The weather outside might be getting colder, but the Oscar race is just warming up! Can you feel it? No? Maybe you should be seeing more movies (or, at the very least, spending more time skimming entertainment blogs)!

Obviously, the hot ticket this month is Mockingjay: Part 1, the third movie in the epic adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ game-changing YA trilogy, The Hunger Games. We last left Katniss (“I don’t remember there being a Katniss” - my dad) recovering from her second Games and distraught after learning that Peeta has been captured by the Capitol and her home, District 12, has been obliterated. The silver-ish lining: The rumored rebel district, District 13, exists, and its leaders are eager to recruit a reluctant Katniss for their cause. Don’t hold your breath waiting for our heroine to catch a break. Let's just say relief in Panem lasts shorter than a J. Law-Chris Martin romance.

Speaking of the Oscars, this month’s Foxcatcher is supposedly packed fuller than Channing Tatum’s unitard with award-worthy performances. Based on Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz’s memoir of the same name, the movie stars Tatum as the athlete hungry for Olympic glory and Steve Carell (playing shockingly against-type) as the crazy millionaire who sponsors Schultz. And if you can’t get enough of character-driven Oscar bait, Eddie Redmayne’s stunning performance as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything is a can’t-miss.

Comic book lovers can continue to stay home and watch the many comic-to-TV adaptations this month --- including the CW’s “Arrow” and “The Flash.” If you’ve had just about enough of men in tights already, HBO aired an adaptation of Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer Prize-winning OLIVE KITTERIDGE in early November. The four-part miniseries received rave reviews from critics, which isn’t surprising considering the ever-reliable Frances McDormand was cast as the titular character. And don’t worry if you missed it; I’m sure you know someone whose HBOGo password you can “borrow.”

During this month of thanksgiving, let’s give thanks for all the amazing books on screen we have to fill our days with meaning and things to do. Enjoy!
 

--- Written and compiled by Emily Hoenig

In Theaters:

Big Hero 6
Cast: Voices of Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr.
Director: Don Hall and Chris Williams
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: November 7th
Based On: Marvel comic characters by Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau

With all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Big Hero 6 is an action-packed comedy-adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius-thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion --- a robot named Baymax --- and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery. 

The Homesman
Cast: Hilary Swank, Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones
Director: Tommy Lee Jones
Distributor: Roadside Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: November 7th
Based On: THE HOMESMAN by Glendon Swarthout

When three women living on the edge of the American frontier are driven mad by harsh pioneer life, the task of saving them falls to the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy. Transporting the women by covered wagon to Iowa, she soon realizes just how daunting the journey will be, and employs a low-life drifter, George Briggs, to join her. The unlikely pair and the three women head east, where a waiting minister and his wife have offered to take the women in. But the group first must traverse the harsh Nebraska Territories marked by stark beauty, psychological peril and constant threat.

Mr. Pip
Cast: Hugh Laurie, Kerry Fox, Eka Darville
Director: Andrew Adamson
Distributor: Focus Features
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 7th (limited)
Based on: MISTER PIP by Lloyd Jones

Mr. Watts is the last Englishman remaining in a tropical village in Bougainville during its civil war in the 1990s. He begins to teach the local children by reading them GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Charles Dickens. Matilda, an imaginative young girl, is transported into the story of the novel, believing that Dickens' character Pip is her friend. Matilda's "Pip" world is an extraordinary fusion of Dickens' Victorian London with the environment and people she knows on the island. This wildly imaginative hybrid place is set alongside the film's unflinching portrayal of the horrors of war. Matilda's passion for storytelling brings terror to the village when Pip's identity is misunderstood by the invading army. Ultimately, her courage and imagination must sustain her if she is to survive.

The Theory of Everything
Cast: Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Emily Watson
Director: James Marsh
Distributor: Focus Features
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 7th
Based on: TRAVELING TO INFINITY: My Life With Stephen by Alma Books

The Theory of Everything is the extraordinary story of one of the world's greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Once a healthy, active young man, Hawking received an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age. With Jane fighting tirelessly by his side, Stephen embarks on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the very thing he now has precious little of --- time. Together, they defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science and achieving more than they could ever have dreamed.

Rosewater
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jason Jones
Director: Jon Stewart
Distributor: Open Road Films
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Release Date: November 14th (limited)
Based on: THEN THEY CAME FOR ME by Maziar Bahari

Rosewater follows the Tehran-born Bahari, a broadcast journalist with Canadian citizenship. In June 2009, Bahari returned to Iran to interview Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who was the prime challenger to president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. As Mousavi's supporters rose up to protest Ahmadinejad's victory declaration hours before the polls closed, Bahari endured personal risk by sending footage of the street riots to the BBC. Bahari was arrested by police, led by a man identifying himself only as "Rosewater," who tortured and interrogated him over the next 118 days. With Bahari's wife leading an international campaign to have her husband freed, and Western media outlets keeping the story alive, Iranian authorities released Bahari on $300,000 bail and the promise he would act as a spy for the government.

Foxcatcher
Cast: Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Steve Carell
Director: Bennett Miller
Distributor: Sony Classics
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: November 14th
Based On: FOXCATCHER by Mark Schultz and David Thomas

Foxcatcher tells the story of Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz, who sees a way out from the shadow of his more celebrated wrestling brother Dave and a life of poverty when he is summoned by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont to move onto his estate and train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Desperate to gain the respect of his disapproving mother, du Pont begins "coaching" a world-class athletic team and, in the process, lures Mark into dangerous habits, breaks his confidence and drives him into a self-destructive spiral. Based on actual events, FOXCATCHER is a gripping and profoundly American story of fragile men who pinned their hopes for love and redemption on a desperate obsession for greatness that was to end in tragedy.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Sam Claflin, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland
Director: Francis Lawrence
Distributor: Lionsgate Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 21st
Based On: MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins

The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage.

The Imitation Game
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode
Director: Morten Tyldum
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: November 28th
Based On: ALAN TURING: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges

In The Imitation Game, Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. Turing went on to assist with the development of computers at the University of Manchester after the war, but was prosecuted by the UK government in 1952 for homosexual acts, which the country deemed illegal.

On TV:

“Olive Kitteridge”
Cast: Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, Bill Murray
Network: HBO
Air Dates: Parts 1 and 2: Sunday, November 2nd at 9pm ET; Parts 3 and 4: Monday, November 3rd at 9pm ET
Based On: OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout

HBO’s “Olive Kitteridge” is an adaptation of Elizabeth Strout's Pultizer Prize-winning novel about life in a small Maine town over the course of 25 years as seen through the eyes of Olive Kitteridge, a surly math teacher who is married to the local pharmacist.

"Homeland"
Cast: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Rupert Friend
Network: Showtime
Air Dates: Premieres October 5th, Sundays at 9pm ET
Based On: SAUL'S GAME by Andrew Kaplan

“Homeland” is an edge-of-your-seat sensation. CIA officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is tops in her field despite being bipolar, which makes her volatile and unpredictable. With the help of her long-time mentor Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin), Carrie fearlessly risks everything, including her personal well-being and even sanity, at every turn. You won't be able to turn away from this gripping, emotional thriller in which nothing short of the fate of our nation is at stake.

“Sleepy Hollow”
Cast: Tom Milson, Nicole Beharie, Orlando Jones
Network: Fox
Series Premiere: September 16^th
Based On: THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW AND OTHER STORIES by Washington Irving

Ichabod Crane, the character from Washington Irving’s famed short story on which “Sleepy Hollow” is based, “dies” during a mission for General George Washington. But after his death, Crane (along with the Headless Horseman) travels in time from the year 1706 to 2040. The Horseman begins his nightly killing spree, but soon learns how to incorporate modern weaponry and becomes a threat not only to the village of Sleepy Hollow, but possibly to the whole world. With the help of newly appointed sheriff Abbie Mills, Crane must stop the Headless Horseman from endangering mankind and also adjust to the modern time period.

“The Vampire Diaries”
Cast: Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Steven R. McQueen, Kat Graham, Candice Accola
Network: The CW
Air Dates:Thursdays at 8pm ET
Based On: The Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith

Months after this devastating tragedy, everyone is dealing with the loss of their loved ones in different ways, some more destructively than others. What happened to Bonnie and Damon, and if they can even be saved, remains a mystery. Meanwhile, their beloved hometown of Mystic Falls continues to be a magic-free zone, protected by a mysterious new community watch program. If there’s any hope of salvaging their former lives, our heroes must find a way to push through their grief and band together. This season will explore themes of loss, denial and what it means to move on in the face of immortality, ultimately begging the age-old question --- can you ever really go home again?
 

“The Flash”
Cast: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Rick Cosnett, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh, Jessie L. Martin
Network: The CW
Air Dates: Tuesdays at 8pm ET
Based On: The Flash: DC Comics character created by Robert Kanigher, John Broome and Carmine Infantino

“The Flash” follows the adventures of scientist Barry Allen, who is a superhero with incredible speed.

“Arrow”
Cast: Stephen Amell, Colin Donnell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Willa Holland, Susanna Thompson, Paul Blackthorne
Network: The CW
Air Dates: Wednesdays at 8pm ET
Based On: DC Comics character Green Arrow created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp

After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he's become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow --- a vigilante --- to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society and restore Starling City to its former glory. By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be --- flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle --- while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness. However, Laurel's father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver's own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on --- and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine.

“Constantine”
Cast: Harold Perrineau, Charles Halford
Network: NBC
Air Dates: Fridays at 10pm ET
Based On:T he Hellblazer series from DC Comics

Based on the wildly popular comic book series Hellblazer from DC Comics, seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult John Constantine (Matt Ryan, "Criminal Minds") is armed with a ferocious knowledge of the dark arts and a wickedly naughty wit. He fights the good fight --- or at least he did. With his soul already damned to hell, he's decided to abandon his campaign against evil until a series of events thrusts him back into the fray, and he'll do whatever it takes to protect the innocent. With the balance of good and evil on the line,Constantine will use his skills to travel the country, find the supernatural terrors that threaten our world and send them back where they belong. After that, who knows...maybe there's hope for him and his soul after all.

On DVD:

The Christmas Candle
Cast: Susan Boyle, Hans Matheson
Director: John Stephenson
Distributor: EchoLight Studios
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: November 4th
Based On: THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE by Max Lucado

In the fictional village of Gladbury, every 25 years an angel visits the candlemaker and bestows a miracle upon whomever lights the Christmas Candle. However, shortly after the arrival of a new pastor, David Richmond in 1890, the Christmas Candle goes missing.

Mood Indigo
Cast: Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou
Director: Michel Gondry
Distributor: StudioCanal
MPAA: PG-13
Release Date: November 11th
Based On: FROTH ON THE DAYDREAM (MOOD INDIGO: A Novel) by Boris Vian

A story set in Paris about two newlyweds, Chloe and Colin, whose whirlwind courtship is tested when an unusual illness plagues Chloe; a flower begins to grow in her lungs.

If I Stay
Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos, Jamie Blackley
Director: R.J. Cutler
Distributor: Warner Bros.
MPAA: PG-13
Release Date: November 18th
Based On: IF I STAY by Gayle Forman

Mia Hall thought the hardest decision she would ever face would be whether to pursue her musical dreams at Juilliard or follow a different path to be with the love of her life, Adam. But what should have been a carefree family drive changes everything in an instant, and now her own life hangs in the balance. Caught between life and death for one revealing day, Mia has only one decision left, which will not only decide her future but her ultimate fate.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson
Director: Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez
Distributor: Dimension Films
MPAA: R
Release Date: November 18th
Based On: SIN CITY 2: A Dame to Kill For by Frank Miller

In Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Dwight is hunted down by the only woman he ever loved, Ava Lord, and then watches his life go straight to hell. Chronologically, this story takes place prior to “The Big Fat Kill” (featured in the original Sin City) and explains how Dwight came to have a dramatically different face.

The Wind Rises
Cast: Voices of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Stanley Tucci, Darren Criss
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
MPAA: PG
Release Date: November 18th
Based On: Tatsuo Hori’s short story, “The Wind Has Risen”

Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the world’s most innovative and accomplished airplane designers. The film chronicles much of his life, depicting key historical events, including the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, the tuberculosis epidemic and Japan’s plunge into war. In sum, an epic tale of love, perseverance and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world.