Pennywise always wanted a bigger audience. Well, at Cosm Dallas, he finally got the whole damn dome.
Preston Barta for Dallas Observer
Every October, Dallas theaters dust off the classics. Comfort food, really. Think of them as the fun-sized candy bars of the spooky season. But some of us want the full-size bar. Some of us want the house at the end of the block that hands out something weird, something memorable, maybe something that makes your parents check the wrapper twice.
This year, North Texas has plenty of screenings with a little more trick than treat. And spoiler alert, in the grand tradition of “the call is coming from inside the house,” most of them are happening at the Texas Theatre.
Here are our top 10 picks:
1. Joe Bob’s Halloween Spooktacular 2: Monster Boogaloo at the Texas Theatre (Oct. 31)
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This is the mother lode of the season. Former Observer contributor Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl, the hosts of Shudder’s “The Last Drive-In,” are spending Halloween in Oak Cliff. They’re bringing a true dusk-’til-dawn marathon that runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., packed with feature films, spooky shorts and the drive-in tangents and trivia fans have come to love.
Now the bad news: The main auditorium, where the hosts appear in the flesh, is already sold out. The good news is that tickets for the upstairs auditorium are still available, and everything gets screened up there, too. Signs also point to this becoming an annual tradition. Two horror legends choosing Dallas for Halloween? Grab a ticket while you still can. Upstairs tickets are $39.83.
Joe Bob and Darcy prove Halloween in Dallas still plays best to a packed house.
2. “A Nightmare on Elm Street” + May May’s Nightmares Drag Show at the Texas Theatre (Oct. 28)
One, two, May May’s coming for you. Wes Craven’s 1984 slasher gave us Freddy Krueger, a bladed glove, a striped sweater and a solid reason to drink coffee past midnight. This season, it gets a spectacular drag treatment. Freddy has always been a showman with killer one-liners, so it only makes sense to pair him with performers who can match his flair for drama. Tickets start at $20.
3. “It: Chapter One” in Shared Reality at The Colony’s Cosm Dallas (all October)
We’ve sung the praises of Cosm’s Shared Reality format before with “Harry Potter” and “Willy Wonka.” The film plays dead center on the dome, and custom graphics stretch beyond the frame, wrapping the world of the movie around you.
But now, this is Cosm’s first horror outing in Shared Reality, and it arrives close to the film’s 10th anniversary. It’s a smart choice for breaking the ice, and the result feels like watching the movie from inside a haunted house built from the film itself. This is a mood-and-dread film, and the dome serves the creep factor without going overboard. It simply makes a familiar film feel new again (get ready for the bloody bathroom scene), and the strongest case yet for Cosm to bring more horror to the dome. Tickets start at $35.
4. Dismember the Alamo 2026 at Alamo Drafthouse Richardson (Oct. 24)
Let’s get it out of the way: this one is sold out except for a few accessible seats. Consider this your homework so you don’t miss it next year.
Dismember the Alamo is a secret all-day horror marathon. You won’t know the lineup until the lights go down. Past editions have mixed cult favorites with deep cuts that even seasoned fans have never heard of. It also comes with a generous amount of ’70s and ’80s sleaze that makes you wonder how it ever got printed on film. Bring stamina and an open mind. Read more about the sold-out event here.
5. Frizzi2Fulci with Fabio Frizzi at the Texas Theatre (Oct. 29)
Dig past the surface of genre cinema, and you’ll run into Italian director Lucio Fulci and his longtime composer Fabio Frizzi. The best example is 1979’s “Zombi 2.” A zombie wrestles a real tiger shark underwater while Frizzi’s hypnotic, thumping score pulses. It’s one of the most bizarre scenes ever filmed.
Frizzi and his band will perform highlights from his Fulci scores, from “Zombi 2” to “The Beyond,” with the gory imagery to match. Opening are special guests Visceral Cuts, a Denton duo that pairs shredding, eccentric live music with custom horror video collages. Expect a night of killer sounds and scary images. Tickets start at $39.75.
6. “Trick ‘r Treat” + live Q&A with director Michael Dougherty at the Texas Theatre (Oct. 9)
This is the rare horror movie that’s really about Halloween itself: its rules, its rituals and what happens when you blow out a jack-o’-lantern too early. Michael Dougherty’s anthology film weaves together tales of a principal with a secret, a werewolf-heavy party night and a school bus legend. Holding it all together is Sam, the burlap-masked trick-or-treater who enforces tradition with a lollipop and a bad attitude.
Its studio shelved it for years and quietly released it on home video. Since then, it’s grown into a cult favorite that many fans call the definitive Halloween movie. Seeing it on the big screen with Dougherty there to answer questions is a rare treat. Tickets are $19.50.
Even the skeletons know how to make an entrance at the Texas Theatre.
7. “Sinners” at Rooftop Cinema Club Fort Worth (Oct. 15, 23 and 27)
Sure, 70mm IMAX may be the ultimate way to see Ryan Coogler’s Jim Crow-era vampire blues epic. But watching it under the stars, framed by the Fort Worth skyline? Not bad at all. Michael B. Jordan doubles up as twin brothers, and the juke joint sequence remains the most spine-tingling musical moment, and the vampires are the kind you won’t want to invite in. So, settle into a lounge chair and let the night air do the rest. Tickets start at $19.
8. “Daughters of Darkness” at Alamo Drafthouse Cedars and Richardson (Oct. 26)
Part of the Drafthouse’s Queer Film Theory 101 series, Harry Kümel’s 1971 Belgian gem is the most elegant movie on this list. Delphine Seyrig plays Countess Báthory, the legendary blood countess, who glides through an off-season seaside hotel like a silver-screen goddess. She has her sights set on a pair of newlyweds with more than a few cracks in their marriage. The film is sensual, stylish and unsettling, more seduction than slaughter, and it remains one of the high points of the lesbian vampire genre. Wear your best red lipstick. Tickets are $16.97.
9. “Bride of Frankenstein” + Bishop Street Ballet Preshow at the Texas Theatre (Oct. 25)
James Whale’s 1935 sequel is the kind of rare follow-up that tops the original. It’s funnier, stranger and more heartbreaking, and it still feels surprisingly modern. Elsa Lanchester’s lightning-bolt hairdo and bird-like hiss earned her a spot in horror history with just a few minutes of screen time. Before the film, the Bishop Street Ballet presents a dance preshow. Movement and monster movies make a fine match. After all, the Bride’s whole debut is basically choreography. Tickets start at $22.
10. $5 Spooks at Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Victory Park (all October)
All month long, Cinépolis is screening horror classics for just $5. The lineup includes “Halloween,” “Carrie,” “The Thing,” “Coraline” and “ParaNorman.” It’s a great, cheap way to see the classics on the big screen. It’s even better if you bring along a horror newbie and watch them meet John Carpenter’s shape-shifter for the first time. The drinks and food are solid too, so that $5 ticket goes a long way.