Fall Movie Releases - 11/6/09

The Men Who Stare at Goats

A secret military specials forces unit that deals with psychics and mind control is discovered by a recently divorced reporter. Grant Heslov directs and George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, and Robert Patrick star. The trailer looks amusing and this could be wacky enough to be great. Hopefully, it won't get bogged down with a message.

The Box

Director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) takes a short story previously made into a 1980s Twilight Zone episode (spoilers here) & lengthens it. It's good that he's relying on another writer given his nonsensical original screenplays, but there may not be enough story to deal with an obvious moral dilemma. The likable James Marsden and Cameron Diaz co-star as a couple who are offered $1 million to press a button and kill a stranger.

A Christmas Carol

Director Robert Zemeckis returns to animated motion-capture (like Polar Express and Beowulf) as well as time-travelling, I guess. After dozens of updated versions, Zemeckis returns Charles Dickens's story to 19th century England. Jim Carrey, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?'s Bob Hoskins co-star.



The Fourth Kind


In a small Alaskan town, many people have disappeared in the past few decades. Is it aliens? Is it the government? Is it a registered sex offender? Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, and the great Will Patton co-star.



Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire

A morbidly obese, illiterate, black 16 year old from Harlem is pregnant for the 2nd time with her father and is constantly verbally, mentally, and physically abused by her mother. She'll no doubt overcome all obstacles by the closing credits. Sounds like a great time at the movies. It's getting good reviews and looks interesting from a casting standpoint (Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey play straight dramatic roles). Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey produce, so that's something. In limited release.