November 2012 Movie Preview Trailers and nutshells of the month’s new movies

Fans of blockbusters, put your hands over your eyes for the next sentence. It’s the heart of Oscar season, dominated by biopics, book adaptations, and brainy dramas. But it’s also a time for 007, kung-fu collabos, and Denzel doing anything.

Familiarize yourself with the movies making their way to theaters this month in our rapid-fire roundup, and get ready to fire up your Fandango finger now!

_{FOR HISTORY NERDS}
LINCOLN
Release Date: Friday, November 9

A frankenmovie of Oscar-friendly ingredients. Let’s go down the list: one seriously prolific director (Steven Spielberg), one seriously beloved historical figure (Honest Abe), and one serious-as-cancer actor (Daniel Day-Lewis) in the title role. Throw Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and a crap-ton more into the supporting cast -- ’sup, Lane! -- and this is your talkie to beat.

HITCHCOCK
Release Date: Friday, November 23

For those who are really into the rotund master of suspense, this is your year. First HBO aired The Girl, and this month your local picture house will run Hitchcock, chronicling Hitch’s filming of Psycho in 1960. Anthony Hopkins plays Hitchcock and Helen Mirren is his wife, Alma Reville, but it’s the prospect of Scarlett Johansson (as Janet Leigh) getting naked for the infamous shower scene that may arouse the most interest.

_{FOR DRUNK PILOTS}
FLIGHT
Release Date: Friday, November 2

After having mastered runaway trains, Denzel Washington takes to the skies for this drama about a pilot who impossibly lands a crashing commercial jet... because he got wastey-faced the night before. Will he go to jail? Should he go to jail? Flight has a lot of questions, and also the first ever use of “Gimme Shelter” in a movie, so get excited, people.

_{FOR PEOPLE WHO READ A LOT}
THE LIFE OF PI
Release Date: Friday, November 23

If you see one movie about a dude named Pi trying to survive in a lifeboat with a tiger named Richard Parker, make it this one. Based on the book by Yann Martel, Life of Pi looks like it’ll have stunning visuals aplenty, as well as an inspirational message about the human spirit or whatever.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Release Date: Friday, November 23

The book of the same name by Matthew Quick came and went without much buzz. But it apparently had a fan in The Fighter director David O. Russell, who called up Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence and made a movie of it. Plus, if advance word is to believed, Robert De Niro is at his best since that intangible point in the ‘90s when he stopped trying.

KILLING THEM SOFTLY
Release Date: Friday, November 30

After being pushed back two months, Brad Pitt’s New Orleans-set crime epic is coming to theaters. Based on the 1974 book Cogan’s Trade, this is the second collaboration between Pitt and director Andrew Dominik after The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford four years ago. So if you saw that, the 10 of you should mark your calendars for this one now.

_{FOR THE BLOODTHIRSTY}
THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS
Release Date: Friday, November 2

Presented by Quentin Tarantino, co-written by Eli Roth, and directed by the man who once threatened if you turn the other cheek to “break your f*ckin’ chin”, this kung-fu flick has more engineers of violence behind it than Raytheon. The Man With the Iron Fists follows a man called The Blacksmith (RZA) who must join forces with fellow warriors to protect his village. Bets on how many gallons of blood are spilled in the opening minute start... now.

SKYFALL
Release Date: Friday, November 9

Bond is back, and he’s accompanied by his usual supply of sexy, dangerous women and spy action. Do you really need more summary?

_{FOR THOSE WHO KNOW WHAT AN ARCADE IS}
WRECK-IT RALPH
Release Date: Friday, November 2

Preying on your middle school nostalgia for Super Mario Bros. this month is Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph, an animated movie about an arcade game villain who rebels against his role and attempts to be the hero. Many funny people and Skrillex (yes, really) lend their voices.