Just as many of us are packing up our swim trunks and busting out the sweaters, Hollywood has its own little end-of-summer ritual. Out go the super heroes and space invaders, in come the serious and thoughtful, the pretentious and dull, and the truly transcendent films that can still sometimes rise above the rest. Yes, Oscar season is here again.
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Much like the rest of the industry, movie release dates are arranged to make sure that this peak period is not overcrowded but also will remain fresh in voters’ minds come February. It’s no wonder that so many of these films chose to release Christmas Day.
There is no clear frontrunner in this year’s Oscar race, perhaps because there is no shortage of intriguing films coming out this fall. Heavy-hitting directors such as David Fincher, Paul Thomas Anderson and Christopher Nolan all have promising films due out. There are also potentially impressive directorial debuts from Jon Stewart and Angelina Jolie.
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But don’t fret, the release schedule is not all heavy stuff, with another Hunger Games movie, a few musicals and a couple of goofy comedies for good measure.
After the dismal summer, Hollywood will be hoping that at least a few of these hit big and make for a happier fourth quarter.
So without further ado, here is our list of the films you have to see this fall.
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