On the big screen this October

There’s more than Halloween on-screen this October

It is looking to be an exciting month for movie releases as well as local film events, so as the days get shorter and the nights get longer, it’s the perfect time to head to the cinema.

A Star is Born surely tops the most anticipated list this month. This directorial debut from Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, Silver Linings Playbook) stars Lady Gaga as a charming singer-songwriter, who Cooper discovers. This is the third adaptation of a 1937 Hollywood classic and Cooper and Gaga have charmed critics with this contemporary romantic musical. It released on Friday 5 October.

Social realist film Blindspotting is also coming out early this month. The film follows parolee Collin (played by David Diggs, who also co-writes and co-produces the film), who with three days left on his parole, witnesses an armed assault that threatens to ruin his relationship with best friend Miles (Rafael Casal, who co-writes and co-produces). Blindspotting tells a story that is sure to resonate with audiences and call to attention the intricacies of the prison industrial system.

With Halloween looming, October is a great time to indulge in some horror films. For the 40th anniversary of the original Halloween, Strode and Myers both reprise their roles for the 11th film in the franchise. Strode suffers from post-traumatic stress after being the sole survivor of Micheal Myers’ killing spree in the first film, forty years earlier. For horror fans, the classic reboot promises both plot twists and nostalgia.

Slaughterhouse Rulez also caters for the Halloween spirit and puts a gothic spin on the classic boarding school film. Simon Pegg stars as a teacher who discovers that unspeakable terror has been unleashed on the pupils of the school. Expect dark comedy and a smart performance by Pegg.

If you like your Halloween with a twist, female-only community screening series She’s En Scene are throwing their own Halloween-themed event. They will be showing Anna Biller’s The Love Witch on Thursday 25 October, a strikingly beautiful film that isn’t afraid to be dark as well as camp. It’s fun, smart and a treat to watch. Dressing up is highly encouraged!

For the not so Halloween-minded, you can spend the 31st watching Rami Malek (Mr Robot) as Freddie Mercury in the anticipated Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Critically divisive, the film received some backlash after its trailer was released, with some critics claiming that Freddie Mercury’s AIDS diagnosis was swept under the rug. Malek publically hit back at these remarks, assuring that the film tells the story of his life and illness with compassion.

At the GFT, October is looking to be a month of great films. Continuing with their Cinemaster series, they are featuring  Korean filmmaker and festival darling Park Chan-Wook over the next month. You might know Chan-Wook for his English-language hits like Stoker and Snowpiercer. But all cinephiles will be delighted to renew with his early iconic The Vengeance Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Oldboy, and Lady Vengeance) as well as his latest release The Handmaiden at the GFT.

GFT will also be playing host to a number of events in the Africa in Motion Film Festival programme (26 October – 4 November). Africa in Motion Film Festival returns to Edinburgh and Glasgow, offering a rich and diverse programme of exciting new releases and celebrated classics from all over the African continent and the diaspora. If African cinema is a blindspot for you, make sure to attend. The festival opens with Kenyan queer romance Rafiki in Glasgow, which recently made headlines after its ban from Kenya was lifted. As well as film screenings, talks, events and workshops will be happening all across the city to celebrate African cinema and explore its relationship with Scotland. If you are new to the city, this is a great way to see venues in areas you might not know. Africa In Motion Film Festival closes with a red carpet celebration of Nollywood (in partnership with the Nollywood Film Festival), one of the world’s largest film industries.

Last but not least, Scottish visual artist Rachel MacLean is touring with her new film Make Me Up, and will be taking part in a Q&A at the GFT. Taking a satirical look at the contradictory pressures that women experience in society, Make Me Up is as comedic as it is dystopian. Expect baffling, innovative special effects that MacLean is known for with a message about surveillance, violence and submission.