In place of a full calendar this month, we have a very select group of films and retrospectives you simply must see, including one hilarious Halloween special screening.

Due to my thesis film encompassing my life, I won’t have enough time this month to put together an actual calendar (the calendar will return in November).  I know you’re all disappointed, but I’m still going to do my best to steer you in the right direction this month with a list of the best repertory screenings in LA in the coming weeks.

 Paul Thomas Anderson retrospective at the New Bev (Oct. 5-10)

 If you were asked to name the most talented director in the world today the list would undoubtedly include names like Scorsese, Almodovar, Tarantino, and Paul Thomas Anderson.  With the recent release of The Master, any doubt that Anderson’s name deserves to be in the same league as the other directors listed was ensured.  For those of you who don’t know how Anderson became the director he is today, you’re in luck as the New Beverly Cinema is doing a retrospective of his work, five films in all: Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, and There Will Be Blood.  The retrospective is a crash course in modern cinematic greatness and also allows viewers the ability to see the changes in Anderson’s filmmaking style post-Magnolia.  This is an event not to be missed, and more importantly, one that should undoubtedly be followed by a screening of The Master in 70mm at the nearby Arclight Hollywood.

 Tony Scott retrospective at the American Cinematheque (Oct. 25, 26, 28)

 The filmmaking community was shocked and saddened by the recent suicide of director Tony Scott.  In his memory, the American Cinematheque is showing three double features of some of his best work including a 70mm double feature of Top Gun and Days of Thunder.  This is a great opportunity to see the work of a vastly talented director who has somehow gone underappreciated.

 The Complete Metropolis at LACMA on Oct. 13th

 This is where sci-fi cinema truly begins.  Yes, Melies and various other filmmakers toyed around with the genre before Lang made this masterpiece, but this is the film that forever changed sci-fi cinema.  Released in 1927, the film was severely cut after its premiere and the full length cut was thought lost forever.  However, in 2008, a 16mm reduction negative of the original cut of the film was discovered in South America.  It was restored and re-released in a handful of theatres and now is your chance to see the film the way it was meant to be seen.

 Shaun of the Dead on Halloween at Regency Theatre in Costa Mesa

 I have a soft spot for this film, so much so that it’s on my list of the top 10 films of the last decade.  It’s brilliantly written, acted, directed, edited, etc.  The whole thing is just perfect, not to mention it’s incredibly funny.  A parody of the zombie film, in addition to being a rather scathing social commentary (as all the Romero films are), it’s also the first film teaming of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost.  Aside from Ghostbusters (which is playing at the Cinematheque tonight as well), this should be your first choice in terms of Halloween movie watching.