The Guilty-Pleasure Movies Of Fall 2011

--By Jenny Peters

As Hollywood's awards season heats up and the steady flow of serious movies streams into theaters, there's a lot of great stuff to see. But what about those days when the kids are driving you nuts, work is incredibly annoying and your significant other just refuses to shut up? Those are the days that call for the "Guilty Pleasure Getaway." That involves a trip to the movies that's all about pure escapism; two blissful hours spent watching action, romance or comedy. Here are our picks for the 2011 fall season of guilty pleasures at the movies.

Real Steel Hugh Jackman shirtless. Need we say more? Plus there are giant,fighting robotic monsters that have taken over the world of boxing (think Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots and you've got the basic idea). Add in a surprisingly enjoyable plot involving a human ex-boxer (Jackman) and the son he never knew, wrapped up in a sports flick package, and this one is a knockout.

The Thing How many times can Hollywood go back to the well that began in 1951 with James Arness starring as "The Thing from Another World"? As often as people will pay to explore the science-fiction premise that a frozen alien is found in a remote location and suddenly comes to life. This version heads to Antarctica with Joel Edgerton of “Warrior.”

Footloose Kick off your dancing shoes and relive (almost verbatim, we hear) the music and story of the original 1984 "Footloose" flick. You know the plot: big city teenager moves to a small town where dancing is forbidden, but he's just gotta dance, and he brings a revolution to the place. Of course, you could always just watch the original at home, but what's the fun in that? This is the definition of "escapist pleasure."

Trespass Nicolas Cage overacting, Nicole Kidman's Botox-filled face not moving, "Twilight" hunk Cam Gigandet stripped down! What more could you want in a trashy thriller about a rich middle-aged couple who experience a home invasion, then are terrorized and held for ransom. Directed by Joel Schumacher, the man who brought you George Clooney as Batman in "Batman and Robin," this one's for the bad thriller lover that lives inside your soul.

The Big Year Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson play bird watchers who escape together on a world adventure tour -- yes, you read that right, bird watchers – in this comedy from the director of "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Marley and Me." So it's likely to be a slightly corny flick with a few well-dressed laughs and plenty of other familiar faces, from Angelica Huston and Dianne Wiest to Brian Dennehy and Tim Blake Nelson.

The Three Musketeers Swashbuckling! Heaving bosoms! Gorgeous young things (or not quite so young, in the case of 36-year-old Milla Jovovich, whose hubby Paul W.S. Anderson directed) emoting for the camera! It's yet another cinematic swing through the Dumas action classic set in 17th century France. We'll take Porthos home with us, please. He's also known as Ray Stevenson, the hunk at left who made "Rome" such a memorable HBO series a few years ago.

The Rum Diary Johnny Depp once again channels his inner Hunter S. Thompson in this adaptation of the journalist's novel of the same name. Much as we love Johnny when he goes Gonzo, this one has been in the can and on the shelf for more than two years, which is never a good sign. But Johnny Depp in anything is a not-so-guilty pleasure, and there's more eye candy in the flick, too, including Aaron Eckhart and Amaury Nolasco, so in our book it's worth a try.

Johnny English Reborn English goofball Rowan Atkinson is best known as "Mr. Bean," but he's back this winter as another of his silly personas, playing superspy Johnny English in this follow-up to his eponymous 2003 spoof. His particularly British brand of humor is slapstick and silly, perfect for a bit of mindless amusement as part of a getaway day at the movies. Hottie Dominic West and gorgeous Rosamund Pike add a little eye candy to the proceedings, too.

A Very Harold And Kumar 3D Christmas John Cho and Kai Penn are back for their third outing as the hapless stoner duo Harold and Kumar, and they've got Neil Patrick Harris along once again for the ride. Supposedly, the guys haven't been pals since "Escape from Guantanamo Bay," but no worries, they can still pick up right where they left off when that 2008 comedy ended, wreaking havoc wherever they roam. Is this lowbrow comedy of the most ridiculous sort? You bet. That's why it's a true Guilty Pleasure.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 And of course, the mother of ALL Guilty Movie Pleasures has to be the whole "Twilight" series, with its histrionic high-school romances, toothy vampires and snarly werewolves. And this one has the wedding between Bella and Edward, enough to make girls from 8 to 80 swoon with delight. Jacob is back, too, plus there's tons of sexually charged moments, a dangerous pregnancy and a thrilling climax . . . but not the end of the story, for it is to be continued in the very last of the movies, due out in 2012. Sigh.