2010 Fall Movie Guide

Share

• Print
• Email
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Digg
• Delicious
• Fark
• MySpace

It's fall (aka queue up the Oscar movies), so not surprisingly there are more dramas headed into theaters than this past summer. Also on the upswing are 3-D movies — in fact, nearly 1/3 of the fall titles boost the extra dimension, with 100 percent of the Kids/Family movies playing in 3-D.

By the numbers, here's how the season breaks down: fans of action/adventure (7), horror (6), drama (6), and comedy (5) are in luck, with the offerings fewer and farther between for kids (4) and mystery/thriller fans (3). Check all of them out below.

September 2010 Movies[-] Hide Month

1		The American It's the ol' hit-man-wants-to-quit-but-has-to-do-one-last-job story. Here, he falls for an Italian beauty; based on a 2005 novel by Martin Booth, A Very Private Gentleman. Stars: George Clooney, Violante Placido	Thriller/Mystery	» watch trailer » view photos
3		Machete "They just f**ked with the wrong Mexican!" exclaims the narrator for the fake Machete trailer that played before 2007's Grindhouse double feature. Now Machete has his own, real Mexploitation movie with a big-time cast and a red band trailer. Stars: Danny Trejo, Robert DeNiro, Jessica Alba	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
10		Resident Evil: Afterlife (in 3D) Paul W.S. Anderson directed the first Resident Evil pic and is back behind the camera for the fourth, returning with super-powered zombie slayer Alice and 3-D that uses "interactive elements." Stars: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates	Action/Adventure 3-D	» watch trailer » view photos
		I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix After announcing his "retirement" from acting after his last movie Two Lovers in favor of a new career as a rap artist, Joaquin Phoenix got himself into all kinds of peccadillos and exhibited much bizarre behavior. Casey Affleck spent the year following Phoenix and his repartee with a camera in order to capture what may or may not be this documentary. Stars: Joaquin Phoenix	Documentary	» watch trailer » view photos
15		Never Let Me Go Guaranteed to be the fall's wrist slasher. Three friends, who grew up at a seemingly idyllic boarding school, confront a dark reality about their futures. Based on a 2005 novel of the same title by Kazuo Ishiguro, (The Remains of the Day). Stars: Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley	Drama	» watch trailer » view photos
17
		Alpha and Omega This wolf-based animated pic follows an odd couple — an alpha female and an omega male — who are shipped halfway across the country to breed, but instead travel back to their pack. Stars: Dennis Hopper (RIP), Justin Long, Hayden Panettiere, Christina Ricci	Kids/Family 3-D	» watch trailer » view photos
		Devil "From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan" used to be a good marketing message. Now it's a warning. Anyhow, a group of people are trapped in an elevator, and one of them is the devil. Stars: Chris Messina, Geoffrey Arend	Horror	» watch trailer » view photos
		Easy A A high school comedy about a girl who raises boys' self-esteem and social standing by fake banging them, and in the process ends up becoming rich and famous. It's a novel concept, although in the hands of director Will Gluck (Fired Up!) it could be more like an Easy D. Stars: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
		The Town Depending on how you feel about actor/director Ben Affleck, this Boston-based crime drama is either the second coming of The Departed or something to avoid even on basic cable. Stars: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm	Drama	» watch trailer » view photos
24
		Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole For those fans demanding a big-screen adaptation of the popular Guardians of Ga'hoole book series, Hollywood has finally heard you. The owls even have cool British accents. Stars: Dennis Hopper (RIP), Hugo Weaving, Helen Mirren, Jim Sturgess	Kids/Family 3-D	» watch trailer » view photos
		Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps After serving a 20-year prison term for securities fraud, Gordon Gekko, his pinkie ring, and his giant mobile phone are back, as is director Oliver Stone. Stars: Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin	Drama	» watch trailer » view photos
		You Again A wedding brings together two pairs of former high-school nemeses from two generations. Throw in a dash of Betty White to the catfight mix and there are the potential makings of this fall's comedy smash. Stars: Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos

October 2010 Movies[-] Hide Month

1
		Let Me In Remake of the criminally under-seen 2008 Swedish vampire flick Let the Right One In, which currently stands at #203 on the IMDb Top 250 Movies list. Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins	Horror	» watch trailer » view photos
		The Social Network Originally nicknamed "The Facebook Movie," the David Fincher-directed pic is based on Ben Mezrich's much-maligned book The Accidental Billionaires. Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Joseph Mazzello	Drama	» watch trailer » view photos
		Howl I saw the best minds of my generation slackened by ill-conceived movie adaptations - or not. This biopic of Allen Ginsberg's landmark poem, Howl may prove James Franco's opus. Stars: James Franco, David Strathairn, Jon Hamm	Drama	» watch trailer
		Freakonomics Vignettes explore the concepts put forth in the bestselling book of the same title, including cheating, bribery and the importance of names. Directors: Seth Gordon, Morgan Spurlock, Alex Gibney	Documentary	» watch trailer » view photos
8
		Life As We Know It An orphaned baby forces Type A, career-orientated acquaintances into parenthood. The biggest dramatic tension we can expect: Who's cuter? The couple or the baby? Stars: Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, Hayes MacArthur	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
		Secretariat A Disneyfied take on the true story of Secretariat, the winner of the Triple Crown in 1973 and the first horse to do it in 25 years. Marketed as "by the producers of Miracle, Invincible, and The Rookie," this should be a safe, heartwarming entertainment for the whole family. Stars: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh	Drama	» watch trailer » view photos
		My Soul to Take (in 3-D) Wes Craven tries, yet again, to recapture some of that A Nightmare on Elm Street magic with a story about a serial killer returning to his small hometown to murder the seven kids born on the night he allegedly died. Stars: Nick Lashaway, Frank Grillo, Max Thieriot	Horror 3-D	» watch trailer » view photos
15
		Jackass 3-D When the history of the early 21st century's 3-D orgy is written, people may look at Jackass 3-D as the precise moment the technology jumped the shark. (Or, more likely, jumped SeaWorld.) At any rate, the gang is all back, and we're told this version even has a plot. Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Stephen Glover, Bam Margera	Comedy 3-D	» watch trailer » view photos
		RED This star-studded action comedy, based on a DC comic about Retired, Extremely Dangerous ex-assassins re-assembled to fend off another team of assassins, has assembled quite a cast. Stars: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Mary-Louise Parker	Action/Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
		Conviction Hilary Swank breaks out her Oscar chops in this Tony Goldwyn directed feature about a woman who earns a law degree in order to fight to prove her brother's innocence. Stars: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver	Drama	» watch trailer » view photos
22
		Hereafter This Clint Eastwood-directed supernatural thriller is flying well under the radar (no trailer available at press time) but a Clint Eastwood-directed movie opening in October surely signals that Oscar season has begun. Stars: Matt Damon, Cécile de France, Bryce Dallas Howard	Thriller	» watch trailer
		Paranormal Activity 2 About a year after the low-budget Paranormal Activity took Hollywood (and audiences) by surprise, we're getting a bigger-budget sequel. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 was released about a year after The Blair Witch Project. We're not sayin'. We're just sayin'. Stars: Katie Featherston, Gabriel Liotta	Horror	» watch trailer » view photos
29
		Saw VII 3-D On its 7th movie, the Saw series shows no signs of slowing down, with a new set of traps and the addition of "mind-blowing 3D" — it was shot with the cutting-edge SI-3D digital camera system — horror fans may get a treat two days before Halloween. Stars: Tobin Bell, Cary Elwes, Costas Mandylor	Horror 3-D	» watch trailer » view photos

November 2010 Movies[-] Hide Month

5
		Due Date Director Todd Phillips' movies are so signature — Old School, Starsky & Hutch, The Hangover — that the opening credits say, "A Todd Phillips film." The formula looks to be in place for another crowd-pleaser with this update to the John Hughes classic Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Danny McBride	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
		Megamind This animated comedy follows a bumbling evil genius and his beautiful superhero nemesis, Metro Man. The trailer has us intrigued, though we're pretty sure DreamWorks copied Megamind's design from the Talosians, featured in "The Cage," the original pilot episode of the original Star Trek. Stars: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey	Kids/Family 3-D	» watch trailer » view photos
		Fair Game Valerie Plame and her husband face the fallout when her cover is blown as a covert CIA agent. Stars: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Sam Shepard	Drama	» view photos
		127 Hours Mountaineer Aron Ralston amputates his lower right arm after watching The Last Airbender it becomes pinned by a boulder. Based on a true story. Stars: James Franco, Lizzy Caplan	Drama	» watch trailer » view photos
12
		Skyline Sci-fi horror from "The Brothers Strause" (Greg and Colin), who most recently directed 2007's Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. Very little is known about this movie, though they are not expected to chest-burst a little kid as they did in AVP2. Stars: Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson, David Zayas	Horror	» watch trailer » view photos
		Unstoppable There's definitely a throwback plotline in this action pic from Tony Scott (Crimson Tide, The Taking of Pelham 123) about two guys trying to stop a runaway train carrying toxic cargo. Stars: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson	Action/Adventure	» view photos
19
		Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (3-D) Not even the venerable Harry Potter franchise can escape the ubiquitous 3-D treatment. And Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 2, set for a July 15, 2011 release will also be in 3-D. Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Felton, Rupert Grint	Action/Adventure 3-D	» watch trailer » view photos
		The Next Three Days Paul Haggis directed Best Picture winner Crash in 2004, and he goes for gold again with a remake of the French thriller Anything for Her, about a man who tries to break his wife out of prison after failing to prove her innocence for a murder he believes she didn't commit. Stars: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Casey, Liam Neeson	Thriller	» watch trailer » view photos
24
		Burlesque Pop diva Christina Aguilera makes her big-screen debut in this musical fantasy as a small-town girl from Iowa who turns around a run-down burlesque club in Los Angeles when she transforms from club waitress to burlesque star. Stars: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Cam Gigandet	Drama	» watch trailer » view photos
		Faster Take a look at the trailer and poster for this flick and you'd be forgiven if you thought this was another movie in the Fast and Furious franchise. No, but close. It's about an ex-con out for revenge, pursued by a veteran cop and a hit man, and involves cars. Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Thornton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen	Action/Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
		Love and Other Drugs This adaptation of the popular Jamie Reidy memoir Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman seems slightly dated now that Cialis is the #1 erectile dysfunction drug. Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Oliver Platt	Drama	» watch trailer » view photos
		Red Dawn Another remake. Here the target is the 1984 classic that starred Patrick Swayze (RIP) as the leader of a ragtag band of teenagers fighting back against a Russian invasion of America. Direct Message to MGM studios: The Cold War ended 20 years ago! Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Adrianne Palicki, Josh Hutcherson	Action/Adventure	» view photos
		Tangled Disney takes on the well-known truth that good girls like bad boys, as the long blonde-haired Rapunzel leaves the comforts of her castle to pursue the handsome bandit Flynn Rider. Stars: Amanda Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy	Kids/Family 3-D	» watch trailer » view photos