Fans of the Halloween season wait year-round for the month of October to finally roll in. They sit around in anticipation to throw on their favorite festive classics. When “Hocus Pocus” and “Halloween” aren’t enough to satisfy your craving for spooky entertainment, here is what’s premiering during the month of October.
“Venom”
Oct. 5
Sony’s Marvel Universe provides the first scare of the month with the release of “Venom.” Venom, as a character, made their debut appearance in the cinematic classic “Spider-Man 3,” featuring the enigmatic Tobey Maguire. This spin-off stars Tom Hardy as the titular Venom.
The film recaps the origin story of the anti-hero but with a dark twist. The twist, of course, being the atrocious CGI. The film didn’t intend to be scary, but somehow it managed to fall in line with the Halloween season.
“Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween”
Oct. 12
Is there anything better than poorly made horror films?
Yes, poorly made Halloween films for children. “Goosebumps” used to reach the highest peak of cultural significance, and now it has theatrical films. The self-referencing film stars Jack Black and follows the story of R.L Stine’s literary creations coming to life.
“Bad Times at the El Royale”
Oct. 12
The trailer for this thriller came out of nowhere. The star-studded cast each perform as motel guests, with characters searching for seperate things, playing out their own segments.
The film features Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, Dakota Johnson and Jeff Bridges. Throughout their separate journeys, the characters go through different trials and enmity with death around every corner. This tension-filled film is sure to appease Halloween anticipation.
“Halloween”
Oct. 19
The original 1978 “Halloween” is a seasonal classic, but modern Hollywood has remake money to spare.
Jamie Lee Curtis steps down from ruling her yogurt empire to reprise her role as Laurie Strode, the original scream queen. Michael Myers is still dealing with his Freudian issues and aggressively violent outbursts. When he escapes from prison yet again, under ridiculous horror film circumstances, he goes after Laurie for revenge. Except this time, Laurie is ready for him.
"Malicious"
Oct. 19
There’s nothing creepier than children, especially children within a horror film. With the tagline “Children are a gift from Hell,” this spooky release follows the story of a newly appointed professor and his pregnant wife. All seems well until they unknowingly release a malevolent entity.
Although the film does not star top tier actors, it’s sure to provide enough decent acting and jump scares for the Halloween season. It might be a step down from “The Shining” or “Orphan,” but that’s become the norm for this holiday season.
“Suspiria”
Oct. 26
Another horror remake graces the silver screen this month.
The classic 1977 film “Suspiria,” is being remade starring Tilda Swinton, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Dakota Johnson. Critics praised the original film for its amazing cinematography and framing, setting up the remake for a difficult follow up.
The plot follows the toxic relationship between ballet dancers and a renowned dance company. Many involved will fall into the spiral that follows the company, but some will rise out of the shadows.
Editor's note: The original version of this article included the movie "Serenity," which has a new release date of January 25.
Samantha Vargas is the assistant arts editor and can be reached at samantha.vargas@ubspectrum.com and @SamVargasArts .
Samantha Vargas is an English/ film studies double major with a minor in media study. She spends her free time finding shows around buffalo and hanging out with her cat.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
