Movie Showdowns: What To Watch This Month

It’s October, which typically means Halloween and scary movies that cause me to sleep with the lights on. Save yourself the trouble (and sleepless nights) by avoiding the weird, possessed-children horror stories and check out some other new releases in theaters this month instead.

can we stop making movies with murderous puppets so I can sleep at night

— Matt Bellassai (@MattBellassai) October 2, 2014

I think we can all agree with that.

“Whiplash” vs. “Rudderless”

Music may be the common thread between these two films, but it ends there. A father loses his son in “Rudderless” but finds comfort in his songs. Then there’s “Whiplash,” the antithesis of the typical motivational movie. Miles Teller plays a jazz drummer that gets unhealthily lost in his craft and pushed to his limits by an abusive instructor.

My pick: While “Rudderless” makes me feel nostalgic for Billy Crudup in “Almost Famous,” I’m going to have to go with “Whiplash.”

Release Date: October 10

“Gone Girl” vs. “Kill the Messenger”

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve read the book and/or heard the hype around the “Gone Girl” film. A man’s wife goes missing and he becomes the prime suspect. But was he responsible for her disappearance?

Moving away from fiction, “Kill the Messenger” tells the true story of Journalist Gary Webb and how he uncovered the CIA’s involvement in the crack cocaine epidemic.

My pick: Gone Girl. I haven’t read the bestseller (DON’T JUDGE ME) but if the trailer is an accurate portrayal of the movie, this is going to be good. Plus, Boston people need to stick together. Team Ben all the way.

Release Date: October 3

Let’s go to the movies…

…whose cah’ are we gonna take?

I literally couldn’t help myself.

So what’s your pick? Tweet @litdarling with the movie you plan on checking out this month.