SEPTEMBER 2nd
Apollo 18
The Weinstein Company
Purporting to show the real reason man never went back to the moon, Apollo 18 explores a terrifying 1973 mission that forced NASA to discontinue the Apollo missions. Full of government conspiracies, cover-ups, and parasitic moon creatures, the film shows two American astronauts who, while on a secret mission to the moon, are captured. There are no familiar actors—which makes sense, as the film is styled as found footage. Apollo 18 is a horrifying journey into space.
SEPTEMBER 9th
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
Sony Pictures
Bucky Larson had a hard time finding a place he fit in—that is, until he decided to become a part of the family business. Unfortunately for the dorky, out-of-step Larson, that business is adult filmmaking. Starring comedian Nick Swardson and Christina Ricci, the film follows Larson’s journey from small-town grocery bagger to his realization that his conservative parents’ past may be the key to his future. Can Bucky finally find a place to belong? Or will this just be another disaster in a long life of awkward moments?
Contagion
Warner Brothers
A story that follows not just the spread of a dangerous airborne pathogen, but also the intense panic surrounding the disease, Contagion shows the race for a cure. Starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, and Marion Cotillard, and directed by Steven Soderburgh (Ocean’s 11), the film shows that as the virus travels around the world at alarming speed, it leaves in its path a frazzled community of scientists and doctors, all of whom are desperately seeking a cure. Will the scientists and doctors finally defeat the virus? Or will the pathogen—and the panic—destroy society as we know it?
SEPTEMBER 16th
I Don’t Know How She Does It
The Weinstein Company
Kate Reddy (Sarah Jessica Parker) is a working mom who, despite having it all, finds herself spread increasingly thin. To make matters worse, there’s always someone out there who seems to be living their lives ‘better’ than her—both her colleague, played by Olivia Munn, who excels in the workplace, and her friend Allison (Christina Hendricks), who is the definition of a working supermom. When her husband Richard (Greg Kinnear) gets a promotion at work, it may be the stressor that finally drives the Reddy family to implode… and if that doesn’t do it, Kate’s handsome new colleague, Jack (Pierce Brosnan), might.
SEPTEMBER 23rd
Abduction
Lionsgate Films
Though Nathan Harper (Taylor Lautner) always felt out of place, his worst fears are confirmed when he finds a picture of himself as a little boy on a missing persons website. His whole life—his parents, his friends, his family—is a lie, and his past is a dark secret. As he gets closer to uncovering his secret past and the mystery of his biological father, he is targeted by a team of trained killers. Nathan must fight assassins and federal operatives on his quest to find out who he is. He flees town with his neighbor, Karen (Lily Collins), who is the only person he can trust. The longer they run, though, the more clear it becomes that the only way to stop the manhunt is to face his attackers—and his past.
Moneyball
Sony Pictures
A movie about taking on ‘the man,’ Moneyball shows Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) as a man with an epiphany: everything that America knows about baseball is wrong, and he knows how to fix it. Conventionally a jock, Beane pairs with Ivy League graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) to outsmart the richer teams and rebuild the A’s on a budget. Focusing on players that other coaches overlook as “flawed,” Beane pieces together a team of men who can get a hit, get on base, and generally play the game—all while being criticized for tearing apart the heart and soul of the game. This movie has a lot of writers involved—starting with Michael Lewis, who wrote the book, and continuing through Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, who penned the screenplay. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, and Darryl Strawberry also star.
