Hot new movies in November: 'Twilight: New Moon,' '2012' and 'A Christmas Carol'

Courtesy PhotoRobert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, left, and Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan in "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."Vampires, Armageddon and humbug: Name something these three things have in common.
Usually, the correct answer is nothing. But this month they do.
All three will invade theaters in hotly anticipated films opening in November.
Perhaps none more so than "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" which, if you'll pardon the awful pun, has its fans all moony and howling for its arrival. The second chapter of the vampire/teen girl/werewolf love-triangle soap-opera saga -- which has turned Grand Rapids-born actor Taylor Lautner into a megastar -- debuts in less than three weeks, so the hype frenzy is beginning to reach its apex.
"Moon" almost certainly will join end-of-the-world action extravaganza "2012" and the latest version of "A Christmas Carol" at the top of the box office charts this month.
Here's what to expect from this blockbuster trio (and other flicks on the November schedule):
"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (PG-13)
The plot: In a nutshell, the sequel to "Twilight" finds teenager Bella's (Kristen Stewart) relationship with sparkly vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson) hitting the skids. Heartbroken, she turns to Jacob (Lautner) who turns out to be a shapeshifting wolf/boy. She sure can pick 'em, can't she?
The hype: It's deafening. The shrieking of the series' legion of female fans, that is. Some of this is fueled by the trailers and posters for the film, which have us believing that Lautner -- who had only three scenes in "Twilight" and has a much more substantial role here, physically and script-wise -- may be shirtless for most of the movie. Chris Weitz ("The Golden Compass") took over directing duties after Catherine Hardwicke helmed the first one. "Moon" is the second of four films in the franchise based on Stephenie Meyer's gazillion-selling series of novels. Expect "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" roughly a year from now.
Opening: Nov. 20

IF YOU GO

Coming soon to UICA Independent features opening in November at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, 41 Sheldon Blvd. SE (454-7000 or uica.org): "The Way We Get By" (not rated) -- Documentary about three senior citizens who, over the last six years, have greeted 1 million U.S. troops at a Maine airport. (Opens Friday) "Act of God" (not rated) -- Documentarian Jennifer Baichwal's metaphysical exploration of people who have been struck by lightning. (Nov. 13) "Big Fan" (R) -- Comedian Patton Oswalt directs and stars in this unsettling story about a troubled diehard New York Giants fan. (Nov. 20) "Found Footage Festival" -- Comedians Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher's national tour includes live comedy and a series of strange videos discovered in garage sales, thrift stores, etc. (7 p.m. Nov. 22 only)

"2012" (PG-13)
The plot: Some prognosticators believe the world will end in 2012. This does not bode well for Earth or its inhabitants, and the planet doth crumbleth.
The hype: Director Roland Emmerich has wrecked CGI landscapes before in "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Independence Day," but "2012" might be his largest-scale smiting of scenery yet. Somewhere amid the earthquakey carnage is an all-star cast, including John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Danny Glover, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor. One assumes the biggest names from this bunch will play the folks who survive the longest.
Opening: Nov. 13
"A Christmas Carol" (PG)
The plot: Charles Dickens, yada yada yada, Scrooge, etc. etc., humbug and Tiny Tim, you know. If you're not familiar with the classic story of a Christmas curmudgeon's comeuppance/change of heart by now ....
The hype: Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis uses his trademark motion-capture technique ("The Polar Express," "Beowulf") to turn Jim Carrey into several incarnations of Scrooge, not to mention the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future. Some have deemed Zemeckis' neo-realist animation style weird and creepy, but the results are admirable technical achievements. "Carol" will be presented on 2D, 3D and 3D IMAX screens -- quite possibly the only reason to see the umpteenth version of the same story. If it's even half as impressive as the 3D IMAX version of "Beowulf," it will be quite a spectacle.
Opening: Friday
Here's a look at the rest of the November schedule:
Opening Friday
"The Box" (PG-13) -- "Donnie Darko" director Richard Kelly's high-concept thriller about a couple (Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) faced with a strange moral conundrum via a box with a button. Pressing it would give them $1 million, but result in an unknown person's death.
"The Fourth Kind" (PG-13) -- Will Milla Jovovich be a convincing Alaska-based psychotherapist investigating alien abductions? Mmmmmaybe.
"Men Who Stare at Goats" (R) -- Off-the-rails comedy stars Ewan McGregor as a reporter tipped off by a psychic (George Clooney) who claims to work for a top-secret U.S. military unit. Also stars Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges.
"More Than a Game" (PG) -- Cameras were running when basketball star LeBron James was in high school, capturing his team's championship run for this doc.
Nov. 13
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" (PG) -- Wes Anderson ("The Royal Tenenbaums") tackles a different style and genre: Stop-motion animation, in an adaptation of Roald Dahl's kid's book about a sly fox facing off against a farmer. With the voices of George Clooney, Bill Murray.
"Pirate Radio" (R) -- Offbeat comedy stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a radio DJ in 1960s England who, facing censorship, broadcasts from a ship in the North Sea.
Nov. 20
"The Blind Side" (PG-13) -- Heartwarming drama about homeless African-American teen Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) taken in by a white couple (Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw), who foster his football career.
"Precious" (R) -- A gritty drama, highly acclaimed at the Toronto Film Festival. It's set in 1987 Harlem, about a 16-year-old African-American girl (Gabourey Sidibe) contending with illiteracy and a tyrannical mother (Mo'Nique).
"Planet 51" (PG-13) -- Cartoon flips the alien-invasion template: The green-skinned inhabitants of Planet 51 freak out when a human from outer space lands. With voices by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jessica Biel.
Nov. 25
"Ninja Assassin" (R) -- The title's pretty much self-explanatory, but I'll elaborate and say it's about a lone ninja who turns on his clan after he's betrayed.
"Old Dogs" (PG) -- Robin Williams is a sad-sack divorcee. John Travolta is a freewheeling bachelor. They're best buds. Add a set of twins to the equation, and you have instant wacky comedy.
"The Road" (R) -- Adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's haunting bestseller stars Viggo Mortensen as a man trying to keep himself and his son alive in a post-apocalyptic ruin.
Release date TBA
"Gentlemen Broncos" (PG-13) -- "Napoleon Dynamite" director Jared Hess helms this comedy about a teen sci-fi geek whose idea is stolen by a famous fantasy writer. With Jemaine Clement, Jennifer Coolidge.
"A Serious Man" (R) -- The Coen Bros.' highly eccentric tragicomedy is set in 1967, and about Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor contending with several life crises at once.


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