Autumn Movie Recommendations

[jzbadblood]

When it comes to fall we all know the usual horror stuff like Halloween etc. but what are some of your lesser known or less thought of Autumn picks?

RAD is one nobody really thinks of it, but it drips with that Autumn feel. Takes place in late-September early-October and nails it without even trying.

[iap738]

Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry has gorgeous autumn in New England scenery.

[DanTheMan]

Sweet November

[HappyGoat]

I know that this most likely is an obvious one, but Sleepy Hollow is a great one. It just got a beautiful 4k release earlier this month. One of my favorite movies by Tim Burton.

[SeanJoyce]

All that Heaven Allows (Sirk's eye for visual feasts was never been employed than in the first half hour)

Something Wicked this Way Comes (Bradbury was a fall/Halloween nut)

Far from Heaven (Haynes' homage to Sirk's movies, particularly All that Heaven Allows)

Monster House (animated, but it too really nails the feel of a fall day for an unusual story)

Silver Linings Playbook

Wild River is one that wouldn't come immediately to mind for most people, but the lush hues of autumnal Tennessee add immeasurably to the story.

Easily the best time of the year.

[ImBlu_DaBaDee]

Remember the Titans

[Mikezilla3k]

Possibly a cliche choice, but for all it's faults Halloween The Curse Of Michael Myers nails the atmosphere.

[cinemaphile]

Indian Summer is the PERFECT autumn movie. A comedy featuring a great cast including Bill Paxton, Alan Arkin, Diane Lane, and Sam Raimi in a (hilarious) rare acting role.



For Thansgiving movies, my favorite will always be Home for the Holidays. Another ensemble cast comedy directed by Jodie Foster with Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr (amoing many others)

[SeanJoyce]

^Big fan of Indian Summer...in fact, here's a review I wrote for it a couple years ago if anybody's interested:

[Show spoiler]Indian Summer is a fine movie for anybody like myself who enjoys adult ensemble "reunion" dramas. The Big Chill will always reign as the definitive statement of this little subgenre, but I'm always game for similar movies that are well-cast and explore such resonant themes successfully.

Indian Summer revolves around a group of people who bonded during their shared experiences at a summer camp in their youth returning at the invitation of its longtime, beloved director (Alan Arkin). What transpires is pretty par for the course for this material; old feelings resurface, childhood pranks are played, hijinks ensue, and the scars that mark the transition to adulthood are bared. The camp's imminent closing, which turns out to be the reason they're all there, has them reflect on the choices they've made in their lives and what's important moving forward.

The cast is solidly eclectic, with Bill Paxton and Diane Lane (great seeing them together nearly a decade after Streets of Fire), as an amiable free spirit-type who was mysteriously expelled from camp and strong-willed woman dealing with the recent passing of her husband, respectively, probably coming off best. Kevin Pollak had a great little run in the first half of the 90s, and he's a welcome sight here. In a curious bit of stunt-casting, famed director Sam Raimi plays a loveably-inept groundskeeper.

Side note: there is an oddly uncomfortable subplot shoehorned into the movie to explain the history between Arkin/Paxton. It had to feel out-of-place in '93 and is even more glaring now; I can only excuse it as a case of lazy screenwriting. It's really the only major flaw here though, and isn't given significant screen time.

The Blu-ray itself is no award-winner, but it's a helluva lot better presentation than the DVD I tossed in the trash to make room for on my shelf. Filmed at the actual Ontario campground bearing its name in the movie during the fall, the Algonquin locations pop with serene autumnal splendor.

For $8 in the WSL section, I recommend this to anybody who, again, gets a lot of mileage out of this stuff, or who perhaps have fond memories of attending summer camp in their formative years. EDIT: Since this writing, the disc has gone OOP.

I waffled on mentioning Home for the Holidays because I can't recall how "autumn-y" it was...absolutely nails the "returning home for Thanksgiving" vibe though.

[cinemaphile]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

I waffled on mentioning Home for the Holidays because I can't recall how "autumn-y" it was...absolutely nails the "returning home for Thanksgiving" vibe though.

I hesitated on this one as well, weather-wise, because it's largely indoors and when they're driving around it almost seems more winter-y. But for the time of year and vibe, it definitely fits the bill.

[Winslow Leach]

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949). Disney's animated version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is very atmospheric and fall-like.