Must-See Fall Movies

With September starting today, it's time to leave behind this summer's rather disappointing slate of movies and look ahead at what the next few months will bring. Summer blockbusters largely didn't pan out, so brainier fare may be just what we need. Here are the ten I'm most excited about.

Never Let Me Go (September 15th)

Based on an acclaimed book by Kazuo Ishiguro, containing a cool premise (which I won't spoil here), and starring the extremely likable Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightly, and Andrew Garfield, Never Let Me Go has a lot to be excited about. Truth is I've already seen it, but I can confirm it's even better than it sounds and a strong contender for my top 10 list. So definitely a must-see for everyone reading.

Wall Street 2 (September 24th)

Have you ever seen the original Wall Street? Sure, it's a period piece now, but still fun and fascinating today. With Michael Douglas reprising his iconic part, Carey Mulligan in her second buzzworthy role in one month, and trailers showing the spirit of the original is still there, this should be worthwhile even beyond its timeliness.

The Social Network (October 1st)

Somehow "the Facebook movie" has become one of the hottest movies of the fall. Maybe it's the Fincher/Sorkin/Rudin combo. Maybe it's the glimpse of the future Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Maybe it's that really cool cover of Radiohead's "Creep" in the trailer. Or maybe people are just hopelessly obsessed with Facebook. Whichever it is, I'm going opening weekend.

It's Kind of a Funny Story (October 8th)

As much as I enjoyed Half Nelson, I'm even more excited to see its writer/directors go a little more mainstream with what looks like a teen One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest starring a very appealing and eclectic cast including Zach Galifianakis, Aasif Mandvi, and Lost's Jeremy Davies. Plus the trailer looks great.

Due Date (November 5th)

I'd already be excited since it's Todd Phillips' follow-up to The Hangover, but he made this all the more exciting by rejoining with Zach Galifianakis (also with two entries on this list) and adding Robert Downey Jr. It may basically be a remake of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, but with the two of them that sounds like a great idea.

127 Hours (November 5th)

Danny Boyle always surprises with his movie choices, whether going sci-fi (Sunshine), horror (28 Days Later), family friendly (Millions) or the Bollywood/Dickens hybrid that is Slumdog Millionaire. So of course I'm excited to see what he does next. The idea of a movie about a guy trapped under a rock for 127 hours doesn't immediately sound exciting, but the trailer shows there's a lot more going on.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (November 16th)

If you don't know why I'm excited about this, you probably haven't spent much time on this planet the past decade.

Black Swan (December 1st)

Like Danny Boyle, Darren Aronofsky is following up an acclaimed 2008 release (The Wrestler) with something ambitious and cool. A Persona/Mulholland Drive type thriller set in the world of ballet starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis? Yes please. And with universally good reviews coming out of Venice, this one looks like a winner.

The Fighter (December 10th)

David O. Russell may not be a nice person to work for, but he does make good movies. And with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale starring, this looks to be one of them.

True Grit (December 25th)

Coen Brothers, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin. Need I say more?

And 5 more:

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (Sept. 22nd) - Cause I can't say no to a Woody Allen movie

Let Me In (Oct. 1st) - Definitely curious to see what an American version of the atmospheric Swedish vampire movie looks like.

Morning Glory (Nov. 12th) - The plot may be out of How I Met Your Mother (and the shortlived comedy Back to You), but the involvement of JJ Abrams and Rachel McAdams has me intrigued.

Love and Other Drugs (Nov. 24th) - A Jake Gyllenhaal/Anne Hathaway reunion, and a plot involving Viagra.

Somewhere (Dec. 22nd) - Curious what Sofia Coppola does with what sounds like the plot of a Nick Hornby book.

So there are my picks. Which ones will you be seeing? What did I leave off?

Spring Movie Preview

It may not feel like spring with all the snow the East Coast has been hit with the past month, but that's what we're going to call the season from February through April. So if you've already seen Avatar twice and just can't drag yourself to go see The Blind Side, here's ten upcoming movies that may prove worth leaving your apartment to see.

Shutter Island (February 19th)

Yes, this came out yesterday, but since I couldn't put it on my fall preview it's going on now. With reviews calling this Scorsese's The Shining and Dennis Lehane as the source material, I'm excited enough that I've already got my tickets for today.

Cop Out (February 26th)

Admittedly, the trailers don't look that great. It seems like a lame buddy cop comedy is released every spring and I end up checking it out on DVD or not at all. But I've never not seen a Kevin Smith movie (that includes Jersey Girl), and Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan are a fun pairing, so I may give this a shot.

A Prophet (February 26th)

This French film is one of only two Best Foreign Film nominees at the Oscars that anyone's ever heard of (and who really wants to sit through The White Ribbon). An intense gangster/prison movie, I'm not entirely sure what it's about but the trailer's pretty compelling.

Alice in Wonderland (March 5th)

One of the first big event movies of 2010, and the one that will get Avatar kicked off all the 3-D screens. Tim Burton could just mess this up the way he did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but I'm betting his oddball vision will be just what Lewis Carroll's classic has always needed.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (March 19th)

You may not have heard of the bestselling YA series this movie is based on, but you should work on fixing that. I tore through the first 3 books in 3 days, and laughed out loud constantly from start to finish. If the movie's even half as funny (and I've heard it's well more than that), we're looking at a movie that could nail the horrors of middle school and make it funny.

Greenberg (March 26th)

Whatever you thought about Margot at the Wedding, there's no denying The Squid and the Whale as one of the greatest movies of the 2000s, so I'm eagerly anticipating Noah Baumbach's next one, in which Ben Stiller seems to play an older version of Jesse Eisenberg's typical character.

Hot Tub Time Machine (March 26th)

Really funny or really, really stupid? Too soon to tell. But with John Cusack, Rob Corddry, and Darryl from The Office in the cast, there's hope for the former.

Clash of the Titans (April 2nd)

Another 3-D experiment that may just give Greek gods the Transformers treatment (not that I can even decipher the trailer). But I'm a sucker for Greek mythology and Liam Neeson, so I may get dragged into it if it's not too awful.

Date Night (April 9th)

Fox and Shawn Levy give America the comic pairing we've dreamed of in Steve Carell and Tina Fey as regular family folk whose night out gets them caught up in all sorts of action shenanigans. The rest of the cast is equally awesome and the trailer looks pretty damn funny.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (April 23rd)

The first Wall Street is a classic that nails the world of 1980s finance. Now's the perfect time for a reboot. The fun trailer's a good sign, and adding Carey Mulligan and Josh Brolin to the cast helps me forgive the inclusion of Shia LaBeouf.

So what are you most excited to see before Iron Man 2 kicks off summer movie season? What future classics did I shamefully leave off (anyone excited for Green Zone? Anyone?)? And which ones are only on here so I could reach the magic number 10 (I'm looking at you, Clash of the Titans)? Let me know in the comments.