Here comes the fall. And I'm not talking about the seasons. Normally fall is when you notice the blockbusters, and the quality of those blockbusters, drop a touch. But then again, what did August do for you? I loved Inglorious Basterds ... and there was some decent escapes for dates like Julie & Julia and The Time Traveler's Wife. It seems I'm in the minority thinking District 9 is only "pretty good."
So what can we expect from September? Mike Judge returns to live-action features with Extract. Our blockbuster leftovers give us Whiteout and Surrogates. Michael Moore will try for another documentary full of impact with Capitalism: a Love Story. And Fame will try to prove that it truly can live forever. I wonder if they'll also learn how to fly (high). I'm pinning my hopes on The Informant! and that kooky, crazy comedian Matt Damon.
September 4
Movie of the Week Extract
The Stars: Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, J.K. Simmons
The Plot: The owner of a plant (Bateman) tires to deal with a slew of problems that range from a cheating wife to awful employees.
The Buzz: Mike Judge (Office Space) wrote and directed. Plus he takes us back to work place. That's enough of a reason right? Word is that Affleck steals ever scene as well. Plus we haven't seen Kunis since Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I wasn't much of a fan of hers before that movie ... things change.
The Others: All About Steve - Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong, Gamer - Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Alison Lohman, Logan Lerman, John Leguizamo, Kyra Sedgwick, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges
September 11
Movie of the Week Whiteout
The Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Alex O'Loughlin, Tom Skerritt, Columbus Short
The Plot: They can't see (cause there's a lot of snow). Plus, there's a serial killer on the loose.
The Buzz: This is the kind of blockbuster you get in September. From the look of the film, you already know you'd rather be watching it at home, instead of in the theater. Plus, who's idea was it to put Beckinsale in a role where it's going to be next to impossible for her to remain scantily clad? Come on people.
The Others: 9 (opening 9/9) - voices of ... Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Martin Landau, Christopher Plummer, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself - Tyler Perry, Taraji P. Henson, Brian White, Gladys Knight, Mary J. Blige Sorority Row - Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, Julian Morris, Carrie Fisher
September 18
Movie of the Week The Informant!
The Stars: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, Mike O'Malley
The Plot: Based on the info a vice president (Damon) is willing to cough up, the government goes after a agri-business giant.
The Buzz: This comedy is directed by Steven Soderbergh. Ladies, if you're looking to stare dreamily into Damon's eyes, you'll have to look elsewhere. From a glance at the previews it seems like Soderbergh and Damon are trying to imitate some of the comedic brilliance that George Clooney and the Cohen brothers have.
The Others: Jennifer's Body - Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris Love Happens - Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Fogler, Judy Greer, Martin Sheen Cloudy with a Chance of Meetballs - voices of ... Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, James Caan, Bruce Campbell, Tracy Morgan
September 25
Movie of the Week Surrogates
The Stars: Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Radha Mitchell
The Plot: In the near future, humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots. A cop (Willis) is forced to leave his home to investigate a crime.
The Buzz: I have no reason to say this ... I don't think this film will catch on with audiences. Just like I don't see Fame (below) blowing up at the box office either. Surrogates just sounds like something I bring a box of tissues with me to see, and Bete Milder has a cameo. There is nothing tough about the word. Also, can you name the last Rhames movie that was good? If you take away Mission: Impossible III (which I realize is cheating) you have to go back to 1998 and Out of Sight. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
The Others: Fame - Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill, Megan Mullally, Kelsey Grammer, Charles S. Dutton, Bebe Neuwirth, Debbie Allen The Other Man - Liam Neeson, Antonio Banderas, Laura Linney Pandorum - Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Norman Reedus, Cam Gigandet, Cung Le Capitalism: a Love Story - Michael Moore documentary (opens Sept. 23)