Fall — my favorite time of the year. The cool crisp air, apple cider donuts, and new movie trailers! 

No matter the season, one of my all-time favorite things to do is watch previews. A movie trailer is a sales pitch like no other, and it gets me every time. The only comparison to the satisfaction of watching a good trailer that I can think of is sampling ice cream flavors before committing to your cone — but even that sensation comes up short. A well-done trailer piques your curiosity, builds excitement for the thrill of the big screen, and can even make a bad movie look good. 

Sure, sometimes you can get misled like I recently did with M. Night Shyamalan’s latest release Old.  But I’m hoping that the opposite holds true as well, as I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad disappointed in the recent trailer for the comeback of my beloved The Matrix franchise.

October is going to be the best month for movie releases that we’ve seen in almost two years. As audiences gain confidence in the movie-going experience and studios start to release some hotly anticipated films, we’ll see The Many Saints of Newark (The Sopranos prequel), the latest James Bond, cult-favorite Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, and the superbly cast Dune, to name a few. Here’s hoping that these trailers do what they are supposed to: incite anticipation, create buzz, and entice more people back to the theater to enjoy these fun fall films on the big screen — the way they’re meant to be seen.  

For now, here’s my preview of the previews.

The Many Saints of Newark
First up is an origin story for Anthony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark.  The trailer looks fun and exciting as it follows a lost and wandering pre-‘our favorite mob boss’ Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini’s son, Michael Gandolfini. Will this be good?  I honestly can’t tell from the trailer.  But I will for sure see it based on the history of one of television’s most beloved series. 
Releases October 1

No Time to Die 
Next up we have Daniel Craig reprising his role as James Bond (Craig claims the title of the longest running 007 with this film) and Rami Malek as the terrifying villain. The trailer itself is a great ride and I expect it to pay off big time at the box office. I think it will be the biggest grossing film in October — and possibly November.  If you love the franchise you will want to see this on the big screen (at The Picture House!) 
Releases October 8 (playing at The Picture House)

The French Dispatch
I love a good Wes Anderson film as much as the next person, but I’m not sure how a new Wes Anderson film is going to be received in our pandemic-ridden world. The visuals are like gorgeous paintings you could stare at forever, but I wonder how Anderson’s typically absurd dialogues will play out in the world we live in today where true life absurdities are seen on the news and in person everyday. Will people want to escape and watch or are they just too exhausted for absurdist fantasy? I hope for the former but lean towards the latter. Either way, The French Dispatch will be one of the most talked about films of the year and a must-see for anybody who loves to be part of the fall film conversation.
Releases October 22

Dune
Dune — it’s such an amazing story to tell, and we can all agree (I think) that the last time they tried to adapt it wasn’t the success anyone hoped for. But if the new trailer is any indication, I think they got it right this time, and Dune will be a MUST SEE in theaters. The amazing cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, and so many more. I really don’t think you can go wrong with this one.
Releases October 22

And that’s October in a nutshell.  Seen any good trailers you want to share?  Post on our social or email us at info@thepicturehouse.org.

Looking forward to seeing you at the movies!