This Month in Film: October New Releases
By Gabrielle Bondi, The Young Folks
October brings a nice mix of movies. It also brings a TON of them. You can’t say that you don’t have options every weekend this month. We, of course, have the horror films that lead up to Halloween. We get a good dose of possible Oscar contenders. Then, a couple cool action films, indies and comedies. Take a look to see what’s in store for the movies this month!
Friday, October 5th
Pitch Perfect – Read our review + Enter to win a Pitch Perfect prize pack – Lucy and I were both blown away by how aca-awesome Pitch Perfect is! It’s SO funny, much thanks to the amazingly talented Rebel Wilson. The rest of the cast is great too, but Rebel is truly the shining star of this a cappella comedy. (Wide)
Taken 2 – Watch the trailer + Coming Soon article – Everyone wants to see this movie. EVERYONE. After watching Liam Neeson kick ass in the firstTaken, we’re all ready for more. This time his ex-wife (or wife again?) gets taken and his daughter might too. (The trailer is a little vague on all that.) At this point, someone can kidnap his pet hamster, and we’ll still all want to see it. (Wide)
Frankenweenie – Watch the trailer + Comic-Con report – After hearing Tim Burton talk about his latest film at Comic Con, I’ve been interested in this little black-and-white animated film. Usually, I’m put off by stop-motion animation, but after the great ParaNorman, I’m curious to check out Frankenweenie. (Wide)
The House I Live In – Watch the trailer – I added this documentary to the list because I heard great things about it. Plus, I think it tackles an interesting topic: America’s war on drugs and how it impacts the criminal justice system. (Limited)
Butter – Watch the trailer – This movie started playing at festivals around a year ago, and now it’s finally out in theaters. I heard mixed reviews. But the cast is noteworthy; it includes Jennifer Garner, Ty Burrell, Olivia Wilde and Hugh Jackman. (Limited)
The Paperboy – Watch the trailer – The Lee Daniels movie premiered at Cannes to both positive and negative reactions. It’s definitely a different role for Zac Efron. The consensus is that he carries his own among cast members like Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey and John Cusack. (Limited)
The Oranges – Watch the trailer – Two families are driven apart when the head (Hugh Laurie) of one has an affair with the daughter (Leighton Meester) of the other family. It’s more comedic than dramatic, and the cast is great (Allison Janney, Catherine Keener, Adam Brody also star).
V/H/S – Watch the trailer – The second horror film of the month already! This is an indie that premiered at Sundance. I remember reading that someone fainted during one of screenings. Not sure how accurate that is, but I heard it’s very scary. Therefore, the wimp that I am will not see it. Although, I know a lot of young folks who like to be petrified by their cinema. (Limited)
Friday, October 12th
Argo – Watch the trailer + Enter to win an Argo prize pack – So many awesome things have been said of Ben Affleck’s latest film. He both stars and directs this one. It’s fair to say that this is the first possible major Oscar contender of the month. Just watch the trailer; it looks pretty incredible. (Wide)
Seven Psychopaths – Watch the trailer – I saw this movie last week (and will have a review soon). I ‘m sad to say that I wasn’t as impressed with this film as I hoped I would be. Martin McDonagh (who wrote and directed In Bruges) reteams with Colin Farrell for this action comedy. Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson also star. While I can’t complain about the acting, I wished the story was more cohesive. However, it is pretty funny and has some very clever moments. (Wide)
Smashed – Watch the trailer – I saw this movie a couple weeks ago and loved it. It took me by surprise how riveting and emotional a young alcoholic couple can be while trying to treat their addiction. I’ve seen Mary Elizabeth Winstead in a few films, but this is the first time that she’s really made an impression. Of course, co-star Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) is just as great. Unfortunately, my review is embargoed until the 19th (Sucks living in the Second City), but I still don’t want you to miss out on this indie. (Limited)
Sinister – Watch the trailer – Horror Movie No. 3! Ethan Hawke stars in this found footage scary movie. Found footage and horror seems like the new thing, since the success of the Paranormal Activity films. However, I heard this one is actually smart. (Wide)
Here Comes the Boom – Watch the trailer – Kevin James and Salma Hayek star in this comedy. I’m not a big on Kevin James, but I love Salma Hayek. I’m always wishing she would do better movies though. (Wide)
3, 2, 1… Frankie Go Boom – Watch the trailer – This looks like a pretty nutso comedy! Ron Perlman, Charlie Hunnan, Lizzy Caplan, and Chris O’Dowd are main motivating factors to see this one. (Limited)
Friday, October 19th
Alex Cross – Watch the trailer – I’m sort of on the fence with Alex Cross. From the trailer, Tyler Perry looks too serious. Maybe because I’m so used to hisMadea movies, I wasn’t entirely convinced. Yet, Matthew Fox is surprisingly crazy as the villain! (Wide)
Paranormal Activity 4 – Watch the trailer – Another one? Horror Movie No. 4 for this month. Do I really need to explain this one? It’s just like the last three. I wonder if it will beat the Saw sequel record. (Wide)
The Sessions – Watch the trailer – This is the most interesting film of the week. It’s like a more serious and endearing version of 40-Year-Old Virgin. John Hawkes is the star of this indie, and he’s one of my favorite actors to emerge in the past couple years. (Limited)
Friday, October 26th
Cloud Atlas – Watch the AMAZING trailer + Coming Soon article – This is one of the movies that will either be completely life-changing or confusing. I’m hoping it’s not the latter. The trailer is magnificent, one of the most stunning compilations of clips ever put together. On top of that, it’s the latest from the Wachowski siblings (The Matrix trilogy) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run). It’s a big movie with a big cast (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, etc.). It’s ambitious, and I hope wonderful. (Wide)
Chasing Mavericks – Watch the trailer – Gerard Butler hasn’t really done a good movie in a while. Not sure if this one will break is slump. I’m not crazy about surfer movies or films based on inspirational true stories. I guess this isn’t for me, but… I know quite a few people who would be interested. (Wide)
Fun Size – Watch the trailer – I haven’t heard of this movie until I researched this list. I was surprised because Josh Schwartz (producer for shows likeChuck, Gossip Girl, The O.C.) is the director. Unfortunately, it looks pretty generic. Here’s to hoping it’s fun, if cliché. (Wide)
Silent Hill: Revelation 3D – Watch the trailer + Read our Comic Con report – The final horror film of October. This is numero five, and it looks pretty terrifying. Check out our detailed report from Silent Hill’s Comic-Con panel. We give an idea of what to expect from this horrifying sequel. (Wide)
What are you excited to see in October?
This article was first published in The Young Folks.
Gabrielle Bondi is 22 years old and lives in the beautiful city of Chicago. She enjoys every aspect of the arts, included but not limited to, music, film, literature and drawing. Gaby is very open-minded and adventurous. She likes making outrageous plans and scheming their execution. She usually goes to the movies 2-3 times a week. Yes, she’s that obsessed. She’s also obsessed with Twitter and constantly checking it throughout the day, even when she’s not supposed to…
