October is the New Summer

And I don't just mean the heat wave hitting LA this week! October is shaping up to be a fantastic month for movies. Releases this month cover everything from Oscar contenders to popcorn fare you would expect in the middle of summer releases.

October 1
The Social Network
Let Me In
Freakonomics

The most buzzed about movie is definitely The Social Network. With strong performances from Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, and Andrew Garfield, expect some Oscar talk. It's being touted as the movie of the year, while simultaenously characterizing the past decade. Even if you aren't a fan of Facebook, this film is about its inception and the lives of those involved. Prepare for drama, big money, and backstabbing.

Let Me In, the American remake of the haunting Let the Right One In, has a lot of skeptics. It didn't need to be made, given how recent the Swedish film came out. But, if they can stick to the tones and themes of the original, I believe that Chloe Moretz and the rest of the cast can do a solid job of bringing this great story to Americans. I just hope the vampire steam hasn't run out yet.

October 8
Life as We Know it
Secretariat
It's Kind of a Funny Story

Life as We Know It may look like the same old romantic film that Katherine Heigl has been churning out since her start in movies, but it was produced by Greg Berlanti and has been getting solid reviews from its preview screenings. Plus, I like Josh Duhamel.

Secretariat is Disney's uplifting tale of the horse that went on win the Triple Crown despite being owned by a woman. Or something like that. I figured this for either a summer or Thanksgiving release, but here it is in October. The new go to month for solid film releases, apparently.

October 15
Jackass 3D
RED

Jackass 3D shows Johnny Knoxville and friends continued antics, but this time it's a whole new dimension of pain (see what I did there!?). Another film that would have been perfect in August, when all the kids have their brains shut off before school starts up again.

October 22
Paranormal Activity 2
HereAfter

HereAfter marks the beginning of serious Oscar contenders' releases. Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Matt Damon, this emotional story about a man who can talk to the dead is sure to kick off some Oscar prediction lists.

October 29
Saw 3D

A lot of interesting movies are coming out in October, a month usually reserved for summer fare that was deemed unworthy and horror films to set the tone for Halloween. This year there are serious Oscar contenders that are coming out earlier to beat the rush that hits in November and December. It's also home to a few films that would have thrived in the summer months, but studios didn't want to risk them going against films with bigger budget, bigger marketing campaigns, and bigger stars such as Iron Man 2 and Toy Story 3.

What will you be seeing this month?