09/14: This is Going to Be a Long One.

My favorite part of September has arrived - fall premiere! Not only are we getting the must watch movies of the year (Oscar season is upon us a few weeks from now), but there's also the endless television show premieres! There are already some that made it to my watch list, and show's I'm considering dropping out of my roster. The upcoming months are just going to be filled with a lot of watching. A lot.

A Million Ways to Die in the West | A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas | Beverly Hills Cop | Beverly Hills Cop 2 | Die Hard 2 | Die Hard: With a Vengeance | Enemy of the State | Fargo | Godzilla | Life After Beth | Life of Crime | Live Free or Die Hard | Moms' Night Out | Obvious Child | Papadopoulos & Sons | Red 2 | Rudy | The Godfather | The Painting | The Pretty One | What If

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas - This was also silly, but not as outrageous as the first two movies.

Beverly Hills Cop - Eddie Murphy was a bit over the top, but there was something in the movie that worked. This was funny and entertaining, and it made me want to see the sequel - which was a big mistake because I'm not even interested in watching the third movie now.

Beverly Hills Cop 2  - It tried to recapture the elements that made its predecessor work, but there was something missing. I don't think it was in the dynamic, as the whole cast was there. I guess there was something clever in the first movie, as opposed to the sloppy story of the sequel.

Enemy of the State - If it weren't for the old technology, I'd have thought this was filmed and released in the early 2000's. It was thrilling, and so unlike typical Will Smith action/thriller roles.

Fargo - This is what happens when you try to outwit everyone else, and make rash decisions. Frances McDormand is amazing, I love her character and her performance. She's the only one in the movie whose not trying hard to play her role.

Godzilla - I was told that the movie was boring, but it somehow crawled to a spot on my top 10 this year. I liked the pacing, albeit a bit slow. There's not much action, and most of the movie is focused on the humans. It could have gone to a different route if there was more information on the monsters. For massive monsters, I expected a much bigger fight, but it was cut short, it looked like a preview. Still, it was a pretty decent flick, but there should have been more Godzilla.

Life After Beth - My admiration for Dane DeHaan is blinding me from the flaws of the movie, but generally I liked it. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. The circumstances were unexplained as to why Beth suddenly came back to life, and I don't know why DeHaan was fixating on the housekeeper (the movie could have done without the entire story line). Aubrey Plaza was great in the role, though it didn't seem like much of a challenge, as she seemed to be channeling her inner April Ludgate. Anna Kendrick's character seemed like a miscast, and didn't fit into the atmosphere of the movie.

Life of Crime - I was very excited for this because the novel was good. I was expecting the same wit, and fun, as it was in the source, but it was always lacking. The movie was almost following the book right to the dot, but there was something missing in the interpretation. It could have made for a great movie, but it didn't.

Moms' Night Out - I needed a filler movie while waiting, so I decided to see this one. It was nothing spectacular, or note-worthy, but it was filled with a bunch of uptight moms with parenting issues. I guess making this into a dad's point of view (where there's a lot of comedy involving the children) is nothing new, so they decide to throw the shade to the ladies. I don't think everyone can relate to their issues though, but I do think they need more friends who are parents because they need to relax, even for a bit. The only one who has to worry was the Bridget character because she had left her baby to an irresponsible person who couldn't even bother telling her about his job interview.

Obvious Child - Jenny Slate was phenomenal. Much recommended film for the year.

Papadopoulos & Sons - I wished that they would have dropped the Greek aspect of the movie and stuck with the broke businessman-teams-up-with-his-brother story. I haven't seen a lot of Greek-themed movies so I can't fully justify my reason, but it didn't add to the movie. The children weren't practicing, nor are they trying to immerse themselves in the culture. The brother only mentions it as a root of their ancestry,  and Stephen Dillane only makes the effort in the end (and not even through the prodding of his family, who should have been embracing their heritage at some point in time). It was a charming movie, but there were some flaws, and the montage ruined the movie for me. I did like the scenes of Stephen and Frank Dillane though, it was only parts of the movie where there's some light shed on his own family.

Red 2 - It wasn't as good as the first, but it wasn't truly horrible either. Catherine Zeta-Jones' character could have been done away with. The out-of-plot focus could have been modified instead of vainly and selfishly revolving around the relationship between Mary Louise Parker and Bruce Willis. Helen Mirren and John Malkovich were the stars of the movie, with Lee Byung-hun coming in at a close third. I wish a movie was made about the three of them.

Rudy - Can someone tell me what happened with Sean Astin? He seemed to have a promising career after his portrayal of Rudy, and besides the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I haven't seen him in other notable works.   It was a heartwarming sports movie. It tugs on your emotional strings towards the end, but it also shows you that with passion and motivation (and honestly, a bit of luck), you can fulfill your dreams.

The Painting - It was philosophical, for an animated film. It makes you think about your purpose in life, and if you ever really had a say in what you can or cannot be.

The Pretty One - There is simply something wrong with the lead character. I get how she's trying to find herself so she pretends to be her dead twin, but she really just needed to resolve some issues with herself. Zoe Kazan was another quirky character, though she's less childish than her usual persona. I did like Jake Johnson in this movie.

What If - I was really excited for this, primarily because of Daniel Radcliffe. It has been compared to 500 Days of Summer (which I agree to, in terms of indie rom-com). The movie has its own quirky qualities. Zoe Kazan is like a blond Zooey Deschanel - and I am getting a bit tired of Deschanel's antics, so suffice to say I also found Kazan's character and quirky antics quite tiring. The moment she dropped the lines about being alone in a movie house because her boyfriend couldn't make it, she lost all my sympathy. The whole movie was all right. It wasn't a game changer, but there was a effort from the actors involved.

Sati has a David Fincher event going over at her blog, in anticipation for Gone Girl. One of the film's highlights is the performance of Rosamund Pike, whose talents Sati highlights, along with Pike's other performances.

Two pieces about film criticism came out this month (at least from the roster of blogs I read). John writes about the pressures of criticism, especially when the film in question is something universally adored. Sofia, on the other hand, writes about why film criticism isn't the way for her.

Somewhere is a visually poignant film, and Alex shares what he loves about the film.

Katy writes about the resurgence of Ben Affleck.