Five Things To Do In Edinburgh: Wednesday 10 October

• FILM: Sinister (15). Novelist Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) moves to a leafy community with his wife Tracy (Juliet Rylance) and children Trevor (Michael Hall D’Addario) and Ashley (Clare Foley). Ellison neglects to mention to his brood that the previous owners of the house came to an unfortunate end, and the sole survivor - a little girl - disappeared without trace. Ellison intends to use this grisly history as the basis for a new book and he relishes the chance to sift through Super 8 footage in the attic. As he delves into the case, Ellison reveals strange symbols and he enlists the help of Professor Jonas (Vincent D’Onofrio), an expert in cults, to unravel the mystery. In the process, Tracy and the children are targeted by dark forces and Ellison races against time to save the people he loves from the same ghoulish fate as the previous owners.

General release, various cinemas, times and prices

• EXHIBITIONS: Astrid Trugg and Melanie Williamson. Figurative paintings inspired by Scottish landscapes.

Bon Papillon, Howe Street, 9am-5pm, free, 0131-538 2505

Ross Spencer: New Works Original artwork created by drawing on board with a welding torch!

Stick Factory, Mayfield Road, 10am-7pm, free, 0131-629 5171

Both end on Thursday

• COMEDY: Melting Pot. A comedy sketch show that puts the audience in charge! Choose your favourite from a variety of sketches submitted by members of the public and performed by a troupe of actors and comedians. It’s a comedy referendum!

The Stand, York Place, 8.30pm, £5 (£4), 0131-558 7272

• THEATRE: Haunting Julia. Joe McFadden (Andy), Duncan Preston (Joe) and Richard O’Callaghan (Ken) star in the first ever UK tour of the critically acclaimed London production of Alan Ayckbourn’s haunting study of grief, obsession and the supernatural.

King’s Theatre, Leven Street, 7.30pm, £14–£29 (£11–£26), 0131-529 6000

• MUSICAL: The Phantom of the Opera. Cameron Mackintosh presents a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.

The Edinburgh Playhouse, Greenside Place, 7.30pm, £19.50–£56, 0844-871 3014