SCARY MOVIE !
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H
alloween is arguably the highlight of the fall , and in addition to the haunted houses , corn mazes and pumpkin farms vying for your attention there are also a bunch of creepy , spooky and possibly terrifying new releases trying to draw you into darkened theaters . For a moment , let ’ s forget about the more serious awards season hopefuls screening at various international film festivals and talk about some good , old-fashioned scary movies that are sure to put you in a Halloween frame of mind - or make you run screaming from the theater .
October 2
By Lori Vernon
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College student Laura is a popular girl who enjoys sharing everything with her more than 800 friends on Facebook . One day after “ unfriending ” a social outcast named Marina , Laura ’ s life becomes cursed and her closest friends begin dying cruel deaths in this thriller . Stars Fear The Walking Dead ’ s Alycia Debnam-Carey . Rated R .
Voodoo Rising
A group of friends camping in a remote backwoods area called the Black Hills find themselves caught in the middle of a deadly quarrel with a local family . The opening shot is of a bloodied girl running in a bikini , so you can take it from there … it ’ s definitely a low-budget slasher flick . Rated R .
October 7
Phantasm : Ravager
Since 1979 ’ s original Phantasm , audiences have followed this small town group of friends through four films in their quest to stop the evil , dimension-hopping The Tall Man ( Angus Scrimm in his final performance ) and his armada of killer Sentinel Spheres . Now , Don Coscarelli ’ s horror / sci-fi franchise comes to an epic conclusion with a multi-dimensional battle across multiple timelines , alien planets , and altered realities , with the fate of Earth hanging in the balance . Rated R .
The Greasy Strangler
This L . A . -set tale follows Ronnie , a man who runs a Disco Walking tour along with his browbeaten son , Brayden . When a sexy , alluring woman comes to take the tour , it begins a competition between father and son for her attentions . It also signals the appearance of an oily , slimy inhuman maniac ( dubbed the Greasy Strangler ) who stalks the streets at night and strangles the innocent in this horror / comedy . Unrated at press time .
Under The Shadow
Shideh and her family live amid the chaos of the Iran-Iraq war ( The War of the Cities ) in the Mid- ' 80s . With Tehran under the constant threat of bombing , her husband is drafted and sent to the frontlines leaving Shideh alone with their young daughter , Dorsa . Soon after he leaves , a missile hits their building and though it doesn ’ t explode , their neighbor dies under mysterious circumstances and Dorsa ’ s behavior becomes increasingly erratic . Shideh finds herself slowly drawn into the ensuing turmoil , struggling with what is real and what is not . She learns from a superstitious neighbor that the cursed missile might have brought with it Djinn – malevolent Middle-Eastern spirits that travel on the wind . Convinced that a supernatural force within the building is attempting to possess Dorsa , Shideh has no choice but to confront these forces to save her daughter and herself . Produced by British company Wigwam Films , the film is an international co-production between Qatar , Jordan , and the United Kingdom . The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and will be the British entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards in February . Rated PG-13 .
October 14
Jack Goes Home
After the death of his father in a horrific car accident , Jack , an L . A . -based magazine editor who ’ s engaged and expecting his first child , returns to his hometown of Denver to care for his injured mother who survived the crash . During his stay , he uncovers longburied family secrets and lies regarding his parents , his friends and his very identity . Jack ' s journey to the truth is fueled by madness , sexuality , hauntings and violence . Stars Rory Culkin , Britt Robertson and Nikki Reed . Rated R .
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14 illinoisentertainer . com october 2016