A fall weekend is a lovely time to go see a movie, even if that movie is about bad politics or people sewn together mouth to butt or Chinese revolution. Which is what this weekend offers at the multiplexes.

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1911

Jackie Chan continues his recent dramatic work with this tale of revolution set in a specific year, though... Hm. I'm not sure what year it's set in. It's not very clear, is it? I think it's something like a hundred years ago, but I'm not sure exactly when. Oh well! This movie also stars Joan Chen, who directed Autumn in New York, so that's a strange resume to have. (Limited release)

Blackthorn

Sam Shepard stars in this movie about an old and tired Butch Cassidy. Yup, Butch Cassidy! The movie supposes that he survived that Bolivian gun fight and has been hiding out for years, but now wants to return home. But of course trouble gets in the way and there's shooting to be done. It's a South American Western. A SouWestern. Get into it. (Limited)

Dirty Girl

The sprightly Juno Temple paints on a thick, blotchy Southern accent and heads out onto the road in this sexy little comedy. She befriends a big fat gay guy and William H. Macy and Milla Jovovich play her parents, which is about as strange a couple as there is. Shockingly, this is a little indie movie. (Limited)

Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone

This documentary chronicles the strange trajectory of late '80s funk/punk/ska group Fishbone, a racial divide-crossing bunch of weirdos who were almost Big but weren't. I should see this so I'll finally understand all the posters that hung on my friend Nicky's older brother's bedroom wall. Finally I'll get it! (NY)

The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)

A guy sees the original Human Centipede, about a woman who owns fifty pairs of shoes (right? right???), and decides to do the same thing in this groan-inducingly meta movie. Gruesome things happen and people scream and we all wonder why anyone would want to watch something like this. (Limited)

The Ides of March

Slick guys Ryan Gosling and George Clooney play real slick in this movie, based on a play, about politics and scandal. Marisa Tomei shows up as a nosy reporter and Evan Rachel Wood plays a love interest. Is it good, is it bad? Here's a review! (Wide)

Incendiary: The Willingham Case

This is a documentary about the immensely frustrating case of Cameron Todd Willingham, a Texan convicted and executed for burning down his house with his children inside, even though all credible arson science suggests he didn't do it. If you're still angry about Troy Davis, this will... well, get you even angrier. (Limited)

Real Steel

This is a totally sense-making family movie with a great title about robots that box each other and how that brings a human father closer to his human son. They don't box, but the robots do. It is basically Rock 'Em Sock 'Em: The Motion Picture, and it teaches us lots of important things about family, things we could only learn from boxing robots. (Wide)

The Sons of Tennessee Williams

A documentary chronicling the development of the gay Mardi Gras scene in New Orleans, this is the movie you should take your conservative relatives to if they are in town for a visit. Seriously! They might learn something! (NY)

The Swell Season

If you didn't cry enough at Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová's movie Once, cry some more at this documentary about their musical and romantic coupling, which began while filming the movie Once. Just cry a lot. At the beautiful people and beautiful music and shaky, wandering, wistful black and white cinematography. Just cry. Cry a whole fucking lot. (LA)

The Way

Emilio Estevez directs his dad Martin Sheen in this movie about a dad (Martin Sheen) mourning the death of his son (Emilio Estevez) while vowing to collect his remains on the famous, difficult Camino de Santiago. It seems like a nice effort and all, but, woof, this trailer. Yeesh. Yikes. Yowsers. Etc. (Limited)

The Women On the 6th Floor

A French movie about Spanish maids, this movie tells a tale of cultural and national snobbery giving way to big-hearted acceptance of all wonderful cultures. Mainly, French and Spanish culture. Which are so wildly different that of course the French would be like to balk at all the crazy ethnic things that Spaniards do. Yay for the French! (No, kidding, the French are great. Except when they're not being remotely great about anyone who isn't French.) (Limited)