ZOMBIELAND

Screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Directed by Ruben Fleischer

Woody Harrelson
Jesse Eisenberg
Emma Stone
Abigail Breslin

Premiere date: October 2, 2009
R for horror violence/gore and language.

A cowardly shut-in named Columbus is forced to join up with a seasoned zombie slayer named Tallahassee in order to survive the zombie apocalypse. As Tallahassee sets out on a mission to find the last Twinkie on Earth, the duo meets up with Wichita and Little Rock, two young girls who have resorted to some rather unorthodox methods to survive amidst the chaos. Reluctant partners in the battle against the undead, all four soon begin to wonder if it might be better to simply take their chances alone.

Numbers: October 4, 2009

1. (new) Zombieland - Gross: $25,000,000
2. (1) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Gross: $16,700,000 / Gross to date: $82,392,000
3. (new) Toy Story/Toy Story 2 3D - Gross: $12,500,000
4. (new) The Invention of Lying - Gross: $7,350,000
5. (2) Surrogates - Gross: $7,344,000 / Gross to date: $26,387,000
6. (31) Capitalism: A Love Story - Gross: $4,850,000 / Gross to date: $5,251,689
7. (new) Whip It - Gross: $4,850,000
8. (3) Fame - Gross: $4,754,000 / Gross to date: $16,634,236
9. (4) The Informant! - Gross: $3,800,000 / Gross to date: $26,580,000
10. (7) Love Happens - Gross: $2,777,290 / Gross to date: $18,910,345

Worth mentioning: I am shocked - SHOCKED! - that Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs overtook the Toy Story double feature in its third week out. I thought Disney-Pixar had the family market in the bag. And another disappointment for another Juno alum, as Whip It opens in seventh place.

October 2009

xxx

October is here! The major festivals are behind us and now we really are in the thick of Oscar season. There are tons of titles out this month (though, sadly, no Shutter Island) that have me on the edge of my seat in anticipation.
xxx
Tomorrow the Coen Brothers have A Serious Man, a film lauded by just about everyone in Toronto. At the very least we'll be looking for an Original Screenplay nomination, possibly more. You never know with those 10 Best Picture slots up for grabs. Drew Barrymore's Whip It, another film that got some love at Toronto, is out tomorrow too. This is one I will definitly be catching, even though I think it's safe to say it won't be getting much Oscar attention.
xxx
I also have some interest in the Ricky Gervais movie The Invention of Lying, and Zombieland, the zombie-comedy starring Woody Harrelson.
xxx
The most exciting release of tomorrow, for me anyway, is the Toy Story/Toy Story 2 double feature in 3D. It's only in theaters for two weeks, so get your tickets while you can!
xxx
Next week will see the limited release of An Education, the film I've been beyond excited about since it stole the hearts of audiences at Sundance back in January. I don't happen to live in an area where limited releases are accessible, so I'll probably be making a four-hour drive to see this movie on opening day. Not kidding.
xxx
The 16th brings Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze's film adaptation of the classic children's book by Maurice Sendak. This is probably the biggest fanboy title apart from Avatar, and will likely draw lots of families to the theater. I'm expecting this to be October's moneymaker.
xxx
Amelia and Antichrist hit theaters on the 23rd. Both have been buzzy projects this year. Amelia hasn't been seen yet, so we don't really know how much of a player it will be this awards season, but I'm hoping Hilary Swank will hit yet another performance out of the park and land her third Academy Award nomination this year. I'm a sucker for a biopic, just like every member of AMPAS. Antichrist will likely be too controversial to garner much acclaim from the largely-conservative Academy, though.
xxx
Lots of contenders to keep an eye on this month! This is the best time of the year to visit the cinemas. What are your must-sees this month, and what are you planning to skip??