Imagine yourself sitting down to a huge Thanksgiving dinner. Only, instead of being at the table in Grandma's dining room, your seat isin a darkened auditorium at the mall. Instead of serving a meal, the host is projecting images onto an enormous flat screen.

That's right, the holiday moviegoing season is here. There are so many movies coming up in October, November and December that it's a like a smorgasbord of cinema. If your brain wore a belt to hold up its pants, then you'd have to let it out three or four notches by New Year's Day.

There's no need, however, to make time in your schedule for regular meetings at Weight Watchers. Simply use the Daily Herald Holiday Movie Preview to prioritize your intake of films. Don't get stuck standing underneath the marquee and wondering who's in "The Day the Earth Stood Still," or what "Seven Pounds" is about -- know before you go.

This year's preview comes in three sections, or perhaps "helpings" would be a better word:

The Main Course is a delectable breakdown of the season's 15 biggest blockbusters.

My Dinner with Oscar considers 20 films that are prime contenders for the fast-approaching 81st Annual Academy Awards.

Leftovers is a morning-after sampling of 25 (!!) additional flicks.

Make your own list, check it twice and we'll see you at the movies.

Note: All release dates listed are subject to change. Where available, each film's MPAA rating has been included.

The Main Course

Ready to dig in? We've divided the largest of the large into four food groups to give you an idea, in descending order, of each blockbuster's relative bigness (and maybe just a hint of flabor.

The Bird

"Twilight"

(Nov. 21, Summit)

Brigham Young University graduate Stephenie Meyer shot to literary fame with her novel about the torrid romantic relationship between a gorgeous immortal vampire and a doe-eyed underage "brain." Their swoony intimacy would definitely violate the BYU Honor Code, but that hasn't stopped Edward (to be played in the movie by British actor Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) from becoming heroes to millions of teenage girls. (PG-13)

"Quantum of Solace"

(Nov. 14, Sony)

Some fans pitched a fit when movie producers decided to go "blond on Bond," in "Casino Royale," removing Irish actor Pierce Brosnan from the role of the world's most famous (fictional) British superspy and replacing him with sandy-haired Daniel Craig. Craig's physicality and emotional intensity gave James Bond a hard edge, however, and his second appearance as newly volatile 007 is shaping up as one of the biggest action-movie events of the year. (PG-13)

"High School Musical 3: Senior Year"

(Oct. 24, Buena Vista)

After the first two "High School Musical" movies (filmed, like the newest one, in Utah) were phenomenally popular on cable's Disney Channel, someone finally said, "Holy cow, we could make piles of dough charging people to see this stuff in theaters and then play it endlessly on TV!" Enjoy the new sensation while it lasts: It's been widely speculated that series stars (and real-life sweethearts) Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens won't be back for a fourth "Musical" movie. (G)

"The Day the Earth Stood Still"

(Dec. 12, 20th Century Fox)

We've always sort of suspected that Keanu Reeves was from outer space. In this flashy remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic, Reeves is Klaatu, a benign extraterrestrial visitor who, accompanied by a massive robot, creates a panic by parking his enormous flying saucer near Washington, D.C., and dispensing to humankind a message of goodwill and brotherhood. There's nothing like a peaceable spaceman to cause panic in the streets.

Potatoes and Gravy

"Body of Lies"

(Oct. 10, Warner Bros.)

One man keeps America safe from terrorist slimeballs -- and it's not even Jack Bauer -- but who's looking out for that guy? Crack CIA operative Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) thinks he knows the twisted rules of spy games, but what if Ferris's agency handler, Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe), is making up those rules as he goes along? (R)

"Bolt"

(Nov. 21, Buena Vista)

Disney recruited John Travolta and Miley Cyrus for this animated tale of a sly superpup whose acrobatic might and quick thinking can thwart the plans of villains large and small. It's all in the name of showbiz, however, a discovery that makes life decidedly more challenging for the deluded doggie after he inadvertently escapes from the set of his popular TV show.

"Seven Pounds"

(Dec. 19, Sony)

Will Smith plays a man who tries to redeem a personal tragedy by making a difference in the lives of seven strangers. Smith's Midas touch ticket sales are unparalleled, but he's likely angling for a different sort of gold (the Oscar sort) in his second film, after "The Pursuit of Happyness," for director Gabriele Muccino.

"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa"

(Nov. 7, DreamWorks/ Paramount)

City-bred Central Park Zoo pals Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) and Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock) are still adjusting to life in the wild in the sequel to 2005 blockbuster "Madagascar." Also back for more jungle shenanigans are Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett-Smith), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and lemur friends Julien (Sacha Baron-Cohen) and Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer). (PG)

Stuffing and Rolls

"Bedtime Stories"

(Dec. 25, Buena Vista)

You know what they say about telling stories to the kids before bed: Be careful what kind of crazy stuff you're putting out there, because what if it starts to actually come true?! Oh, and this is Adam Sandler's first film for Disney, so check the calendar -- Armageddon should be any day now.

"Four Christmases"

(Nov. 26, Warner Bros.)

Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn are husband and wife in this tale of holiday hijinks. The happy couple enjoy avoiding their extended families at Christmas -- including his parents and hers, both pairs of whom are divorced -- but you can only pull off the ol' "We both have to work" shenanigan for so many years in a row.

"Yes Man"

(Dec. 19, Warner Bros.)

Jim Carrey -- Remember Jim Carrey? -- plays a sour-tempered sort who embarks on a mission to purge himself of negativity and broaden his horizons by saying, "Yes," to anything anyone asks him for one whole year. Based on the memoir of British humorist Danny Wallace.

"Marley & Me"

(Dec. 25, 20th Century Fox)

Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston are the stars of another memoir-inspired movie, this one about the relationship between American essayist John Grogan and his incorrigibly free-spirited Labrador Retriever, Marley. Marketers chose to suggest this background to moviegoers with a baffling trailer in which Marley runs along a beach to the strains of the famous, frequently mocked main theme from "Chariots of Fire."

The Relish Tray

"Australia"

(Nov. 26, 20th Century Fox) Famous Australian actors Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and famous Australian director Baz Lurhmann join forces for a sprawling musical adventure story about the unlikely romantic relationship between an outback cowpoke and a British aristocrat during World War II in New Zeal -- no, no, in Australia, of course. Now, if only they could get Mel Gibson involved somehow.

"The Spirit"

(Dec. 25, Lionsgate) A detective wears a mask and fights crime in this animation/live action adaptation of the mildly noir-ish classic Sunday comic strip created by Will Eisner. Frank Miller, creator of the radically more hard-boiled "Sin City" series of graphic novels, wrote and directed the new movie, with little-known Gabriel Macht as Eisner's masked hero. (PG-13)

"City of Ember"

(Oct. 10, 20th Century Fox) The denizens of an underground city are threatened with darkness and the collapse of their society after forgetting to pay the electric bill. Oh, fine, what really happens is that their hydro-powered generators were only designed to operate for 200 years ... and time is almost up. Based on the young adult sci-fi novel by Jeanne DuPrau. (PG)

My Dinner With Oscar

Movies released throughout 2008 will receive Academy Award consideration, but it;s almost always the case that the ones to register most strongly with voters are released in the final three months of the year. Two or three of the films from the Main Course may wind up in the hunt for Academy Glory, of course, but we've saved this space for the real Oscar magnets.

For this section of the preview, the season's most golden flicks have been grouped as though they were patrons at an exclusive restaurant in Hollywood Hills. For each film, you get the plot in 10 words or fewer, plus a breakdown of potential Academy Award nominations.

"Right this way, you'll be seated immediately." (Time to begin preparing your acceptance speech.)

"W."

(Oct. 17, Lionsgate)

Plot: Oliver Stone ("Platoon") tells the story of George W. Bush. Potential nominations: picture, director (Stone), original screenplay, all acting categories (especially Josh Brolin as Bush). (PG-13)

"The Road"

(Nov. 14/wide release on Nov. 26, Weinstein Co.)

Plot: A father and son struggle to survive after a global catastrophe. Potential nominations: picture, director (John Hillcoat), adapted screenplay (based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy), actor (Viggo Mortensen).

"Milk"

(Nov. 26, Focus)

Plot: The rise of San Francisco's first openly gay city official. Potential nominations: picture, director (Gus Van Sant), original screenplay, actor (Sean Penn as the titular Harvey Milk), supporting actor (Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch). (R)

"Frost/Nixon"

(Dec. 5/wide release on Dec. 25, Universal)

Plot: A Euro TV personality lobs hardball questions at Tricky Dick. Potential nominations: picture, director (Ron Howard), adapted screenplay (based on the play by Peter Morgan), actor (Frank Langella as Nixon, Michael Sheen as talk show host David Frost). (R)

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

(Dec. 19, Paramount)

Plot: A man ages backwards, from geriatric youth to spry geezer. Potential nominations: picture, director (David Fincher), adapted screenplay (based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald), actor (Brad Pitt as BB), actress (Cate Blanchett). (PG-13)

"Yes, we do have a reservation for you." (To do list: Rent tuxedo, book limo.)

"Changeling"

(Oct. 24, Universal) Plot: A kidnapped boy is returned ... or was he replaced? Potential nominations: picture, director (Clint Eastwood), original screenplay, actress (Angelina Jolie). (R)

"The Soloist"

(Nov. 21, DreamWorks/Paramount) Plot: Journalist discovers concert cellist/violinist living on the street. Potential nominations: picture, director (Joe Wright), actor (Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx).

"Doubt"

(Dec. 12, Miramax) Plot: Nuns confront a priest who may be a pedophile. Potential nominations: adapted screenplay (based on the play by John Patrick Shanley), actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman), actress (Meryl Streep), supporting actress (Amy Adams).

"The Wrestler"

(Dec. 19, Fox Searchlight) Plot: A destitute professional wrestler pursues a final redemptive match. Potential nominations: picture, director (Darren Aronofsky), actor (Mickey Rourke), supporting actress (Marisa Tomei).

"Revolutionary Road"

(Dec. 26, Paramount Vantage) Plot: Eisenhower-era, self-loathing suburbanites contemplate moving to Paris. Potential nominations: director (Sam Mendes), adapted screenplay (based on the novel by Richard Yates), actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), actress (Kate Winslet), supporting actress (Kathy Bates). (R)

"I can't find your name on our list." (Nomination is fair bet.)

"Happy-Go-Lucky"

(Oct. 10, Miramax) Plot: An unmarried British woman has an unquenchable zest for living. Potential nominations: director (Mike Leigh), original screenplay (Mike Leigh), actress (Sally Hawkins). (R)

"Synechdoche, New York"

(Oct. 24, Sony Classics) Plot: Personal travails complicate a stage director's ambitious production. Potential nominations: original screenplay (Charlie Kaufman), actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman), actress (Catherine Keener).

"Slumdog Millionaire"

(Nov. 19, Fox Searchlight) Plot: A teenager wins a game show to impress his girlfriend. Potential nominations: picture, original screenplay (Simon Beaufoy).

"Defiance"

(Dec. 12, Paramount Vantage) Plot: Jews and Russians shelter German-Jewish refugees during World War II. Potential nominations: picture, director (Edward Zwick), actor (Daniel Craig). (R)

"Valkyrie"

(Dec. 26, MGM) Plot: German officers plot to assassinate Hitler during World War II. Potential nominations: picture, actor (Tom Cruise), supporting actor (Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy). (PG-13)

"We might have an opening next week." (Hey, it could happen.)

"The Secret Life of Bees

(Oct. 17, Fox Searchlight) Plot: A motherless, abused girl is taken in by beekeepers. Potential nominations: actress (Queen Latifah), supporting actress (Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson). (PG-13)

"Pride and Glory"

(Oct. 24, Warner Bros.) Plot: A good cop investigates a bad one ... his sister's husband. Potential nominations: original screenplay, actor (Edward Norton, Colin Farrell), supporting actor (Jon Voight).

"Crossing Over"

(Dec. 3, Weinstein Co.) Plot: A broad-based look at immigration problems in California. Potential nominations: supporting actor (Harrison Ford, Sean Penn, Ray Liotta), supporting actress (Ashley Judd, Summer Bishil).

"The Reader"

(Dec. 12, Weinstein Co.) Plot: A war-crimes trial in post-Nazi Germany affects lives. Potential nominations: director (Stephen Daldry), actress (Kate Winslet).

"Shanghai"

(Dec. 25, Weinstein Co.) Plot: An American visits 1940s Shanghai following a friend's death. Potential nominations: actor (John Cusack), actress (Gong Li), supporting actor (Chow Yun-Fat, Ken Watanabe), supporting actress (Rinko Kikuchi).

The Leftovers

Already had your fill? File these flicks away for later, when you're feeling famished again.

October

"The Express" (Oct. 10) A football player battles racial prejudice. (PG)

"Quarantine" (Oct. 10) Civilians trapped in a rotting apartment building battle an unseen evil. (R)

"RockNRolla" (Oct. 10) Tough-guy gangland bruisers battle each other. (R)

"Max Payne" (Oct. 17) Mark Wahlberg is thankful to be in a video game adaptation not directed by Uwe Boll.

"Morning Light" (Oct. 17) Fame-conscious teenage boys pursue their dream of sailing a yacht. Features danger on the high seas! (PG)

"Sex Drive" (Oct. 17) A sex-obsessed teenage dork pursues his dream of meeting an actual girl. Starring drunken, horny Amish people! (R)

"What Just Happened?" (Oct. 17) A movie producer romps through a wild and crazy existence. Starring Sean Penn and Bruce Willis as themselves!! (R)

"Passengers" (Oct. 24) Anne Hathaway is trapped in a cheapo horror movie that's been gathering dust for more than a year. (PG-13)

"Saw V" (Oct. 24) Many people are trapped in diabolical devices that tear them apart in gruesome, splattery ways after forcing them to face ethical dilemmas. (R)

"Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" (Oct. 24) A movie made 15 years ago is trapped in an endless, tacky cycle of cash-mongering re-releases. (PG)

"The Haunting of Molly Hartley" (Oct. 31) Molly Hartley has the pants scared right off of her -- almost. Hey, the rating is ... (PG-13)

"Zack and Miri Make a Porno" (Oct. 31) Zack and Miri start a book club and have engaging literary discussions over cheese and crackers. (What do you think they do?) (R)

November

"Killshot" (Nov. 7) It's another Elmore Leonard adaptation ... by an Iranian screenwriter and British director. (R)

"Role Models" (Nov. 7) Slacker energy-drink salesmen are forced to mentor impressionable preteens. (R)

"Soul Men" (Nov. 7) Ticked-off former bandmates reunite. Features the last performances given by the late Bernie Mac and the late Isaac Hayes.

"Assassination of a High School President" (Nov. 14) A high schooler who idolizes Bob Woodward ... wait, this is 1981, right? (R)

"Nothing Like the Holidays" (Nov. 21) A large extended Latino family comically rehash old stereotypes over turkey. (PG-13)

"Fanboys" (Nov. 26) Dudes who really, really like "Star Wars" take a sick friend on a pilgrimage to meet George Lucas. They also demand to know what the heck was up with Jar-Jar Binks. You know, most likely. (PG-13)

"Transporter 3" (Nov. 26) A guy who transports things is back. For the third time. (PG-13)

December

"Extreme Movie" (Dec. 5) A spoof movie about the last 95 films of any kind, creed, or subject matter to be made immediately before it. (R)

"Punisher: War Zone" (Dec. 5) The third attempt to launch a "Punisher" movie series fails as badly as the first two. You know, most likely.

"Delgo" (Dec. 12) Animated lizard people go on a fantasy quest. Lizard people? They worked on this movie for five years and kept it in post for two (true story) and didn't realize it was about lizard people?! (PG)

"The Brothers Bloom" (Dec. 19) Hard-luck con-men brothers go on a fantasy quest. (PG-13)

"The Tale of Despereaux" (Dec. 19) Animated mice and rats go on a fantasy quest. (Mice and rats?!)

"Hurricane Season" (Dec. 25) A post-Katrina New Orleans high school basketball team goes on a fantasy quest ... no, not really. They win the big game. You know, most likely.