One of the hottest summers I can remember is finally coming to an end here in Atlanta.  The Summer movie season sizzled as well with massive hits like

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2, Transformers 3 and Thor. The Fall season hopes to repeat this box office magic, and the deck is stacked with potential hits and award contenders.

So as the weather cools down and we all start getting ready for the holiday season marathon take some time to be entertained.  I am not implying that all of these films will be

Oscar

contenders, a few will be for sure, but these are the five I know I will not miss.

FIVE

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I

Director: Bill Condon

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner

Release Date: November 18th

Ok, so once you have finished snickering let me say that I can not help myself.  I know these movies are mediocre at best and based on poorly written fiction, but I just can’t help myself.  

Twilight

movies are like the Mr. Pibb to Harry Potter’s Coca-Cola.  

Director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls)

is helming the final installment of this franchise.   The love triangle is pretty much over with the wedding of Bella and Edward.  But those pesky European vampires are not done with the Cullens.  It is no secret that Bella becomes pregnant with a hybrid baby.  I am dying to see how the filmmakers will put the birth scene on screen.  It is a bloody-nasty mess in the book.

Summit Entertainment

is well aware that their cash cow is coming to an end and has decided to split the final book in to two parts.  The Twilight Saga will conclude with

Breaking Dawn Part 2

in 2012.

[caption id="attachment_9667" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart: Breaking Dawn Part I"]

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FOUR

50/50

Director: Johnathan Levine

Starring: Joseph Gordan-Levitt, Seth Rogan, Anna Kendrick, and Bryce Dallas Howard

Release Date: September 30th

So at first glance a movie about a 25 year old battling cancer does not seem like the way you might want to spend a Friday night.  

Seth Rogan (Zach and Miri Make a Porno)

produces and stars in the film based on his real life friend's struggle with cancer.  

Joseph Gordan-Levitt (Inception)

portrays the 25 year old with spinal cancer.  Levitt is the reason that I will be watching this.  He is an amazing actor with a stellar resume in indie cinema.  

Inception

was a blockbuster that put him on a larger stage and next summer Levitt will be co-starring in the most highly anticipated sequel in years,

The Dark Knight Rises

.

[caption id="attachment_9669" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogan: 50/50"]

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THREE

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Director: David Fincher

Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and Christopher Plummer

Release Date: December 21st

Stieg Larsson's

international bestseller has become a phenomenon.  The Millennium Trilogy:  

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

,

The Girl Who Played With Fire

, and

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest

have sold over 30 million copies worldwide.  It has already been made into a trilogy of international films.  Two time Oscar nominee  

Director David Fincher (The Social Network)

is behind the updated version.

Rooney Mara (The Social Network)

is portraying Lisbeth Salander who teams up with a journalist played by

Daniel Craig (007)

to solve a murder mystery. Fincher has plenty of experince dealing with the darker side of humanity from his work on

Seven

and

Fight Club

.  I could not put the book down so I have high hopes for the movie.

[caption id="attachment_9684" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"]

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TWO

J. Edgar

Director: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio

Release Date: November 9th

Four time

Academy Award

winner

Clint Eastwood (Invictus and

Hereafter

)

is a genius. The man could make a movie about irritable bowel syndrome and I would be there opening night.  This film has the makings of Oscar gold.   

Leonardo  DiCaprio (Shutter Island)

is still Oscarless after an impressive decade of work.  A strong performance as the controversial J. Edgar Hoover  could earn him the much deserved award.  When it comes to an Eastwood film I want to go in knowing as little as possible.  His last eight films have been stellar.  You would have to go back to 2002's

Blood Work

to see a dud.  This would have been my number one pick, but there is only one other filmmaker that ranks higher for me.

[caption id="attachment_9687" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Leonardo DiCaprio: J. Edgar"]

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ONE

War Horse

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irvine

Release Date: December 28th

Three time Oscar winner

Steven Spielberg

has kept a low profile from directing since the visual assault that was 

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

.  In a career that has spanned decades, and films that have literally chaptered my life I can forgive him for that abomination.  I am routing for 

War Horse

.  The movie follows a horse's journey through

World War I

and the young man searching for him.  Wartime films have been good for Spielberg's career in the past:

Schindlers List

,

Saving Private Ryan

, and

Empire of the Sun

were all set during

WWII

.  This is another film that just SCREAMS for an Oscar.

[caption id="attachment_9694" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Jeremy Irvine: War Horse"]

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fashionado

film:

Jamie Clemons