No, Really, This Is It

Welcome back to Movieline Attractions, your regular guide to everything new, noteworthy and/or Jackocentric at the movies. Which is all kind of redundant this week, as a single wide release takes over America's multiplexes in honor (or something) of the fallen King of Pop. Things aren't much more diverse at the art house, either. So what do you say we just get this over with quickly after the jump?

WHAT'S NEW: Between our first impressions, our review and our handy FAQ, I don't think there's much more Movieline can say about Michael Jackson's This Is It. And anyway, you've likely already got your mind made up for or against -- hopefully "for," because it really is an entertaining, periodically fascinating glimpse behind the MJ curtain that a lot of people underestimated going into it. That said, the industry may have overestimated its blockbuster potential; at this point projections for the five-day weekend are hovering around $50 million domestically. Sony will make up for that globally, but it's pretty charitable to call that Stateside side figure anything more than a letdown.

Also opening: Wow. That really is it. In way more limited release, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day revives the cult-hero vigilante twins in all their hit-or-miss splendor; Sophie Okonedo stars in Skin, based on the true story of a woman whose race was reclassified in apartheid-era South Africa; and if you're in New York, there's something called How to Seduce Difficult Women, which was apparently written and directed by Princess Grace's former hairstylist. Way to climb, fella!

THE BIG LOSER: "Big" might be an overstatement for a film like Gentlemen Broncos, which is opening on only two screens before platforming out in the weeks ahead. But that strategy also makes reviews all the more important, and man oh man, the critics hate, hate, hate Jared Hess's new movie. It's hard enough to find hipster traction on Halloween weekend, but it's nigh on impossible with a dud. Better luck next time, Mr. Hess.

THE UNDERDOG: The only flat-out horror film taking a chance on Halloween proper, The House of the Devil is kind of the anti-Broncos: Period without irony, indie without the studio purse strings, scary on purpose, and roundly admired in the make-or-break critical ranks. It'll probably hit a genre ceiling box office-wise, but that's definitely not the worst problem a tiny film like this can have. Give it a shot.

FOR SHUT-INS: This week's equally slim new DVD releases include the unlikely animated box-office record-breaker Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Woody Allen's slog Whatever Works, the summer sleeper Orphan, and the underappreciated Cold Case alum Night of the Creeps. Happy Halloween!