Fall looks hot at the big screen

Movies Features

By Laurie Minsky Sep 2, 2008, 15:34 GMT

Even though it is technically still summer, the passing of Labor Day means it is unofficially fall. These are just a few of the films that should keep movie fans entertained this fall.

These are just a few of the films that should keep movie fans entertained this fall.To help soften the blow of the falling leaves, the cooler nights and the dark sky coming before 8pm, Monsters and Critics has compiled a Fall Movie Preview!

First up on September 5th we have “Bangkok Dangerous,” a remake of a 1999 Thai film with the same name, this one stars Nicolas Cage. A remake! We have all seen how this story ends; it is never as good as or better than the original. Cage has been known to carry films that aren't expected to do well, such as the first “National Treasure” and “Ghost Rider”, so “Bangkok Dangerous” could end up being better than expected. In the second week of September, a few movies have caught my attention – “Burn After Reading,” “Righteous Kill,” “Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys” and “The Women.”

Being that I am a living, breathing female with better than perfect vision, I might add, “Burn After Reading” is at the top of my list for two minor superficial reasons: Clooney and Pitt! I enjoy them both separately as well as together a la “Oceans” franchise, and I am sure this film will showcase their talents as well as the way they play off of each other. Am I sounding bias yet? Not to mention, it's a Coen Brothers film about a former CIA’s memoir that falls into the hands of gym owners who intend to black mail the former CIA agent.

Next up: the highly anticipated “Righteous Kill” starring "the two greatest actors of our generation," Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Pacino and De Niro play NYPD partners. Yes, Jake La Motta and Tony Montana playing on the same team, something we didn't see in “Heat.” “Righteous Kill” also costars 50 Cent (pronounced "Fiddy") and Donnie Wahlberg, the former New Kid on the Block, well, not former since this year's reunion. The film looks like it will be action-packed with a side of suspense and mystery, as the two main characters are on a search throughout the city looking for the murderer of several suspected criminals. It looks as though someone believes in karma.

Ah yes, another Tyler Perry film – “Tyler Perry's The Family That Prey's.” I know, if you have seen one Tyler Perry film you have seen them all, but maybe not. Oscar winner Kathy Bates stars in this film and has a great track record which may help me stay awake. Bates’ star power may even help me get into the theater. The core of Perry's films are always meaningful, but they have not been able to hold my attention. This film features two families of different social statuses in which the matriarchs have been best friends for years, but get torn apart due to several unfortunate events committed by family members.

On to “The Women,” a romantic comedy (which is one of my bigger guilty pleasures in life!). Regardless that this film looks almost like a “Sex in the City” prequel, the film seems like a fun time at the movies - at least if you are female. “The Women” stars several romantic comedy vets including Meg Ryan and Debra Messing. The crust of the film is that Ryan's character's husband has been seeing the perfume woman at the mall (Eva Mendez). Her friends know and don't know how to tell her. The film looks as if there is a lot of humor antics and cheesy-ness, which is perfection for any romantic comedy fanatic.

The third week of September brings us to Dane Cook film, “My Best Friend's Girl.” Does anyone else ask themselves every time they see Cook in a film when he began acting? I don't know if I consider his past films acting as I have seen him have sex in every possible position under the tantric sun in “Good Luck Chuck.”Truth be told, I miss Cook's days as a stand-up comedian, do you feel me? "By a round of applause, how do you feel?!" Anyway, this film stars the wonderful Kate Hudson and the resurfaced Jason Biggs from the “American Pie” franchise pre-DVD original days. The film lives out many people's thoughts that they would never dream to actually do: hire your best friend to take out your ex girlfriend to make her realize how great of a guy you are so she will come crawling back. Hijinks ensue.

Next up, “Choke.” Sounds like a bad fetish porno. Close. The film, starring Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston is does feature a sex addict as well as a man who schemes on innocent bystanders for cash...By choking. “Choke” is a Fox Searchlight film, the brilliant studio that has brought us my movie of the year in 2006, “Little Miss Sunshine” and last year's “Juno,” call me bias, but this is another Searchlight film that can capture the “Little Movie That Could” title.

Also that week Shia LeBeouf stars in “Eagle Eye” with Michelle Monaghan. Now personally, even though Shia has been through some legal trouble and had extensive surgery on his hand from a car accident and may be well on his way to a few trips to the glamorous Promises facility, I think he is fantastic. The kid has been touched by Disney; he was Louis Stevens on Even Stevens! Not to mention someone (George Lucas/Steven Spielberg) wants him to continue the “Indiana Jones” legacy. Back to “Eagle Eye.” It has a descent cast including Rosario Dawson, Billy Bob Thornton and Ethan Embry. This is a mystery film in which Shia's character's twin was killed and Monaghan's characters child goes missing. The two characters somehow find each other and embark on a mysterious chase of sorts.

Let’s talk October. The first week of October we have “How to Lose Friends & Alienate People.” The film is based on a 2001 memoir with the same name by British writer Toby Young. The film stars Simon Pegg as Sydney Young, the main character who leaves Britain and is hired at a well-known New York City-based magazine. Young is told to make lasting impressions on everyone, and does he ever. The name of the film alone is enough to drag me to a theater. Not to mention I am a huge Simon Pegg fan, and think he is one of the funnier actors out there, without even trying.

Also opening the first week of October is “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” another film based on a book, starring the uber-adorable Michael Cerra along with Kat Dennings, who you may remember from “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (Steve Carrell’s character’s girlfriend’s tantrum-throwing daughter). Cerra plays Nick, which is really the same type of character he plays in all his film, the loveable, dorky protagonist. And Dennings plays Norah, the girl you would never imagine Michael Cerra landing in a film, or real life, for that matter. The film looks like it would be enjoyed by the high school crowd. October 10th: Director Ridley Scott, Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe star in “Body of Lies.” Enough said.

But really who could sleep during a film in which these three names are involved. This film is set to be action-packed as it is about a CIA agent (DiCaprio) sent to Jordan on a quest to find a high-ranking terrorist. Did I mention this is the yet another film based on a novel? The talent behind this film is excellent, so I can forgive the unoriginality.

Hitting theaters October 17th, is the rather timely “W.,” a bio-pic on George W. Bush’s life, directed by Oliver Stone and starring Josh Brolin as W. The film studies all aspects of Bush’s life including life before his role as president. For starters, in the film’s trailer I saw boozing, an array of women, prison, gambling and a car accident all within the first 30 seconds. But then the trailer takes on a more serious note as it begins to document his life in the political world as “What a Wonderful World” plays in the background. With Stone and Brolin working on this film, it is sure to be an outstanding fall film.

I already mentioned Shia LeBeouf being touched by Disney, but this fall, another film touched by Disney is hitting theaters October 24th: “High School Muscial 3: Senior Year”! This much anticipated third installment of the series is the first to be released in theaters as opposed to a Disney Channel Original Movie. I am a big sucker for musicals, especially when it involves so much dancing that it makes you want to dance up and down the isles in the theaters. The actors are known to get along, Zac Efron, who plays Troy Bolton, and Vanessa Hudgens, who plays Troy Bolton, are dating, and Ashley Tisdale, who plays Sharpay Evans, and Hudgens are real life best friends, even though Tisdale's Sharpay is trying to steal Hudgens' Gabriella's boyfriend, Troy (Got all of that?). The film showcases the group’s trials and tribulations that any high school senior goes through, but with choreographed songs and dances!

The opposite end of the Disney spectrum for that weekend: “Saw V,” the franchise in which I look forward to all year long, and have been known to see the film at midnight on Halloween, as well. This year, I am even more excited as Scott Patterson (Luke from Gilmore Girls!) returns! And of course the sneaky Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) makes an exciting return, as well. Get prepared for more intricate ways of killing people as well as some mystery, and of course, a bloody mess!

And for the final week of October: Kevin Smith's “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.” The reputation of this film precedes itself; with Smith's struggles to get the film an "R" rating as opposed to the original NC-17 rating given by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for "some graphic sexuality." If you need a reminder of how raunchy an NC-17 film is here's a refresher: “The Aristocrats.”Smith appealed the rating and eventually the film received an "R" rating, with no cuts, but notes: "strong crude sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity and pervasive language." The film stars the loveable/adorable/hilarious Seth Rogan as Zach and the fantastic Elizabeth Banks as Miri, and well, they make a porno! But it's obviously not all sex as Kevin Smith plus Seth Rogan equals hilariousness!

To help warm up our late-fall evenings the first week of November brings us to Africa! “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” hits theaters November 7th! All of our funny zoo animals and equally funny human voice-over counterparts are back for an adventure out of Africa once they realize there is no place like New York City! This is the first of two fall films that features comedian Bernie Mac, whose untimely death left the movie-world and fans speechless. But his comedy will live on in films such as this one. The zoo-crew is returning home, but end up stuck in Africa longer than they'd like.

Also November 7th, Paris Hilton's follow up to her 2006 debut album with “Repo! The Genetic Opera.” Yes, that's right folks, not only is Hilton in a movie, but she's singing in it too! Do I smell an award winner? Yes I do, a Razzie, perhaps? OK, ok, I can cut some slack as this is film is not intended to be a serious flick as it is a musical about a worldwide epidemic that encourages a biotech company to launch an organ-financing program, which is seemingly parallel to a car loan.

In addition, “Role Models” hits streets that week! Universal is really trying to capitalize off the success of the Frat Pack, you know the same few character who appear in the same Judd Apatow films. Except, this film is not an Apatow film and Paul Rudd (who also co-wrote the film) is in a leading role...Finally! The film also stars “American Pie” alum Sean William Scott as Wheeler, Rudd's, who plays Danny, partner in crime. The two are energy drink sales reps whose behavior gets them in trouble. The punishment? Playing mentors to two young boys at a summer camp. From the sounds of it, these two should not be mentoring anyone. And to unfortunately close things out on a somber note, November 14th brings the release of “Soul Men,” somber because two of the main stars Bernie Mac (as previously mentioned) and Isaac Hayes both passed away on the weekend of August 9th.

This film also stars Samuel L. Jackson and is a comedy with a touch of drama as the movie is about two former backup singers who have not spoken in 20 years who reunite and are hesitant, but agree to travel across the country in a reunion concert in honor of the lead singer who had recently passed. This film is sure to hit close to home with the many fans who have been mourning the death of both Mac and Hayes.

Picking up after the events of “Casino Royale,” Daniel Craig returns to the role of Bond, James Bond with the new film "Quantum of Solace." Besides the offbeat title (which might refer to a new organization out to get 007), the film looks to be just as good as “Casino Royale” – if not better. Bond fans can look forward to globe trotting, big action stunts, and a plot that goes full throttle from start to finish. This will no doubt be another hit for the Bond franchise, and will keep people packing the theater way past Thanksgiving – even those fans who were looking forward to a certain boy wizard returning to the big screen.

A few more films to keep an eye on this fall: “Towelhead” (September 12), “Lakeview Terrace” (September 19), “The Secret Life of Bees” (October 17), and “Bolt” (November 21st). These films should keep you entertained this fall. If not, it can make for a better conversation with your in-laws when the holiday family get-togethers roll around!