Fresh from the grave, here are some horror movie releases that will be sure to check under your bed at night. Whether you’re traveling to the theatre or renting from your local video store, grab some popcorn and prepare to scream.

First up we have Bruce Campbell starring in The Woods ^[1], a straight-to-DVD release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Per the official site, The Woods is a “psychological horror story that begins when a neglected teenager named Heather (Bruckner) is dropped off by her parents at a remote all-girls boarding school deep in the forest. Watched over by sinister head-mistress Ms. Traverse (Clarkson) and her staff, Heather is tormented by her classmates and is desperate to go home. But when students start disappearing and she begins to have horrifying visions, Heather realizes things at the school are not what they seem. She only knows there’s something out there in the woods – and it won’t be letting her leave any time soon.”

The Gathering, is also a straight-to-DVD horror thriller about a homeless drifter named Cassie, played by Christina Ricci, who is hit by a car on the way to the town of Ashby Wake and loses her memory. Taken in by the driver, Cassie starts to have strange visions at her old, rambling house which shed light on her bizarre connection to Ashby Wake.

Sequels, sequels and more sequels seem to be all the blood-rage this month as Saw 3 ^[2] hits the theatres just in time for Halloween. Already in theatres, you can go to see Texas Chainsaw: the Beginning ^[3] on the big screen to learn more about Leatherface’s dark origins. Opening on Friday the 13th you can watch the sequel ^[4] to the Grudge, which sheds light on the deadly ghost’s origins. Don’t forget to bring your friends to the theatre as The Nightmare before Christmas in Disney Digital 3D stretches the boundaries of animation as it bursts into 3-dimensional viewing.

Touchstone Pictures brings The Prestige ^[5] to the big screen later this month with a star-studded cast that includes Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. A dark thriller, The Prestige is a film about rival magificians who will do anything to learn each other’s trade secrets in a gloomy turn-of-the-century London.

Some independent films look promising, Requiem ^[6], a German supernatural thriller about religion and the possessed–even though science tells us that Michaela’s character acts the way she does because of her epilepsy. If you’re lucky, you may be able to catch Point of Contact ^[7], a film about a man who wakes up after 12 years who gains the ability to talk to the dead–both good and evil. Cruel World is a dark comedy about a reality show gone very wrong, and our UK friends will make sure you’re Gone ^[8]. This psychological thriller is about a potentially deadly love triangle, a beautiful Australian landscape, and secrets left unsaid.

The Genius Club ^[9] is a story ripped from today’s terrorist headlines; a terrorist snatches seven geniuses from different walks of life and forces them to solve the world’s problems in one evening–or else. Also on the political thriller agenda is a controversial film entitled Death of a President, which takes place after the fiction assassination of George W. Bush.

That’s it for the dark, the scary, and the thrilling for October’s movie releases. Be sure to check back for updates or visit Movie Web ^[10] for more information.