Welcome to scary movie season.
This time of year, as is custom, silver screens far and wide are filled with fantastically frightful visions.
There are plenty of mainstream horror or horror-adjacent films ready for your viewing pleasure, including the Lupita Nyong'o vs. zombiesadventure you didn't know you needed, "Little Monsters," playing in select cinemas Tuesday, Oct. 8 before arriving on HuluFriday, October 11.
The undead horror/action/comedy sequel"Zombieland: Double Tap"arrives Friday, Oct. 18, and the smartphone app terror feature"Countdown"opens on Oct. 25.
(Check out the trailer for "Zombieland: Double Tap" at the top of this story.)
But for those looking to venture off the beaten path this Halloween season, there are plenty of screenings of shockers both old and new ready to delight and terrify you.
'A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge' reconsidered in Manhattan
In the decades since its 1985 release "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge," there has been a robust reassessment of the Freddy Kruger sequel, with modern viewers particularly viewing the film through an LGBTQ-centric lens.
The film screens Tuesday, Oct. 8 at Quad Cinemas in New York City as part of the Quad's "Coming Out Again" series of under-the-radar films from LGBTQ history co-presented by NewFest: New York's LGBTQ Film and Media Arts Organization.
"Scream, Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street," a documentary inspired by the film, screens 8:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28 for its New York premiere at NewFest at Manhattan's SVA Theatre.
GO:"A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge," 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 at Quad Cinemas,34 West13th St., Manhattan;$13 to $16,212-255-2243,quadcinema.com.
Horror classic double features in Asbury Park
Jersey Shore nightlife hotspot the House of Independents in Asbury Park is ready to make you scream.
The venue will be screening free double double features of horror classics on Tuesday nights in October. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. andthe first film starts 8.
The schedule of superbly scary selections includes "Dracula" (1931) and "Nosferatu" (1922) on Oct. 8,"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920) and "Plan 9 From Outer Space" (1959) on Oct. 15, "The Last Man on Earth" (1964) and "The House on Haunted Hill" (1959) on Oct. 22 and "The Last House on the Left" (1972) and "Night of the Living Dead" (1968) on Oct. 29.
GO:Tuesdays Oct. 8 through Oct. 29, doors at 7:30 p.m. and movies at 8 at the House of Independents, 527 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park;free,houseofindependents.com.
'Alien' back on the big screen
It's still true 40 years later: in space, no one can hear you scream.
Ridley Scott's space-faring horror masterpiece "Alien" plays in more than 600 cinemas across the country, presented by Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Twentieth Century Fox.
Dan O'Bannon's screenplay, Scott's direction,H.R. Giger's materful design and Sigourney Weaver's instantly-iconic performance combine to make a franchise-launching landmark that still shocks decades later.
The film screens 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13 followed by 7 p.m. showings Tuesday, Oct. 15 and Wednesday, Oct. 16. For tickets and a list of participating cinemas, visitwww.fathomevents.com.
'The Blair Witch Project' in Brooklyn
It's impossible to overstate the importance of "The Blair Witch Project."
Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez's landmark 1999 horror film introduced studios and mainstream audiences to the commercial and artistic potential of the found footage style of filmmaking and 20 years later it remains an insightful, terrifying and tragic work of deeply human cinema.
Sanchez and co-star Michael C. Williams will appear for a post-film question-and-answer session when "The Blair Witch Project" screens Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the stately Kings Theatre in Brooklyn.
GO:"The Blair Witch Project" with Eduardo Sanchez and Michael C. Williams, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the Kings Theatre,1027 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn; $31 to $121,718-856-5464,www.kingstheatre.com.
'Dwellers: The Curse of Pastor Stokes' in Eatontown and Manhattan
Neptune native independent auteur DeShon Hardyis back with his latest shocking feature, "Dwellers: The Curse of Pastor Stokes."
Hardy's follow-up to 2014's "The Lake on Clinton Road," "Dwellers" is the saga of a pastor grappling with the dark past of his church and the demonic spirits attacking members of his congregation.
The film makes its premiere Friday, Oct. 25 at AMC's 34th Street Theater in Manhattan, followed by a screening the following night at the AMC Monmouth Mall 15 in Eatontown.
GO:"Dwellers: The Curse of Pastor Stokes," meet-and-greet at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25 followed by 7 p.m. screening at AMC 34th Street 14, 312 West 34th St., Manhattan; $20, available via Eventbrite. The film will also have a 6 p.m. meet-and-greet Saturday, Oct. 26 followed by a 7 p.m. screening at AMC Monmouth Mall, 180 Route 35, Eatontown; $20, available via Eventbrite.
'Hocus Pocus' with Kathy Najimy
In the last quarter century, the bewitching family comedy "Hocus Pocus" has become an undeniable cult classic, and now one of the film's stars is taking the show on the road.
Kathy Najimy, who co-starred in the 1993 Disney film with Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker, will appear for a pre-film question-and-answer session and post-show VIP meet-and-greet when "Hocus Pocus" plays the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown on Saturday, Oct. 26.
GO:"Hocus Pocus" with Kathy Najimy, 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown;$19 to $99,973-539-8008,www.mayoarts.org.
Graveyard Shift and Horror Church bring back the classics in Asbury Park
In recent months, Asbury Park has become a reliable home for classic horror cinema thanks to its companion screening series at the ShowRoom Cinema on Cookman Avenue: Graveyard Shift on Friday nights and Horror Church on Sunday mornings.
Co-hosted by Paranormal Books and Curiosities, Horror Church continues with 1963's "The Haunting" 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 20.
The spin-off series Graveyard Shift—co-hosted by Paranormal Books and Curiosities, presented by Rebel Supply Co.and sponsored by Kill Screen Games, Groovy Graveyard, Red Rose Bakery and Shoreline Media Marketing Solutions— brings "The Lost Boys" (1987) to town 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11.
The month wraps up with the ShowRoom's third annual Halloween screening of John Carpenter's original 1978 slasher game-changer "Halloween" 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31.
GO:The ShowRoom Cinema, 707 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park, $10 for "The Haunting" and "The Lost Boys," $15 for "Halloween,"showroomcinemas.com.
'The Twilight Zone' marathon in theaters
There's no reason for the scares to stop when the calendar turns to November.
CBS Home Entertainment and Fathom Events are joining forces for a 60th anniversary, six-episode marathon celebration of "The Twilight Zone" in more than 600 cinemas across the country 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14.
Rod Serling's landmark series had 156 episodes in its initial 1959 to 1964 run, but the six screening in theaters are among the cream of the crop: 1959's "Walking Distance" and "Time Enough at Last," 1960's "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" and "Eye of the Beholder," 1961's "The Invaders" and 1962's "To Serve Man."
For tickets, a list of participating theaters and more information, visitwww.fathomevents.com/events/the-twilight-zone.
'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' in Atlantic City, New Brunswick
We'll be doing the "Time Warp" all across New Jersey this season as the cult classic campy movie musical "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" plays some mightily prestigious venues.
Barry Bostwick, iconic for his turn as Brad Majors in the film, appears for a screening of the film, complete with a live shadow cast, 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25 at Sound Waves at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.
The film also hits the massive IMAX Theatre 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, and will be at the State Theatre in New Brunswick 11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31.
GO:"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" with Barry Bostwick, 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, Sound Waves at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, 1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City,www.hardrockhotels.com/atlantic-city.
The film also screens, without Bostwick in attendance, 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 at the IMAX Theatre at Tropicana Atlantic City,2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, $12,www.tropicana.netand 11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 at the State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, $15,www.stnj.org.
'100 Acres of Hell' hits theaters and home video
A homegrown horror story is arriving just in time for Halloween.
"100 Acres of Hell," opening in select cinemas on Tuesday, Oct. 8 and coming to streaming services on Tuesday, Oct. 15, is co-produced by and co-stars Ernie O'Donnell. Alongtime Monmouth County actor, O'Donnell is best known for his series of collaborations with Kevin Smith dating back to "Clerks" in 1994.
The film stars former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Gene Snitsky, who also co-wrote the film's screenplay. Snitsky stars as a former professional wrestler looking to recharge by spending an isolated weekend in the woods with friends. This being a horror movie, things don't exactly go according to plan.
For all of the latest updates on where you can check out "100 Acres of Hell," stay tuned to the film's Facebook page,www.facebook.com/100AcresOfHell.
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