Autumn is in the air, and that means it's time to start thinking about Halloween. The Pesotum House of Horrors, which debuts Friday at 6 p.m., promises to get the scary season off to a freaky start. If that's not enough, check out the new film "Zombieland," a post-apocalyptic comedy starring Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin. There's plenty of zombie-free entertainment on tap as well; just check below.

MOVIE RELEASES THIS WEEK

"A Serious Man"
Rated R, dir. Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
It’s 1967, and Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor in the Midwest, has just found out that his wife (Sari Lennick) is leaving him for his colleague, Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed). To make matters worse, Larry’s brother (Richard Kind) moves in because he can’t find a job, his son (Aaron Wolff) is having constant disciplinary problems at school, and his daughter (Jessica McManus) is stealing money to save up for a nose job. Life just keeps getting worse for Larry, so he seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can Larry ever be happy again when the world seems set against him?

"Capitalism: A Love Story"
Rated R, dir. Michael Moore
“Capitalism: A Love Story” is the latest documentary from Michael Moore, opining on corporate dominance over Americans and the rest of the world. Moore seeks an answer in this film to the question: What price will America pay for its love of capitalism? He enters the homes of everyday Americans and the offices of D.C.’s power broker to understand why we are the way we are. This film will be released nationwide Friday but will open Oct. 9 at Boardman's Art Theatre in downtown Champaign.

"Zombieland"
Rated R, dir. Ruben Fleischer
What do you do when the world is overrun with zombies? Call Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson)! He has big guns and is a total bad ass. All Tallahassee wants to do is get the last Twinkie on earth. If Tallahassee joins forces with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), they will purge the earth of the zombies. But can the zombie-slayers ease up on their egos to save us?

"Whip It"
Rated PG-13, dir. Drew Barrymore
Set in a small town in Texas, an indie-loving misfit, Bliss (Ellen Page), must get over her small-town misery. Her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) constantly pressures her to enter beauty pageants, but Bliss’ passion is the roller derby, which her mom doesn’t know. Will keeping this rolling secret from her parents make Bliss a happier person?

"The Invention of Lying"
Rated PG-13, dir. Ricky Gervais & Matthew Robinson
This film is a comedy set in a world where no one lies. Ever. Until one day, a writer (Ricky Gervais) realizes that lies can create personal gain. So, he experiments.

Eleni's Pick: I’m a huge fan of Ethan and Joel Coen, so I’ll be seeing “A Serious Man.”

CD RELEASES THIS WEEK

"La Roux"
La Roux
I LOVE LOVE LOVE La Roux. Ever since they made it on the Mercury Prize shortlist in July for their eponymous synthpop/techno debut album, I've been following their career with growing enthusiasm. Though they didn't win, the hype surrounding the award spread to their new album, then released only in the U.K. Now that it's out in America, I fully intend on buying it and playing it until the disk simply cracks from overuse. I highly recommend it.

"Celebration"
Madonna
It's finally happened. A Madonna greatest hits album. Oh, no wait, that already happened. Twice. So, the Queen of Pop is back, again (and again, and again), and I'm not too disappointed. I mean, sure, we've all heard these songs ad nauseam, but when it comes down to it, Madonna has been one of the defining voices of our generation. So if you've always wanted to get into her music, here's an easy way to do it. But, you know, nothing special.

"Jonas Sees in Color"
Jonas Sees in Color
I'll admit, I was solely interested in this band because of their name. I thought it was amusing. It turns out, though, that they actually have a fair amount of talent. With acoustic ballads very reminiscent of love-song-legend Dashboard Confessional, I have high hopes for their debut album. It will be cute, if naught else.

"Brand New Eyes"
Paramore
Well, then. This is uncomfortable. Usually I'm not hesitant to give an album a negative review, but for a band that had so much potential … ouch. This is almost painful in its misuse of singer Halley Williams' usually stellar voice, Rob Cavello's usually excellent production, and the alternative rock genre in general. In short, it's just bad. I don't know about you, but I most definitely do not intend on buying this.

Katy's Pick: La Roux, most definitely. With the possible exception of the upcoming Tegan and Sara album, this may well be the best release of the year. No joke. Buy it.

DVD RELEASES THIS WEEK

"Away We Go"
Rated R, dir. Sam Mendes
Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph), a longtime couple, are having a baby. Things are going pretty well with the pregnancy, until Burt’s parents (Catherine O'Hara, Jeff Daniels) move to Colorado to be closer to the future grandchild. With that, Burt and Verona set off to find a new place to avoid the prospective grandparents. This is the story of their road trip to find a new home. Dave Eggers (author of "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius") and his wife, Vendela Vida, co-wrote the screenplay.

"Monsters vs. Aliens"
Rated PG, dir. Conrad Vernon & Rob Letterman
In this animated film, Susan Murphy (voice of Reese Witherspoon) suddenly grows to be over 40 feet after a mysterious meteor shower on her wedding day. In awe, the U.S. military seeks out Susan and uses her as both a weapon and a study (she’s not hard to find). Susan is now Ginormica, and she is considered a monster along with creatures like a Ph.D.-toting insect (voice of Hugh Laurie). But when aliens invade Earth, these “monsters” will defend us from destruction.

"Management"
Rated R, dir. Stephen Belber
Sue (Jennifer Aniston) checks into a motel in Arizona where she receives a bottle of wine "compliments of Management." This gesture soon turns into a romance between two totally lost people.

"Shrink"
Rated R, dir. Jonas Pate
L.A.'s top celebrity psychiatrist (Kevin Spacey) is going out of his mind. He is completely disillusioned with his career and personal life. His life was his work, but how will these neurotic and needy Hollywood celebs save him?

Eleni's Pick: Since I saw the trailer of “Away We Go” in June, I’ve been dying to see it.

VIDEO GAME RELEASES THIS WEEK

"Spyborgs"
Bionic Games, developer / Capcom, publisher
Many people have trouble naming a good Wii game that isn’t made by Nintendo; this is a problem no longer. “Spyborgs” throws you into the pilot’s seat of a gigantic cyborg, battling alongside friends against hoards of creative enemies. The only problem is … well, not really anything. It’s fun, makes good use of the Wii’s unique capabilities, and all in all is a pretty good game. Seriously, it is a truly special Wii game if I cannot find a flaw in it. “Spyborgs” is available now for the Nintendo Wii and costs $39.99.

"East India Company"
Nitro Games, developer / Paradox Interactive, publisher
Every once in a while there is a truly spectacular game that takes a concept that nobody has ever thought of and does something amazing with it. This is what Paradox Interactive, the makers of “East India Company,” want you to believe they have created. In realty, it’s “Tradewinds” with better graphics. Similar to “Tradewinds,” you buy cargo at low prices, take it somewhere else, and sell it for more, making for a simple but addictive concept when combined with the ability to build your fleet, weapons, and other abilities. It was a fun way to waste two hours, but not a game I will be playing again any time soon. “East India Company” is available now for PC and costs $29.99.

"MySims Agents"
EA Redwood Shores, developer / Electronic Arts, publisher
Last in the list comes the newest disappointing game in the disappointing “MySims” series, “MySims Agents.” In this version you are a smaller, cuter James Bond, with none of the charm and all of the gadgets, interrogating and tracking your way to the answers. Though I have not had the displeasure of playing this game in particular, I have been a victim of the “MySims” series in the past, and my friends have told me that this one is “exhaustingly bad.” “MySims Agents” is available for Wii and costs $49.99.

Luke’s Pick: Not at all a hard choice. “Spyborgs” is what I will be playing this week, and possibly next week as well.

EVENTS IN C-U THIS WEEK

Pesotum House of Horrors
400 E. Madison St., Pesotum / Cost: $13
Hours: 6-11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in October
Week of Halloween: 6-11 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday
The town of Pesotum isn't exactly in C-U, but it's close enough for the Pesotum House of Horrors to warrant inclusion here. Yep, it's time to get ready for Halloween, and that means checking out the local haunted houses. The Pesotum version debuts Friday at 6 p.m. and will stay open until 11 each Friday and Saturday in October. During Halloween week, the house will also be open Wednesday and Thursday. It's located in the basement of the old St. Joseph's Church at the corner of Madison and Church. Minimum age for entry is 13 due to the horror-movie theme. More than 20 actors will perform in roles such as Freddy Krueger ("A Nightmare on Elm Street"), Leatherface ("The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"), Jason Voorhees ("Friday the 13th"), and Michael Myers ("Halloween").

Gargoyle Pick: This is a new haunted house, and it definitely sounds like a winner. Check out the Friday debut if you can make it.