Coming Soon — November

With October practically in our rearview mirror, it's time to look at the new movies headed our way in the month of November.

Friday, Nov. 4

Tower Heist — The trailer for this looks OK, but the film hasn't even been released yet and I'm tired of seeing it... Ben Stiller, Matthew Broderick, Eddie Murphy, and Alan Alda headline the cast, but reportedly many, many writers worked on the script. That's never a good sign. Also not a good sign — Brett Ratner directed this film. My guess is we may have seen the funniest moments of the film in the trailer.

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas — When "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" came out, I thought it was a novel, funny film. Their second trip — to Guantanamo Bay — was less amusing and far more crass. Hard to imagine they will have toned it down any for this third and (hopefully) final installment, which is also in 3D. Christmas comes early... or maybe it doesn't.

Son of No One — It's an action/drama starring Channing Tatum and Al Pacino. That really says it all right there. We aren't exactly in the "Godfather" zone for Pacino and this time he's opposite Tatum. Unintentional comedy will ensue.

Friday, Nov. 11

J. Edgar — And finally we have a real November release. Just when you're about to despair, given the releases the last three weeks of October and first week of November, Clint Eastwood offers a biopic of J. Edgar Hoover starring Leonardo DiCaprio. I smell nominations and some cinematic quality.

Immortals — This film — from the producers of "300" — boasts an all-too-familiar cinematic style. It will likely be big, epic, and violent. It has a decent cast — though it's hard to take Mickey Rourke seriously in the trailer. This film could be a fun action escape, but it could also be about as good as "Clash of the Titans"...

Jack and Jill — And here we see Adam Sandler hit rock bottom. This film features him — as a version of himself and as his twin sister — alongside Katie Holmes and Al Pacino. Yes, it's a big month for Pacino... and that's not a good thing. This looks like an early contender for Worst Picture of the Year at the Razzies, but that's about all it will be good for. If you miss Sandler, pop in your copy of "The Wedding Singer" and stay at home.

Friday, Nov. 18

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Pt. 1 — The "Twilight" saga continues... This is the fourth film in the series, and it features the long-awaited union of Bella and Edward as well as... yawn I just fell asleep mid-sentence. "Twilight" is not aimed at me, but I have seen all of them. I do want to see how it ends. After this much time, you've gotta know, right? Plus, as a bonus, the Galaxy is air in the film in the VIP Lounge!

Happy Feet Two — A second helping of dancing penguins! Who doesn't love a cute little penguin, even an animated penguins. This movie will be deep as a puddle, but it will be fun for audiences of all ages!

The Descendants — A second fall helping of George Clooney. Alexander Payne ("About Schmidt," "Sideways") is back with another film that will likely be a blend of humor and drama. This could be some fun Oscar bait.

Wednesday, Nov. 23

The Muppets Movie — Jason Segel has always been a big Muppets fan, but then again aren't we all. I can't wait to see what he and Amy Adams do with this new Muppet movie, out just in time for family gatherings over Thanksgiving.

Hugo — Martin Scorsese offers a film that's meant for the whole family. I'm skeptical. The trailers look OK, but it's hard to get a beat on this film. It could be entertaining. It could be weird. It could be both or neither. Only time will tell.

A Dangerous Method — This movie looks really creepy. Viggo Mortensen, Kiera Knightly and Michael Fassbender team for this odd film from director David Cronenberg ("A History of Violence," "Eastern Promises"). This will be well-done, but it will also probably be a bit on the creepy side.

Arthur Christmas — Another Christmas-themed cartoon. Should be good times for the wee ones, out just in time for the holidays. It will have to do a lot to compete with the penguins of "Happy Feet Two" and "The Muppets Movie."

The Artist — This black-and-white film was a Cannes Festival darling. It is likely to be a big contender come Academy Award time too. It's a silent film that is a throwback to classic filmmaking, which makes it a rare treat in this era of 3D and special effects.