Summer movies failed to live up to expectations? Just a tad exhausted by sequels and remakes? Well, the season is officially turning.
Autumn ‘11 still carries its share of remakes and sequels, of course. But in scanning the list of upcoming movies, one can see signs of promise. Seriousn
ess, even. ‘Tis the season for movies to jockey for awards consideration, after all, and Hollywood craves prestige and honors almost as much as it craves profit.
So, the serious stuff includes big vehicles for George Clooney and Brad Pitt, costume dramas about Shakespeare and Butch Cassidy, and Johnny Depp’s much-cherished adaptation of a Hunter S. Thompson book.
The silly stuff covers the comeback of the 1980s (“Footloose” and “The Thing” return in new forms), slapstick about bird-watchers, and another “Paranormal Activity” picture.
Here’s a rough guide, with the usual proviso that opening dates can, and invariably will, switch at the last minute.
Sept. 9
“Contagion”: Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh corrals a big-name cast for a disaster movie about a swift-moving, globe-girdling virus: Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law are just a few of the people catching the bug.
“Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star”: They won’t all be Oscar nominees. Here’s comedian and “30 Minutes or Less” star Nick Swardsdon as a lad with simple dreams of becoming a porn star.
“Main Street”: The denizens of Durham, N.C., must adjust to a newcomer (Colin Firth) toting some unusual products. The script by playwright Horton Foote has been described as low-key, with a cast that includes Orlando Bloom, Patricia Clarkson and Amber Tamblyn.
“Creature”: Sounds like there’s a swamp thing makin’ mischief in the Louisiana bayou: B-movie cheese for horror fans.
“Warrior”: Two brothers (Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton) enter a mixed martial arts competition, which leads to bone-breaking rivalry and a probable supporting actor Oscar nomination for Nick Nolte.
“Higher Ground”: That excellent actress Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air”) directed herself in this intriguing adaptation of Carolyn Briggs’ memoir about life among Christian fundamentalists.
“The Interrupters”: One of the most highly touted documentaries of the year is a study of inner-city violence and what can be done about it. The filmmaker is Steve James, of “Hoop Dreams” fame.
Sept. 16
“I Don’t Know How She Does It”: But if you would like to find out how she does it, see Sarah Jessica Parker as a high-finance professional torn between work, family and play.
“Straw Dogs”: Do we really need a remake of Sam Peckinpah’s 1971 film about a mild-mannered man defending his home and his wife against invaders? Probably not.
“Drive”: Whoa, this sounds cool. Ryan Gosling stars as a hired driver caught in a gangland plot; rumor is director Nicolas Winding Refn has made a 1970s-style metaphysical action flick.
“Happy, Happy”: The accuracy of the title seems to be in question in this Norwegian offering, a funny-weird variation on the hazards of welcoming the new neighbors.
“Brighton Rock”: A British crime film adapted from Graham Greene’s novel, all about a small-time hood (Sam Riley) trying to make his place in the world.
“Mozart’s Sister”: Just what it sounds like: a French film that speculates on the life of Wolfgang’s older, musically talented sibling.
Sept. 23
“Killer Elite”: Well, at least this has the virtue of not being a remake of a Sam Peckinpah movie (though it shares its title with one). Jason Statham goes up against Clive Owen in this violent exercise.
“Moneyball”: Something different: the based-on-fact tale of Oakland’s Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), who applied radical new metrics to baseball and came up with a winner.
“Dolphin Tale”: Inspirational yarn about a boy and his dolphin.
“Abduction”: “Twilight” wolf Taylor Lautner gets his starring shot with a suspense thriller about a guy discovering the scary truth about his past. Please tell me it has nothing to do with werewolves.
“Love Crime”: A tasty-sounding face-off between two formidable actresses, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier, as rivals in the corporate world.
“The Double”: Retired CIA agent Richard Gere teams with a young FBI man (Topher Grace) to unravel a mysterious political murder.
Sept. 30
“Dream House”: Sounds spooky: a past killing haunts people in a New England town, specifically characters played by Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts.
“Margaret”: The man who made the brilliant “You Can Count on Me,” writer-director Kenneth Lonergan, returns with a long-delayed character study. Shot in 2005 but held up by legal problems, the movie stars Anna Paquin, Matt Damon and Mark Ruffalo.
“Machine Gun Preacher”: Gerard Butler gets a beefy leading role as a real-life two-fisted preacher who built an orphanage in a dangerous corner of Africa.
“50/50”: A cancer diagnosis scrambles the life of a young Seattle man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who is buoyed by his best buddy (Seth Rogen).
“What’s Your Number?” A much-deserved vehicle for kicky Edmonds native Anna Faris, as a woman reflecting on her long list of past boyfriends; the supporting cast is a Who’s Who of male stars.
“Tucker & Dale vs. Evil”: Backwoods hillbillies are assailed by preppies who think they’re in a horror movie. Maybe I’m losing my mind, but this could be awesome.
“Mysteries of Lisbon”: An acclaimed film from Chilean master Raul Ruiz, who died in August. His next-to-last project follows multiple storylines across four hours’ worth of running time.
Oct. 7
“The Ides of March”: George Clooney directs this portrait of contemporary political campaigning, and stars as a presidential candidate whose new staffer (Ryan Gosling again) must park his schoolboy idealism at the door.
“Real Steel”: Hugh Jackman in a film about futuristic robot boxing. You know all that stuff about serious movies qualifying for awards? This is not one of those.
“Wanderlust”: Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston as a couple dropping out of the rat race, in a comedy directed by David Wain (“Role Models,” “Wet Hot American Summer”). Wain’s got a good track record, and the supporting cast is crammed with funny people.
“Blackthorn”: An intriguing title for fans of the Western: Sam Shepard stars as an aging Butch Cassidy, hiding in Bolivia under an assumed name and saddling up for a last ride.
“Restless”: After doing one of his periodic mainstream jobs (“Milk”), director Gus Van Sant returns to oddball-indie material, featuring a young couple and a Japanese ghost. Stars are Mia Wasikowska and Dennis Hopper’s son, Henry.
“Aurora”: The new one from Romanian director Cristi Puiu sounds like an obscure but ominous three-hour trek following a mystery man through Bucharest.
Oct. 14
“Footloose”: This is how long we have all lived: They are remaking “Footloose.” Before writing this one off, note that it is directed by Craig Brewer, who did the singular “Hustle and Flow”
“The Skin I Live In”: Antonio Banderas returns to work for his old mentor, Pedro Almodovar, in the Spanish master’s thriller about a plastic surgeon dallying in some controversial techniques.
“Trespass”: Tension is in the air as married couple Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman are held for ransom; alas, Joel Schumacher (“Batman & Robin”) is in the director’s chair.
“The Thing”: Third version of snowbound horror tale that worked awfully well the first two times (1951 and 1982). Word is this story is actually a prequel to the events of the ‘82 movie, explaining how an alien visitor got wacky in the first place.
“The Big Year”: This is goofy enough to work: Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson play competing bird-watchers, out to snag a coveted honor in the ornithological world.
Oct. 21
“Paranormal Activity 3”: Has somebody left that video camera lying around again? Here come the poltergeists, in the third go-’round for the popular horror series.
“Margin Call”: A drama, starring Kevin Spacey and “Star Trek” Vulcan Zachary Quinto, set in the early days of the financial collapse. Too soon?
“Martha Marcy May Marlene”: An intriguing indie about an unhappy young woman decompression after escaping a cult. Or did she? Superb performance by Elizabeth Olsen, sister to the Olsen twins.
“The Three Musketeers”: Not sure if there was actually a demand for yet another remake of this classic, but the cast is full of Euro-talent such as Milla Jovovich, Christoph Waltz and Orlando Bloom.
“Take Shelter”: This one looks trippy: Freaky actor Michael Shannon plays a man having visions of a coming apocalypse: but it the storm all in his head?
Oct. 28
“In Time”: In “Gattaca” director Andrew Niccol’s sci-fi thriller, the upper class can live in perpetual youth, while poor people — well, remember the gimmick of “Logan’s Run”? No? Let’s just say old age is not an option. Justin Timberlake leads the cast.
“Anonymous”: Costume drama that somehow manages to blend a political coup against Queen Elizabeth I and the true authorship of Shakespeare’s plays. “Independence Day” helmer Roland Emmerich directs.
“The Rum Diary”: Johnny Depp makes a cocktail out of Hunter S. Thompson’s book about a journalist in Puerto Rico in the 1950s. Reason for hope: “Withnail & I” director Bruce Robinson.
“Safe”: Every action hero gets to the point where he must rescue a little kid. Jason Statham’s turn has come up.
“Finding Joe”: The trailer for this documentary makes it look lightweight and dippy, although the subject is a great one: Joseph Campbell’s ideas about how “the hero’s journey” happens in every story, and every life.
“Johnny English Reborn”: There’s no stopping Rowan Atkinson’s slapstick spy, who gets mixed up in still more international intrigue here, or maybe just mixed up.
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