Where to start? There are so many films programmed for the latter half of this month, including one of the most acclaimed trilogies ever filmed, new releases, and loads of fright films for Spooktober at the ByTowne (the Boo-Towne?) and the Mayfair.
Let’s start with the 100-year old vampire classic Nosferatu. This gem of German Expressionism from F.W. Murnau is still one of the scariest vampire flicks you’ll ever see. It will be accompanied by live music. At the Mayfair. Don’t miss it!
To guarantee you nightmares, both cinemas are showing Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, based on one of Stephen King’s most memorable novels and starring Jack Nicholson at his most terrifyingly deranged.
Want more nightmares? How about William Friedkin’s The Exorcist at the Mayfair?
Or how about the 1974 film that started a whole sub-genre of bloodbath horror: Tobe Hooper’s infamous The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? See it at the Mayfair. But don’t go alone.
There are more horror films from the vault: The Lost Boys (whose chief vampire is a very young Kiefer Sutherland), Hellraiser (a self-explanatory title) and the Japanese film Hausu (House) about a terrifying supernatural house. All at the Boo-Towne.
Prefer to laugh while being scared? Start with An American Werewolf in London. Two feckless American tourists hiking in the English countryside during a full moon—not a wise move! Directed by John Landis (Animal House), it blends really good makeup and special effects with droll humour. For broader humour, check out The Return of the Living Dead, which pokes fun at every zombie you’ve ever seen. Both at the ByTowne.
And then there’s the all-time cult classic horror pastiche,The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Mayfair. Let’s do the Time Warp again!
But October has more than scary films to offer. Let’s start with the acclaimed trilogy I mentioned earlier: Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Three Colors, playing at the ByTowne. The three films won tons of international awards. Three Colors: Blue screened earlier this month, but you can still catch Three Colors: White and Three Colors: Red. Each film follows one woman as she faces a major life change. Three Colors: White tells the tale of a chic Parisian woman (Julie Delpy) who is divorcing her Polish husband. He works as a hairdresser in her salon. Economically, he’ll have no choice but to return to Warsaw. She frames him for setting her salon ablaze. He plots revenge. The results? See for yourself in this dark comedy. Three Colors: Red teases the viewer with ideas of fate and chance. A sweet fashion model stumbles into the life of a bitter retired judge (Jean-Louis Trintignant). Nearby, there’s a story of jealousy and betrayal playing out. Seemingly unrelated occurrences? As for the names of the three films: Remember the French tricolour and the French Revolution’s battle cry “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”!
The rest of my recommendations are new releases. I’ll start with the one I’m most eager to see: All Quiet on the Western Front. The original American film, made in 1930 and based on German writer Erich Maria Remarque’s novel about the horrors of WWI, is one of the best anti-war films I’ve ever seen. I’m hoping this new German-made film will have an equal impact. At the ByTowne.
Another new release at the ByTowne is based on more recent history. Call Jane is a drama about the underground movement that allowed American women to obtain safe (illegal) abortions during a time when it was virtually impossible, no matter the woman’s circumstances. Elizabeth Banks is a woman at risk of death due to her pregnancy who finds help in the Call Jane organization and then becomes a “Jane” herself.
Even more recent history: Eternal Spring is Canada’s entry to the 2023 Oscar race for Best International Feature. It’s a biographical account of the reactions of comic book illustrator Daxiong (Justice League, Star Wars), a Falun Gong practitioner, to the brutal aftermath of a2002 Falun Gong uprising in China. It combines archival and present-day footage with animation inspired by Daxiong’s illustrations. A Globe and Mail film critic said the animation style “conjures both traditional Chinese comics and Grand Theft Auto”.
For David Bowie fans, there’s a very special treat at the ByTowne: The documentary Moonage Daydream bills itself as an “immersive cinematic experience” about this enigmatic shape-shifter. It features never-before seen concert footage, but is not a standard rock documentary. It delves into four decades of Bowie’s life, exploring his alienation, isolation, philosophy, calm acceptance of reality, and fascination with outer space. A complex film about a very complex man.
A “based on a true story” thriller, The Good Nurse at the Mayfair is about a hospital nurse (Jessica Chastain) investigating whether a colleague (Eddie Redmayne) is killing patients.
On a much much lighter note, there are two light comedies about a murder investigation. See How They Run at the ByTowne features a stellar cast and a plot that echoes a classic British whodunnit. The murder victim is a nasty American film director and the suspects are everyone associated with the play he was going to adapt for a film. I think the play is Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap!
The other bit of enjoyable fluff is Confess, Fletch! at the Mayfair. The charming John Hamm stars as Fletch, a wisecracking PI who is suspected of murder. To clear himself, of course, he has to find the real murderer. Both films look like real treats.
Last but not least, there’s Ténor at the ByTowne: A Cinderella story about a poor delivery guy from a Parisian banlieu who aspires to be a rapper. While making a food delivery to a swanky opera rehearsal, he spontaneously sings along. A vocal coach hears him, tracks him down, and…. Well, you can guess how this plays out, but you may need an antidote to all those horror films and serious dramas. There’s a place for everything in the world of film!
Dates, times and tickets for the ByTowne are at www.bytowne.ca. Dates, times and tickets for the Mayfair are at www.mayfairtheatre.ca.
