Holiday Movies Preview

Mina Hochberg - amNew York

The next six weeks mark the final stretch of the fall/winter movie season, and what a dense six weeks it will be.

The lineup is just as exciting for its directing talent (Tim Burton, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen, P.T. Anderson) as it is for its predicted blockbusters ("The Golden Compass," "I Am Legend") and stars (Johnny Depp, Nicole Kidman, Will Smith and a double dose of Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Here's a taste of what's to come.

The Mist
A group of survivors gets trapped in a supermarket when a deadly mist takes over their town. Based on the Stephen King novella. (Nov. 21)

I'm Not There
In this unusual biopic, Bob Dylan is personified by seven different characters played by a cast that includes Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and Cate Blanchett. (Nov. 21)

Enchanted
This twist on fairy tales throws a princess from the past into modern-day New York City. Stars Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. (Nov. 21)

August Rush
A musically gifted orphan hunts down his musically gifted parents, who met on a magical (literally, it seems) night in New York City. Stars Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. (Nov. 21)

The Savages
A wry family drama about a grown son and daughter who are forced to, for once, care about someone other than themselves after their father develops dementia. Stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney. (Nov. 28)

The Diving Bell & the Butterfly
The true story of an Elle magazine editor who was paralyzed throughout his body after suffering a stroke. Based on a book that the editor wrote by blinking his left eye. (Nov. 30)

Juno
In this follow-up to his likeable debut film "Thank You For Smoking," Jason Reitman explores the trials of a teenage girl dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. Stars Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner. (Dec. 5)

The Golden Compass
Adapted from the first book in Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, this is the fantasy epic of the season. A 12-year-old girl tries to save her friend in a world of talking bears and witches. Stars Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. (Dec. 7)

Atonement
A 13-year-old girl accuses her sister's lover of a crime he didn't commit, then spends her life living with the lie. A British romance from the director of "Pride & Prejudice." Stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. (Dec. 7)

The Walker
A popular Beltway escort who keeps D.C. socialites company while their high-powered husbands are busy becomes involved in a murder scandal with one of his clients. Directed by Paul Schrader ("American Gigolo"). Stars Woody Harrelson and Kristin Scott Thomas. (Dec. 7)

The Band's Visit
Israel's Oscar entry for Best Foreign Film follows the adventures of an Arab military police band that's supposed to perform a traditional Arab music concert in Israel. Let the tension begin. (Dec. 7)

Nanking
When the Japanese attacked Nanking, China, at the start of World War II, a band of Westerners designated a Safety Zone for refugees. This documentary captures the heroism of their feat. (Dec. 12)

I Am Legend
Will Smith stars in this fix for apocalypse junkies, about a virus that has wiped out most of the world population. Check out the Brooklyn Bridge evacuation scene, which cost a reported $5 million (at least) to shoot during that six-night bridge closure back in January. (Dec. 14)

Youth Without Youth
After a 10-year hiatus, Francis Ford Coppola returns with this sweeping story about a professor whose age reverses after a natural disaster. Set on the brink of World War II, the film casts the scholar as a fugitive roaming from country to country. (Dec. 14)

The Kite Runner
Based on the best-selling novel by Khaled Hosseini, "The Kite Runner" centers on two Afghani friends growing up amid their country's tumultuous times. (Dec. 14)

Alvin and the Chipmunks
The '80s cartoon sensations are back, this time in CGI: Alvin, Simon, Theodore and their human manager, David. Stars Jason Lee. (Dec. 14)

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sure to be a visual treat, Tim Burton's adaptation of the Broadway musical stars Johnny Depp as the barber who exacts revenge on the men who've wronged him. Also stars Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen. (Dec. 21)

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
A biopic parody about a partying rock star who's slept with 411 women and has 22 kids. Stars John C. Reilly and Jenna Fischer. (Dec. 21)

P.S. I Love You
A grieving wife starts receiving letters from her dead husband, urging her to seek new adventures in life. (No, it's not a ghost story. Her husband was a careful planner.) Stars Hilary Swank, Kathy Bates, Gina Gershon and Lisa Kudrow. (Dec. 21)

Steep
A documentary about big mountain skiing, with interviews from the top derring-doers of the sport. Narrated by Peter Krause. (Dec. 21)

National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Nicolas Cage is off hunting for treasures again, this time to defend an ancestor's reputation. (Dec. 21)

The Bucket List
Two hospital roommates compile a list of things they'd like to do before they "kick the bucket." Road trip! Stars Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. (Dec. 25)

Charlie Wilson's War
Mike Nichols directs this true story about an unlikely trio -- a playboy congressman, CIA agent and a socialite -- that contributes to the fall of the Soviet Union. Stars Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman. (Dec. 25)

Persepolis
In this animated, coming-of-age story, a young girl comes to terms with her Iranian identity and whether she can suffer her society's many restrictions. Based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical comic book. (Dec. 25)

Aliens vs. Predator -- Requiem
Aliens, meet Predator. Predator, meet Aliens. (Dec. 25)

The Great Debaters
Based on a true story about a debate coach who whips up a top-notch team at an African-American college, leading them to a showdown with the prestigious fast-talkers of Harvard. Stars Denzel Washington (who also directed) and Forest Whitaker. (Dec. 25)

Honeydripper
A dying music lounge in rural Alabama banks on a famous guitar player to revive it. When the player never shows up, the owner tries to pass off an unknown strummer as the famed Guitar Sam. Stars Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton. (Dec. 28)

Cassandra's Dream
Woody Allen gives Scarlett Johansson a break and takes to male muses in his new project, a thriller about two brothers in financial straits. Stars Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell. (Dec. 28)

There Will Be Blood
Paul Thomas Anderson directs this adaptation of Upton Sinclair's "Oil!" about a self-made oil tycoon who strikes gold in a sleepy, oil-rich California town at the turn of the century. Corruption ensues. Stars Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Dano. (Dec. 28)

The Orphanage
A woman gets caught up in a supernatural nightmare when she visits her childhood home. Produced by Guillermo Del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth"). (Dec. 28)

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