October is upon us, which means we've got some delightfully scary movies hitting theaters, but it also means we're approaching awards season. So there's some serious contenders getting releases as well, like Ben Affleck's 'Argo' and the Wachowski's 'Cloud Atlas.' Scary or serious this month? Why not both? Treat yourselves!

October 5

'Frankenweenie' (3D) -- Directed by Tim Burton. Starring Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, and Martin Short. Tim Burton expands on his old short film with this new animated feature about a boy who tries to bring his dog back to life with some disastrous results.

'Taken 2' -- Directed by Olivier Megaton. Starring Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, and Maggie Grace. Retired CIA operative Bryan Mills is back and using his very particular set of skills to free himself and his wife from kidnappers.

'Butter' (Limited) -- Directed by Jim Field Smith. Starring Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, and Olivia Wilde. When her butter-carving champion husband decides to retire, his wife tries to win and keep their family's legacy alive, but she finds competition in her husband's mistress and a very talented 11 year-old girl.

'The Paperboy' (Limited) -- Directed by Lee Daniels. Starring Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, John Cusack, and Matthew McConaughey. A reporter returns to his hometown in Florida to write about a case involving a death row inmate.

'V/H/S' (Limited) -- Directed by Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence, Ti West, and Joe Swanberg. This horror anthology focuses on a group of criminals who enter a house to steal a VHS tape, only to discover five terrifying stories on the tapes, and something even worse in the house itself.

October 12

'Argo' -- Directed by Ben Affleck. Starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, and John Goodman. A CIA operative comes up with a unique plan to take his crew into Iran to extricate six Americans who have become trapped there in a time of turmoil.

'Atlas Shrugged: Part 2' -- Directed by John Putch. Starring Samantha Mathis, Jason Beghi, and Esai Morales. In this sequel Dagny Taggart has found the key to putting a stop to the mounting global economic and energy crises.

'Here Comes the Boom' -- Directed by Frank Coraci. Starring Kevin James, Salma Hayek, and Henry Winkler. A high school teacher tries to raise the money to save extra-curricular activities at his school by becoming the most unlikely mixed martial arts fighter.

'Seven Psychopaths' -- Directed by Martin McDonagh. Starring Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, and Sam Rockwell. When his goofy criminal pals who make a living kidnapping and returning dogs for rewards accidentally kidnap a noted gangster's pet Shih Tzu, a screenwriter unwittingly gets mixed up in their wacky plans.

'Sinister' -- Directed by Scott Derrickson. Starring Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, and James Ransone. A true-crime author and his family move into a new home only to discover that its previous inhabitants were murdered there. Using found footage, the author begins to uncover the truth.

'Nobody Walks' (Limited) -- Directed by Ry Russo-Young. Starring Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Justin Kirk. An attractive young artist visits the home of a sound designer and his family for help with her film, creating a wave of conflict.

'Smashed' (Limited) -- Directed by James Ponsoldt. Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul. A couple whose entire marriage is built on their alcohol abuse finds their relationship strained when the wife decides to sober up.

October 19

'Alex Cross' -- Directed by Rob Cohen. Starring Tyler Perry and Matthew Fox. Detective Alex Cross sets out to find and apprehend the psychotic man responsible for murdering a member of his family.

'Paranormal Activity 4' -- Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. Starring Katie Featherston, Kathryn Newton, and Matt Shively. The spooky found footage shenanigans have returned in the fourth entry to the 'Paranormal Activity' franchise.

'The Sessions' (Limited) -- Directed by Ben Lewin. Starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, and William H. Macy. A man stricken with polio and confined to an iron lung wishes to lose his virginity with the help of a sex worker.

October 26

'Chasing Mavericks' -- Directed by Michael Apted and Curtis Hanson. Starring Gerard Butler, Jonny Weston, and Elisabeth Shue. When a young surfer discovers he has the rare opportunity to surf one of the biggest breaks, he asks an old pro to help prepare him for his biggest outing yet.

'Cloud Atlas' -- Directed by Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, and Lana Wachowski. Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and Hugh Grant. This epic feature spans lifetimes to trace the way actions of individuals effectively shape our future and inspire others.

'Fun Size' -- Directed by Josh Schwartz. Starring Victoria Justice, Johnny Knoxville, and Chelsea Handler. Teenager Wren wants to attend a Halloween party hosted by the guy she has a crush on, but her mom is forcing her to babysit her little brother. Things get even worse when he goes missing and Wren has to track him down.

'Silent Hill: Revelation' (3D) -- Directed by Michael J. Bassett. Starring Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell, and Carrie-Anne Moss. After he father goes missing, Heather must enter the alternate reality of Silent Hill to track him down and uncover the answers to the nightmares that have been with her since she was a kid.

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