If you’re looking for something new to watch this month, a horror film or Halloween classic might be a fun choice — it is October, after all.
But even if you’re not eager to embrace the season, we have suggestions for movies and shows both new and old to enjoy with your favorite popcorn -- including some timeless classics, cult films and brand-new hits.
KCUR’s Up To Date invited three KC Film Critics Circle members to offer their picks: The Pitch film editor Abby Olcese, Cinapse senior editor Austin Vashaw and KC Film Critics Circle vice president Patrick Moore.
Austin Vashaw's recommendations
Streaming now on HBO Max, “Freaky Tales” is one of the year’s most underseen and purely entertaining popcorn films. This Pulp Fiction-esque anthology sets up several loosely intertwining stories set in both the real and imagined cultural zeitgeist of Oakland, California, in 1987.
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”
You should watch this 2022 film in anticipation of del Toro’s upcoming highly-anticipated “Frankenstein” movie. “Pinocchio” is currently on Netflix.
This 1980s duology launched the heroic bloodshed sub-grenre and ignited the careers of Chow Yun-fat and director John Woo. It is available to stream on Kanopy and Plex.
Directed by Francis Lawrence, the new dystopian thriller is based on the 1979 novel of the same name written by the iconic horror novelist Stephen King. You can still catch this one in theaters.
This 1975 movie is classic dystopian exploitation satire. It makes a great double feature with “The Long Walk,” and features a pre-”Rocky” Sylvester Stallone.
“Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages”
Screenland Armour will be airing this film as part of their “Shocktober” series on Oct. 27 if you want to see it on the big screen. It is literally one of the first great horror films and was released over a century ago.
Streaming now on Peacock, its new sequel “The Black Phone 2” is also getting rave reviews at Fantastic Fest and will hit theaters for the Halloween season.
Abby Olcese's recommendations
Starring big names like Leonardo diCaprio and Sean Penn, the critically acclaimed “One Battle After Another” is the newest movie from iconic filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. It just opened in theaters last week.
The filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, the co-creator of the popular show “Reservation Dogs,” is out with a new series called “The Lowdown,” which is also set in Oklahoma. It’s available now on Hulu and Disney Plus and stars Ethan Hawke.
An action film directed by the aforementioned John Woo, this movie is viewable as part of the Criterion Channel’s current extensive selection of Hong Kong action movies. These used to be hard to find and they recently got a much-needed 4K treatment.
“WTO/99”
A documentary that showcases stunning archival footage depicting the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle. Editor and producer Alex Megaro is Wichita-based and a documentary shorts programmer for Tallgrass Film Festival.
“It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This”
This film is an impressive locally-produced, found footage horror. It is screening at the Stray Cat Film Center on Oct. 10 and is only possible to see theatrically. Filmmakers Nick Toti and Rachel Kempf will be in attendance.
A classic Mario Bava horror movie from 1960, this film is showing at Screenland Armour on Oct. 16 as part of their “Shocktober” series. It is also available on Tubi.
For families and/or the horror-averse, “I Married a Witch” is a classic Halloween screwball comedy from 1942 that is fun for all ages. Plus, you can watch it on several different platforms, including HBO Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Patrick Moore's recommendations
“Weapons”
This new film blends mystery and horror with a terrifying premise: All but one of the children from a single third-grade class disappear at the same time on the same night.
“The Naked Gun” movie franchise is back for the first time in over three decades with Liam Neeson starring in this legacy sequel. If you’re looking for an action film with slapstick comedy and absurd humor, this one is for you.
Out in theaters this week, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars in this sports biopic on the life of MMA fighter and wrestler Mark Kerr. It is based on the 2002 documentary of the same name.
This is a collection available on Criterion channel. Robert Altman was a legendary 20th century filmmaker from Kansas City and this collection includes all of his work.
Glen Powell of “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Twisters” fame plays an undoubtedly different kind of role in this new Hulu comedy series. His character, a disgraced college football star, uses a disguise to continue playing football for a struggling small college team.
This political thriller featuring actress Keri Russell follows the story of a U.S. diplomat who is thrust into the role of U.S. ambassador to the U.K. at a time of high tensions in international relations. The Netflix show’s third season comes out Oct. 16.
Sylvester Stallone was mentioned earlier in this list for one of his earlier films, but his popular crime drama show “Tulsa King” is out now with its third season on Paramount Plus.
- Patrick Moore, vice president of the KC Film Critics Circle and former movie critic for Great Day KC on FOX 4
- Abby Olcese, film editor of The Pitch and author of “Films for all Seasons: Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies”
- Austin Vashaw, senior editor of Cinapse
