October Film Events 2009

October means only one thing to horror fans: Halloween. This year, the Cameo in Edinburgh and the GFT in Glasgow are screening a zombie double bill on 25 and 26 October respectively. Not only do customers get to watch Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead, but at both events horror actors Ken Foree and Joe Pilato will be attending for live Q&A sessions. After the success of The Toxic Avenger screening in August, expect tickets to sell quickly.

If horror is not your thing, but eighties comedy is, head to the GFT on 16 October for a special screening of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s both a John Hughes tribute and the beginning of a season of late night cult classics, created in response to predominantly student demands, and continues with the new digital print of John Carpenter’s The Thing in November.

In Edinburgh there are a few final chances to see The Godfather on the big screen at the Filmhouse. Francis Ford Coppola’s gangster classic, showing until 4 October, needs little description - arguably the most famous gangster film ever, featuring one of the finest ensemble casts, it deserves to be seen in the cinema. Unfortunately Parts 2 and 3 are not included, so rent the DVDs in advance!

Also at the Filmhouse are the last films in the Bardem-Cruz retrospective, celebrating Spanish cinema and its influence on mainstream Hollywood. Notably there is a chance to see the Coen Brothers’ Oscar winning No Country For Old Men, which catapulted Javier Bardem into the public eye.

Glasgow celebrates two festivals in October, the first being the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. Running from 1-22 October, the festival, now in its third year, aims to promote mental wellbeing, equality and social justice while exploring the concept of creativity and mental health generally. Its selection of films include the Best Documentary Award winner at the Edinburgh International Film Festival this year, Boris Ryzhy, shown at the CCA on 2 October, in which the family of the acclaimed Russian poet try to understand why he committed suicide at the young age of twenty-six. Finally Glasgay! continues with screenings of Greek Pete on 6 October and Patrick 1.5 on 11 October, both at the GFT. The former is a stark account of rent boys and prostitution in London, while the latter shows how important punctuation is, when a missing comma results in a homophobic teenager being adopted by two men.