'Footloose,' 'Ides Of March' Lead October Movies

As we while away the remaining days of September, there is a lot more than Halloween candy to look forward to in the month of October. We're talking about October movies, of course, when studios begin unveiling their heavy-hitting award contenders, as well as a few fun, fall-themed crowd-pleasers. In order of their release dates, here are a few of the films we're most looking forward to seeing on the big screen in October: October 7 "The Ides of March" : Really, what's not to like about this movie? You have George Clooney as director and star, alongside 2011 "it" guy Ryan Gosling in a film about corruption in politics. It's timely, smart and in addition to featuring two handsome leading men, boasts a very talented supporting cast in Philip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei. "Real Steel" : When this movie was announced, we were right there with all the naysayers, scratching our heads and wondering how a major studio would make a "robot boxing movie" worth watching. Much to our surprise, the early buzz on the film is really good, from some of the crankiest critics out there, and its selling point seems to be the father/son relationship between Hugh Jackman and newcomer Dakota Goyo. Consider us intrigued. October 14 "Footloose" : This is not a future Oscar-winner, naturally, but if you have any affection for movies with a lot of dancing and teenage angst or grew up with the Kevin Bacon-starring original, the remake of "Footloose" is a lot of fun. Lead actor Kenny Wormald has come a long way from his newbie actor days in "You Got Served" and "Center Stage: Turn It Up" to become a believable leading man. And his dancing is terrific. Serious triple-threat Julianne Hough is fun to watch as well, but pay special attention to charming scene-stealer Miles Teller as adorable country bumpkin Willard. October 21 "The Three Musketeers" : While Paul W.S. Anderson is not particularly well-known for the complexities in his storytelling, his films are always wonderfully visual and action-packed. With his retelling of Alexandre Dumas' "The Three Musketeers," Anderson is working with a classic story of good vs. evil, along with the added appeal of swordfights and swashbuckling. Add to that the appealing castmembers -- Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Matthew Macfadyen and Ray Stevenson -- and you have the makings of an entertaining popcorn flick. Honorable mention: "Paranormal Activity 3," because while this writer is a total scaredy cat and too afraid of this franchise to watch it, plenty of other filmgoers are psyched for this third installment, directed by "Catfish" helmers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. October 28 "In Time : Even though we would prefer this date to mark the release of a new album from Justin Timberlake, the premise of the futuristic society living with a fountain of youth is enough to get us into the theater. And in addition to seeing Timberlake in action -- he runs a lot in the film -- a bunch of easy-on-the-eyes actors are in the cast, including Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilde, Alex Pettyfer and Matt Bomer. "Like Crazy" : For those who love a weepy romance, "Like Crazy" has you covered. This year's Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner is about college sweethearts who are torn apart by deportation and features two buzz worthy performances by Anton Yelchin and newcomer Felicity Jones. Director Drake Doremus has promised a genuine, authentic love story that has the hopeless romantics among us ready to stuff our pockets with extra tissues for opening day. Honorable mention: "The Rum Diary," because it stars a relatively normal-looking Johnny Depp and Aaron Eckhart and is based on Hunter S. Thompson's "lost" novel written in the early '60s but not published until 1998. Which October movies are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Julianne Hough and Kenny Wormald in "Footloose" Photo: Paramount Pictures