Fantastic Fest kicked off in Austin with a screening of Halloween!

That’s right. Halloween is back, and I must say, this new incarnation is pretty thrilling. 

Jamie Lee Curtis walked the red carpet before the screening , along with costar Andi Matichak and Danny McBride, who happens to be one of the film’s writers.

Michael Myers also made an appearance in the theater before the film began. He also posed in a lobby photo op, where yours truly made the mistake of thinking he was a mannequin. After snapping this pic of him creepily staring out at the crowd, the “mannequin” moved towards me (and I hysterically laughed because that’s what I do to avoid showing fear).

I definitely wasn’t as cool as Elijah Wood who played along and snapped this pic at the photo op (as captured by @devonpbailey on IG).

JLC is just as bad ass as you’d expect. She jokes, she swears, she gives the bird and she oozes personality. Oh, how’d I’d love to spend an evening simply hanging out and chatting with her. 

Following the screening, there was a Q&A with cast and creators on hand.

When asked about her filming experience, Matichak, who plays the granddaughter of Curtis’ character Laurie Strode, said,

“I’m so completely humbled and honored to be (…) a part of this franchise.”

Meanwhile, McBride said his involvement with the film came about simply because he went to college with writer/ Director David Gordon Green. Unfortunately, Green couldn’t attend because he was working. 

Other highlights from the event include:

• Jamie Lee mentioning that she had toothpaste on the cuff of her jacket while stepping on to the red carpet.
• The fact that the festival carpet isn’t red at all. It’s black.
• Curtis getting super psyched about a Five Nights at Freddy’s movie. “My son is going to go fucking crazy,” she exclaimed. 
• A fan in the audience comparing the film’s storyline to Home Alone.

On top of all of this, audience members even got some top secret intel about one of the film’s Easter eggs. But you’re gonna have to see the movie before we let you in on that little secret.

Halloween opens nationwide on October 19.

Fantastic Fest runs through September 27.

Want to know more about other celebs attending the fest? Click here.

Be sure to follow ATXgossip on Instagram for more pictures throughout the duration of the festival.