HOLLYWOOD—The leaves are changing, and the fall-themed treats and decorations are all over the stores. Autumn officially arrived on September 22, and no matter where you live you can experience the crisp climate. From apple picking to pumpkin carving and haunted houses, fall is in the air. Along with fall, some of the most interesting films are set for October release.
There are fall movies to satisfy every taste. One of the year’s most provocative film, “The Apprentice,” chronicles how a certain Donald Trump became a real-estate mogul in the 1970s and 1980s. Let’s not forget, he’s running for President again, as well. Played by Sebastian Stan, the young Donald reachs for the stars with his high ambitions. He meets Roy Cohn, a vicious attorney played by Jeremy Strong. Ali Abbasi has directed an entertaining film. Your opinion of the film will obviously depend on your opinion of Trump. “The Apprentice,” is a tale of entrepreneurship and reinvention a definite must-see. The film is being released on October 11.
On October 18, comedy drama “Anora,” will be released. Mikey Madison should be on every Best Actress list. She plays Ani, a Russian-American strip-club dancer who catches the eye of Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn) an oligarch’s spoiled son. He offers to pay her to be his girlfriend for a week, but Anora is no Pretty Woman-style fairy tale. The film is pure magic, Sean Baker makes sure of that. The smartly, interwoven film makes you at times giggle and keeps you on your toes.
“Rumours,” which stars Cate Blanchett, Rolando Ravello and Charles Dance is scheduled for release on October 18. The leaders of seven wealthy democracies get lost in the woods while drafting a statement on a global crisis, facing danger as they attempt to find their way out.
Another film being released on Netflix on October 18, is “Woman of The Hour.” Back in 1978, Rodney Alcala was a contestant on a TV game show, “The Dating Game,” where he won a date with another guest Cheryl Bradshaw. However, Alcala was a serial killer who had murdered five women and had already served two prison sentences for child molestation.
The true-crime story is the subject of Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, “Woman of The Hour.” Kendrick herself plays Bradshaw, who puts up with all manner of sexist and predatory behavior as an aspiring actress in Los Angeles before she encounters the “Dating Game Killer” (Daniel Zovatto). Kendrick’s vision of horror and humor along with storytelling, makes this film a poignant debut.
Another film being released on October 11, is “Piece by Piece.” Pharrell Williams biggest single, “Happy” was on the “Despicable Me 2” soundtrack, so it’s no surprise that this documentary about his life and music isn’t shot on film or video: it’s a cartoon, animated in the style of “The Lego Movie.” Directed by Morgan Neville, “Piece by Piece” is a blockumentary, featuring the voices of Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg and others. They all recall how Pharrell was discovered in Virginia and went on to produce countless pop hits. They all appear as colored Lego figurines. Pharrell’s rags-to-riches story is an energizing tale with his unique sound.
Back in 2019, Todd Phillips’ “Joker” turned the superhero movie to the top if its game. Not only was the film about a supervillain played by Joaquin Phoenix, who won a Best Actor Oscar, but it was a psychodrama which detailed the protagonist’s despair. The sequel, “Joker: Folie a Deux” is almost set within the walls of an asylum and a courtroom, and when Arthur/ Joker starts singing and dancing with Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga), the film turns into a full-blown musical. The film is edgy and ingenious. The genius of it is that we can’t help but care for Arthur, even during the film’s most apocalyptic and violent moments. The film is being released on October 4.
The movie was actually shown at the Venice Film Festival, where Lady Gaga was all smiles with blonde hair and a massive engagement ring from her fiancé, entrepreneur and tech investor Michael Polansky. The actress and singer, 38, arrived at the festival by water taxi. She looked just like a movie star should look, in her long- sleeve, black and white polka dot mini dress by La Roxx, teamed with black pumps and black shades.
It was her large oval diamond set ring on a pave diamond band that stole the show. That was the first time the Grammy winner showed off her ring. It was actually at the 2024 Paris Olympics, that Gaga introduced Polansky as “my fiancé” to French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, as seen in a video shared to Attal’s TikTok on July 28.
Rose’s Scoop: Netflix remains one of the most popular platforms and the month of October is no surprise. Some of the premieres will be “The Addams Family,” October 8. “Heartstopper” season 3 comes out on October 3. “The Secret of the River” arrives October 9, “The Outer Banks” arrives October 10, “The Lincoln Lawyer” returns October 17. “Hellbound” season 2 kicks off October 25, while “The Diplomat” begins season 2 on October 31.
