Keene Equinox

Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: A & E

Media Credit: courtesy photo Viggo Mortensen in new movie "Eastern Promises." It's set to open Sept. 21.

With the summer season having come and gone, that leaves movie theaters devoid of the blockbusters eaveryone rushes to see. The next two months are usually considered a slow time where studios release their less desirable films, waiting for November or December to release some Oscar-caliber fare. Although this may be a slow time at the movies, there are still some films that are worthy of seeing. Here, in order of release date, are the 15 most anticipated fall films:

1. "The Brave One"

Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) is a New York radio host who, along with her fiancé, is brutally attacked one night leaving her wounded and her fiancé dead. This life-shattering event forever affects Bain, and she goes on a quest of vengeance in order to get to the men responsible. Her exploits attract not only a police detective's (Terrence Howard) attention, but also that of the public. This revenge thriller is similar to last month's "Death Sentence", but the cast of Foster and Howard should elevate it to another level. Now playing.

2. "Resident Evil: Extinction"

The Resident Evil series hasn't gotten the most glowing praise, but they are still fun and entertaining films with plenty of fans. This final film of the trilogy finds the genetically altered Alice (Milla Jovovich) and a band of survivors hiding in the Nevada desert intent on finally ending the virus and the Umbrella Corporation. With plenty of zombies, blood, and action, this should be an entertaining ride. Opens Sept. 21.

3. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"

Despite the long title this film has recently been getting some terrific buzz among critics. Brad Pitt plays the rogue outlaw Jesse James who is planning his next heist while dealing with people constantly trying to get the reward money on his head. Casey Affleck is Robert Ford, a young man who idolizes James and joins his crew for the robbery to come. Although the title spoils the movie, the film looks to be a sprawling epic and intense character study. Opens Sept. 21.

4. "Eastern Promises"

Renowned director David Cronenberg ("A History of Violence") returns with his latest film which depicts the Eastern European mob in London. Viggo Mortensen plays Nikolai, a man rising through the ranks who comes into contact with midwife Anna Khitrova (Naomi Watts). Anna is on a mission to figure out the contents of a dead patient's diary which is written in Russian, who dies in her care while giving birth. Her investigation gets her into trouble with the mob and Nikolai himself. Opens Sept. 21.

5. "In the Valley of Elah"

This film is also receiving strong Oscar buzz from its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. This is director Paul Haggis' ("Crash") second film and it chronicles the story of a couple (Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon) trying to find their son, a soldier who recently returned from Iraq and has mysteriously disappeared. This film looks to be a strong and intense drama. Opens Sept. 21.

6. "The Kingdom"

This film is yet another in the growing list of films focusing on the War on Terror, this one centered on a group of FBI agents (played by Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman) on the hunt for a mad bomber in Saudi Arabia. Although the film has been delayed a few times, it still looks like it has potential, especially with the strong cast. Opens Sept. 28.

7. "The Darjeeling Limited"

Director Wes Anderson ("The Life Aquatic") returns with another quirky and highly original comedy. Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman play a trio of brothers on a spiritual journey through India in order to rekindle their relationship. Of course, many things go wrong as they make their way through the country. Opens Oct. 5.

8. "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising"

With the success of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, many fantasy films have recently been put into production, and this is one of the first films to be released. Based on Susan Cooper's series, the film follows Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig), a young man who discovers that he is the last in a long line of warriors dedicated to fighting the dark. He must assume his position and fight the ever-growing forces of darkness to save the world. Opens Oct. 5.

9. "Trick 'r Treat"

Michael Dougherty, writer of "Superman Returns" and the first two "X-Men" films, makes his directorial debut with this film about four different stories involving monsters, ghouls, and mayhem all occurring on Halloween night. The people in these stories find out that it may take more than candy to survive the scariest night of the year. Opens Oct. 5.

10. "Michael Clayton"

George Clooney, who plays the title character, has been receiving some strong reviews for his performance in this film as a "fixer" for one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. He is burned out and has a myriad of personal problems, but those pale in comparison to a sabotaged case that will be the greatest challenge of his career and possibly his life. Opens Oct. 12.

11. "Postal"

Uwe Boll ("Bloodrayne", "House of the Dead") is considered one of the world's worst filmmakers, and he returns with yet another adaptation of a popular video game. The film follows Dude (Zack Ward), a man trying to escape his horrible life through a get-rich-quick scheme stealing and reselling the extremely popular OKrotch-y-Dolls. This film looks and promises to throw good taste and all political correctness out the window. Opens Oct. 12.

12. "30 Days of Night"

This adaptation of the graphic novel puts a new spin on the vampire genre. For 30 days out of the year in the winter the isolated town of Barrow, Alaska experiences total darkness totally devoid of sunlight. This environment is perfect for a group of vampires, who go into town in order to feast on the inhabitants. The town's Sheriff Eben (Josh Hartnett) must lead the shrinking group of citizens to survive until daylight finally comes. Opens Oct. 19.

13. "Rendition"

An Egyptian chemical engineer vanishes on a flight from South Africa to Washington, leaving his wife (Reese Witherspoon) to desperately conduct a search. The engineer has been detained and interrogated in a secret detention facility outside the U.S. and a CIA analyst (Jake Gyllenhaal) is forced to participate in the unusual imprisonment. This thriller is the second from director Gavin Hood ("Tsotsi") and looks to be quite a heart-wrenching tale. Opens Oct. 19.

14. "Saw IV"

It's Halloween time, so that means it's time for another "Saw" film. This fourth installment in the popular franchise finds a SWAT Commander thrust into a deadly game full of obstacles and traps in order to save an old friend. The film looks to deliver on the cringe-inducing blood and torture, and plus it looks like some of Jigsaw's past may be revealed. Opens Oct. 26.

15. "The Signal"

Every electronic device from cell phones to televisions start to emit a weird signal on New Year's Eve that causes anyone witness to it to quickly turn to murderous madness. The film is split into three parts, told from three different perspectives, of an entire city driven to anarchy and the survivors trying to make sense of it all. Opens Oct. 26.



Jared Waine is a junior majoring in film.

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