Marshall and the Movies

In less than two weeks, we are headed into October.  More quality fall entertainment, more Oscar contenders.  But really, “The Social Network” leads off the month and it’s all downhill from there.  Sorry, every other movie coming out in my month of birth.  AND PLEASE TAKE THE POLL AT THE END … I blanked and left it off for a few days, but please vote!

October 1

I’ve stated twice that I’m dying to see “The Social Network,” and I’ve predicted it twice now to win Best Picture.  I’m counting on a great movie, and I’m planning on catching the first showing after school on Friday.

“Let Me In” reminds us of a time when vampires were still scary, not sexy.  Chloe Moretz (best known as Hit Girl) plays the blood-sucking child in question in this remake of the 2008 foreign horror flick “Let the Right One In.”  I think subtitles make anything creepier, but Hollywood sees English-language versions as a way to make things more accessible.

I love the book “Freakonomics,” and I think the documentary montage without any particular focus is a perfect complement to the bestseller.  If it’s anything like the book, it will be fascinating and incredibly thought-provoking.  It’s an interesting tactic to put it on iTunes before releasing it in theaters, and I’ve been asking myself whether or not I should wait for the big screen.

And on another note, poor Renee Zellweger has dropped so low as to start doing low-brow horror like “Case 39.”  To think she won an Oscar just 7 years ago…

October 8

Ugh, “Secretariat.”  Inspirational sports movies now give me an averse reaction.  And there’s also more gross horror in 3D with “My Soul to Take.”  Way to sell your soul, Wes Craven.  With the only other wide release being a corny Josh Duhamel-Katherine Heigl romantic comedy, “Life as We Know It,” it looks like I may be seeing “The Social Network” for a second time.

On the indie side of things, I’ll be happy to see some of the offerings.  For example, I’m sure “Inside Job” will be an illuminating (and probably slanted) view of what really went down with the economic meltdown in 2008.

“Stone” looks intense, much like “Brothers” appealed to me this time last year.  With an impressive cast of Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton (Milla Jovovich to a lesser degree as well), it could be a pretty good under-the-radar movie.

“Tamara Drewe” has been playing at a lot of film festivals this year to mixed/positive reviews, most of the praise going not to director Stephen Frears but to leading lady Gemma Arterton.  “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” has also been playing film festivals recently albeit to much less success.  Despite the widespread acclaim the filmmakers’ past two movies, “Half Nelson” and “Sugar,” have received, this just hasn’t caught on.  “Nowhere Boy,” the story of John Lennon, premiered at Toronto this week, but I didn’t hear anything about it.  No news is NOT good news at a festival.

October 15

“Jackass 3D” could be the movie that the third dimension needs – something that totally doesn’t take it seriously.  We’ve all started having our hang-ups with the technology, and watching the “Jackass” crew treat it like a joke could be awesome.

Helen Mirren … with a gun?  Queen gone wild!  “Red” looks pretty BA – and not because of Bruce Willis.

“Conviction” looks like SUCH bait – which is why you’ll hear more about it an Oscar Moment later this week.  And there’s yet to be an English language trailer for “Carlos,” but with a five-hour runtime, I doubt many English audiences are going to be lining up to see it.

October 22

Clint Eastwood’s latest, “Hereafter,” looks very somber and pensive.  There’s more Matt Damon, who finally got his first acting nomination last year for his work in Clint’s last movie, “Invictus.”  I think this could be a very powerful movie – but it looks pretty weird.

I’m sorry, but are you kidding me?  “Paranormal Activity 2” is the most shameless, money-grubbing, unnecessary sequel I’ve ever seen.

The weekend also brings us “The Company Men” with Ben Affleck, which tackles the issue of unemployment in America.  Unfortunately, the zeitgeist movie market has pretty much been cornered with “The Social Network,” so it’s going to take a backseat. (See the December preview for “The Company Men” in its new release date.)

October 29

We are finally done with the “Saw” series!  It goes out with a bang in 3D, so everyone give a cheer for the franchise that wore out its welcome five years ago!

The last movie in the Millenium trilogy, “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest,” makes its way to theaters on Wednesday.  The Swedish movies have been pretty successful around the world; it’s kind of sad that Americans can’t just accept a series in a different language.  We just HAVE to remake everything for our own language.  As for other imports this weekend, “Wild Target” stars an all-star British cast of Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint, and Bill Nighy.  However, the receipts from across the pond haven’t exactly been spectacular, so who knows how this will do here.

I’m really hoping “Monsters” can be a breakout hit.  Magnolia needs it.  The movie looks like “District 9” set in Mexico – awesome!

And hold the phone … Kristen Stewart is acting now?  She’s in “Welcome to the Riley’s” alongside James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo, so she can’t resort to the whole teen angst thing and blend in to a sea of shirtless guys.  We’ll see how this goes.

What’s looking good for YOU in October?