And that’s a wrap for the summer 2009 movie season! We should have a recap coming up shortly, but I think it’s safe to say that it was a damn good summer for movie lovers. (Anyone who claims different not only hates movies but hates babies, puppies, ice cream, and boobs). There was something for everyone regardless of tastes, and happily many of the flicks were actually quite good. It’s time now to turn our attention to the fall though, and what’s traditionally known as Awards season, but nestled between the blockbusters of summer and prestige films of fall is a little dumping ground Hollywood calls September…

September 4th

All About Steve

Who did it? Directed by Phil Traill; written by Kim Barker; starring Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church

What is it? Bullock plays a follicular-challenged woman who becomes obsessed with Cooper after seeing him in The Hangover. For her it’s love at first sight, but for him not so much. Can she win his heart with her spunky personality and positive attitude?

What about it? There wasn’t much expectation behind this one until Bullock’s last romantic comedy, this summer’s The Proposal, grossed a very surprising $160 million. That put the 45 year-old actress back on top of the rom-com genre where she started with the still fantastic and sweet While You Were Sleeping. I’m pulling for her, but damn that hair looks atrocious.

Watch the trailer:

Extract

Who did it? Directed and written by Mike Judge; starring Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, JK Simmons, Ben Affleck

What is it? Judge tries to apologize for Idiocracy by returning to the more successful workplace comedy roots of Office Space. The twist here is that the boss played by Bateman is the likable lead, and the workers themselves are the crazy ones.

What about it? I love Bateman, and Kunis looks really goddamn good as the new temp that catches his eye. Add in Simmons, Wiig, and yes even Affleck and you’ve got a really strong, comedic cast. 20th Century Fox first planned for this to be a limited release but have since moved it to a much wider schedule.

Watch the Trailer:

Gamer

Who did it? Directed and written by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor; starring Gerard Butler, Michael C Hall, Ludacris

What is it? The Running Man meets The Sims… and proceeds to blow those little diamond-headed bastards away. Butler stars as a disposable action star being controlled virtually by a teenager. If he wins, he regains his freedom. If he loses, he dies.

What about it? This is the third film from Siamese-twin directing team of Neveldine and Taylor. They previously birthed Crank and its sequel unto the world, and if you’ve seen either of them you know that believable action isn’t one of their top priorities. The action does look pretty intense here though, and Butler is a lot more charismatic than Jason Statham…

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release:

• Amreeka - A Middle Eastern woman and her teenage son move to America filled with hopes and dreams but soon realizes a change in geography doesn’t preclude the difficult choices and hard times to come.
• Carriers - Four friends drive with the quickness across the southwest trying to find safety from a deadly virus that’s wiping out the human race. Chris Pine and Piper Perabo star.

September 11th

9

Who did it? Directed by Shane Acker; written by Pamela Pettler; starring (voices of) Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Crispin Glover, John C Reilly

What is it? A CGI-animated story about sock puppets who survive an apocalypse only to discover they’re humanity’s last hope.

What about it? Yes I know they’re not actually sock puppets… 9 (voiced by Wood) and his cohorts are sentient ragdolls trying to solve a grand mystery while being pursued by various mechanical beasts. The ads are doing a great job of showcasing the film’s best parts including some very impressive action scenes and visual designs. A PG-13 rating and the absence of either the Pixar or Dreamworks name may turn some folks off, but it should still find an audience in those who like their CGI dark and gritty.

Watch the Trailer:

Sorority Row

Who did it? Directed by Stewart Hendler; written by Pete Goldfinger, Mark Rosman, Josh Stolberg; starring Jamie Chung, Rumer Willis, Audrina Partridge, Carrie Fisher

What is it? Technically a remake of House on Sorority Row, but really just an excuse to throw some pseudo-hot chicks in the shower and then stab them.

What about it? The only real difference between this and I Know What you Did Last Summer is the producers’ commitment to an R-rating for more than just violence and gore (meaning, they’ve added some uncovered breasts), but I still wish they’d focus on more original horror instead of recycling the same generic slasher shenanigans. That said, I’m a sucker for nevernude Jamie Chung so I’ll still be watching this probable turd.

Watch the Trailer:

Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself

Who did it? Directed and written by Tyler Perry; starring Tyler Perry, Taraji P Henson, Gladys Knight sans Pips, Mary J Blige

What is it? An elderly transvestite finds some teenagers rummaging in his home and decides the best punishment is sending them to live with an alcoholic, lounge-singing, floozy they call Aunt April.

What about it? I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve never watched a Madea/Tyler Perry movie. Brief snippets of his TV shows have been enough for one lifetime, thank you.

Watch the Trailer:

Whiteout

Who did it? Directed by Dominic Sena; written by Carey and Chad Hayes, Erich and Jon Hoeber; starring Kate Beckinsale, Tom Skerritt

What is it? Imagine 30 Days of Night without vampires and six times as long. A killer is stalking the streets tundras of Antarctica while a US Marshal tries to track him down before the sun sets and 180 days of night begin.

What about it? Beckinsale plays the marshal so at the very least the movie will be pleasant to look at, but it’s directed by Dominic Sena who previously gave us swill like Swordfish and Gone In Sixty Seconds… so who knows what to expect here.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

• Beyond a Reasonable Doubt - Michael Douglas and director Peter Hyams reunite 25 years after The Star Chamber for a suspense thriller playing only in limited release?
• The Red Canvas - The official tagline reads “Heroes fight with weapons forged in the heart.” That combined with the fact that the movie is being released to DVD as an unofficial installment in the Bloodsport franchise make this a must-see.
• Walt and El Grupo - A documentary about Walt Disney’s 1941 visit to South America in search of movie ideas and in the hopes of spreading goodwill. I’m not making this up.

September 18th

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Who did it? Directed and written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller; starring (voices of) Neil Patrick Harris, Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell, Andy Samberg, Mr. T

What is it? A scientist hoping to cure world hunger accidentally causes food to fall from the sky in large sizes and quantities. People are elated at first but soon they’re up to their eyebrows in macaroni & cheese, pig lips, and deep-fried, bacon-wrapped bacon burgers. Obesity, death, and cannibalism ensue.

What about it? This is the second CGI animated film released this month with no ties to Pixar, Disney, or Dreamworks, and that usually doesn’t bode well. The advantage here is that it’s based on a best-selling children’s book which should help bring in the kiddies. The story looks a little one-note to me, but I have very sophisticated tastes…

Watch the Trailer:

The Informant!

Who did it? Directed by Steven Soderbergh; written by Scott Burns; starring Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Patton Oswalt, Scott Bakula, Clancy Brown

What is it? This is based on a true story of a highly-ranked executive at Archer Daniels Midland who turned whistle-blower for a Federal investigation into his company’s habitual and rampant price-fixing.

What about it? Sounds like a terribly boring synopsis, but I first heard this story on NPR’s This American Life radio show and it was at turns surprising, illuminating, and funny as hell. Judging by the trailer below, Soderbergh and friends may have captured that perfectly. And look at that cast!

Watch the Trailer:

Jennifer’s Body

Who did it? Directed by Karyn Kusama; written by Diablo Cody; starring Amanda Seyfried, Megan Fox, Adam Brody, JK Simmons, Amy Sedaris

What is it? A demonic cheerleader turns the tables on all the boys who’d like a taste of her and eats them instead. “Jennifer’s evil. No I mean she’s actually evil… not high school evil.”

What about it? For all the press, commentary, and buzz circling Cody since Juno two years ago, it’s hard to believe this is only her second produced screenplay. Sure she has “The United States of Tara” on Showtime, but no one watched that did they? They stuck with an R-rating on this which is nice, but I’m hoping it’s for more than just dirty hipster language.

Watch the Trailer:

Love Happens

Who did it? Directed and co-written by Brandon Camp; co-written by Mike Thompson; starring Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Fogler, Martin Sheen, Judy Greer

What is it? A widower writes a self-help book that helps everyone but himself.

What about it? Marketing 101 should have taught the filmmakers that you never want a title that basically hands a loaded gun to your eventual critics… Love Happens? “Shit Happens” is guaranteed to be part of more than one review title regardless of how good or bad this movie ends up being. Aside from that, I like Aniston and I just wish she’d find some less predictable roles.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

• The Burning Plain - Why doesn’t Guillermo Arriaga (Babel, 21 Grams, Amores Perros) take medication for his obvious ADD? The man cannot write a simple story with one plot apparently… this one follows several women who seem unconnected but by the end of the film will probably be revealed to be each others daughters, mothers, sisters, and maids.
• Paris – Juliette Binoche and (my new favorite French actress) Melanie Laurent star in a tale about the people of Paris as viewed (or possibly imagined) by a dancer stuck in his apartment for health reasons.

September 25th

Fame

Who did it? Directed by Kevin Tancharoen; written by Allison Burnett; starring Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth, Charles Dutton, Debbie Allen

What is it? The 1980 musical (and TV series that followed) about students and teachers at the NY Academy of Performing Arts gets a face-lift with a new remake that features faces new and old. But mostly new.

What about it? It’s a musical, so I can’t say it’s on my list of must-sees this month, but on the plus side the director’s sister is the very cute and multi-talented Maurissa Tancharoen. She has no connection to this movie, but I wanted to giver her a shout-out anyway. Fans of Chicago, Rent, and the original film will probably enjoy it.

Watch the Trailer:

Pandorum

Who did it? Directed by Christian Alvart; written by Travis Milloy; starring Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue

What is it? Two crew members aboard a spaceship awaken with no clue as to their identity, mission, or location. They soon discover they’re not alone, which is something they may have already known had they not lost their memories in the first place. So maybe they rediscover they’re not alone…

What about it? I predict Quaid will grimace a lot and Foster will go completely nuts, and that’s okay. The two find some other human survivors as well as something darker and deadlier stalking them through the bowels of the ship. Early footage has looked sufficiently creepy and atmospheric which is also a plus.

Watch the Trailer:

Pool Boys

Who did it? Directed by JB Rogers; written by Stuart Gibbs, Julie O’Hora, Justin Ware; starring Matthew Lillard, Efren Ramirez, Robert Davi, Tom Arnold, George Takei

What is it? Two friends open a brothel in an empty mansion. The obvious template here is a mix of Night Shift and Risky Business, but if it manages to be even half as funny as either of those movies I’ll fuck my pool boy. (I should probably add some kind of disclaimer here, but really, what are the odds this is any good? Plus, I don’t have a pool boy).

What about it? I’m not entirely convinced this flick will actually get a wide release, and honestly it’ll be insulting to movies like Moon, Away We Go, 500 Days of Summer, and The Hurt Locker if it does.

Watch the Trailer:

Surrogates

Who did it? Directed by Jonathan Mostow; written by John Brancato, Michael Ferris; starring Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Ving Rhames

What is it? Society’s dependency on impersonal exchange leads to a world where people never leave home and instead live their lives virtually in artificial surrogate bodies. The homebodies began turning up dead, and a detective has to venture out into the real world with his real body to solve the crimes.

What about it? People haven’t been too impressed with the trailer below, but I’m actually digging it. The effects are pretty cool, the questions it raises are interesting, and Willis is dependable in his gruff detective role. Mostow is also a pretty solid though underrated director… remember Breakdown? Kurt Russell kicks ass! So yeah, this one has some real potential to surprise.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

• The Boys Are Back – Clive Owen plays single dad who struggles to find a way to raise his son until he settles on the idea that he’ll say ‘yes’ to everything. I can’t imagine that’s a stretch for Clive Owen.
• Capitalism: A Love Story – Robert Fure’s favorite American, Michael Moore, returns with a documentary about what makes this country great.
• Coco before Chanel - Audrey Tautou could star in a two hour movie where she does nothing but make soup and I’d watch it. She’s bypassed that topic so far in films from Amelie to Priceless, and now she stars as the woman who became a legend in the fashion world.
• I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell – A dick wrote a book that other dicks liked. Then he made a movie.

Which movies are you excited about in September? Which ones will you avoid?

Related Reading:

• The Reject Report Takes a Bite Out of Megan Fox
• Box Office ‘Cloudy’ For a Second Consecutive Week
• Box Office: Tyler Perry Does $24 Million All By Himself
• The Reject Report Seeks ‘Fame,’ Forecast Still ‘Cloudy’
• Reject Report: Megan Fox Drowns in Meatballs
• Fat Guys at the Movies Ep. 132 – Kevin and Neil’s Fat Bodies
• Kevin Carr’s Weekly Report Card for 09.11.09
• Reject Report: Tyler Perry Does Box Office All By Himself

The summer’s almost over, and so far it’s been an incredibly mixed bag movie-wise. Star Trek, The Hangover, and Harry Potter are some of the few deserving wins on the box-office side while most of the supposed summer blockbusters including X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Terminator: Salvation, Bruno, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen all failed to make a financial mark (yeah, that last one was just wishful thinking because the movie sucked so much ass). Quality-wise, many of the summer’s best films have actually been of the decidedly smaller variety including 500 Days of Summer, The Hurt Locker, Moon, and Away We Go.

Which brings us to the final month of summer 2009…

August 7th

GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra

What is it? Hasbro’s most popular toy line for boys comes to life with an advance military team of real American heroes fighting against an evil organization with cool gadgets, deadly weapons, and kung-fu grips.

What about it? Has there ever been a film that received more negative pre-release buzz than GI Joe?  The past few months have seen random bits of criticism about the movie get amplified across the web by just about every movie site (including this one).  The reports were based on anonymous sources, advance screening reviews, and pure speculation, and were legitimate news items for the most part… but if a select group of web journalists are to be believed all that negativity was pure bullshit. Director Stephen Sommers has never made a great movie, but the new advance buzz says that may be about to change.  At least for ten year old boys.

Read Neil Miller’s early review of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra here

Watch the trailer:

Julie & Julia

What is it? Writer/director Nora Ephron turns two books into a single movie.  One is an autobiography from Julia Child and the other is by a blogger who cooked her way through Child’s most popular French cookbook over the course of a year.

What about it? Ephron’s name on the director chair doesn’t exactly instill confidence. Her last worthwhile movie was 1993’s Sleepless In Seattle (shut it haters, it was a good movie), and having seen Julie & Julia I can say that while it’s her best work since 1993 it’s still a pretty average film. Amy Adams is at her most delightful though and Meryl Streep has an absolute blast mimicking Child’s vocal stylings.

Read my review of Julie & Julia here.

Watch the Trailer:

A Perfect Getaway

What is it? Newlyweds honeymooning in Hawaii cross paths with two other couples… and at least one of them is a killer. Although I’m betting that by film’s end they’ll all turn out to be killers.

What about it? Writer/director David Twohy is fairly reliable in his genre work… he’s written and/or directed Pitch Black, Below, The Fugitive, Waterworld, and more. The trailer looks cool (even if it does appear to give away a bit too much), and the cast including Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn, Chris Hemsworth, and Milla Jovovich is pretty solid.

Read my review of A Perfect Getaway here.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release:

• Cold Souls - Paul Giamatti channels John Malkovich and plays himself in this meta comedy. He pays a company to remove his soul temporarily only to see it get stolen and trafficked abroad. The question is will he want to wait for the soul mule to poop out the balloon? [More: Watch the Trailer; Read Neil Miller's Review]
• Paper Heart - The oddly adorable Charlyne Yi wrote and stars in this documentary/romantic comedy that finds her on a quest to understand love. Who knew that journey would lead her to Michael Cera? [More: Watch the Trailer; Read Neil Miller's Review]

August 14th

Bandslam

What is it? A group of teen outcasts with music in their hearts and crotches form a band. The scrappy group enters the biggest music competition in town… can they pull it together enough to pull it off and win?

What about it? Didn’t star Vanessa Hudgens already cover this ground in High School Musical?

Watch the Trailer:

District 9

What is it? Alien ships appear above South Africa and the visitors are forced to live in refugee-like slums behind fences and armed guards. They just want to go home but the humans won’t let them leave… a decision they’ll regret when a federal agent is accidentally exposed to an alien gas and all hell breaks loose.

What about it? Regardless of Neil’s claim that Iron Man 2 was the big winner out of Comic Con this year, District 9 is the one that wowed me the most. (And no, I wasn’t there.) The movie’s first half reportedly lays down a not-so-subtle message about racism and apartheid before kicking things into high gear with giant robots, fierce action sequences, and gobs of blood. This may just be the sci-fi blockbuster that puts all the others to shame this year.

Watch the Trailer:

The Goods: Live Hard Sell Hard

What is it? A remake of Used Cars apparently… Jeremy Piven and a bunch of other funny guys race to sell out a used car lot in a short amount of time.

What about it? The Goods is from the writers behind Balls Out and I’m hoping they’ve stepped up their comedic skills since then (so I don’t get another passive aggressive email from one half of the writing team). The trailer looks kind of flat, but I find it hard to believe having a cast this talented hasn’t resulted in a funny movie.

Watch the Trailer:

The Time Traveler’s Wife

What is it? A woman falls in love with a man who travels uncontrollably through time. He appears to her in her childhood (but after he’s already met and loved her adult self in the future) and plants the seed reserves a space for his future love in her heart. Sounds more perverted and unethical than romantic doesn’t it?

What about it? Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams star as the couple and both of them are solid actors, but the love story at play here has a huge hurdle to overcome with the whole time travel without purpose shtick.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

• It Might Get Loud - Jimmy Page. The Edge. Jack White. One of these things is not like the others… but that doesn’t stop the three axemen from getting together for a rocking documentary about the electric guitar. [More: Watch the Trailer]
• Ponyo - Hayao Miyazaki’s first animated feature since his last one follows the adventures of a sea slug that becomes a boy on a quest to save the planet. Or something. [More: Watch the Trailer]
• Spread - Ashton Kutcher has lots of casual sex and learns valuable lessons along the way. I can only assume one of them involves teaching old dogs new tricks. [More: Watch the Trailer]

August 21st

Inglourious Basterds

What is it? Quentin Tarantino’s World War II opus about a squad of soldiers romping around Europe scalping Nazis. The question is would they still do it if Ticketmaster didn’t charge those damn extra fees?

What about it? Advance word is exactly what we should expect from Tarantino… lots of talking, very little action.Is that a bad thing?  Probably not since Tarantino’s strength is definitely with dialogue. And Brad Pitt’s accent aside, early footage has looked fairly promising as well.

Watch the Trailer:

Post Grad

What is it? No idea.

What about it? It’s release is three weeks away, but the movie has had little to no advance publicity.  So according to IMDB, Alexis Bledel stars as a young woman trying to get her life together. Sounds pretty generic but the supporting cast looks interesting… Michael Keaton, Jane Lynch, Carol Burnett, Craig Robinson, Fred Armisen…

Watch the Trailer:

Shorts

What is it? A little nerd finds a stone that makes technicolor wishes come true. Sadly, all of his wishes involve CGI (and none of them involve hot, naked women).

What about it? This looks like a slight step up from Robert Rodriguez’ previous movies for rugrats with ADD, but that’s not saying much. The premise and the constant projectile CGI should keep the target audience happy.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

• My One and Only - What ever happened to Renee Zellweger? Oh, here she is. [More: Watch the Trailer]
• World’s Greatest Dad – Bobcat Goldthwait wrote and directed this dark comedy that stars Robin Williams as father to the worst son ever. The ads are doing a fantastic job of concealing a major plot point so I’m going to go masturbate in the closet with a necktie instead of ruining it for you here. [More: Watch the Trailer; Read Neil Miller's Review]

August 28th

The Final Destination 3D

What is it? Death comes calling for a fourth time as the franchise embraces the third dimension with gusto.

What about it? The Final Destination series has followed the law of diminishing returns, but the intricate deaths have continued to entertain.  The gory and precise set-pieces are extremely well-suited to 3-D and almost guarantee the movie will be a blast to watch in theaters.

Watch the Trailer:

Halloween 2

What is it? The sequel to Halloween, obviously.

What about it? I’m no fan of Of Rob Zombie’s films, but the Halloween remake is the best of his three. And that’s even with that annoying as hell little girl playing a young Michael Myers. The sequel apparently still includes some flashbacks to the pre-teen serial killer, but most of the film should focus on the towering adult cutting a swathe through town.

Watch the Trailer:

Taking Woodstock

What is it? Ang Lee takes a comedic look at the true story behind the original Woodstock music festival.

What about it? Demitri Martin takes the lead role and is joined by a muddy Emile Hirsch and a dress-wearing Liev Schreiber. Lee makes consistently good and occasionally great movies, and he knows no bounds when it comes to genres. This is his first comedy since Eat Drink Man Woman so there’s that.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

• The September Issue – A documentary about fashion and magazine publishing that focuses on Anna Wintour and the Fall 2008 issue of Vogue. Will it be as powerful and emotionally devastating as Dear Zachary? It is Vogue’s most important issue of the year after all. [More: Watch the Trailer]

Which movies are you excited about in August? Which ones will you avoid?

Related Reading:

• The Reject Report Heads to The Final Destination
• Box Office: Tarantino’s ‘Basterds’ Score a Glourious $37 Million
• The Reject Report Gets Inglourious
• The Reject Report Enters District 9
• The Reject Report Controls It’s Gamer
• Box Office: The Final Destination Kills the Competition
• Box Office: District 9 Wins With $37 Million
• Fat Guys at the Movies Ep. 127 – District 900 lbs.

This past weekend we slipped into the month of November. And while the month begins with the fury of election season, it will undoubtedly finish with the start of the holiday movie season. And in order to help you navigate through the entire month’s worth of films, we’ve broken them down into simple categories and picked out the ones that you shouldn’t miss. It is a new feature that we like to call the Monthly Movie Guide. Check out our list of selections below, listed in chronological order.

The Comedy Pick:

Role Models (November 7)

For those looking for this film — a movie about two losers who become big brothers to a pair of trouble youngsters — to be a family comedy, think again. This one is just as raunchy, but as heartwarming as any of the Judd Apatow movies of the past three or four years. Paul Rudd turns in a top-notch comedic performance and the two young stars — Superbad’s Christoper Mintz-Plasse and newcomer Bobb’e J. Thompson — also deliver the laughs in a comedy that while formulaic and somewhat unoriginal, it is still plenty of fun. Especially if you enjoy some good boob humor and a good KISS-related moment. And yes, we are talking about KISS the rock group here.

The Thriller Pick:

Repo! The Genetic Opera (November 7)

Our own Adam Sweeney had a chance to catch this one a few months back at Fantastic Fest in Austin, and from his report we can gather that this is one of those flicks that could find a very big following. It is a horror rock opera about a futuristic world where humanity has become obsessed with plastic surgery. And sure, it has Paris Hilton in it, but that is an irrelevant point. The film has a kickin’ soundtrack and all kinds of limbs and body parts flying everywhere. It might not be the right medicine for the ailing horror fan, especially after a lackluster October, but this is November — what are we really expecting in the way of genre films? Repo! looks like the blood thirsty’s best chance to get some thrills as we steamroll toward Thanksgiving.

The Editor’s Must See Movie of the Month:

Quantum of Solace (November 14)

Toward the end of November there are a few movies that are vying for our attention, including a big time book adaptation with a crazy N*Sync-like following. But when it comes down to it, we cannot ignore a film franchise that has been successfully thrilling us with action and glamor for over 40 years. James Bond is a character in a class by himself — the man that every action-loving, warm-blooded male would love to be. And in Quantum of Solace, we see Bond at his most badass in his most intense film to date. Sure, some fans of Casino Royale will be searching for some plot development and poking holes here and there, but this movie is a visceral experience — one that taps into that part of our brain that loves to see stuff get blown up. That, and its James Bond — do we really need more of a reason than that?

The Indie Pick:

Slumdog Millionaire (November 14)

28 Days Later and Trainspotting director Danny Boyle’s latest film is getting all sorts of positive buzz — buzz that is pushing toward a potential date with a golden statue in February. And in this light year of Oscar-worthy films, our recommendation is that you see anything that is getting good buzz. It will certainly come in handy later. And this film, the story of an impoverished Indian teen who sets out to win the Hindu version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” in order to win over the love of his close friend, is going to be one of those important must-see movies of Oscar season 2008.

The Family Pick:

Bolt (November 21)

This one really comes down to the November animation war between Disney and Dreamworks. In Dreamworks’ corner is Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, a sequel to a film that was just okay to begin with. And in Disney’s corner comes an original CG-animated tale of a TV star dog who thinks he has some wicked superpowers. It also has the headline power of Miley Cyrus, who lends her voice to one of the main characters — and don’t think Disney isn’t advertising like crazy to try and capitalize on that. And speaking of marketing, it doesn’t appear that either of these movies have really been giving the big push beyond the traditional spots on Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel, so unless you’ve got kids you probably aren’t even aware of either. But then again, this is the family pick, so go see Bolt.

The Fanboy Fangirl Pick:

Twilight (November 21)

This one goes out to all the fangirls out there who have suffered through years of Star Trek, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings — this one is all yours. And while I know that the header on this category is supposed to be for fanboys, there is no denying that this winter’s biggest film for fankids anywhere is Twilight. The best the rest of us can hope to do is to get out of the way on opening weekend and let Team Edward, Team Jacob and all the rest of the members of the Twi-universe through. As I said back when the Miley Cyrus movie came out, if you don’t desperately need to see this film for your own reasons and if you aren’t trying to mack on a TwiMILF, then you might want to wait a few weeks after it opens. At least then the echoes of screaming teenagers will have dissipated.

The Action Junkie Pick:

Transporter 3 (November 28)

Upon taking in a second viewing of RocknRolla this past weekend — because hey, I really liked that flick and as we’ve explored previously, my mom’s a big Gerard Butler fan — I caught the trailer for Transporter 3, in which Jason Statham returns to the role of fast-driving, ass-kicking bag man Frank Martin. Oddly enough, it was my Gerry Butler-loving mom who leaned over and said, “Another one of these movies? He is just going to make these movies forever, isn’t he?” She makes a good point. Statham may very well make Transporter movies forever. But who cares, they are always fun and entertaining. Why shouldn’t he be able to cash in by kicking trash cans and motorcycle helmets across the room in order to knock out a bad guy? I, for one, will go see Transporter no matter what number is attached to it.

The Date Night Pick:

Australia (November 28)

Sure, if you are dating a 15-year old then you might be looking at Twilight for your date movie fix. But if you are an adult who is looking to take out another consenting adult, I would suggest something a little bit more mature potentially a little bit more sexy. At least, assuming Baz Luhrmann gets it done on time, Australia appears to be a very sexy, epic war-time love story between two beautiful people — Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. Also, it should have a few big bombing scenes that could provide moments of action and destruction, so it is likely to be both fun and titillating. Our only hope is that it won’t feel like it’s six and a half hours long, otherwise you might have to take that semi-fugly girl who is willing to get naughty during the film instead of the girl who makes you wait until afterward.

That’s our November Movie Guide, be sure to check back in the first week of December when we run down the best of each category for the Month of December!

Related Reading:

• The Reject Report Carves Up Vince Vaughn for Thanksgiving
• The Day the Reject Report Stood Still
• Box Office: Four Christmases Shoots Up The Punisher
• ‘Christmas’ Comes Early for Vince and Reese at the Box Office
• Blu-ray Report: Slumdog, Bad Dogs, Bond and Black Freighters
• Twilight Takes a $70 Million Dollar Bite Out of the Box Office
• The Reject Report Enters the ‘Twilight’ Zone
• Heath Ledger Wins MTV Movie Award, Can Finally Rest In Peace

If we are good at anything here at FSR, it is the creation of lists and guides — big, sweeping assessments and recommendations that can be bantered about for days on end in the comment area. And there’s nothing wrong with that, because we love writing them and it’s clear that you love discussing them — it is a win/win for all of us. With that in mind, we have a new monthly feature to share with you.

Tomorrow, the month of October gets underway, at least cinematically, with the first round of releases. And in order to help you navigate through the entire month’s worth of films, we’ve broken them down into simple categories and picked out the ones that you shouldn’t miss. It is a new feature that we like to call the Monthly Movie Guide. Check out our list of selections below, listed in chronological order.

The Date Night Pick:

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (October 3)

There really aren’t any “chick flicks” in this month’s line-up, at least not in the traditional sense. No sappy Nicholas Sparks novels or heavy love stories (except maybe for The Duchess), just some funny, endearing comedies that revolve around a love story. For the 20-somethings, there is How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, but they (and most any other demographic) still might be better served by seeing Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. In this one, the wunderkind of awkward comedy Michael Cera and the new sassy American girl next door Kat Dennings go toe-to-toe in a smart, funny, endearing portrait of blossoming love for two young New Yorkers, all set to an upbeat, but not overbearing soundtrack. Whether you are still young or you still think you are young, if you are looking for a sure-thing date movie, Nick and Norah is your best bet.

The Indie Pick:

Rachel Getting Married (October 3 – Limited)

Hot off some major Toronto buzz and some Oscar-talk for Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married appears to be the standout in a month filled with some good indies. In my mind, the runner up in this category is Fernando Meirrelles’ Blindness (October 3), but even that film doesn’t seem to have the momentum that Rachel has headed into October. And with the sure-fire Oscar nod chances that Anne Hathaway seems to have for her performance, you aren’t going to want to go into the awards season not having seen this one — trust me.

The Action Junkie Pick:

RocknRolla (October 8 – Limited)

When it comes to gun-toting British gangster stories, no one does it quite like Guy Ritchie. In fact, with films like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Ritchie quite possibly ushered in a new genre of high-speed, high tension, heavy beats, big guns and bad teeth. And with RocknRolla, fans appear to be ready to celebrate his return to said genre, after his stint making movies with his wife Madonna. Thankfully for us, that cinematic mid-life crisis is over and Guy can go back to doing what he does best — action, baby. And once again, he brings in a big cast, with the likes of Gerard Butler, Jeremy Piven and Thandie Newton, to help give some meat to the experience. If you are into guns, babes and those fancy British curse words, this is your film, my friends.

The Editor’s Must See Movie of the Month:

Body of Lies (October 10)

It goes without saying that director Ridley Scott has gone a long time without disappointing us when he has ventured into the action genre. Think about it — this is the guy who brought us Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven and American Gangster — he knows what he’s doing. And even well into his 60s and 70s, Scott doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. So if there is anyone I trust to make a good movie about the War on Terror, it is Ridley Scott. We can expect Body of Lies to be well-acted, thanks to Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio; well-directed; have a story with at least a few good layers; and be visually impressive. What more could you want out of an action thriller? If there is any movie that is sure to satisfy just about any moviegoer in the month of October, this is it — and that’s why it is my Editor’s Pick of the Month.

The Family Pick:

City of Ember (October 10)

Similar to the date movie conundrum explained above, the market for films for the whole family is a little slim in October. Though, the fact that we have to hedge our bets on City of Ember isn’t all that bad — it looks like it could be a lot of fun. It has a little bit of adventure, the potential for comedy (assuming Bill Murray is still funny) and it is directed by proven winner Gil Kenan, who directed Monster House. Our buzz perception analyzer (that we stole from CNN’s Situation Room) tells us that City of Ember has a serious Bridge to Terabithia vibe, which should play well with audiences — more of a ‘thinking kid’s movie.’ And there’s nothing wrong with some intelligent entertainment for America’s next generation.

The Fanboy Pick:

Max Payne (October 17)

It seems that everyone on the web is waiting on the edge of their specially designed computer chair for gamers for the release of Max Payne, starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges. For once, gamers have genuine hope for an adaptation of one of their favorite games. It isn’t in the hands of Uwe Boll, but rather Flight of the Phoenix and Behind Enemy Lines director John Moore. As well, based on the footage that many of us saw at Comic-Con in July, the film really does look badass. If the buzz leading up to this release holds any weight in the end, fanboys and fangirls may just have one of the first video game adaptations of which they can be proud. Either way, I have a feeling that this will be one movie that you’ll want to see on the big screen when it comes flying into theaters, guns blazing.

The Thriller Pick:

Saw V (October 24)

The thriller category was by far the most difficult pick this month, despite the fact that our own Robert Fure has already raged on about the serious lack of horror in the month of Halloween. That aside, there is an up-and-coming horror film coming out this month called Quarantine that could rock our shorts in a way that few thrillers have been able to do all year. But despite what our guts tell us about Quarantine, it is untested, whereas the Saw franchise has not failed fans of blood in the past 4 consecutive years. As they say, it wouldn’t be Halloween if it wasn’t time for another Saw movie, and this year is no exception. Now, I don’t know who ‘they’ are, but I do know this: gore-junkies are most likely to get their fix on Saw V than any other thriller this month.

The Comedy Pick:

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (October 31)

As I mentioned above, there are a few good comedies coming out this month, including How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. But it has become clear, in looking at the October release slate as a whole, that none of them will be able to hold a flame to Kevin Smith’s much-anticipated return to raunch-com, also known as Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks and The Office’s Craig Robinson may be first timers in the View Askewniverse, but they should have no trouble keeping up with Kevin Smith in the director’s chair. If ever there was a time for a movie with the word ‘porno’ in the title, this would be it. As well, our inside sources indicated to us that not only does Zack and Miri deliver some of the classic Kevin Smith filth, it also showcases a very endearing little love story. Aww, how cute? How could you possibly pass up the chance to laugh and get in touch with your feminine side all at once? Oh, and did we mention that Katie Morgan is in it? Ticket sold.

That’s our October Movie Guide, be sure to check back in on November 1st when we run down the best of each category for the Month of November!

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