Which of these are you going to watch?
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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!
Set after his retirement, a 93-year-old Sherlock Holmes is trying to remember the details of his last case before his mind fails him.
Adapted from the 2005 novel, "A Slight Trick of the Mind", by Mitch Cullin, we often know about the embellished exploits and detective work of the fictional character by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but "Mr. Holmes" tries to put a human perspective on the character as a person who, like everyone else, struggles to find a legacy after fading into the shadows. After a long string of blockbuster and mainstream outings as a supervillain or staff wielding wizard, it is good to see Sir Ian McKellen as a dramatic actor again, and in this piece directed by Bill Condon, gives him that perfect stage.
General Release Date: 1 October
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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
Despite their different backgrounds, Chin Chye and Malik are two fans of the Harimau Malaya. When they become in debt due to football gambling, they must find a way to win back the money or get into more trouble.
Even though director Shamyl Othman didn't win the most promising young director at the FFM 27, we were still thoroughly impressed of the new talent from Red Films for his "Kami Histeria". Now for his second outing, "Rembat" has already got our attention for its multiracial cast and leads, and puts them together under one unifying theme. We don't know what sort of chemistry can brew between Chinese actor Ah Niu and Malay actor Shaheizy Sam, but we applaud Shamyl for taking up the challenge to blur racial boundaries.
General Release Date: 8 October
Unable to conquer the small Gaul village by force, Julius Ceaser devises a plan to assimilate the Gauls by building a Roman colony around it, so that the defiant denizens will adapt the Roman culture and complete Ceaser's conquest.
Based on the 17th book in the Asterix comic series, it's been a long while since we last saw another animated adaptation of the Asterix and Obelix comic book series (the last known work was 2006's "Asterix and the Vikings" which never made it to Malaysian shores). Although this is the first 3D animated feature of the series, fans should be delighted to know that the producers at M6 Studio and Mikros Images in France have not lost the secret ingredient of making the magic that is the plot from the comic book, which has been noted to be faithful to the source material.
General Release Date: 8 October
In 1990, Detective Bruce Kenner is investigating the case of a father who had sexually abused his 17-year-old daughter. While trying to gather testimonies from the suspect, he finds that his memories of the incident have been locked away by someone who doesn't want Kenner to find them.
Fronted by a solid cast with Ethan Hawke, Emma Watson and David Thewlis is already a good start to have in your thriller, but this is no ordinary thriller when it is written and directed by Spanish/Chillean director Alejandro Amenábar, who hasn't done one of these since his breakout "Thesis". Most would probably know Amenábar's for his better known Nicole Kidman's starrer, "The Others", and those are some pretty high bars to meet by normal standards.
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: 8 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: 14 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: 15 October
Fei Fei is a feared parking attendant in Singapore, who dishes out parking summons faster than you can press the unlock button on your car keys. Well known for her elaborate headgears to shield herself from the sun, reminiscent of Taiwanese songbird Fong Fei Fei, Fei Fei harbors a secret talent for singing while she takes care of her demented father.
Nostalgia is in the air this month for the Chinese audience. While the must-see for the girls who grew up in the 90s would be the pubescent Taiwanese major hit "Our Times", but we'd like to highlight another nostalgia driven piece that goes even further in time, but closer to home. After a 7 year absence from his last feature, Singapore director Royston Tan is back with his latest play of numerical titles with "3688", which can be roughly translated as "Thinking of Fei Fei". After paying homage to the Hokkien Getai music in his previous two works, Roystan puts his loving spotlight on the timeless classics of Fong Fei Fei, with Singaporean singer Joi Chua making her acting debut as the diamond in the rough. With more characters and their mindsets that are much similar to ours, we think we would be able to find "3688" more relatable to us, while we are expecting to be blown away by Chua's vocal performance when she finally picks up the mic.
General Release Date: 15 October
Set after the events of the second season of the anime, the third-year girls of µ's are graduating which means the school idol group are on the verge of a breakup. However, an email is sent to them, and it's time for one last concert before they say their goodbyes.
October is another fruitful month for anime fans. Although we could have easily gone and suggest they should see the second part of the theatrical adaptation of "Attack on Titans", we imagined that the 9 girls from the "Love Live! School Idol Project" series would have a much larger (and crazed) fanbase, that it would be a remiss not to mention that its feature length outing is making to Malaysian screens. So take you your lightsticks, this is one concert movie for the otakus, instead of the raving Hallyu fan girl.
General Release Date: 15 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
One night on Halloween, a small American town is terrorised by all sorts of creatures that come from the stuff of nightmares.
Of course, what would a month of Halloween be if not without a good bag of horrors treats to scare you out of your sleep. If you aren't into the high-concept horrors like we suggested in "Crimson Peak", this October is no exception for the cheap scares for you to pick from the possessive ("The Diabolical"), the exotic ("Purgatory"), the franchise-driven ("Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension), the Thais ("Under the Mask"), to the local flavored ("Pontianak Menangis"). But if you are looking to get great value out of one admission ticket, then we can't see you doing any wrong to catch this horror anthology from Epic Pictures Group. Made up of 10 segments, with 10 directors but placed in one setting with the same set of casts, "Tales of Halloween" is more than we can ask for if we are looking just for that one Halloween movie to have our bases covered this year.
General Release Date: 29 October
Cinema Online, 30 September 2015