The Half Dozen: 6 Most Interesting Looking Movies For October

Posted on October 12, 2010 Updated on October 12, 2010

It’s that time again – except it isn’t. Today is the 12th October, in case you’re not reading this on the day it was written, and normally I get my half dozen out at the beginning of the month, so as to whet your anticipation for the upcoming cinematic extravaganza to come in the next four and a bit weeks. So what gives? Here’s half a dozen excuses to go with the trailers; don’t say I never get you anything.

1. For the first time since I got married, more than five years ago, I took two weeks off work in a row. The first of these consisted of me sitting in the Cambridge Film Festival for long stretches, the second sitting in Cornwall or on the M25 for long stretches. So I got behind on my blogging in the first week, then it stopped altogether in the second. Whoops.

2. On my return, my wonderful Dell laptop decided that it didn’t recognise the power lead, and so while I awaited a new one I then went slightly stir crazy.

3. Having seen 21 movies in 11 days during the period of the Cambridge Film Festival, even I was admitting to a little movie fatigue. (Actually, that’s not true, I was going cold turkey in Cornwall, but it probably did me good to have a bit of a break.) You also got two in September, thanks to said film festival, so I’m not feeling too bad right now.

4. All of the reasonable or good movies out in the first couple of weeks of the month I’d actually already seen (Made In Dagenham, A Town Called Panic, at a push Mr. Nice), and by my entirely arbitrary rules I exclude anything from this line-up if I’ve already seen it.

5. There were a fair few indifferent movies released as well (including The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, the trailer for which actually made me lose the will to live briefly. Do track down the poster, though, in which Zac Efron looks legally dead).

6. I did write a Half Dozen before, but my cat ate it.

 

 

Right, enough excuses – here’s the six that have most intrigued me this month. I managed to see all six of September’s selections (the first time I have seen all of my Half Dozen in a particular month) – let’s see how I do this time.

The Social Network

This is, so far, the most perfectly constructed trailer of the year, from the editing to the use of Scala’s cover of Radiohead’s Creep, and I have a physical compulsion to watch this to the end if I start it. David Fincher’s Seven remains one of my all time favourite films and he’s never produced a film any less than interesting – I can’t wait to see what he’s done with Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue.

Red

For some reason, this summer’s trifecta of action entertainment, The Expendables, The A Team and The Losers, failed to deliver in large quantities two things – satisfying action and any genuine sense of fun. Maybe we’ve not had our last shot at that this year though, as this has a quality cast to die for – not least Ernest Borgnine, who’s 94, God bless him, and felt this worthy of turning up for. Gotta love him.

Mary and Max

Yet another example of how the most interesting animation is often being done in environments other than computer graphics. With a fascinating voice cast and some potentially complex material, this one looks truly fascinating.

Carlos

My only disappointment in this is that they’ve underestimated the willingness of people such as myself to sit through the five and a half hour original mini-series, the version on general release clocks in at a mere two hours and forty-five minutes. I may have to see it twice in an attempt to replicate the desired bum-numbing effect.

The Kids Are All Right

Oscar nominations are already being suggested, and this would seem to be typical fodder for the awards season. In an unfortunate way, this actually makes it slightly less interesting, but hopefully the expectations won’t hold it back, and I also hope it can avoid comparison to other movies, in a “this year’s Little Miss Sunshine” kind of way. Oh, wait…

Burke and Hare

Simon Pegg is another one of those actors that has worked up enough good will that I will give anything he does a go. When it’s a new John Landis movie, that really shouldn’t be a stretch. However, I’d be lying if I said that the extremely broad tone and the very wavery accents weren’t making me just a tad nervous, but it certainly qualifies as interesting.