Zombies and wild things and freaks, oh my! Although October 2009 offers typical Halloween fare, it also includes a number of other movies which seem promising indeed. Take a look at the schedule below -- but remember release dates are always subject to change. 

OCTOBER 2:

A Serious Man. This black comedy from the Coen Brothers centers on a professor and the way his life unravels when his wife prepares to leave him. Set in a Midwestern town back in 1967, the film’s cast includes Michael Stuhlbarg, Sari Lennick, Fred Melamed and Richard Kind.   

Zombieland. How do you survive in a world overrun with zombies? Two men, played by Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson, use their own methods in this horror comedy. The problem? Being eaten by zombies might be the lesser of two evils.  

Whip It. Ellen Page portrays a young girl who enters the Roller Derby world in this dramedy directed by Drew Barrymore, who also appears in the film.   

The Invention of Lying.  Imagine a world where no one has ever lied. Then drop Ricky Gervais into that setting. Result? Things change and laughter may ensue. Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman add to the fun.     

Capitalism: A Love Story. Michael Moore takes on the free-market economy in this documentary which he calls a war story, a crime story, a vampire story -- and a comedy.

OCTOBER 9:

Couples Retreat. Four couples vacation at a tropical resort. One couple is there to work on their marriage, but the others also have to participate in the therapy program – to their great surprise. Cast includes Vince Vaughn, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Ken Jeong, and Kristin Davis.   

An Education. A young British girl falls for a much older man in this Sundance Audience Award-winning drama co-starring Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard.  

OCTOBER 16:

The Stepfather.  Nelson McCormick directs this horror/thriller remake featuring Penn Badgley as a young man wary of his mother’s new boyfriend.  Dylan Walsh and the wonderful Sela Ward also play key roles here.

Law Abiding Citizen. A district attorney becomes the target of a man angry over the plea bargain arranged for his family’s killer. Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb, and Regina Hall appear in this thriller written by Kurt Wimmer.  

New York, I Love You. Several love stories take place in the Big Apple -- and each one stars such A-list actors as Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper, Shia LaBeouf, Orlando Bloom, Robin Wright Penn and Ethan Hawke.

Where the Wild Things Are. Maurice Sendak’s popular children’s book comes to life with Max Records as the youngster who becomes monarch of the wild world he creates.

OCTOBER 23:

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant. In this fantasy based on Darren Shan’s books, two teenage boys attend a Freak Show and soon find themselves involved with a mysterious vampire. The cast includes John C. Reilly, Josh Hutcherson, Chris Massoglia, Orlando Jones, Willem Dafoe and Jessica Carlson.   

Amelia. Hilary Swank portrays aviatrix Amelia Earheart in this dramatic biopic directed by Mira Nair and co-starring Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor.   

Saw VI. Will the Jigsaw horror legacy never end?  But this time it comes full circle, according to the film’s tagline.  

OCTOBER 28:

Astro Boy. Sci-fi animation takes center stage in this tale of a robot boy with super powers. Voice talent includes Nicolas Cage, Charlize Theron, Kristen Bell, Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Freddie Highmore and Nathan Lane.

This Is It. This musical documentary deals with  Michael Jackson’s preparation for his 2009 London show, which did not take place because of his untimely death.   

OCTOBER 30:

Gentlemen Broncos. What’s a budding writer to do when he discovers his idea has been stolen by a famous novelist? Michael Angarano and John Baker co-star in this comedy directed and co-written by Jared Hess of Napoleon Dynamite fame.

DVD RELEASES

OCTOBER 6:

Imagine That

My Life in Ruins

Year One

OCTOBER 13:

Drag Me to Hell

Land of the Lost

The Proposal

OCTOBER 20:

Cheri

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

The Elephant King

Love N’ Dancing

Pandemic

OCTOBER 27:

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

The Maiden Heist

Nothing Like the Holidays

Orphan

Whatever Works

(Poster for Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant -- © 2009 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.)