For Your Eyes and Ears Only
By Cassaundra Brooks
MOVIES
The couple with the palpable onscreen chemistry and onslaught of obsessed fans is back in theaters this fall, but what could we tell you about The Twilight Saga: New Moon that you don’t already know? Two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank tackles an iconic role in Amelia; Juno breakout star Ellen Page teams up with veteran comedic actress Drew Barrymore for Whip It!, a film centered around the action-packed but often overlooked sport of roller derby. The world comes to an end as John Cusack fights to keep his family alive in 2012, a near-futuristic account of the day the Mayan calendar runs out. New York, I Love You unites even more A-listers, seasoned vets, and heartthrobs than summer’s hit comedy He’s Just Not That into You. And several animated features debuting in the next two months feature very familiar voices and will surely vie for a place in awards season come January and February. So many stars align, combine, and shine this fall in a number of anticipated flicks as we hurtle toward the holiday season. The following is a glimpse at what is coming.
October
2 The Invention of Lying, starring Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, and Ricky Gervais
Whip It! starring Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Kristin Wiig, and Juliette Lewis
9 Couples Retreat, starring Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, and Vince Vaughn
16 Law Abiding Citizen, starring Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Viola Davis, and Leslie Bibb
New York, I Love You, starring Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Blake Lively, Shia LaBeouf, Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen, Christina Ricci, Justin Bartha, Robin Wright Penn, Ethan Hawke, James Caan, Cloris Leachman, and Andy Garcia
The Road, starring Charlize Theron, Viggo Mortensen, and Guy Pearce
Where the Wild Things Are, with voices of Mark Ruffalo, Catherine O’Hara, and Forest Whitaker
23 Amelia, starring Hilary Swank, Ewan McGregor, and Richard Gere
Astro Boy, with voices of Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Eugene Levy, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, and Samuel L. Jackson
November
6 The Box, starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, and Frank Langella
A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Robin Wright Penn, Cary Elwes, and Molly C. Quinn
The Fourth Kind, starring Milla Jovovich and Will Patton
The Men Who Stare at Goats, starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges
13 2012, starring John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Amanda Peet, and Danny Glover
The Young Victoria, starring Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, and Paul Bettany
20 The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates, Tim McGraw, and Lily Collins
Planet 51, with voices of Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, and Sean William Scott
The Twilight Saga: New Moon, starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, and Elizabeth Reaser
25 The Fantastic Mr. Fox, with voices of Meryl Streep, George Clooney, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, and Willem Dafoe
Old Dogs, starring Robin Williams, John Travolta, Justin Long, Seth Green, Kelly Preston, Matt Dillon, Lori Loughlin, and the late Bernie Mac.
TV
September is more or less the month of premieres, but some of your favorites return in October and November. Keep your remote handy.
October 1 >> Private Practice premieres its third season on ABC with all the personal drama, medical trauma, and Kate Walsh you crave.
October 4 >> Foodies are not forgotten in the fall lineup. The Food Network begins its search for yet another master chef on the season premiere of limited-run series The Next Iron Chef.
October 9 >> Syfy, formerly Sci Fi, brings you Season 2 of the original series Sanctuary, a Canadian creation that follows Dr. Helen Magnus’s quest to protect the “Abnormals,” a relatively peaceful population of creatures living amongst humans that some are bent on exterminating.
October 9 >> While America Fererra could never quite pass for outright ugly, rumors are that her hit character may employ a few beauty tips in the new season. Ugly Betty’s Season 4 premieres on a new night on ABC.
October 15 >> Comedy favorite 30 Rock, which garnered a record-breaking twenty-two Emmy nominations this year, brings back the ever-clever brainy beauty Tina Fey for a fourth season. Then again, NBC has been known for comedy gold in the past—does the word Frasier ring a bell?
October 23 >> It’s a gritty cop show, yes, but one with an authentic look and feel that has critics and fans lauding seasoned actress Regina King and former OC heartthrob Benjamin McKenzie. The sophomore season of Southland premieres on NBC.
October 23 >> USA Network has been stepping up its game with creative marketing and simply awesome shows. Check out the premiere of their new series White Collar, which features some fresh faces as well as some familiar ones—remember Tiffany-Amber Thiessen?
October 28 >> “Why no Emmy nods?” fans ask. With a loyal audience following them from time slot to time slot, handsome Kyle Chandler and gang are back for a third season of Friday Night Lights on DirecTV.
MUSIC
October
6 The Backstreet Boys, sans former band mate Kevin Richardson, are still churning out new music to a lingering mass of fans. The craze surrounding the group has long since died down, but the boys continue to please their loyal crowd with their familiar smooth vocals and evolving sound. They release their latest album, titled simply This is Us.
Switchfoot – Hello Hurricane
13 Pink Martini – Splendor in the Grass
27 Sting – If on a Winter’s Night
Weezer – Raditude
November
3 American Idol Number Four, Carrie Underwood, has earned an impressive collection of awards since winning the megahit show in 2005. Among them: four Grammys, fourteen Billboard Awards, five American Music Awards, and five People’s Choice Awards. She releases her third album, Play On, to a public and panel of critics expecting the excellence produced by her first two.
17 Seventh-season, fourth-place American Idol alumnus Jason Castro releases his debut album, title TBA.
John Mayer – Battle Studies