
Udo Kier in ‘Cigarette Burns.’

Udo Kier, the German-born actor whose singular screen presence transformed arthouse and genre cinema for more than five decades, died on Sunday morning in Palm Springs, according to his partner, artist Delbert McBride. He was 81.
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Among Kier’s notable credits were the likes of ‘Flesh for Frankenstein’ and ‘My Own Private Idaho.’

Related Article: Jimmy Cliff, a True Reggae Icon and ‘Harder They Come’ Star, Dies at 81

Udo Kier: early life and career

(L to R): Arno Jürging and Udo Kier in ‘Flesh for Frankenstein.’

Born October 14, 1944, in Cologne, Germany, Kier entered the world amid the wreckage of World War II — a beginning he later described as “a life shaped by shadows, and a career chasing the light they throw.”

He moved to London in the 1960s, where his striking looks and enigmatic aura caught the attention of European filmmakers. His breakout came with Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey’s ‘Flesh for Frankenstein’ and ‘Blood for Dracula,’ performances that fused grotesque theatricality with irresistible charm.

From there, Kier became a cinematic nomad. He was as comfortable in horror as in comedy, in experimental art films as in Hollywood blockbusters. He amassed a cult following not only for his icy blue eyes and baroque expressiveness, but for his fearless embrace of odd, unsettling, or deeply eccentric roles.

Udo Kier: movies and more

Udo Kier as Mr. Pat in ‘Swan Song.’

Kier’s career spanned more than 200 films across Europe and the United States. He collaborated with visionaries including Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Gus Van Sant, Werner Herzog, Lars von Trier, and Guy Maddin — each partnership revealing new facets of his surreal magnetism.

His performances in films such as ‘Dogville,’ ‘Melancholia’ and ‘The Forbidden Room’ showcased a performer who could vacillate between menace and vulnerability with breathtaking ease.

In his later years, Kier reached new artistic heights. His acclaimed lead role in ‘Swan Song’ revealed a softer, more introspective side, proving he was not just a cult icon but a deeply nuanced actor capable of anchoring a film with wit, melancholy, and grace.

Udo Kier: legacy

Udo Kier in ‘Swan Song.’

Though he never aligned himself with mainstream stardom, Kier became one of cinema’s most recognizable and beloved character actors. His work earned him lifetime achievement honors at numerous film festivals, celebrating a career built on risk, originality, and devotion to the craft.

He was a fixture in LGBTQ+ cinema and culture, an artist who defied convention and embraced queerness, eccentricity, and vulnerability long before they were celebrated.

Udo Kier’s death marks the passing of one of the screen’s great chameleons — a performer who turned strangeness into beauty, darkness into art, and every role into an unforgettable dreamscape.

Udo Kier as Mr. Pat and director Todd Stephens on the set of ‘Swan Song’

Selected Movies Featuring Udo Kier:
- ‘Flesh for Frankenstein’ (1973)
- ‘Suspiria’ (1977)
- ‘My Own Private Idaho’ (1901)
- ‘Blade’ (1998)
- ‘Dogville’ (2003)
- ‘Melancholia’ (2011)
- ‘Downsizing’ (2017)
- ‘Swan Song’ (2021)
- ‘The Secret Agent’ (2025)
Buy Udo Kier Movies & TV on Amazon
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November 24, 2025