Bubble, boil, steam, and burn, it’s time to watch those film reels turn. That’s right, it’s October, which means it’s almost Halloween, but the minute the clock struck midnight on the 1st, we here at IndieWire were already decked in black and frightening our office mates at Variety and The Hollywood Reporter (to be fair, we do this outside of October as well). While carving pumpkins, eating candy, and donning elaborate costumes may be how most ring in this special time of year, we believe there’s no better celebration of spooky season than entering a dark theater and sharing a few collective screams with strangers.
This month, repertory theaters in New York and Los Angeles have plenty of offerings to get those lungs expanding and heart beating. From black-and-white classics like Don Siegel’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956) to modern monster favorites such as “The Mummy” (1999) starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, don’t miss out on all the terror in store at your local revival cinema. Keep reading below to find out the best of what’s screening in October.
NEW YORK CITY
Metrograph
Ready to take a big bite out of October? Then take a trip downtown to Metrograph and catch the “Don’t Go in the Sewers” series, starting Friday, October 11 with the 1980 creature feature, “Alligator.” Penned by indie filmmaker John Sayles (“Matewan,” “City of Hope”) and starring Robert Forster, this thriller blends urban legend with modern horror to craft the tale of a bloodthirsty, mutated alligator seeking revenge on the humans who tried to dispose of him. Other films in the series include “The Host” from Bong Joon-Ho, also playing on October 11, the live-action “Super Mario Bros.” (1993) starring Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, and Dennis Hopper on October 18, a secret 35mm screening on October 19 (from those who weren’t able to discern from clues given on Metrograph’s site, it’s “C.H.U.D.”), the 1988 version of “The Blob” on October 25, and the 1990 “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” on October 26.
Also playing, if you feel like catching up with previous iterations of “Nosferatu” before Robert Eggers’ version starring Lily Rose-Depp, Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, and Willem Dafoe is released in theaters this Christmas, Werner Herzog’s 1979 take on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent film screens on October 25. “Nosferatu the Vampyre” features a haunting performance from frequent Herzog collaborator Klaus Kinski as Dracula, which echoes back to Max Schreck’s terrifying turn as Count Orlok in Murnau’s production. The Czechoslovak feature “Witchhammer” from Otakar Vávra about the Moravanian witch trials of the 1670s is also certain to send a shiver down your spine and screens on October 19.
Village East by Angelika
And speaking of films with multiple versions, on Monday, October 21, the Village East by Angelika will be screening Don Siegel’s original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956). A stirring allegory for the Second Red Scare the United States was facing under McCarthyism, the sci-fi/horror classic follows a doctor who’s shocked to discover the people of his community being replaced by alien copies. Earlier in the month, on October 14, “Rosemary’s Baby” will also be screening on 35mm. Make it a double feature and check out “Apartment 7A” on Paramount+ before or afterwards. Frank Oz’ musical take on “Little Shop of Horrors” starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, and Steve Martin on Monday, October 28 is definitely worth a watch as well.
Also of note, all month, the Village East will be hosting “Hitchcocktober,” featuring showings of some of Alfred Hitchcock’s best films every Wednesday. Kicking of this last week with the 4K restoration of “North by Northwest,” festivities continue next week with Hitch’s 2nd take on “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1952). Starring regular collaborator Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day, the film follows a familiar case of wrong place, wrong time, as an American family is compelled into a global conspiracy beyond their understanding. “The Trouble with Harry” and “Strangers on a Train” screen next, on October 16 and 23, respectively, and “Psycho” capping off the event with showings on October 30 and on Halloween. Based on Robert Block’s 1959 novel inspired by the murders of Ed Gein, “Psycho” proved a runaway hit for Hitch and is widely considered not only one of his best and most influential films, but also one of the greatest films of all time.
LOS ANGELES
Vista Theatre
Recently renovated by Quintin Tarantino and screening exclusively on 35mm and 70mm, the Vista is quickly becoming an old/new favorite for cinephiles of Hollywood. This month, the place to be is at its midnight movies, every Friday and Saturday. First up is M. Night Shyamalan’s superhero drama “Unbreakable,” tomorrow, October 4, and Saturday, October 5. It follows Bruce Willis as a security guard whose status as the lone survivor of a horrific train derailment calls into question special abilities he’d ignored or rationalized in the past and pits him against a villain (Samuel L. Jackson) set on finding his superhuman rival. This is followed with David Lynch’s surrealist debut, “Eraserhead,” on October 11 and 12, Stanley Kubrick’s blood-curdling adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Shining” on October 18 and 19, and finally, Sam Raimi’s cult classic sequel “Evil Dead II” on October 25 and 26.
Worried these selections may not exactly be kid-friendly? Never fear. The Vista also has classic, lighter fare during the Saturday and Sunday matinee screenings that will still scratch your spooky itch. These include “The Cat and the Canary” on October 12 and 13, “Arsenic and Old Lace” on October 19 and 20, and “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” on October 26 and 27.
American Cinematheque
Cinematic Void expands their monthly installment of cult film screenings with four supernatural scarers in honor of Halloween, all on 35mm at the Los Feliz 3. On October 14, they’ll be showing the original 1985 “Teen Wolf” starring Michael J. Fox. While it does deal in the topic of werewolves, the film is largely a coming-of-age comedy about an average high school basketball player who starts transforming into an unseemly, but skilled beast. The film spawned an animated series, a sequel, and a live action YA series on MTV. Roger Corman’s bloodsucking counterculture flick “The Velvet Vampire” screens the following week, on October 21, and black magic slasher “The Horror Star” aka “Frightmare” on October 28. Closing out the month, Cinematic Void will be hosting the U.S. premiere of “Watch Them Come Blood,” followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Mike Cuenca and screenwriter and producer Joaquin Dominguez.
At the Egyptian Theater, the original 1989 version of Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary” will play on Saturday, October 12, followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Mary Lambert, and actor Brad Greenquist. A new 4K restoration of “The Mummy” (1999) screens there the following week, on Friday, October 18, in honor of its 25th anniversary. Closer to Halloween, a 4K print of George A. Romero’s highly influential “Night of the Living Dead” will be shown on October 27.
