Halloween is right around the corner and that means we’re now entering the time of year when theaters are packed full of spooky and scary movies and horror-themed special events are rereleasing in theaters. This year is no exception, and even with theaters not yet being reopened to full capacity, we have a fantastic spread of special event horror movies to choose from this month.
For this month’s roundup, we’ll focus on the Halloween theme. Here are the best special events hitting theaters in the month of October and the links to snag tickets before they’re gone.
1. ‘Friday the 13th’ 40th Anniversary
Release dates: Sunday, October 4; Tuesday, October 6; Wednesday, October 7
What better way to kick off the spooky season than a special event re-release of Friday the 13th in honor of its 40th anniversary? A blatant ripoff of Halloween that originally no one, not even the people involved, took seriously, the slasher flick that introduced Jason Voorhees to the world became a classic in its own right. The terrifying events that unfolded at Camp Crystal Lake 40 years ago still pull screams out of audiences everywhere. Courtesy of Fathom Events, the 40th anniversary release has been restored and remastered for a brand-new generation, and the screening will include a special featurette, “Secrets Galore Behind the Gore” with special effects makeup legend Tom Savini.
2. TCM Big Screen Classics: ‘Psycho’ 60th Anniversary
Release dates: Sunday, October 11 & Monday, October 12
Alfred Hitchcock’s most beloved thriller, Psycho has been scaring generations since 1960. Anthony Perkins mesmerized as the murderous and mentally bifurcated Norman Bates and Janet Leigh as a new kind of female protagonist, albeit a doomed one. The Master of Suspense changed the thriller genre forever, and Psycho influenced decades of horror movies to come, showing that horror movies could be as psychologically complex and engaging as any other genre. This special 60th anniversary rerelease comes with exclusive insights and commentary from Turner Classic Movies.
3. TCM Big Screen Classics Presents: ‘The Shining’ 40th Anniversary
Release dates: Saturday, October 17; Tuesday, October 20; Thursday, October 22
Ah, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the beloved Stephen King adaptation and Kubrick masterwork that has been famously hated by King over the years. Jack Nicholson turned in a performance for the ages, as did the famously mistreated Shelley Duvall. The classic story of writer Jack Torrance slowly descending into madness over one isolated winter spent at the Overlook Hotel is a terrifying tragedy about literal and figurative ghosts and how they drag us down. As with Psycho, this special rerelease will featured commentary and extras from Turner Classic Movies.
4. National Theatre Live: Frankenstein (2020 Encore)
Release date: Wednesday, October 28
Four years ago, Fathom Events released a special event screening of National Theatre Live’s excellent performance of Frankenstein. The adaptation, directed by Danny Boyle and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, presented a fascinating version of Mary Shelley’s famous novel that found the actors switching roles between Victor Frankenstein and the monster he created. Just in time for Halloween, Fathom is giving it a one-night-only rerelease for 2020. If you never got to see the original stage production or missed the special event movie the first time around, you’ll want to snap up tickets for this before they sell out.
5. ‘Halloween’ Triple Feature With ‘Halloween 4’ & ‘Halloween 5’
Release date: In theaters now through October 31
Alright, so this one’s a bit of a cheat as it’s not a special limited event so much as a longer rerelease, but still, any time we get the chance to see the original Halloween on the big screen is a reason to celebrate. Courtesy of CineLife Entertainment and Trancas International Films and Compass International Pictures, John Carpenter’s original 1978 Halloween is hitting theaters and drive-ins through the month of October in a new remastered and restored digital print. Even better, in select theaters it’s playing as a triple feature with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. What better way to celebrate Halloween than with Halloween?
