Fall 2011 Movie Preview

Another summer has come and gone, and has left us with an ample assortment of movies to discuss. From May to August, there was a healthy helping of many genres for a range of cinematic tastes. Sci-fi thrill-seekers satisfied their hunger with Super 8 and Rise of the Planet of the Apes; indie-fans were treated to Midnight in Paris and The Tree of Life; and comic book fans took some high-flying adventures with Thor, X-Men: First Class and Captain America: The First Avenger; and audiences shared a fond farewell to a very famous boy wizard, as they experienced Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, the epic finale to the biggest movie franchise in history.

Summer 2011, however, wasn't like other summers that came before it. In a season where superheroes, aliens and giant fighting robots have much of the spotlight shine on them, there was one type of film that seemed to be everywhere we looked: the comedy. Every week or two, there was a movie released that was ready to make us double-over with laughter, some of the most memorable being Bridesmaids, Horrible Bosses and Crazy, Stupid, Love. It's safe to say that the comedy genre has been coroneted with the summer season crown.

It is now time for the Fall movies to arrive. September to December is normally the time of the year when a bulk of the Oscar-contending films get released, whether they be independent or mainstream. In these four months, audiences will be served many different stories, including: Clint Eastwood's latest film that delves into the history of our nation's first head of the FBI; a third outing with some paranormal activity; Part 1 to the finale of the Twilight saga; the long-awaited return of the Muppets; Tom Cruise's acceptance of his next mission; and Sherlock Holmes' next twisty-turny mystery. All of that and more awaits this Fall and in this preview.

Contagion (Sept. 9) Steven Soderbergh directs this tale of a worldwide epidemic caused by a deadly airborne virus that has all medical personnel trying to find a cure and stop the spread. Meanwhile, a group of ordinary people try to survive a society that is rapidly crumbling. Starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Moneyball (Sept. 23) This sports comedy-drama tells the true story of the Oakland Athletics baseball team and their manager, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), who tries to make them into a winning team, despite troublesome finances. Also starring Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

The Ides of March (Oct. 7) Based on the play by Beau Willimon, this film deals with Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling), who is a young staffer for a new presidential candidate, Mike Morris(George Clooney). While on the campaign trail, Stephen learns all about the dirty side of politics. Also starring Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Paranormal Activity 3 (Oct. 21) This third installment of the unnerving ghost story will take place 18 years before the first two movies. The story will dig deeper into when Katie (Katie Featherston of PA and PA2) and Kristi (Sprague Grayden of PA2) were terrorized by the demon when they were children.

Puss in Boots (Nov. 4) Shrek's faithful feline friend gets his own movie in this spinoff prequel. Puss (voiced by Antonio Banderas), along with his sidekicks Humpty Dumpty and Kitty Softpaws, must vanquish the villainy of two dangerous outlaws, Jack and Jill, after they discover a disasterous power that could destroy the world. Also starring the voices of Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris.

J. Edgar (Nov. 11) Clint Eastwood directs this biopic that will detail the fascinating career of J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio), and will also peer into his private life as a possible homosexual. Also starring Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Damon Herriman, Jeffrey Donovan, Judi Dench and Ed Westwick.

Melancholia (Nov. 11) Lars von Trier directs this drama about two sisters (Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg) who have the strengths of their bond tested as Earth is on a collision course with an unknown planet. Also starring Kiefer Sutherland and Alexander Skarsgard.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (Nov. 18) In this first part of the Twilight finale, based on Stephenie Meyer's popular book series, Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) enjoy their time together as newly-wedded husband and wife, while venturing to Rio de Janeiro for their honeymoon. It isn't long before they must deal with the complications of Bella's unexpected pregnancy, as well as the chance of a battle against the ruling vampire group, the Volturi. Also starring Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser and Ashley Greene.

Hugo (Nov. 23) Martin Scorsese directs this adaptation of Brian Selznick's 2007 novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which tells the story of the titular character as he lives an orphaned life in a Paris train station. When Hugo (Asa Butterfield) finds a broken automaton and meets a strange girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) and her standoffish grandfather who owns the local toy shop, he is swept up in a mystical journey that could put all of his secrets in danger. Also starring Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law and Christopher Lee.

The Muppets (Nov. 23) When an oil tycoon, Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), discovers oil beneath the Muppet Theater, Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) plan to stop him by setting up a telethon to raise money and save the theater. In order to make this happen, they must reunite the Muppets, who have separated over the years. Also starring Rashida Jones, along with countless celebrity cameos, such as Jack Black, Billy Crystal, Neil Patrick Harris, Mila Kunis, Mickey Rooney, Ben Stiller and many more.

We Need to Talk About Kevin (Dec. 2) A devastated mother (Tilda Swinton) recounts the events that happened before and after her son's (Ezra Miller) killing of several students and teachers at his high school. Also starring John C. Reilly.

New Year's Eve (Dec. 9) After the success of his 2010 romantic comedy Valentine's Day, Garry Marshall directs his next holiday-oriented film. It follows two dozen New Yorkers on one of the biggest nights of the year as they look for love and have their stories intertwine. Starring Ashton Kutcher, Sarah Jessica Parker, Robert De Niro, Hilary Swank, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Lea Michele and many others in a star-studded cast.

Carnage (Dec. 16) Roman Polanski directs this film version of Yasmina Reza's Tony Award-winning play, God of Carnage. It follows two sets of parents as they have a meeting about a fight that their children had in school that day. As the night goes on, however, the parents begin to get hostile with one another. Starring Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz.

The Iron Lady (Dec. 16) In this biographical film of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), the story is told in flashbacks, which include the 17 days that led up to the Falklands War in 1982. Also starring Jim Broadbent, Anthony Head and Richard E. Grant.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Dec. 16) Famed detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) and his loyal assistant Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) try to defeat their nemesis Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), with the help of Holmes' older brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) and a fortune-telling Romani woman named Sim (Noomi Rapace). Also starring Rachel McAdams and Eddie Marsan.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Dec. 21) A computer hacker (Rooney Mara) and a journalist (Daniel Craig) realize that even the richest families have their own deep secrets, as they try to crack the case of a 40-year-old murder. David Fincher directs this American adaptation of the 2009 Swedish thriller of the same name, which is based on the first book of the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson. Also starring Stellan Skarsgard, Christopher Plummer and Embeth Davidtz.

Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Dec. 21) When the Kremlin is demolished by a terrorist bombing, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team are to be blamed for the attack. The U.S. government, however, allows them to escape and work in secret, outside of the agency. But Hunt is warned that if any member of the team is caught during their mission, then they will be charged as terrorists planning to initiate a nuclear world war. He is also told to work with ex-IMF agent Brandt (Jeremy Renner), who's more familiar about Ethan's past than he is himself. Also starring Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Tom Wilkinson and Paula Patton.

War Horse (Dec. 28) Based on a 1982 children's novel by Michael Morpurgo, and later a 2007 stage adaptation, Steven Spielberg directs this war drama set in England during the beginnings of World War 1. When Albert Narracott's (Jeremy Irvine) beloved horse is sold to the cavalry and taken to France, Albert refuses to forget him. While he's still not old enough to enlist in the army, Albert takes on a perilous journey to find his horse and bring him back home. Also starring Emily Watson, Peter Mullan and David Thewlis.

With a diverse group of films coming out this Fall, you might as well escape the impending cold weather and sample a few different genres of cinema. This was only a portion of what's to come later this year. There are numerous other stories arriving to your screens that will surely be worth viewing.

Don't forget: Fall is the prime season for potential Oscar-nominated indies. While many of them won't get a wide release right away, it will be to your benefit to keep checking the movie theater schedule to see if any independent gems will be shown in your area. They deserve as much attention as the mainstream films. So this Fall, follow these three simple steps: 1) Pick out a movie that suits your interest, 2) Go see it, and 3) most importantly, enjoy.