Classic movies back in theaters October 2024: ‘Nightmare Before Christmas,’ ‘Mean Girls,’ ‘Hocus Pocus,’ and more
A collection of classic films is returning to movie theaters nationwide in October 2024, from spooky selections like “The Nightmare Before Christmas” to campy comedies like “Mean Girls” and more.
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‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ 50th Anniversary in movie theaters for 2024
In theaters: Oct. 1 & 2, 2024
Originally released: Oct. 11, 1974
Director: Tobe Hooper
50 years ago, five youths on a weekend getaway in the Texas countryside fell prey to a butcher in a mask made of human skin and his cannibalistic family, and horror cinema would never be the same. Violent, confrontational, and shockingly realistic, director Tobe Hooper’s “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” terrified audiences in a way never thought possible when it was unleashed on a politically and socially tumultuous America in 1974. Facing a storm of controversy, censorship, and outcry throughout its troubled release, this masterpiece of horror has stood the test of time to become a landmark motion picture and cultural milestone. Restored in 4K.
Cinemark
‘Mean Girls’ 20th Anniversary in movie theaters for 2024
In theaters: Oct. 3 & 6, 2024
Originally released: April 30, 2004
Director: Mark Waters
Cady thinks she understands “survival of the fittest.” However, the law of the wild takes a whole new meaning when the homeschooled 15-year-old enters public high school for the first time.
Paramount
“Mean Girls” returns to theaters fittingly on Oct. 3, 2024, widely celebrated as “Mean Girls Day” because of this famous quote from the film: “On October 3, he asked me what day it was.” “It’s October 3.”
‘Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas’ in movie theaters
In theaters: Starting Oct. 11, 2024
Originally released: Oct. 29, 1993
Director: Henry Selick
Enter an extraordinary world filled with magic and wonder, where every holiday has its own special land. This is the heartfelt tale of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, and all things that go bump in the night. Bored with the same old tricks and treats, he yearns for something more, and soon stumbles upon the glorious magic of Christmas Town. When Jack decides to bring this joyful holiday back to Halloween Town, his dream to fill Santa’s shoes unravels, and it’s up to Sally, the rag doll who loves him, to stitch things together again.
Disney
‘Hocus Pocus’ in movie theaters
In theaters: Starting Oct. 18, 2024
Originally released: July 16, 1993
Director: Kenny Ortega
Disney
You’re in for a devil of a time when three outlandishly wild witches — Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy — return from 17th-century Salem after they’re accidentally conjured up by some unsuspecting pranksters. It’s a night full of zany fun and comic chaos once the tricky 300-year-old trio set out to cast a spell on the town and reclaim their youth … but first they must get their act together and outwit three kids and a talking cat.
‘Back to the Future Part II’ 35th Anniversary in movie theaters for 2024
In theaters: Oct. 19 & 21, 2024
Originally released: Nov. 22, 1989
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Picking up precisely where they left off, Marty and Doc (Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd) launch themselves to the year 2015 to fine-tune the future and inadvertently disrupt the space-time continuum. Now, their only chance to fix the present is by going back to 1955 all over again before it is too late.
Fathom Events
“Back to the Future Part II” returns to theaters on “Back to the Future Day,” celebrated annually by fans on Oct. 21 and signifying the date in the second film when Marty McFly travels through time.
‘Saw’ Unrated in movie theaters
In theaters: Oct. 20 & 23, 2024
Originally released: Oct. 29, 2004
Director: James Wan
“Saw” celebrates its 20th anniversary with an Unrated nationwide theatrical release October 20 & 23, with bonus content featuring actor Tobin Bell discussing “Saw” fandom and his iconic performance as John Kramer.
A young man named Adam (Leigh Wannell) wakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a decrepit subterranean chamber. Chained to the opposite side of the room is another bewildered captive, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes). Between them is a dead man lying in a pool of blood, holding a .38 in his hand. Neither man knows why he has been abducted: but instructions left on a microcassette order Dr. Gordon to kill Adam within eight hours. If he fails to do so, then both men will die, and Dr. Gordon’s wife, Alison (Monica Parker), and his daughter will be killed.
Recalling a recent murder investigation by a police detective named Tapp (Danny Glover), Dr. Gordon realizes he and Adam are the next victims of a psychopathic genius known only as “Jigsaw.”
Fathom Events
‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ 35th Anniversary in movie theaters for 2024
In theaters: Oct. 26-29, 2024
Originally released: Dec. 20, 1990
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Celebrate this beloved coming-of-age story from the legendary Studio Ghibli and Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki about a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service, only to lose her gift of flight in a moment of self-doubt. It is a tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and fly off into the wide world to learn their craft. When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her new journey with her sarcastic black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a seaside village, where her unique skills make her an instant sensation.
Cinemark
“Kiki’s Delivery Service” returns to theaters as part of the multi-month-long Studio Ghibli Fest.
Which classic film are you looking forward to seeing in a movie theater in October 2024?
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