411 Movies Roundtable: September 2009

Posted by Owain J. Brimfield on 09.02.2009

Will Jennifer’s Body suck? What about Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs? Was District 9 the biggest winner from August? Was Will Ferrell August's biggest loser? And which movies are 411 staffers anticipating the most in September? Check out the latest edition of the 411 Movies Roundtable for all the details!

Welcome to the monthly 411 Movies Roundtable. It turns out that despite the summer drawing to a miserable and wet close (at least where I live), this hasn't stopped the world of cinema, as September is shaping up to be one of the most prolific months in recent memory. This month, it's game over for Gerard Butler, Megan Fox goes zombie cheerleader, and a bunch of people may want to learn how to fly, high.

I had a difficult time coming up with a thematically relevant idea for this month's picture theme, so make the best of what you have.

Let's get down to business...

Introducing this month's participants:

B-movie mastermind Bryan Kristopowitz!

The starving dog that is Shawn S. Lealos!

Worldly cinema guru Len Archibald!

A high five (and one) for Steve Gustafson!

The always comic-bookly minded Jason Chamberlain!

Ssssshhhh, it's Jeremy Thomas!

...and I'm your host, Owain J. Brimfield!

The Month That Was

Bryan Kristopowitz

Biggest Winner of the Month: Neill Blomkamp and Peter Jackson for opening at #1 with District 9. Despite its R rating, it had a big opening and generally great reviews. So kudos to those two.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Will Ferrell, as the movie he produced and has a cameo in, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, basically tanked at the box office. The movie is funny, but people won't find that out until it hits video. Ferrell hasn't had a very good summer.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Paramount moving Shutter Island to 2010 and essentially removing it from the Oscar race. Unless the studio decides to do some kind of limited release in December so it can qualify, the movie, directed by Martin Scorsese, will SOL when it comes to little gold statues. That's too bad, because the movie looks great, and it's always cool when a pseudo horror/genre movie has a chance at an Oscar.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Gamer, Extract, 9, The Informant, Surrogates, Whiteout and Pandorum all look very seeable.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: State of Play comes out (I didn't catch that on the big screen and wanted to see it, so now is my chance), Harpers Island the complete series, the incredibly awesome Crank 2: High Voltage comes out in single and double disc editions, The Big Bang Theory Season 2, Observe and Report, Army of Darkness Screwhead Edition, whatever the hell that is, and, finally, Phantasm II comes out on Region 1 DVD. Yeah.

Classic Movie of the Month: Back to School (1986): This, of course, is the Rodney Dangerfield movie where his millionaire businessman Thornton Melon decides to join his son Jason at college. Hijinks ensue as Thornton gets involved in his son's life, starts banging his English professor (an awesome Sally Kellerman), donates a bunch of money to the school, gets accused of academic fraud, and then does a Triple Lindy to win the big swim meet. Just an awesome, awesome comedy featuring great performances throughout. Dangerfield, Kellerman, Burt Young as Paulie, Keith Gordon as Jason, Ned Beatty as the dean, Paxton Whitehead as Phillip the douchebag, and Robert Downey Jr. and William Zabka. Oh, and who can forget Sam Kinison as Professor Terguson? No one. Great flick.

Movie Quote of the Month: Thornton Melon: "Hi there. Are you a large person? Pleasantly plump? A little on the hefty side, perhaps? Well, let's face it: Are you FAT? When you go jogging, do you leave pot-holes? When you make love, do you have to give directions? At the zoo, do the elephants throw YOU peanuts? Do you look at a menu and say 'OK'? Well, now, you can eat all you want, because at Thornton Melon's "Tall & Fat" stores, we've got you covered. That's right. Fine woolen, and woolen-blend suits and sport coats, in all the larger sizes - husky, stout, extra-stout, and the new Hindenburg line. And for you ladies we have caftans, muumuus, and our own exclusive A-frame in all colors and patterns. Yes, we have miles and miles of fabric. So take it from me, Thornton Melon, if you want to look thin, you hang out with fat people." - Rodney Dangerfield (Thornton Melon), Back to School

Shawn S. Lealos

Biggest Winner of the Month: District 9 - I was torn between District 9 and Inglourious Basterds but went with District 9 because we already know Quentin Tarantino is great. The movie was made for around $30 million thanks to the generous contributions of Peter Jackson and his WETA studios. But it came out looking like a (hundred) million bucks. It is a sci-fi movie with a brain and surprised the hell out of me when people actually cared enough to give it a chance. I doubt it disappointed anyone with an appreciation for great films, although ADD kids and action junkies might have came away underwhelmed. It made back its budget in its opening weekend and stayed at number two in its second week, up to a fantastic $72 million. I love that a smart, sci-fi movie is getting this kind of love and gives me hope for this generation yet.

Biggest Loser of the Month: The Goods - It should tell you something when The Hangover is still raking in the dough after twelve weeks ($268 million and counting) and a movie like The Goods, with some of the same actors and twice as much advertising, sits at $11 million after two weeks. It was also critically blasted, rated 26% rotten by the Top Critics at rottontomatoes.com. I feel bad for Jeremy Piven because I think the guy is a great comic actor (go watch PCU again).

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Ridley Scott agrees to return and direct the Alien prequel. The franchise has a track record of always hiring the best of the best directors. There is no doubt though that when it comes to the horror aspect of the Alien franchise, Ridley Scott is the be-all/end-all. The news the franchise is continuing on just got a whole lot more interesting.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Extract. There are a number of interesting sounding movies but none of them has me excited. I want to see Surrogates, but the movie I can't wait to see is Mike Judge's newest flick.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: The most exciting releases for me are the Blu-Ray releases of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Both come out September 22. Also coming is the Criterion Blu-Ray release of the Godard classic Pierrot Le Fou. For newer stuff, September 1 brings us Supernatural Season Four and September 29 brings us The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Edition.

Classic Movie of the Month: John Carpenter's The Thing - One thing the trailer for Whiteout did was make me want to see The Thing again. It remains one of the best horror movies ever.

Movie Quote of the Month: "I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter tied to this fucking couch!" - Garry, The Thing

Len Archibald

Biggest Winner of the Month: Tie - District 9 and Inglorious Basterds: While Quentin Tarantino showed that he still got it, creativity and box office power, the little (if you call a $30 million budget little) Peter Jackson-produced Sci-Fi social tale of alien segregation proved that if you have skill, an original idea and intelligence, that audiences ARE willing to see your movie. Kudos to all involved!

Biggest Loser of the Month: All involved in The Goods - I could make all the lame jokes about how despite Jeremy Piven was all over the map promoting his new film, that he didn't have "The Goods" at the box office, but I won't do that -snicker-. I must also give the American audience a little shout out here for not going out to check out Ponyo. Lower your heads in shame.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: I originally had the release of Avatar's teaser trailer, but Disney buying out Marvel for the bargain basement price of FOUR BILLION DOLLARS is just... This may be the biggest movie news of the year, much less the month. Damn, and I didn't think anything would be bigger than Avatar.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: 9, to see if the West can match up with Ponyo, The Informant to see Steven Soderbergh and Matt Damon rip shit up, and Extract, because it's Mike Judge and Ben Affleck continues his career resurgence.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Because the "Boston Boys" each have a movie coming out this month, I recommend the one that put them both on the map: Good Will Hunting. Even though Damon's stock has risen triumphantly, his Oscar-winning co-writer, Affleck's had fallen. As mentioned earlier, I think he's been making somewhat of a comeback from his take in Hollywoodland to his great directorial debut in Gone, Baby, Gone to outshining Russell Crowe in State of Play. People remember Daredevil and "Bennifer V.1", but forget how insanely talented he really is. He won an OSCAR, people! And well deserved, too.

Classic Movie of the Month: Well, since Rob Zombie is continually proving to me he doesn't have an original bone in his body (since The Devil's Rejects), I've decided to re-visit the classic sci-fi flick The Blob. Yeah, Zombie, no one is scared of jello – we get it. But unless you have Steve F'n McQueen in your remake, I'll ignorantly and proudly call your venture a fail. Why even tackle a remake if you think the actual PREMISE OF THE PLOT CAN'T WORK with current audiences? My mom always said, "Common sense ain't common."

Movie Quote of the Month: "They're all gonna laugh at you!" - Laurie Piper's portrayal of a crazed uber-religious mother in Brian DePalma's Carrie. Dunno why, but I've had that quote running in my head on a continuous loop for a week, now.

Steve Gustafson

Biggest Winner of the Month: Who else but Neill Blomkamp? The man came from NOWHERE and gave us District 9! Remember what I said last month? Are you even paying attention? His introduction to Hollywood is the stuff of legend! Blomkamp was contacted by Peter Jackson to direct Halo. When the project did not turn out due to internal disagreements between Fox, Universal and Microsoft, Jackson and friends gave Blomkamp $30 million for production and it was decided that the short film Alive in Joburg could be expanded into a feature instead. According to Jackson, District 9 was born "the day Halo died." And we are all better for it.

Biggest Loser of the Month: James Cameron. At least in the eyes of keyboard jockeys around the world. While most felt the Avatar trailer was solid, the overwhelming voice online was disappointment that our eyes had been lightly fondled and not forcibly slapped as hinted at by Cameron. Comparisons to Fern Gully, Lucas-like, and allegations that Cameron has spent too much time underwater. gave a pretty negative feedback to the footage. This wasn't the reaction they were looking for. And you know how things work... perception becomes reality. What did I think? It was cool. I've lowered my expectations to a reasonable level but I still have plenty of faith in Mr. Cameron.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Making a last second gasp to steal the attention of... just about everything else... Disney shelling out $4 BILLION for Marvel takes it by a landslide. How did this come out of nowhere? Who dropped the ball and didn't leak this to the press? And is it me or was Marvel flirting with bankruptcy 10 years ago? That has to be one of the greatest rebounds ever! So what does this mean? Way too early to tell but this is going to spawn a ton of rumors and keep internet columnists (i.e. us!) busy for a long, long time. Nuff said!

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: 9. I'm not expecting this to be a smash hit but we NEED these types of movies.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Am I totally pumped to get this? No. I want to give it another look and since my bootleg copy doesn't have the finished effects, I've had to wait till September to snag it. I'm hoping for some sweet extras.

Classic Movie of the Month: Young Guns. Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen... those were the days. A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, take things too far and become hunted. Great stuff. Shocked they haven't tossed this into the remake pile yet.

Movie Quote of the Month: "Where you see Hell, I see a spellbinding sense of purpose. I see the value of keeping your eye on the ball. When a bride slips the ring on her finger, when a businessman lays his hands on a Rolex, when a rapper gets a shiny new tooth, this is that cost, Mr. Beck, my horror for their beauty, my Hell for their little slice of Heaven. Somebody's gotta keep his eye on the ball. That somebody is me, Mr. Beck. I am down here every day, keeping my eye on the ball. That's just a simple fact of life. And if you're bold enough to face that cold hard fact... you can make a lot of money." - Hatcher (Christopher Walken) in The Rundown

Jason Chamberlain

Biggest Winner of the Month: I'm going to have to pile on the District 9 bandwagon here. I haven't had a chance to see it yet, but it's done pretty well at the box office and critics love it. Maybe that Halo movie would have been a good idea after all!

Biggest Loser of the Month: Jeremy Piven. I still think The Goods looks like a blast, but nobody else seems to think so... on the bright side, he's still kicking ass as Ari Gold on Entourage.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: It's got to be the late breaking news of Disney buying Marvel for $4 billion dollars. That is a lot of cheddar. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I'm inclined to scream and have nightmares of Mickey Mouse teaching Wolverine very important lessons of kindness, but it might not be that bad. This is a business transaction after all, another conglomerate coming together, and that doesn't mean creatively mixing properties. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: It's gotta be Extract. Any time Mike Judge puts out a movie, he gets my full attention.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Wolverine. It wasn't as awesome as I hoped it would be, but it didn't suck either (in my opinion). Wolvie berserk style, Deadpool (kinda), a badass take on Sabretooth. It's worth the buy on blu-ray.

Classic Movie of the Month: Go back and take a look at Mike Judge's classic Office Space. I hope to God you've seen it, but go watch it again. Lumbergh. Milton. Michael Bolton. The Bob's. PC Load Letter. Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta!

Movie Quote of the Month: Alex: "You're getting a lion?"
Dante: "Yeah."
Alex: "Why?"
Dante: "To protect my shit."
Alex: "Ever heard of a dog?"
Dante: "Dude, you can get past a dog. Nobody fucks with a lion."
- Dante explains his security in Grandma's Boy.

Jeremy Thomas

Biggest Winner of the Month: Clearly, Neill Blomkamp and District 9. The science fiction film has earned absolutely rave reviews and, at current count, over tripled its production budget. What's more, it was a startlingly excellent film that looked as good as, if not better than, almost every big-budget sci-fi epic that came out in the summer. Not bad at all for a movie that got made only on the virtues of Halo getting shelved.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Robert Rodriguez. Yes, The Goods didn't do well, but no one really expected it to. Rodriguez was expected to do well, if not fabulous, with Shorts. Unfortunately it bombed and bombed hard, taking in a scant $6.4 million in its opening weekend as his Grindhouse partner crushed him with Inglourious Basterds. The good news is that Robert has umpteen different projects he can still find success with, including Machete.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: They saved the biggest for last. Marvel was bought out by Disney, sending fanboys the world over into a giant tizzy. The price tag is huge but not that surprising considering the comics giant's success in recent years. Before anyone gets their underwear in a twist, the Mouse is claiming they will treat it like Pixar and give it more or less creative freedom, so this doesn't mean it's time for "Xavier School Musical." I just hope they keep to that.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: It's gotta be 9. The animated film looks absolutely phenomenal and I'm all sorts of ready to see how the teaming of Tim Burton and Timor Bekmambetov as producers fares. Advance word has been great, so we'll see.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: There's a whole host of them. State of Play comes out which was a fantastic little political thriller, and Heroes: Season Three will be out to show us the best and worst the series has had to offer to date. There's also the Universal Legacy edition of The Wolf Man and my second-favorite new series of last season, Castle. The winner, though, is the John Carpenter Collection. The Thing, Prince of Darkness, They Live and Village of the Damned in one set? I'm there!

Classic Movie of the Month: With Pandorum coming out, I have to give MAJOR props to the movie it seems inspired by. Event Horizon was a movie that was horrifically mismarketed, played off in commercials like a normal sci-fi film. What it offered was one of the most terrifying space films ever made. Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson, Richard T. Jones, Jason Isaacs and Sean Pertwee are tormented by a ship that's gone to Hell and back. It's absolutely and chillingly fantastic. I have a friend who actually blocked out that she had seen it because it creeped her out that much.

Movie Quote of the Month: Dr. Weir: "And now... it is time to go back."
Miller: "I know. To hell."
Dr. Weir: "You know nothing. Hell is only a word. The reality is much, much worse."
- Dr. Weir (Sam Neil) and Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne), Event Horizon

Owain J. Brimfield

Biggest Winner of the Month: Scraping in at the last second, Disney, which is the biggest winner of all thanks to the fact that it now owns Marvel, in its entirety. Regardless of the implications, just think about all that the Marvel property encompasses, and realise just what a huge win this is for cuddly uncle Walt and the House of Mouse. Frankly, the potential for a Pixar/Marvel combo is awe-inspiring.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Piven, and all the yutzes who thought that the fact the man plays a cool character in a hit TV show means they could base an entire movie off it, irrespective of the film's actual quality. Sure, Entourage is great, yadda yadda, but that doesn't mean that's all Piven can do, and thankfully the audiences shied away from The Goods, meaning perhaps the man will get a proper big-screen vehicle for his talents.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: You've seen the trailer for Avatar, right? Of course you have, it's now the most-watched online trailer in history by some considerable margin. All the hype is that Cameron's newest flick may just be his magnum opus and may also... shhh... change cinema for good. You can't buy that degree of anticipation, regardless of the flak any online funsters might have thrown its way.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: On paper it would have been Extract, but the trailer for 9 blew me away and looks set to be one of the most original animated films we've seen in years. Yes, I'm including Pixar's back catalogue in that.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Judging by Kristopowitz's monthly "recommendation" of apparently every single DVD that's going to be released, Crank 2 should prove a worthy addition to my collection of shitty action movies. The good kind of shitty, natch.

Classic Movie of the Month: Because I caught the end of it on TV late last night, the Cruiser's courtroom drama A Few Good Men, which despite the presence of himself and Demi Moore in leading roles, more than earns its stripes due to an electric supporting cast and Jack Nicholson's barnstorming role as Col. Jessup.

Movie Quote of the Month: "You can't handle the truth!" - Jack tells it like it is in A Few Good Men

Coming Attractions

SEPTEMBER 4TH

Gamer
Studio: Lionsgate
Directed by: Mark Neveldine ; Brian Taylor
Starring: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Chris Bridges, John Leguizamo
The plot: Set in a future-world where humans can control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online gaming environments, a star player (Butler) from a game called "Slayers" looks to regain his independence while taking down the game's mastermind (Hall).

Kristopowitz: This movie looks pretty decent in an action movie kind of way. I'm not so sure about the apparent social commentary about people being controlled and whatnot. I guess we'll see how it works itself out. I do have a question, though? How many people could there possibly be on Death Row to facilitate the warriors in this game? Even worldwide you'd think they'd eventually run out. And I don't think I've ever been more scared of Kyra Sedgwick in my life after watching the trailer for this. Her eyes are black as coal. Scary.

Lealos: I've been looking forward to this movie since I saw the first trailer for it. The plot itself is not original, it's just another variation of Death Race, and how ironic is that since the star of that movie was also the star in this films director's breakout. Neveldine and Taylor impressed the hell out of me with their debut film Crank, a movie that is more fun than it ever had the right to be. The duo is now working overtime with their second directorial release of the year following the Crank sequel. They are two of the most exciting young visual filmmakers working right now and this movie looks like it could be all kinds of cool. Plus, it brings Dexter himself, Michael C. Hall, to the big screen and that is just icing on the cake.

Archibald: This sounds like...A "good" action yarn. The cast is weird to me, though. Gerald Butler facing off with Michael C. Hall? I'm sure it's smarter than the "ACTION, ACTION, PAN, ZOOM, PAN, BOOM!" trailer makes it out to be.

Gustafson: How long has it been since video game players had a movie that celebrated THEM? 1989 with The Wizard? Props if you remember it, bigger props if you've seen it in the last 5 years. It's been interesting watching Butler's career since 300. Is he going to slide into the romantic comedy lane (not likely) or bloom into an action star (probable). I like feel of this movie, very Running Man with a pinch of The Condemned. OK, not really with The Condemned but wanted to get the Wrestling fans attention. Still, this has... oops, look at that. I've exceeded my movie dropping quota! Bottomline (Get it?), this should do decent and bring back the Butler we know and love.

Chamberlain: Cool concept, kind of along the same lines of The Condemned, with the obvious difference of the fighters being under a gamers control. Gerard Butler hasn't excited me with his choices since 300, but this could be solid. And it's got an appearance by one of my personal faves, Sam Witwer.

Thomas: I think the concept of this is actually kind of cool, but it also has a Death Race feel and sorry folks, but that's not a good thing. That being said, I will see it because I really like Gerard Butler and Michael C. Hall, who rocks the house as Dexter Morgan on Showtime. I don't expect great things, but I could well be wrong.

Brimfield: Steve, you are my hero for referencing The Wizard, and if this is even half as awesome as that film, I will love it.

Extract
Studio: Miramax
Directed by: Mike Judge
Starring: Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig
The plot: Set The owner of a flower-extract plant (Bateman), tries to contend with myriad personal and professional problems, such as his potentially unfaithful wife (Wiig), a hot new temp (Kunis), and employees who want to take advantage of him.

Kristopowitz: This flick has good buzz, and Mike Judge has come through for us on two previous live action movies (Office Space and Idiocracy). I can't imagine this one being any different in the laughs department. Although does it look like his movie is getting dumped again? Is this a good release date?

Lealos: This movie cannot be anything but funny. From a recent interview I read with Mike Judge, he might not be directing too many more films so take the three he has directed and cherish them. Office Space is a masterpiece, Idiocracy is an underrated, fantastic little film and Beavis and Butthead Do America is a part of every thirty year old's fond memories. Both the live studio movies were met with studio interference, something I have not heard about with this, his fourth film. The trailers look fantastic with great comedy from Jason Bateman and Ben Affleck. Add in Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, J.K. Simmons, Beth Grant and Gene "Freaking" Simmons and you got a winner in my eyes. I notice it is a limited release which is strange because I see trailers on television all the time.

Archibald: Yep, I'm seeing this. Mike Judge, Jason Bateman, Mmmmm...Mila Kunis and Ben Affleck as a stoner. Oh, and J.K. Simmons. Anything he's in is money.

Gustafson: Bateman is ALWAYS meat-n-potatoes in my book. Affleck maintains a slow and steady pace back into the movie business. Mike Judge is Mike Judge. I wish he'd increase his output, but I'll take what I can get. Don't expect a huge box office smash, but this will get a lot of cult and critical love, and isn't that more important in the end?

Chamberlain: I'm one of those ‘Mike Judge can do no wrong' kind of guys, so needless to say I am stoked for this one. This looks to do for factory workers what Office Space did for cubicle drones, and I've lived on both sides of the equation. This has the hotness of Mila Kunis as well as a Ben Affleck who looks to be having a blast. Looks great.

Thomas: I'm almost worried this is getting overhyped a bit, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. Mike Judge is a great comedic filmmaker who has never gotten his due, and maybe this will be the one which does it for him. The cast is good and the set-up has potential. It's not high on my list, but I'll check it out.

Brimfield: I'm with the other guys here, Mike Judge has a great track record and there's no reason this shouldn't be as hysterical as his previous films.

SEPTEMBER 9TH

9
Studio: Focus
Directed by: Shane Acker
Starring: Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, John C. Reilly
The plot: When 9 (voice of Wood) first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world where all humans are gone. Upon discovering a community of other beings like him, 9 takes the lead in an effort to strike back at the machines that control the world and are bent on exterminating most signs of life.

Kristopowitz: The trailer for this is fantastic, it looks great, and I can't wait to see it. This is a definite animated must see.

Lealos: This animated film is produced by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch) and Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas). Both men apparently saw something they liked in Shane Acker's short film this movie is based on. Come to think of it, the last time a producer was impressed enough with a short film to slap his name on the theatrical version we got District 9. The trailers look cool, the concept is original and the voice cast is top notch. There is no competition for it this weekend, the movies from the week before are not the target audience and the next weekend only gives us a mainstream horror release. This will be the number one movie at the box office, maybe for a couple of weeks, but I don't know if it will make that much. I want it to be good but it really doesn't scream mainstream, which is actually a good thing in my eyes. We need more original animation.

Archibald: Ahhh, an animated feature that isn't Disney, Pixar or Fox. I'm one of those guys who base seeing a movie based on the studio sometimes, and Focus is usually money. Tim Burton's name is attached, so you know there's gonna be some creative output into this one. The voice cast is top notch. I hope parents don't take their kids expecting cute puppies n' other fluff, though.

Gustafson: I've been smothering this movie with my affection since I first heard about it. Then that little clip hit the web and I shuddered in joy. But will this find the right audience? It doesn't look like it's for kids. At least not the sheltered, over-protected, "you are very special" kids we have growing up these days. So, who IS this movie for? Will adults dig it? This year will be interesting because between this movie and Where the Wild Things Are, we have two mature kids movies coming out that are darker than the usual stuff. How they perform will indicate the future of these types of films. Poor results = More G-Force.

Chamberlain: Oh hell yes! I'm not a ‘Tim Burton can do no wrong' guy, but he does get involved in cool projects most of the time, and this in particular looks badass.

Thomas: Movie of the month potential right here. The trailers have looked utterly fantastic and I am a big fan of the producers. The voice cast is excellent and the story seems fairly interesting. After a couple years where we had a whole bunch of crappy animated films and a couple good ones, this looks like it might be the year of a renaissance for the medium. If so, I think 9 will be a major part of that.

Brimfield: This has had perhaps the best trailers of the year and looks like an enthralling sci-fi movie, let alone an animated movie. Add in a solid voice cast and I'm more than sold.

SEPTEMBER 11TH

Sorority Row
Studio: Summit
Directed by: Stewart Hendler
Starring: Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, Audrina Partridge, Carrie Fisher
The plot: A group of sorority girls pledge to keep mum on the accidental death of one of their sisters; after graduation, however, they find themselves stalked by a serial killer who seems bent on eliminating anyone who knows their secret.

Kristopowitz: It's Princess Leia in a slasher movie. Who the hell wouldn't want to see that?

Lealos: Wasn't this movie released in 1997 and called I Know What You Did Last Summer? Or was it called Black Christmas? No, wait a minute - it was a 1983 movie called The House on Sorority Row. Well, hell, it is a remake of that 1983 movie. STOP REMAKING CRAPPY SLASHER MOVIES! Princess Leia, what the hell are you thinking? Wonder if it will keep the decapitated head in the toilet scene?

Archibald: I Know What You Did Last Summer and The House on Sorority Row called... They want their plot back.

Gustafson: YAWN. This movie is like that person on the median asking for donations for their church group while you're sitting at a red light. I roll up my window, pretend I'm on my cell phone, and ignore them. Moving on...

Chamberlain: ‘I Know What You Did At That Frat Party The Other Night'? No thanks.

Thomas: Ugh. Okay, I'll admit, Carrie Fisher looks like she's having fun. Otherwise, I couldn't care less. Rumer Willis is better than shit like this. What I love about this movie is that it was originally scheduled for October 2nd, then moved here when Shutter Island took the spot. Now that the Scorsese film has moved, Summit looks silly for dumping this in September. That's what you get for remaking a not-very-good horror film in the first place, guys.

Brimfield: ...Meh?

SEPTEMBER 18TH

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Studio: Columbia
Directed by: Phil Lord; Chris Miller
Starring: Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Bruce Campbell, Neil Patrick Harris
The plot: Inspired by the children's book focusing on a town where food falls from the sky like rain.

Kristopowitz: I don't know about this one. The preview I saw a few weeks back was funny, but I get the feeling that this one is going to fall flat for some reason. I don't know why I have that feeling but I do. The animation itself looks good, though. Giant food stuffs falling out of the sky? Hilarious.

Lealos: Two names: Bruce Campbell and Neil Patrick Harris. Oh wait, one more name - MR. T!!!!! Did I mention Neil Patrick Harris is STEVE THE MONKEY!!!! Ok, ever since having my first baby a little over a month ago I have developed a great fondness for cartoons and this looks pretty fun. It's based on the children's book of the same name and will be shown in my favorite new obsession - 3D! Yeah, I will never watch another 2D animated movie if it is also available in 3D. The depth of perception is just too beautiful to ever watch it flat again. I'll see it in theaters...

Archibald: Bruce Campbell and Neil Patrick Harris. Yeah, I'm there. This might be a very good month for animated films. I hope we can make up for dissing Ponyo (can you tell I'm not over that?)

Gustafson: Great cast. Great story. Nice, safe kids stuff. This should do well, especially if G-Force did solid numbers. Huh, look at that. Two G-Force mentions in one roundtable. Still, it's another movie-based-on-a-book project. I'm getting myself ready for the day they decide to bring Frog and Toad to the big screen voiced by Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Or Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Or Snoop Dogg and Ludacris.

Chamberlain: Now what kid doesn't dream about this scenario? I don't make a point of seeing every single CGI film that comes to market, at least not at the theatre, and I probably won't get out to see this one, but it still looks cool.

Thomas: One of my friends told me that this movie reminds him of the scene in Idiocracy where the Oscar-winning movie in the future was "Ass." I think that's about all that needs to be said here.

Brimfield: A glorious voice cast and a completely uninteresting plot mean I probably won't see this, but I imagine it will do well with its target audience.

Jennifer's Body
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Directed by: Karyn Kusama
Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody
The plot: A cheerleader at a small midwestern high school becomes possessed by a demon and sets out to kill off all the guys in town.

Kristopowitz: It's Megan Fox killing people and looking incredibly hot while doing it. Much like Princess Leia in a slasher movie, who doesn't want to see Megan Fox killing people and looking hot doing it? Damned if I know. I just hope, though, that the movie itself, as a whole, is good and scary and all that. I really don't want to see another flippant horror movie.

Lealos: Megan Fox is said to actually be a halfway decent actress in this movie. This shocks me because I thought she was just a piece of ass to hang on your wall. I gave her a chance in How to Alienate Friends and she proved to be a turd, albeit a hot turd. I really don't care about this movie. At all.

Archibald: Okay, I can dismiss this as just another vehicle for Megan Fox to show off her... foxiness. BUT, a little name is attached to this that makes me interested: Diablo Cody, the Oscar-winning screenwriter for Juno. There is a distinct possibility that this will be a LOT better than people expect. I hope so, because I'm interested in the premise.

Gustafson: Is it me or is this a step back for Megan? This feels like a Lindsay Lohan vehicle that someone dusted off and thought, "Hey, let's give it to Megan!" It's like a test movie to see if she can make a little bank on her own without an abundance of special effects backing her up. I won't be seeing it, but it could catch if the AberEagle & Fitch crowd embrace it.

Chamberlain: I don't love Megan Fox, but I don't hate her either and she looks smokin' in this movie. Somehow I see this being a mega hit with the teenage boy crowd.

Thomas: You know what, I'm actually looking forward to this. The trailers look just fine to me, and as much as I'm on Megan Fox overload she seems to be doing a better job here than she usually does. Of course, I also loved Juno so I'm putting a lot of faith in Diablo Cody. Amanda Seyfried looks like a capable lead girl and I think I'll rather enjoy it.

Brimfield: Fox is the new Jolie, and as such I have zero interest in her or her movies.

The Informant
Studio: Warner Bros.
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Matt Damon, Tony Hale, Patton Oswalt, Clancy Brown
The plot: The U.S. government decides to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, company-man-turned-whistleblower Mark Whitacre (Damon).

Kristopowitz: Wow. The trailer for this is hysterical. Matt Damon, who I usually can't stand, looks good, and Scott Bakula looks like he's having the time of his life. And, really, any movie that has the Kurgan and Spence Olchin in it is a must see.

Lealos: I love when Steven Soderbergh does big movies. The Informant is based on the 2000 book by journalist Kurt Eichenwald about the Archer Daniels Midland price-fixing scandal. The movie, based on the concept, sounds a lot like Michael Mann's The Insider but this would be completely wrong. One look at the trailer and you see a fairly quirky comedy that reminds me a bit of the Coens. Matt Damon is the whistleblower who brought the company down while suffering from a bipolar condition leading to his meltdown. A look at the cast - Scott Bakula and Patton Oswalt specifically - and you see the tone Soderbergh is going for. This is more Ocean's Eleven than Traffic. Count me as intrigued by this movie.

Archibald: Soderbergh back in the mainstream! Matt Damon continues to quietly climb up the ladder of well-rounded character actors that can open a film. Seriously, the fact that when discussing the best actors of the last ten years and his name is rarely mentioned is criminal to me. The fact that this is almost a "true story" comedic take on The Insider makes me want to check it out more.

Gustafson: I've not seen anything about this to make me not love this movie so far. From cast to story, I can't find any weak links. Even Matt Damon's mustache looks like it belongs.

Chamberlain: I'll pass.

Thomas: I'll watch anything Soderbergh makes. I don't always enjoy them, but I'll always give them a shot. This looks absolutely fantastic. Matt Damon is having the time of his life and the rest of the cast looks great as well. This is the kind of movie that will attract a certain audience and will probably get some attention come awards time, but most of America will pass it by. I hope that's not the case, but I see it happening especially during a packed weekend.

Brimfield: I've seen next to nothing of this one other than Damon's moustache, but I would be happy recommending it on that basis alone.

Splice
Studio: Senator
Directed by: Vincenzo Natali
Starring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley
The plot: Two scientists fuse DNA samples to create a new organism: a human-chimera they name Dren. As the creature rapidly develops from a deformed female infant into winged creature, her initial bond with her creators turns deadly.

Kristopowitz: I really don't know what to make of this. I haven't seen a trailer for it, so I'll reserve judgment until then. Who knows, it could be good, or it could suck big time.

Lealos: I don't know anything about this movie. I can't find a trailer for it. I doubt it will be showing anywhere near me. I am not qualified to say anything about it. Sounds like an interesting premise, I guess. The director, Vincenzo Natali, also directed Cube, a great horror film, so that is another plus.

Archibald: The guy who directed Cube is behind this. It may be good, but I have nothing to check it out with.

Gustafson: Is this really coming out in theaters? Adrien Brody needs to perform or risk joining Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the "What Happened" file. I wouldn't be surprised if they yank this and send it straight to Redbox.

Chamberlain: Good to see my fellow Canuck Sarah Polley doing so well.

Thomas: I love Sarah Polley and have ever since Go. Adrien Brody is rather hit or miss for me though. That being said, this looks and sounds like a lot of fun. That's not to say it'll be good necessarily, but good and fun do not have to be mutually inclusive. Director Vincenzo Natali made Cube, so he has experience making great sci-fi. He stated in an interview, "This is a serious film and an emotional one. And there's sex... very unconventional sex." Works for me.

Brimfield: No love for this one guys? Just me then. Natali's previous films Cube and Cypher were both wonderfully original, and I'm hoping Splice will make it three in a row from one of the unsung masters of alternative SF.

SEPTEMBER 25TH

Surrogates
Studio: Walt Disney
Directed by: Jonathan Mostow
Starring: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Ving Rhames, Rosamund Pike
The plot: Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop (Willis) is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others' surrogates

Kristopowitz: This looks like a great sci-fi flick. It's got a great cast, a capable director, and a cool premise. Definitely a must see.

Lealos: There is a scene in Surrogates where a young looking Bruce Willis gets his arm ripped off and is hit by a truck but keeps going. There is another scene where an old Bruce Willis walks into his house, finds people involved in sexual acts and kicks a guys face in. This movie looks very awesome and bears a striking resemblance to a Philip Dick storyline. It is actually based on a graphic novel about people who never have to leave their homes and instead live their lives through surrogates, robotic versions of themselves they are plugged into. Last time Willis was in a movie like this we got the amazing 12 Monkeys and, while this movie probably won't match up to that minor masterpiece, it does look to be a fun sci-fi romp.

Archibald: ***SPOILER***...Bruce Willis is a Surrogate.***END SPOILER****

I'm just playing! I haven't read the screenplay, so I don't know the climax of this film, but I will echo Shawn's sentiments that this resembles something Phillip K. Dickish (did he just say that?) and I'm very interested in where the premise can go. I notice that Disney is the studio, though – so I am VERY cautious with this one.

Gustafson: I don't have anything funny to say about this. I always support my man Bruce Willis! Bring it on!

Chamberlain: Call me crazy, but I'd rather see Die Hard 5.

Thomas: Honestly, this looks rather cheesy. I don't expect it to be very good, and to instead be a film that aspires to be Phillip K. Dick-esque without actually hitting that level of thoughtfulness. I think if people go in with lowered expectations it'll be fine, and it'll make money thanks to Bruce Willis's name value. But people expecting something revolutionary are probably going to be disappointed.

Brimfield: Willis is awesome, Mostow is underrated and the plot is intriguing. I'll be there with bells on for this one.

Whiteout
Studio: Warner Bros.
Directed by: Dominic Sena
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Tom Skerritt
The plot: At the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko (Beckinsale) looks to identify and capture a killer before the sun sets for six months.

Kristopowitz: I like the preview for this, and Kate Beckinsale is always worth watching. And it's great to see Tom Skerritt back in an actual movie. I do have reservations, though, about the director. Dominic Sena doesn't exactly have a great track record when it comes to directing. Maybe it'll work out. And isn't this based on a comic book? I think I remember reading the first issue of it.

Lealos: Dominic Sena can direct action (Gone in Sixty Seconds) and gritty movies (Kalifornia) alike, so I am curious at how he does here. Kate Beckinsale has built a decent career in action flicks as of late and Tom Skerritt is always good but I don't have much enthusiasm for this film. It bears a striking resemblance to The Thing and the fact it is produced by Dark Castle Entertainment might lead you to believe that. However, it is simply a murder mystery based on a graphic novel by the same name. If it makes you feel better, the author of the comic praised the movie for remaining true to the source material.

Archibald: I have a little question based on the plot line... what kind of police department only works to solve cases six months of the year? Sounds a bit lazy to me. Dominic Sena is behind the lens for this one. The trailer looks good, but I'm afraid this may be more Gone in 60 Seconds than Kalifornia. Nice to see Tom Skerritt get some work, though.

Gustafson: Wow. This movie has been kicking around since 1999. I know this has been in the can for a year or so, which is usually a bad sign, but the graphic novel creator, Greg Rucka, which this is based on gave it the thumbs up. The trailer is a bit underwhelming but I'm willing to give it a chance.

Chamberlain: And Kate Beckinsale can do nothing wrong in my book. And by that I mean nothing. This sounds like a pretty cool premise too.

Thomas: In the battle of the graphic novel adaptations (Surrogates and Whiteout both share that origin), I think this has the most potential. I haven't read either graphic novel but I've generally heard better things about this one. I'm also a sucker for Kate Beckinsale. Dominic Sena has made some really terrible films... Swordfish, anyone? But I think this does have some potential, as long as people realize they aren't getting a supernatural story but a murder mystery. I hate the way studios market films sometimes.

Brimfield: Seems like the premise has been done before, but it could be half interesting.

Fame
Studio: MGM
Directed by: Kevin Tancharoen
Starring: Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth, Megan Mullally, Charles S. Dutton
The plot: A remake of the 1980s musical centered on the teachers and students at the prestigious New York City High School of Performing Arts.

Kristopowitz: Oh, God, who cares? This looks terrible. And I know we're all supposed to be excited about Grammer and Neuwirth acting in the same movie and having a pseudo Cheers / Frasier reunion, but that's not enough to make me care about another movie about a bunch of young people looking for their dance dream. Fuck that.

Lealos: Oh look, a movie about dancing. My wife should be thrilled. Me, not so much.

Archibald: KELSEY GRAMMER, FTW~! Wait... this is Fame? Dude, I think you're in the wrong movie. The only way this will work is if David Hyde Pierce is Kelsey Grammer's über-competitive brother and the film ends on a DANCE OFF between the two. If this is not the case, I will not be there to see this. Leave Irene Cara's memories alone!

Gustafson: Community college theater programs are going to love this! My gut is telling me this is going to do well no matter what we want. The people who watch So You Think You Can Dance will give this a decent opening and American Idol fans will keep it around. Between this and the new television show Glee, we are in for a "spirit finger" good time!

Chamberlain: With the exception of White Christmas and the Buffy musical episode, I'm really not into these.

Thomas: Guaranteed shit, despite the good cast of adults. No need to remake it. I'll waste no more words.

Brimfield: I love me some Grammer, but otherwise I care not a jot for this torrid remake.

Pandorum
Studio: Overture
Directed by: Christian Alvart
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet
The plot: A pair of crew members aboard a spaceship wake up with no knowledge of their mission or their identities.

Kristopowitz: I'm always in the mood for a sci-fi mystery movie, so why not see it?

Lealos: Why is Dennis Quaid, a GREAT actor, starring in so many cheap horror films lately? The trailers say this is produced by the men who produced Resident Evil and sure enough, it bears a strong similarity to the style of Paul W.S. Anderson's Event Horizon. It doesn't look very good.

Archibald: Okay, this sounds like a plot that would SUCK (not the plot itself sucking, just the scenario.) I'm not quite sure I'm sold based on what I've seen so far.

Gustafson: Dennis Quaid is a WARRIOR! (trademark Joe Rogan). This man just doesn't give up. I'm feeling the trailer and Ben Foster has the acting chops to make this worth seeing. Just give him a script and let him to his thing! If you think about it, 2009 has been a pretty good year for sci-fi.

Chamberlain: Now this sounds like a cool flick. I'm in.

Thomas: This one really has me intrigued. I love Event Horizon as I said before and this looks a lot like that. Odds are, I'll be disappointed in that respect at least. That doesn't mean it'll be bad though. The marketing of this has been heavy on mood, light on details and that's exactly what I think it should be, so as not to spoil anything. It may not succeed on this super-crowded weekend, but it will be something worth checking out.

Brimfield: I guess I should admit I never saw Event Horizon. Perhaps I should check that out before renting this one.

Coco Before Chanel
Studio: Sony
Directed by: Anne Fontaine
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Benout Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola
The plot: The story of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (Tautou) and her rise from obscure beginnings to the heights of the fashion world.

Kristopowitz: Wait a second, didn't Shirley MacLaine do this as a miniseries for the Lifetime network? That wasn't all that great, so why would a theatrical movie about the same thing be any different?

Lealos: Hey, look! It's another movie my wife will probably love that I couldn't give a crap about. I did like Amélie, though...

Archibald: ...And the winner for best title of the month goes to... Okay, I liked Amélie - a lot. Probably way more than any heterosexual man should, but I think Audrey Tautou is money. This may be some Oscar-bait, but because of my past in the fashion industry, I am definitely interested in seeing how this plays out.

Gustafson: Is this getting a wide release? Really? I'm sure the audience exists for this, I just don't know where. This seems more appropriate for cable. Pass on the theater and DVD for this one.

Chamberlain: Yep, no desire to see this, whatsoever.

Thomas: A biopic of a fashion icon? Well, first off I don't see this getting more than a super-limited release (i.e. New York & L.A. only) because it's French and American audiences hate foreign films. God, how I loathe that fact. Anyway, I love Audrey Tautou and biopics are often good. And really, who knows fashion better than the French? This isn't a "guy movie," but I'm not going to condemn it based on that.

Brimfield: I have no interest, but would happily see this for Tautou alone.

Astro Boy
Studio: Summit
Directed by: David Bowers
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Samuel L. Jackson
The plot: Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy (voiced by Highmore) is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist (voiced by Cage) in the image of the son he has lost. Unable to fulfill the grieving man's expectations, our hero embarks on a journey in search of acceptance.

Kristopowitz: Eh. I guess this looks okay. This has a fan base that, I'm sure, is psyched, but I'm not. The cast seems decent enough.

Lealos: For some reason that poster brings back memories of Robin Williams' Bicentennial Man, and that is scary. The movie is based on the 1963 cartoon that very few kids today have ever heard of. It does have a solid voice cast with Sam Jackson, Nic Cage, Bill Nighy, Nathan Lane, Donald Sutherland and the always reliably Freddie Highmore as Astro Boy. The synopsis tells a lot deeper of a story than the trailer lets on. The trailer looks like it will be one for the little kids but I think it might be a bit more than that. I'm not excited about it but I won't shun it either.

Archibald: I remember growing up and seeing the old Astro Boy Japanime cartoons. Times have changed since then. The trailer leaves much to be desired – but I think that is more the studio's fault. I agree with Shawn that there may be a deeper (or at least, more intriguing) plot that what we're getting. Sam Jackson has lent his voice, so I will be there. As long as I don't get a "OH NOEZ~! NOT THE BEES! NOT THE BEEEEEEEEEEES!" from Nicholas Cage, I'll be happy.

Gustafson: This smells like Speed Racer BUT that's not a bad thing! I'm curious, and willing, to give it a chance but I'm torn how it's going to do. It certainly looks... pretty.

Chamberlain: Never been a fan of the Japanese stuff, but I might find myself checking this one out. See, remakes do serve a purpose!

Thomas: Summit keeps swinging and missing as far as I'm concerned, except for Knowing and Penelope (and possibly Hurt Locker which I have yet to see). This looks atrociously bad to me, but it will draw kids and probably win the weekend. Still, I don't expect much at all from it. So sue me.

Brimfield: Another case of great cast, shame about the movie. One for the "miss" pile, folks.



The votes are in... 9 is the 411 staff's hit of the month, while Fame is our shit of the month!


That's all for now, folks. Stay tuned next month for a look at The Road, Where the Wild Things Are and a whole lot more!

All poster images courtesy of IMDB.