Strange Thoughts on Films. Turn Off Your Mind, Relax & Float Downstream.
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Films That I Saw: October 2026
Two more months before the year is going to end and honestly, I want this year to be over as there is so much shit happening. The recent train collision in Spain that has killed a bunch of people. Riots in France. Iranian rebels fighting in Saudi Arabia while TKO still wants to do a WWE show in the country for money. Elections here in America is at a breaking point as it is a reminder of why democracy sucks. There is so much happening around the world that I want this year to be over with. This is not a good year unless you are from Milwaukee. Congratulations to the Milwaukee Brewers on winning your first World Series.
Despite all the chaos that is happening, I have started to back into writing again although in a slower pace than usual as I am working on my review of Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead as it was one of the few films that I saw this month. Most of my time was devoted to a couple of TV shows and a limited series though I feel more relaxed in watching things than in the past several months. In the month of October, I saw a total of 11 films in five first-timers and 6 re-watches with 3 of the first-timers being films directed or co-directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. My highlight of the month is Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.
Monthly Mini-Reviews/What Else I Am Watching
East of Eden
Having seen the 1955 film by Elia Kazan, I knew the limited series was going to be a different beast since the 1955 only covered the last fourth of the book by John Steinbeck. What I did not expect in this new adaptation was the depth that showrunner in Kazan’s granddaughter Zoe would bring in, along with co-writer Alexander Chee and its directors in Garth Davis and Laure de Clermont-Tonnere, to study two generations of families consumed by guilt, desire, sin, and ambition. If Florence Pugh does not get any major awards for her performance as Cathy Ames/Kate Abley. Then what is the fucking point of having awards? Pugh elevated herself into another level in a performance as a complicated woman while the ensemble that include standout performances from Mike Faist as Charles Trask and Hoon Lee as the Trask family servant Lee are performances to watch as they deserve as much praise. It is an astonishingly rich and heartbreaking limited series to watch as it is one that cannot be ignored. I am often critical of what Netflix puts out but this limited series on the other hand is just outstanding.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter
I have heard about this film for years as this ended up being a gem of a film from Osgood Perkins. It is a film with paralleling narratives set in a cold period in upstate New York where a young student is stuck at a prep school with a senior as she starts to behave erratically. The other narrative involves a young woman who had left a mental hospital as she has been picked up by a couple who are on their way home in the cold weather. This is unlike any other horror film as it has a lot of chills and moments that are scary with great performances from Kiernan Shipka, Emma Roberts, and Lucy Boynton. It has a lot of amazing technical work from its crew as I am now more interested in what else Perkins is doing as a filmmaker.
The Stylist
Shoutout to Brittani for suggesting this film as this was a gem of a film that people need to seek out. Directed by Jill Gevargizian from a short film she did as it revolves around a hair stylist who scalps women and wears their scalps. An old friend asks her to style her for an upcoming wedding as things get more problematic as tension emerge where her client’s friends say awful shit about her and the growing distance between herself and her friend. Njarra Townsend is great as the titular character as she embodies a troubled woman who feels slighted where the ending of the film is just something to watch.
Ted Lasso (season 4, episode 10)
The season finale is an absolute delight as the cameos from characters in the past seasons were fun to watch including an impromptu Diamond Dogs session with Alice being part of it as Cat People. The David Bowie fan in me was geeking out over that. I knew who was the person that was trying to buy the AFC Richmond shares as it was obvious, yet it was followed by a big surprise that I knew was going to happen. It showed maturity in the writing and characters. The show does mark the end of something while it also marks the beginning of something new. The season’s MVP is Tanya Reynolds as Alice Chilton as she is just a great character as someone who loves the beautiful game as she is trying to find herself as a coach. Her arc is one of the best things in the show where she eventually loosens up and earn a spot that is deserving while Ted Lasso makes a decision that becomes suitable for him in his need to be with his son Henry.
VisionQuest (episodes 1-6)
I admit I have not really been enamored with Marvel in the past few years as I am not looking forward to Avengers: Doomsday as I have no faith in the Russo Brothers and the writers involved. This series, however, is a joy to watch as I am happy to see Paul Bettany return as Vision, but it is the return of James Spader as Ultron that has been a joy to watch. Spader’s performance as the human avatar of Ultron is just full of charm as I cannot help but root for him. Even as we meet a villainous android in Jocasta, who is played with such gusto in T’Nia Miller, whom Ultron has fallen in love with. I think I want to watch a porno between those 2 characters as I just love watching them together. The ensemble that includes James D’Arcy as an avatar of J.A.R.V.I.S., Orla Brady as an avatar of F.R.I.D.A.Y., Emily Hampshire as an avatar of E.D.I.T.H., Henry Lewis as an avatar of D.U.M.-E., and Jonathan Sayer as an avatar of U are fun to watch in how they interact with Vision.
Ruaridh Mollica’s performance as Thomas Shepherd/Tommy Maximoff is excellent as is Todd Stashwick as the bounty hunter Paladin. So far, the show is incredible while I am waiting for Tommy to meet his twin brother in Billy Maximoff/Billy Kaplan/Speed. Plus, I think the mysterious figure who hired the Paladin in trying to kill Vision is the first AI robot in J.I.M./Synthetic Man.
Well, that is all for October 2026. Other than a few films I had hoped to watch this month that I had prepared reviews for. I am hoping to catch up on new releases with Marc by Sofia being the most notable film. I am not sure which Blind Spot film I will do now that I have gained access to another film with only 3 films to get soon either on Blu-Ray or digital. Other than that, I am not sure what I will watch as I am not interested in any upcoming theatrical releases except for Dune Part 3. Before I bid adieu, for those who are fans of Star Trek are in mourning with the loss of two figures this month. The first is Walter Koenig aka Pavel Chekov from the original series in the 1960s and in the film versions that followed. The second is in Sir Patrick Stewart aka Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation and their own film franchise. While Stewart is also known for other projects including his performance as Charles Xavier/Professor X from the X-Men movies and its related franchises with Marvel. These two men will certainly be missed.
Other notable figures who passed away this month and will be missed include activist Dolores Huerta, actress Barbara Barrie, actress Elke Sommer, filmmaker Peter Medak, actor/singer Bobby Wright, musician Donnie Iris, actress Susan St. James, voice actor Eric Bauza, professional wrestler Jack Armstong, professional wrestler Jumbo Baretta, music engineer Phil McDonald, Nigel Durham of Saxon, Alan Dysert of All My Children, singer-songwriter John Anderson, Tom Skerritt, Indian film composer Deva, actor Michael Gray of Shazam!, character actor Richard Riehle, David Surkamp of Pavlov’s Dog, video game designer Richard Gray, actor RJ Mitte, actor Gary Waddell, actor Pierre Lindstedt, the legendary Eva Marie Saint, music composer George Fenton, musician Freddie Jackson, comedian Reggie McFadden, storyboard artist J. Todd Anderson, actress Mary Louise Weller, and the greatest American football coach of all-time in Mike Ditka. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off… and go Dream!
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