Montavilla’s art deco palace is keeping its Halloween programming classic this year, with a mix of titles old(er) and newish. Toward the end of the month, it’ll be your spot to watch young Regan MacNeil levitate and speak in tongues in director William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (October 18–24) and see Jamie Lee Curtis run from Michael Myers in John Carpenter’s iconic slasher Halloween (October 25–31). Before that, catch 1968’s groundbreakingly gory zombie flick Night of the Living Dead (October 4–10) and the movie that conjured perhaps the most ubiquitous halloween costume ever, Scream (October 11–17). 

Real Halloween heads are likely to have the Clinton on their radar already, given the theater’s decades-running record of showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show every single Saturday (including to an empty house through the early days of COVID). There are, indeed, other spooky screenings on the calendar, including Possession (October 14) and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (October 24). But the month truly belongs to Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon. Things start with the Rocky Horror Picture Show for Virgins (October 12), a first-timer’s walk through of nailing the call backs and dancing the Time Warp hosted by Portland Monthly contributor Thom Hilton. Then comes an extended set of shows from the full spectacle of the Clinton Street Cabaret (October 19, 25, 26, 27, 31), as well as two installments of Marla Darling’s Rocky Horror Hallowmans Show (October 28 & 29) followed by a drag and burlesque Tim Curry tribute show (November 1). 

The crown jewel of Northeast Portland’s Hollywood District is a certified haunted house this month, including a sold out all-night horror marathon. A double feature of two Frankenstein films from the ’40s, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man and House of Frankenstein (October 12 & 13), sets the mood for the Mel Brooks classic starring Gene Wilder Young Frankenstein in 35mm (October 25), the latter prefaced by stand-up from LA comic Christina Catherine Martinez. The city’s favorite drag clown Carla Rossi’s Queer Horror series will dress up in tribute to The Convent (October 12), and you can catch matinees of Tim Burton’s original Beetlejuice on the big screen (October 19 & 20) if you’re wanting to compare notes with the recent sequel. Another rare showing is Brian De Palma’s Carrie (October 16 & 19), based on Stephen King’s breakout novel about a tormented, telekinetic teen. While the crew is taking the official holiday for themselves, they’re screening the OG Ghostbusters the night before (October 30) to mark the film’s 40-year anniversary.  

While the Portland Art Museum’s new movie theater holds plenty of regular film screenings, most of its events include talks, performances, and even installations by local and visiting artists. As expected, they’re dressing up more than a few times for Halloween. Kiki Robinson, a.k.a Opulent Witch, is hosting a group ritual with live tarot readings ahead of screening The Craft (October 11). Self-styled “drag enigma” Violet Hex will host bingo themed after everyone’s favorite goth sitcom before showing Addams Family Values (October 24). There are also a few family-friendly, Sunday-afternoon screenings early in the month, including The Monster Squad (October 6) and Hocus Pocus (October 13) for just five bucks. The notoriously mind-melting Japanese horror film about a phantasmagoric farmhouse House (Hausu), with its ’70s psych-rock soundtrack, closes things out Halloween night.