It’s time again for our annual Halloween guide to scary movies. So sit back with some popcorn and a pumpkin craft ale (where allowed, of course) and take in some thrills, chills, and spills at the cinema.
Rio Theatre
(1660 E. Broadway; for tickets visit riotheatre.ca)
The Lodge (Oct. 11, 9:30 p.m.)—A 2019 British horror movie presented by the 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival.
Night of the Living Dead (Oct. 11, 11:55)—George Romero’s 1968 black-and-white zombie classic.
The Evil Dead (Oct. 12, 11:55 p.m.)—Sam Raimi’s 1981 horror-comedy cult classic in a new 4k restoration, with a new score.
Alien (Oct. 14, 6:45 p.m.)—The 1979 sci-fi horror film that started it all (or at least a megamillion dollar franchise).
The Craft (Oct. 18, 11:30 p.m.)—A witchy brew from 1996 and starring Neve Campbell, Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney and Rachel True.
Beetlejuice (Oct 26, 2 p.m.; Oct. 29, 6 p.m.; Oct. 31, 4 p.m.)—Michael Keaton + Tim Burton = hilarity.
What We Do in the Shadows (Oct.26, 4:15 p.m.; Oct. 31, 6:15 p.m.)—The best movie ever made about the vampire housing crisis in New Zealand.
The Witch (Oct. 26 at 8:45 p.m.)—A modern (2016) American classic. What, or who, is in the woods? And what’s wrong with Black Phillip?
Black Phillip, the breakout goat from 2016’s The Witch.
The Blair Witch Project (Oct. 26 at 11 p.m.)—20th anniversary screening of the spooky 1999 low-budget witch chase flick.
Psycho (Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.)—Hitchcock, Janet Leigh, and the Bates Motel.
Carrie (Oct. 29 at 8:15 p.m.)—Sissy Spacek, John Travolta and a bucket of (pig’s) blood star in this 1976 adaptation of a Stephen King novel.
Halloween (Oct 29 at 10:30 p.m.)—John Carpenter’s 1978 original.
The Exorcist (Oct 31 at 8:30 p.m.)—Director’s cut.
Pacific Cinematheque
(1131 Howe St.)
British Folk Horror—The Cinematheque’s Halloween programming includes films in a subgenre that often gets overlooked. Of course, it would have to include The Wicker Man (Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. and Oct 26 at 8 p.m.), Robin Hardy’s 1973 film later remade with Nicolas Cage. Other films include Night of the Demon (aka Curse of the Demon) (Oct 25 at 8:30 p.m. and Oct. 26 at 6 p.m.), a 1957 Jacques Tourneur film, and Kill List (Oct. 26 at 10 p.m. and Oct. 31 at 8:30 p.m.), a 2011 film by Ben Wheatley. (Tickets: thecinematheque.ca)
Northwest Horror Show—On Oct. 29, Northwest Horror Show presents a zombie double feature: Zombie (6:30 p.m.), by Italian director Lucio Fulci; and The Living Dead At the Manchester Morgue (aka Let Sleeping Corpses Lie) (8:30 p.m.) by Jorge Grau, a Spanish/British co-production. Both prints are new 4k restorations. Also included: trailer reels before each film and a zombie costume contest. (Tickets at brownpapertickets.com)
York Theatre
(639 Commercial Dr.)
On Oct. 25 & 26, Vancouver Horror Show presents three programs of short films (32 films from nine different countries) and the Canadian premiere of the BC-made feature film Puppet Killer. For more info visit the Vancouver Horror Show Facebook event page.
Vancity Theatre
(1181 Howe St.; for ticket visit viff.org)
Re-Animator (Oct. 30 at 6:45 p.m.)—A 1985 cult horror-comedy hit.
Society (Oct 30 at 8:50 p.m.)—From viff.org: “Brian Yuzna found success producing Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animatorand From Beyond in the mid-80s, but for his own directorial debut he came up with a paranoiac’s wet-dream, a political satire about the Beverly Hills upper crust… The climax – designed by Japanese sfx guru Screaming Mad George – has to be seen to be believed – though you will need a strong stomach…”
Halloween (Oct 31 at 6:45 p.m.)—Yes, THAT Haolloween—John Carpenter’s original.
The Thing (Oct 31 at 8:40 p.m.)—Halloween made his name, but some might argue that this 1982 remake of Howard Hawks’ 1951 Thing From Another World is Carpenter’s best.
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