30 Cool Movies for the 2013 Holiday Season

Ender's Game

Release Date: November 1
Genre: Sci-fi Action
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This action-adventure adaptation of Orson Scott Card's sci-fi novel kicks off a month of big blockbusters in November. Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield and Hailee Steinfeld costar in this film about an unusually gifted child who is sent to an advanced military school to prepare for a future alien invasion. Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis and Abigail Breslin costar.
Free Birds

Release Date: November 1
Genre: Animation
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What if turkeys went back in time and changed things just enough so that we weren't carving them up for Thanksgiving feast? That's exactly what happens in this animated comedy featuring the voices of Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson. Amy Poehler, George Takei and Keith David also lend their voices to the family flick.
Dallas Buyers Club

Release Date: November 1
Genre: Drama
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Matthew McConaughey stars as real-life Texas cowboy, whose free-wheeling life was overturned in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV positive and given 30 days to live. Shunned by many of his friends, and bereft of government-approved effective medicines, he decides to take matters in his own hands, and established a hugely successful "buyers’ club."
Last Vegas

Release Date: November 1
Genre: Comedy
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Director John Turtletaub brings together four legendary actors for a wild weekend in Vegas. Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline costar in this comedy about 60-something friends who throw a bachelor party for their last remaining single pal. Mary Steenburgen and Jerry Ferrara costar.
Thor: The Dark World

Release Date: November 8
Genre: Action Adventure
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Marvel's latest "Phase Two" movie finds Thor trying to protect Jane Foster at all costs after she is targeted by baddies from Svartalfheim. In doing so, he teams up with his allies and his devious half-brother Loki. Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins, Zachary Levi, Benicio Del Toro and Jaimie Alexander star alongside Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth.
About Time

Release Date: November 8
Genre: Comedy
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Rachel McAdams continues her run through 2013 with this time-traveling comedy from Oscar-nominated director Richard Curtis. The film centers on a young man (Domhnall Gleeson) who discovers he can travel in time and change what happens in his own life. His decision to get a girlfriend proves more challenging than he thought. Bill Nighy costars.
The Book Thief

Release Date: November 8
Genre: Drama
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If this WWII drama based on Markus Zusak's novel takes off the way Fox hopes it will, we could be seeing a lot more of actress Sophie Nelisse. The film centers on her young character Liesel who finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with the Jewish refugee her parents are hiding. Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson costar.
The Best Man Holiday

Release Date: November 15
Genre: Comedy Drama
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Fourteen years after the first film arrived in theaters, old friends are getting back together in this romantic comedy starring Terrence Howard, Morris Chestnut, Sanaa Lathan, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall and Nia Long. The sequel reunites everyone during the Christmas holidays as long-forgotten rivalries and romances are reignited in this Malcom D. Lee film.
Nebraska

Release Date: November 15
Genre: Comedy Drama
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Alexander Payne is about as close to an Oscar lock as you can get. This year, the two-time Oscar winner brings us the tale of an aging alcoholic father taking a road trip with his estranged son in order to claim a million-dollar sweepstakes prize. Bruce Dern and Will Forte play the father-son duo.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Release Date: November 22
Genre: Drama
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Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson return for more Panem drama in the second installment of the Hunger Games franchise. Directed by Francis Lawrence, the film follows Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark's return home after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games but as the next game approaches there's a massive rebellion in the horizon.
Philomena

Release Date: November 27
Genre: Drama
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Anytime you put Judi Dench in a movie, you're more than likely going to get something special. Such is the case with this drama about a woman who is searching for her son and a world-weary journalist (Steve Coogan) who investigates her story. The film has been a hit on the festival circuit picking up wins in Toronto and Venice.
Delivery Man

Release Date: November 22
Genre: Comedy
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Vince Vaughn plays an underachieving loser who finds out he's fathered 533 children through anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years ago. Now he must decide if he wants to come forward when 142 of them file a lawsuit to reveal his identity. A pair of Marvel heroes, Chris Pratt and Cobie Smulders, costar.
Black Nativity

Release Date: November 27
Genre: Musical
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Seven years after her Oscar-winning performance in Dreamgirls, Jennifer Hudson returns to the big screen to belt out tunes in this adaptation of Langston Hughes' libretto. Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett and Mary J. Blige costar in this story about a street-wise teen from Baltimore who travels to New York.
Frozen

Release Date: November 27
Genre: Animation
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Disney Animation's latest feature film takes us to an icy kingdom that has been plunged into eternal winter. The newest Disney princess, Anna, teams up with a rugged mountaineer named Kristoff for an epic journey to break the wintery spell. Kristen Bell voices Anna with Alan Tudyk, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff costarring.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Release Date: November 27
Genre: Drama
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Idris Elba portrays civil rights leader and former South African president Nelson Mandela in this biopic which begins with Mandela's childhood and tracks his rise to international prominence. Elba has earned strong reviews for his performance in this film and there's no reason why he shouldn't be in the mix for year-end award consideration.
Oldboy

Release Date: November 27
Genre: Thriller
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Spike Lee raised a lot of eyebrows when he announced that he would remake Chan-wook Park's adaptation of the Nobuaki Minegish Japanese manga for American audiences. Fans of the first film will surely be looking forward to comparing the two versions. Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen and Samuel L. Jackson costar.
Homefront

Release Date: November 27
Genre: Action Thriller
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Jason Statham plays a DEA agent who moves his family to a quiet town only to soon be at odds with a local meth drug lord played by James Franco. Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth, Rachelle Lefevre and Frank Grillo costar.
Out of the Furnace

Release Date: December 6
Genre: Drama
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The last time Scott Cooper directed a film, it ended up winning a couple of Oscars, including a best actor trophy for Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. Now Cooper is back with an impressive cast of actors including Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker and Zoe Saldana. Furnace is one of those sleeper films that could make some noise come awards season.
Inside Llewyn Davis

Release Date: December 6
Genre: Drama
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Written and directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis follows a week in the life of a young folk singer looking to break into the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. Oscar Isaac takes on one of his biggest roles to date, which is loosely inspired by real folk musician Dave Van Ronk.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Release Date: December 13
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
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Get ready for the second leg of Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy which features dwarves in a barrel, Legolas and Tauriel and (finally) Benedict Cumberbatch supplying the Cumber-voice for the titular dragon, Smaug. How will Jackson use this second part to set up the finale due next summer?
A Madea Christmas

Release Date: December 13
Genre: Comedy
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Madea celebrating Christmas in the country... what could possible go wrong? Tyler Perry dons the wig, glasses and makeup once again for a Christmas movie unlike any other. Get ready to celebrate the holidays Madea style!
Saving Mr. Banks

Release Date: December 13
Genre: Comedy/Drama
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If you didn't get enough of Tom Hanks playing a real person in Captain Phillips then you're in luck. In Mr. Banks, Hanks portrays none other than Walt Disney himself as he tries to convince Emma Thompson's P.L. Travers to hand over the movie rights for Mary Poppins.
American Hustle

Release Date: December 13
Genre: Comedy/Drama
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If he doesn't pick up awards buzz from Out of the Furnace, there's always this David O. Russell film for Christian Bale. Costarring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner and Amy Adams, Hustle finds a con man and his partner being forced to rat out fellow criminals and a corrupt mayor.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Release Date: December 20
Genre: Comedy
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Ron Burgundy leaves the '70s behind him and returns to the anchor chair in the nation's first 24-hour channel. Joining Ron in his new gig is coanchor and wife Veronica Corningstone, weather man Brick Tamland, man on the street Brian Fantana and and sports guy Champ Kind. Stay classy, America.
Walking with Dinosaurs 3D

Release Date: December 20
Genre: Family/Animated
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The holidays are strangely void of holiday movies this year. Chances are kids will be itching to see a movie and this 3D adventure plunges them into the prehistoric world of dinosaurs.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Release Date: December 25
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
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Ben Stiller directs and stars as a constant daydreamer in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The film is based on a short story by James Thurber, which first appeared in The New Yorker in 1939. Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey, Owen Wilson, Mike Myers and Sacha Baron Cohen were all considered for the role of Walter Mitty.
August: Osage County

Release Date: December 25
Genre: Comedy, Drama
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Family reunions aren’t always peachy for the Westin family, who after years of going their separate ways reunite after a death in the family forcing them to confront their fears and past hurt. Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis and Julianne Nicholson star.
47 Ronin

Release Date: December 27
Genre: Fantasy/Action
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It has taken several years for this film to arrive in theaters, but alas, Keanu Reeves' rendition of this Japanese classic goes all-out on the big screen. Costarring Pacific Rim's Rinko Kikuchi and The Wolverine's Hiroyuki Sanada, this film promises to be one action-packed ride from start to finish!
The Wolf of Wall Street

Release Date: December 25
Genre: Drama
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One of the most anticipated films coming out later this year is Martin Scorsese’s latest project, The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Matthew McConaughey. The film is based on the real-life story of Jordan Belfort, a wealthy stockbroker living the high life until his life of corruption and crime bring him to his fall. This will be Scorsese's fifth collaboration with DiCaprio.
Grudge Match

Release Date: December 27
Genre: Fantasy/Action
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At one point or another, we've probably asked ourselves who would win in a match between Rocky Balboa and Jake LaMotta. Of course, enough decades have passed and both Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro are well into their Golden Years but for those who can't shake that nagging question, there's Grudge Match. Alan Arkin and Kevin Hart add comedic punch to this boxing comedy.
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