Halloween Movie Guide
Landmark Theatres, Roxie Theater and San Francisco’s famed Castro Theatre celebrate Halloween with special screenings of horror classics leading up to the holiday.
Fright Night
Landmark Theatres
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Showing October 21-22 at San Francisco’s Lumiere Theatre.
Yet another Halloween favorite is the musical which follows a transexual punk rock chick as she tours America telling her story through songs. Get ready to sing along and be sure to dress in your best costumes as prizes will be handed out for the best ones!
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
October 28-29 at San Francisco’s Clay Theatre
What would Halloween be without this cult classic? If you don’t already know this ghoulish musical spoof, there’s no better way to experience it for the first time than during the month of All Hallow’s Eve. And if it’s already a favorite of yours, go ahead and enjoy a night at a theatre packed with fans ready to sing along with you.
The Castro Theatre
Tom Holland Double Feature
On October 14, The Castro will be celebrating the films of famed horror director Tom Holland. It begins with his original (but recently remade) horror-comedy classic Fright Night about a teen who discovers his neighbor is a vampire. It’s followed by the film that introduced the world’s most deadly doll to the world, Child’s Play.
The Bad Seed
On October 15, celebrate this creepy classic with a slew of guests, contests and performances. This 4-time Oscar Nominated film from 1956 portrays one of the most evil children ever to grace the silver screen. The Bad Seed herself, Patty McCormack (nominated for an Oscar for the role), will be in attendance for a Q&A and to sign autographs. Kathy Garver (“Cissy” from Family Affair) will also be there to judge the first ever “Miss Bad Seed.” In addition, local faves Arturo Galster, Marilynn Fowler, Ste Fishell and Matthew Martin will be performing “The Baddest, Seediest Brats of Hollywood” a darkly amusing stage processional.
The Exorcist Double Feature
On October 16, The Castro will be showing perhaps the most well-known horror story of Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair in an Oscar-winning performance), a young girl possessed by a demon. It’s frightened generations of children and adults and continues to do so. The original film will be followed by a screening of The Exorcist III.
Horror Double Feature
On October 19, enjoy one of the greatest demonic thrillers of all time. Rosemary’s Baby was auteur Roman Polanski’s first American film. It garnered much praise, and an Oscar for actress Ruth Gordon, for this story about a woman who believes her unborn child may not be human. The film is as much about what’s on screen, as what’s left off. Following this classic will be Dario Argento’s pseudo-sequel to Suspiria, Inferno. The film follows a brother and sister (one in Rome, the other in New York City), as they investigate a series of murders which may or may not be tied to a group of witches.
Roxie Theater
Goth Double Feature
On October 28, catch two goth, cult classics. First up is the 1983 film The Hunger, starring David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve as an ageless vampire couple, with Susan Sarandon as a doctor that comes between them. Showing next is Nadja, which chronicles the mourning of a vampire family following the death of their patriarch.
20th Anniversary Celebration for David Lynch’s Twin Peaks
October 29 will be a true treat for David Lynch and Twin Peaks fans. This classic, creepy television show from the early 90s will be celebrated with a slew of treats. It begins with a showing of Laura, the 1944 noir film that inspired Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost’s serial-drama. It follows detectives as they investigate the death of a young woman, Laura, and begin to paint a picture through talking with her friends and family as well as through her diary and letters. For Twin Peaks fans, that premise will sound very familiar. After discovering the origins of Lynch and Frost’s TV masterpiece, the real treat will be the original show’s 90-minute pilot episode on the big screen! If that isn’t enough, Lynch’s prequel/sequel (made after the show, but a prequel to it’s plot), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me will close out the night.
Zombie
October 30 and 31 finds this cult zombie classic, which Italians dubbed the “unofficial sequel” to Dawn of the Dead and which England banned for being obscene, gracing the silver screen. After an abandoned yacht drifts into a New York harbor, the investigation leads back to a cursed tropical island. It even includes a zombie fighting a shark! The Roxie and Blue Underground will be co-presenting a brand new 2K hi-def print, from the original, uncut master.
Some Guy Who Kills People
Nurse your Halloween hangover on November 1st with Some Guy Who Kills People. After Ken is released from a mental institution, he moves back in with his mom and connects with a daughter he didn’t know existed. Soon, however, his friends turn up brutally murdered. The film, from Director Jack Perez and starring beloved character actor Kevin Corrigan, blends gore and comedy in a new and refreshing way. Following the 7PM showing, the filmmakers will be on hand for a Q&A.
