Movies Not to Miss: October 2015
Writer: Casey Lee
Which of these are you going to watch?
|
The Fall season is coming as we head into October but let's not forget that it is also Halloween month, so delectable horrors are the flavor of the month. That's not to say that the horror selection for this month are all the jump-scare variety, but there is enough variations from action-horror, comedy-horror to even romance-horror to choose from.
However, if you are more eager to see what Fall has installed for you so that you can start marking names for Oscar season, October doesn't disappoint with a couple of potentials. Then there is also the highly anticipated works of directors, local and otherwise, that would do fine at any time of the year, but we are grateful for them filling in the gaps of this packed release schedule.
So whether you are getting ready for Trick or Treat in cinemas, or want to be treated with a good time at the movies, here are our picks of movies not to miss this October!
|
Thought for dead after being left on Mars, astronaut Mark Watney has to survive with whatever resources he has left on the planet while sending a distress signal back to NASA, so that they could send a rescue team.
Based on the 2011 novel by Andy Weir, this is the adaptation that would be the redemption of Ridley Scott after the convoluted "Prometheus". In fact, after reading the screenplay by Drew Goddard, it had made Scott decide to make this his next project rather than a "Prometheus" sequel (which will come sooner or later). Despite recycling a cast that is all too familiar if you had seen the last space voyage adventure, the casting of Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan and Chiwetel Ejiofor makes up for one stellar cast. However, rather than relying on the theoretical science of Black Holes and fourth dimensions, "The Martian" is backed by some up hard science and solid data about the red planet, which has been verified by NASA itself for the making of this movie.
General Release Date: 1 October
An orphan is sent to Neverland, where he meets with the native tribes and wonders of the land, and works together with Hook against a common foe; the notorious pirate Blackbeard.
Origin stories to our favourite childhood stories are nothing new anymore (see "Oz the Great and Powerful"), but they still fascinate us with its possibilities nonetheless. Blacklisted in 2013, we are glad that director Joe Wright had picked to direct Jason Fuch's screenplay, and to let his inner child run freely (with the trademark long take) to immerse us in Neverland with spectacular digital and practical effects. This is made all the more better with Hugh Jackman and Rooney Mara going over the top for once.
General Release Date: 8 October
|
One night while working alone at home, married man Evan Webber finds two women at his doorstep seeking help to get to a party. After being seduced and giving in to his own lust, Evan wakes up wracked with guilt for his adultery, only to find that the women are still in his house, and they are about to make his life a living hell for it.
Not all horrors have to be supernatural in nature, and that's why we answered the door to see "Knock Knock". If last month's "Green Inferno" was a little too intense on the stomach, then director Eli Roth is only moving it to the psychological department with "Knock Knock". A visual and technological update of the 1977 exploitation movie "Death Game", reviews from its premiere at Sundance have come to appreciate Keanu Reeves' tortured performance here as one of the highlights worth seeing in "Knock Knock", and rest assured that nothing ends well to cheaters. For all the horror that can keep you up at night, this one might make you not open your doors to anyone for a while.
General Release Date: 15 October
|
After falling in love and marrying her husband, young author Edith Cushing is about to find out that her husband, Sir Thomas Sharpe, is not who he appears to be when they move into his crumbling mansion in northern England, which he shares with his sister, Lady Lucille Sharpe. While living there, Edith begins to hear strange voices and uncover secrets that the Sharpe would do anything to hide it from her.
October is Halloween month, so that makes it the perfect time to see the latest grotesque imagination that can only come from the mind of director Guillermo del Toro. Written since the release of "Pan's Labyrinth", del Toro was finally able to get this project running after securing a deal with Legendary Pictures, that del Toro's describes as a "ghost story and gothic romance". While the horrors of late have shrink into the small space of food footages, "Crimson Peak" is set on a carefully built stage, which also pay homages to classical scares from Robert Wise's "The Haunting" to Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining". Adding to that devilish delight is a cast made up of Mia Wasikowksa, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain and "Pacific Rim" alumni Charlie Hunnam.
General Release Date: 15 October
|
Based on the U-2 incident, when an American pilot is shot down and captured for flying over Russian airspace in 1960, lawyer James B. Donovan is asked by the government of the United States to negotiate for the release of their pilot, in exchange for a Russian spy who has been captured. Plunged into heart of the crisis and gaining the disapproval of his peers, neighbors, friends and family for his involvement in making the trade, Donovan must make the decision whether to go through with the negotiations and bring a fellow countrymen home at the height of the Cold War.
If the name Steven Spielberg doesn't already have you wanting to see this, then following it up with the name Tom Hanks should already set you on your way to see this. This may be Hanks fourth collaboration with the director, but they have not worked together for more than 10 years since 2004's "The Terminal". While "Bridge of Spies" already has two major names in Hollywood on the draw, it also has the added benefit of the Coen Brothers being part of the writing team that refined the original script of Matt Charman, setting out a tour-de-force of talents that will sound off the forerunners of the upcoming awards season.
General Release Date: 15 October
|
Philippe Petit has a dream. To put a wire between the twin towers of the World Trade Center and walk on it, risking life and limb that would be crushed hundreds of feet below.
Based on the tightrope walk by high-wire artist Philippe Petit between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 1974, "The Walk" tells that story from when Philippe arrives to the United States to enthralling the world with his death-defying walk. For his first starring role in a biographical role, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was personally trained by Philippe himself to perform the act, although it was done on a sound stage with director Robert Zemeckis filling in the gaps with detailed renderings of the building with advanced 3D graphics. Based on the same book that formed the basis for James Marsh's Academy winning documentary "Man on Wire", this is one outing of dizzying heights to be experienced in IMAX, but we would certainly be grounded with the sight of Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Le Bon, James Badge Dale, Ben Schwartz and Steve Valentine.
General Release Date: 22 October
|
An immortal witch hunter is forced to partner with a witch in order to stop a coven of witches in New York, who plans to destroy humanity with a plague.
We may be fine to see Vin Diesel inside a muscle car, but when it comes to his works that dwell on the realms of fantasy and sci-fi, it has mostly been a matter of hit and misses. Not satisfied with having the ruthless survivor Riddick as one if his iconic characters, Diesel now draws his sword as a modern witch hunter in "The Last Witch Hunter". Featured as a Blacklist script in 2010 written by Cory Goodman (before further re-workings on it were done for production), the production crew led by director Breck Eisner may not inspire the best of confidence, but the cast certainly far makes up for it. Aside from Diesel as the titular slayer, "The Last Witch Hunter" has been blessed by the presence of Elijah Wood and Michael Caine. Whether this would successfully launch a new franchise with everyone's bald action man remains to be seen, but you can be sure to see at least a trilogy if this manages brings in the cash.
General Release Date: 22 October
After moving into the new neighbourhood, teenager Zach Cooper discovers that next door lives the unfriendly horror author R.L. Stine. After opening a shelf of locked manuscripts and unleashing all the monsters that Stine had ever written, Zach, Stine and his daughter, Hanna, would have to put them back into the books before they reign terror on their small town.
Of course, not every scare in cinemas this month is only meant for adults. Children should get their share of things that bump in the night to keep them from looking under their beds, especially if they have been reading those 'Goosebumps' books by R.L. Stine that you might have grown up reading yourself. Though not a straight-up horror, it would a different kind of misadventure when you get to see the stuff of your nightmare come to live from Slappy the Dummy, the Lord High Executioner, giant mantises, murder clowns, mummies and scarecrows go running amok on the streets.
General Release Date: 29 October
Cinema Online, 30 September 2015