Sound of Doom's Fall Movie Review

Hello once again! Are you a movie buff (like me) who'd see just about anything that catches your eye (like me) but you're too strapped for cash to see everything (also like me)? Well you're in luck, because the Sound of Doom (or SoD- on second though, use the long version) is going to review the weeks ahead, so you'll know the prime time to get into the ticket line (rhyming!).

Now before we begin, I'll lay down how the system works: as you should know, every Friday sees a batch of new releases in a cinema near you. Thanks to the handy release schedule available at Box Office Mojo, I'll lay down the major (wide) releases of each weekend, along with any limited releases that may be particularly notable. After analyzing the release slate for a given weekend, I'll assign one of three verdicts:

To the Ticket Line! indicates a strong, appealing batch of new films aiming for all sorts of audiences, or (at the very least) a big, event-status film that you simply must see, no matter what. Regardless, you're bound to find something you'll like.

Flip a Coin to Decide tells you that the slate of releases, while certainly not bad, aren't exactly sure-things, either. In other words, you might as well let the fates (or the critics) make the decision for you.

Stay at Home This Time... indicates a (seemingly) mediocre, even downright bad slate of movies that, at least in my mind, probably aren't worth your time. If there are ANY pictures of interest on weeks like this, then they would appeal to a specific niche fanbase (ex. the Saw franchise). Take a trip to the video store this weekend, if anything.

Now, onto the coverage, we'll look at what's playing in the fall season (September/October):

September 18
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sony) [Also in Digital 3D and IMAX 3D)
Jennifer's Body (Fox)
The Informant! (Warner Bros.)
Love Happens (Universal)
This weekend looks like a winner to me, with a very well-reviewed 3D animated extravaganza, Megan Fox eating boys while doing her best Juno impression, Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh reuniting (to favorable reviews), and a hookup between Rachel and Two-Face (I guess she got tired of waiting for Ross' career to rebound). There's something for everyone this week, and it should be just dandy.
Verdict: To the Ticket Line!

September 25
Fame (MGM)
Pandorum (Overture)
Pool Boys (Seven Arts Distribution)
Surrogates (Buena Vista)
Well, for starters Pandorum and Pool Boys are non-starters from studios that can't get their acts together (seriously, Matthew Lillard is the closest thing to starpower Pool Boys has), which leaves us with a PG remake of an R-rated film from 1980-turned hit TV series in the mid-80s and a Bruce Willis sci-fi action flick that looks like a glossy Terminator rip-off (and seeing how rough a year it's been for that franchise doesn't give me hope for this one). To be fair, Fame doesn't look too bad, but Glee's debut a few weeks back has stolen this movie's thunder (in other words, why see a inspiring song-and-dance high school movie in theaters when there's a critically-acclaimed TV show with a similar concept that you can watch for free?). And as for Surrogates, well, it's from the same director as Terminator 3, so... yeah...
Verdict: Stay at Home This Time...

October 2
The Invention of Lying (Warner Bros.)
Toy Story Digital 3D Double Feature (Buena Vista) [For 2 weeks only]
Whip It (Fox Searchlight)
Zombieland (Sony)
A Serious Man (Focus) [Limited Release]
Yep, that's right, every new film this weekend is a comedy in some shape or form. Personally, I want to see ALL of these films, and if you're in the mood for laughs of some kind then you should easily find a flavor you like, be it Horror-Comedy, Indie Comedy, Fantasy Comedy, Animated rerelease, or, if you can find it, the Coen Brothers returning to what they do best- comedy (no milk or sugar, though, just black- wow, that was a bad joke).
Verdict: To the Ticket Line!

October 9
Couples Retreat (Universal)
Night of the Demons (Seven Arts Distribution)
Vince Vaughn returns to the big screen, and with nothing to compete with him! (sorry, but calling that film listed below it "competition" is like calling the Republicans competition for the Democrats) So... is it worth seeing? I'm not sure! It certainly looks funny enough, and should play very well as a date movie, but quality-wise it could go either way. Not that I don't trust Vaughn and Jon Favreau to deliver the goods, but it feels very much like a studio film, whereas their previous collaborations felt more... let's say unique. Still, the cast is great, and I'd absoluely go see it if the reviews are at least in the decent range. But for now...
Verdict: Flip a Coin to Decide

October 16
Law Abiding Citizen (Overture)
Step Father (Sony/Screen Gems)
Where the Wild Things Are (Warner Bros.) [Also in IMAX]
Black Dynamite (Apparition) [Limited Release]
Let's get this out of the way: aside from Where the Wild Things Are (and Black Dynamite, if you can catch it), there is no reason for you to go out this weekend. Law Abiding Citizen looks mediocre at best, and Step Father will be just like every other crappy horror remake Screen Gems has released this decade. But DAMN, Spike Jonze just may have given us a masterpiece. Honestly, what else do I have to say for this film? I'm seeing the IMAX version day one, without a doubt!
Verdict: To the Ticket Line!

October 23
Amelia (Fox Searchlight)
Astro Boy (Summit Entertainment)
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (Universal)
Saw VI (Lionsgate)
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (Buena Vista) [Digital 3D re-release]
Ong Bak 2 (Magnolia) [Limited Release]
Hollywood goes all-out the week before Halloween, and each studio offers us something different- we've got the star-studded awards-bait biopic, the animated kidpic based on a Japanese anime (eh, could go either way), a film adaptation of a bestselling fantasy series (what a surprise) with vampires (*yawn*) played by John C. Reilly (holy crap, sweet!), the latest Saw movie (y'know, just to avoid any of you wasting your time, just re-post your anti-Saw rants from last year), and the (now traditional) 3D re-release of Tim Burton's/Henry Selick's stop-motion classic. Mind you, aside from that last one (and c'mon, you've already seen it anyway) none of these films really seem like must-sees, but Hollywood could have just backed off and let Saw-mania rule over, so let's thank them for offering some variety. Not everyone is going to find something they like, but at least there's lots to choose from.
Verdict: Flip a Coin to Decide

October 30
Michael Jackson's This is It (Sony) [Opens Wednesday, 2 weeks only, in Digital 3D]
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (Apparition) [Limited Release]
Gentlemen Broncos (Fox Searchlight) [Limited Release]
I'm getting tired of typing all this crap, so I'll make this quick; only go out this weekend if you fall into one of the following 3 fanbases:
-Michael Jackson fans
-Boondock Saints fans
-Napoleon Dynamite fans (Gentlemen Broncos DOES look funny, though, and I love Jemaine Clement)
If you did not fall into any of those 3 categories, then...
Verdict: Stay at Home This Time...

Tune in next time, as I'll review the all-important holiday movie season!