Summer is over, and kids are back to school. You know what that means: the studios are going to dump a lot of garbage on audiences this month. We’re being subjected to yet another Resident Evil movie, even though the third one was terrible, and Alpha and Omega looks like one of the worst cartoons to grace the silver screen since Hoodwinked. And yet, there are quite a few movies I want to see this September, and since my job is to share my opinion, here you go… nine movies to watch this September.

	9. Catfish – September 17, 2010 (limited) In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost sensed a story unfolding as they began to film the life of Ariel’s brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project would lead to the most exhilarating and unsettling months of their lives. Our take: I’m a sucker for trailers where the movie starts off looking like one thing and turns out to be something entirely different. Catfish delivers in this respect. The movie at first looks like a romantic comedy or a road trip film, and then it takes a turn for the worse. Catfish could end up being a waste of time, but there’s a small chance it could kick ass. Hey, that sort of rhymes.
	8. Devil – September 17, 2010 “From the mind of M. Night Shyalaman” comes Devil, a horror-thriller set in an elevator. Yes, in an elevator. Several strangers are trapped, and rescuers’ attempts to free them are averted time and time again. Unfortunately for the people on board, one person is not what he or she seems. Our take: A couple years ago, Shyalaman’s name would have been marketing gold. Now, people roll their eyes. And yet his brand still brings in box office dollars, which I’ll attribute to morbid curiosity. Frankly, Devil looks sort of good. Not great, but good. And it’s only produced by Shyamalan; he neither wrote nor directed this movie.
	7. Easy A – September 17, 2010 After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl (Emma Stone) sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne’s in “The Scarlet Letter,” which she is currently studying in school – until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. Our take: This little comedy likely won’t be a big hit, but it has the potential to be Mean Girls funny. It could also be a disaster, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. Emma Stone is oddly gorgeous and has been choosing her recent projects surprisingly well, and I have to admit, the trailer’s use of Lady Gaga is surprisingly effective.
	6. It’s Kind of a Funny Story – October 8, 2010 (LA/NY) [NOTE: Was scheduled for September when this article was written] 16-year-old Craig (Keir Gilchrist), stressed out from the demands of being a teenager, checks himself into a mental health clinic. There he learns that the youth ward is closed – and finds himself stuck in the adult ward. One of the patients, Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), soon becomes both Craig’s mentor and protégé. Craig is also quickly drawn to another 16-year-old, Noelle (Emma Roberts). Our take: It’s Kind of a Funny Story is one of many upcoming movies starring Zach Galifianakis, but that’s not a bad thing. His routine may become tired in time, but he looks pretty funny here, even though the movie is more of a comedy-drama. The concept is also ripe for humor. Oh, and Emma Roberts has turned into one good looking young woman.
	5. Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps – September 24, 2010 Years after being put in prison for insider trading, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) is released from prison and begins to rebuild his dynasty – this time by authoring a book about greed. His future son-in-law (Shia LaBeouf) becomes transfixed with Gekko and his money making ways, but things quickly spiral out of control. Carey Mulligan plays Gekko’s estranged daughter. Our take: When this was first announced, I was skeptical. Wall Street is a great movie, but not one that needs a sequel. But given the state of the economy and the causes of the recession, a sequel is actually fitting – and the trailers suggest Wall Street 2 could actually be a lot of fun. On the flip side, Oliver Stone hasn’t made a really good movie in a long while.
	4. Waiting for Superman – September 24, 2010 (Limited) From the director of An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman examines America’s public education system. Needless to say, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture of the state of things. Our take: An Inconvenient Truth opened people’s eyes to global warming (and if you’re one of those holdouts who still don’t believe it, get real) and Waiting for Superman looks like it could do the same for education. Everyone knows America is struggling to educate children at a level that can compete with other countries, and yet the problem persists. This documentary looks like a must-see.
	3. Machete – September 3, 2010 Based on the faux trailer that ran during 2007’s Grindhouse, Machete stars Danny Trejo as a renegade former Mexican Federale who roams the streets of Texas after a shakedown from drug lord Torrez (played by Steven Seagal). Machete accepts an offer to kill a corrupt Senator, but ends up framed and on the wrong side of the law. Our take: The trailers were the best part of the Grindhouse double feature, but that doesn’t mean they’ll make good full-length movies. That being said, Rodriguez, as expected, has fully embraced the outrageousness of his concept and appears to have all the elements in place. It’s also nice to see Trejo in a major starring role, and Jessica Alba in underwear.
	2. The American – September 1, 2010 Academy Award winner George Clooney stars in the title role of this suspense thriller, filmed on location in Italy. Alone among assassins, Jack (played by Mr. Clooney) is a master craftsman. When a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, he vows to his contact Larry (Bruce Altman) that his next assignment will be his last. You know what that means. Our take: George Clooney is fairly consistent with his movies, especially more serious ones such as The American. The marketing has been impressive; the only question marks are the director and screenwriter, who haven’t done anything substantial in this genre.
	1. The Town – September 17, 2010 In the adaptation of the Chuck Hogan novel “The Prince of Thieves,” Affleck would play a career thief who becomes smitten by the manager of a bank. The project would be based in Charlestown, Mass., a gritty blue-collar Boston suburb similar to the one that Affleck captured in his directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone. Our take: Gone Baby Gone was a surprisingly strong film, and if the trailers are any indication, Affleck has done it again with The Town – a movie that looks exciting, compelling and not unlike Heat. People tend to shrug Affleck off as a forgettable actor, but no one should question his writing or directing abilities at this point.

Fora full list of September 2010 movie releases, click here.