Upcoming Releases — November

We're into November, which means that we're starting to get some of the deeper films that will be competing for Academy Awards, such as the Steven Spielberg biopic "Lincoln."

Friday, November 2:
Flight — This film marks Robert Zemeckis' return to live-action films. It stars Denzel Washington and looks to have a pretty power house story. In a weekend otherwise filled with kids fare and action eye candy, this is a more serious entry.

Man With The Iron Fists — Produced by Quentin Tarantino and written by RZA of the Wu Tang Clan and Eli Roth, you can expect plenty of violence and stylized action with this film. The presence of Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu adds a little gravitas, but this feels like a pretty graphic action film.

Wreck It Ralph — This is the big animated feature for the month, and one Disney has been pushing hard. It has an interesting concept, good voice actors, and should be a big family draw this month.

Friday, November 9:
Skyfall — This is the latest James Bond film featuring Daniel Craig. Craig has sizzled as Bond in two outings so far, and the trailers for this film — directed by Sam Mendes ("American Beauty") — look incredible.

Lincoln — I wasn't wild about Spielberg's last pairing with writer Tony Kushner — "Munich." However, this film looks incredible. The trailer has been moving, and the cast is great. Daniel Day Lewis is one of the finest actors working, and he looks to have really nailed this part.

Friday, November 16:
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 — All good things must come to an end. After half a decade and four other films, the end is finally here for "Twilight." It's time to see how the love affair ends for Edward and Bella.

Anna Karenina — This film reunites director Joe Wright and star Keira Knightly, who previously teamed for "Atonement" and "Pride and Prejudice." This film looks like a similarly well-crafted take on a famous piece of literature. It has a strong cast and solid period feel.

Wednesday, November 21:
Red Dawn — A re-make of the 1980s teen film that featured the Russians invading North America. This time it's North Korea, but it doesn't feel any more believable. That being said, the trailer makes it look like a lot of fun.

Life of Pi — This is a think piece based on the famous novel. Ang Lee is great at offering deeply emotional films, and this one looks to have some stunning visuals. Hard to tell how it will be to sit through, but it will doubtless be beautiful.

Rise of the Guardians — This animated feature is a fun take on the legends of the holidays, including Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Another family-friendly film aimed to capitalize on the holiday weekend.

The Silver Linings Playbook — This is supposed to be one of the best films of the year. The trailer looks great, and David O Russell has a history of offering fun, quirky films in this vein. The cast looks great, led by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

Hitchcock — This is the second biopic released in as many months that features a behind the scenes look at the master, Alfred Hitchcock, while working on a classic film. This time the film is "Psycho," and the cast includes Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, and Scarlett Johansson. It looks like a fun, interesting take on the story behind the story.

Friday, November 30:
Killing Them Softly — This Brad Pitt film about criminals gone bad looks like it could be humorous as well as action-packed. Moved back from its original release date, it's found a soft spot to land alone at the end of November.