9 (Septmber 9th)

The Oracle Says: The new animated movie from producer Tim Burton about animated robot dolls of the future has a really cool look and buzz to die for.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (September 18th)

The Oracle Says: The 1978 book upon which this CGI animated movie is based never explains why the town of Chewandswallow has food rain on it three times a day. In the movie, it’s the result of a mad scientist. This does not bode well, in the Oracle’s opinion.

Jennifer’s Body (September 18th)

The Oracle Says: It’s about a beautiful, popular high school student (played by Megan Fox in a Meryl Streep-like stretch *cough* ) who, possessed by a demon, wreaks havoc on her class. In other words, it sounds like a parody of typical teen horror flick. But the fact that it’s written by Juno’s Diablo Cody means that it might actually be a parody.

Surrogates (September 25th)

The Oracle Says: Ever since reading The Bonfire of the Vanities (which documents what a very limited actor Bruce Luckiest-Person-on-Earth Willis really is), the Oracle has had a hard time taking any movie of his seriously. Surrogates, based on the comic book series, is the kind of broad, big budget science fiction that Will Smith usually stars in — with lots of action, cool special effects, and absolutely nothing challenging.

Zombieland (October 2nd)

The Oracle Says: It’s a zombie … comedy? Didn’t they already do that with Shawn of the Dead? Yes, but expect this one to be a lot more irreverent — and whole lot grosser. Prediction: big hit. After Inglourious Basterds, can’t you feel it in the air?

Where the Wild Things Are (October 16th)

The Oracle Says: Two questions loom about Spike Jonze’s adaptation of the Maurice Sendak classic children’s book: is such a slightly-storied, visually specific book even adaptable as a film, and is Jonze’s film (with creatures from the Jim Hensen Company) too quirky for mainstream audiences? The rumor is that test audiences found the film too dark and not “family-friendly, and at one point, the studio considered reshooting it entirely.

The Road (October 16th)

The Oracle Says: Studio execs are surely freaking out as you read this about the reality of releasing this chilling movie about a post-apocalyptic world in this time of social and economic unrest. One thing is certain: eat dinner before you see this movie (if you’ve read the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel upon which it is based, you know why!).

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (October 23rd)

The Oracle Says: Based on a serious of genuinely creepy children’s books, this movie tells the story of a teenager who joins a mysterious traveling circus of “freaks.” But there’s much more here going on than meets the eye. Alas, much of it involves an all-too-tired vampire storyline.

The Fourth Kind (November 6th)

The Oracle Says: The title of this movie about alien abductions in Alaska refers to the “closest” of alien encounters (”of the fourth kind”). The publicity implies this is all a “true” story, but the Oracle suspects we’re being Blair Witched.

2012 (November 13th)

The Oracle Says: Has anyone ever noticed how, except for Independence Day, Roland Emmerich’s movies suck? Stargate, Godzilla, and The Day After Tomorrow were all bad, and 10,000 B.C. was almost unwatchable. So why do we keep going? Great, eye-catching trailers that suck us in. Here’s yet another (but don’t be fooled! Look away before it’s too late!):

Twilight: New Moon (November 20th)

The Oracle Says: The Oracle doesn’t think it’s possible for him to care less, but he hopes that teen girls everywhere are breathless with anticipation.

Avatar (December 18th)

The Oracle Says: Is James Cameron’s latest the movie most anticipated by fanboys since The Lord of the Rings (or even, perhaps, Phantom Menace — boy, was that the let-down of all time!). Anyway, the Oracle predicts Cameron will pull it off. Let’s face it: the guy knows how to tell a story — and he works well under pressure. His reunion with Sigourney Weaver can’t hurt.

The Imaginatium of Dr. Parnassus (December 25th)

The Oracle Says: The early reviews of Terry Gilliam’s latest (and Heath Ledger’s last) film are mixed. But it’s Terry Gilliam! And this is one of his “passion” projects — not one of his for-hire-by-the-studio ones. Prediction: at the very minimum, it’ll be really interesting, if not outright fantastic.