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Oscar tipped Philomena tells the true story of an Irish woman who tries to track down her son, 50 years after she was forced to give him away. It stars Judi Dench as Philomena and Steve Coogan as the world-weary journalist who decides to help her. Steve Coogan tells us how he became involved with the film and what it was like working with Dame Judi.

Mildred Hubble听is a well-meaning, good-hearted witch who doesn鈥檛 get many things right. Except when it comes to selling books.听 Almost 40 years since The Worst Witch was first published, millions of children have been enchanted by Mildred鈥檚 efforts at Miss Cackle鈥檚 Academy.听 Mildred Hubble听is听back听in a brand new adventure:听The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star听and Author Jill Murphy tells us all about it.

The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star is out now, published by Puffin.

1. THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Director: Alan Taylor
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins

A shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself is threatening the Earth and all the Nine Realms. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard are powerless to withstand, Thor embarks on a dangerous journey to reunite order to the cosmos and fight the vengeful Malekith as he returns to plunge the universe back into darkness.
Thor: The Dark World, is in cinemas now.

2. SHORT TERM 12
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Director: Destin Cretton
Cast: Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr, Kaitlyn Dever

Twenty-something Rachel is part of the supervisory staff at a foster care facility.听 As she navigates the troubled waters of that world alongside her co-worker/boyfriend, she creates a safe place for children with very difficult pasts.
Short Term 12 is out now.
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3. PHILOMENA

Director: Stephen Frears
Cast: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Michelle Fairley

Philomena is an emotional story inspired by true events, tinged with both tragedy and comedy, about two very different people who join forces for a remarkable journey seeking to uncover the truth behind a heartbreaking story that has remained a mystery for half a century.听 Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), an Irishwoman in her 70鈥檚, became pregnant as a teenager in 1952. Abandoned by her family听 and sent her to a convent in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, she was made to work in the laundry and only allowed access to her young son, Anthony, for an hour a day.

When he was only three Anthony was taken from her for听adoption to an American family. Philomena spent the next 50 years trying in vain to establish his whereabouts.听听 She听met听Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan),听and told her听remarkable story. He arranged for the two of them to visit the United States to find out what happened to Anthony and together they embark on an extraordinary road trip.

Philomena is in cinemas now.

4. JFK: THE DIRECTOR鈥橲 CUT - DVD / Blu-ray Boxset

Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Kevin Costner, Sissy Spacek, Jack Lemon, Walter Matthau, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Joe Pesci, Laurie Metcalf, John Candy, Kevin Bacon, Donald Sutherland

The mystery, conspiracy and obsession with the assassination of the late president John F. Kennedy hasn't subsided, and this November, 50 years will have passed since his death. Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK takes one of the conspiracy angles and tells the story the director believes lies behind the killing of one of America鈥檚 most beloved leaders.

JFK: The Director鈥檚 Cut is out on DVD and Blu-ray Boxset on Monday.

The classic murder-swap story, Strangers on a Train is a great example of why you shouldn鈥檛 strike up a conversation with someone you don鈥檛 know. Instead of being a mildly dull and awkward chat, the story descends into a lethal nightmare of blackmail and psychological torment 鈥� as two men discuss how to get away with murder. Originally a novel by Patricia Highsmith听then a Hitchcock film, it鈥檚 now been adapted for the stage.The two strangers whose lives become inextricably linked are played by Jack Huston and Laurence Fox.

Strangers on a Train opens tomorrow at London鈥檚 and runs until the 22nd February.

Derry-Londonderry has been making the news this year听since becoming the UK's first City of Culture 2013. Over the past ten months it's been the focus for hundreds of arts and cultural events including 听Radio One's Big Weekend,听The Fleadh and听the London Symphony Orchestra which听returned with a specially commissioned piece of work.

Another听accolade: Hosting the prestigious Turner Prize 2013, the first time the contemporary art prize has ventured outside England in its 29 year history.
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Our arts reporter Thomas Magill took a walk through the Maiden city, crossing the Peace Bridge where he met Shona McCathy CEO of the City of Culture team, before heading inside the converted military building where the exhibition is being held, to meet Penelope Curtis, Chair of the jury听and听two of the four finalists -听 Laure Prouvost and David Shrigley听 in their very different exhibition spaces

1.听 Saints Of The Shadow Bible

When a young woman is found unconscious at the wheel of her car, evidence at the scene suggests this was no ordinary crash. Especially when it turns out her boyfriend is the son of the Scottish Justice Minister and neither of them is willing to talk to the police.
Meanwhile, John Rebus is back on the force, albeit with a big demotion and an even larger chip on his shoulder. A new law has been passed allowing the Scottish police to re-prosecute old crimes and a thirty-year-old case is being reopened, with Rebus and his team from back then suspected of corruption and worse.
Known as 'the Saints', his colleagues swore a bond of mutual loyalty on something called 'the Shadow Bible'. But with Malcolm Fox as the investigating officer - and determined to use Rebus for his own ends - the crimes of the past may not stay hidden much longer.
With political turmoil threatening to envelop Scotland, who really are the saints and who the sinners? And can the one ever become the other?

Saints Of The Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin is published by Orion, out on 7 November.

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2.听Difficult Men:Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad听

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the landscape of television began to undergo an unprecedented transformation; shows such as The Wire, The Sopranos, Mad Men, Deadwood, The Shield听 tackled issues of life and death, love and sexuality, addiction, race, violence, and existential boredom.听

Television shows became the place to go to see stories of the triumph and betrayals of the American Dream at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
In Difficult Men Brett Martin takes us behind the scenes of our favourite shows, delivering a wealth of never-before-heard stories and revealing how cable TV has emerged from the shadow of film to become a truly significant and influential part of our culture. features extensive interviews with all the major players.

Difficult Men by Brett Martin is published by Faber and Faber, available now

3. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym

Mildred Lathbury is living in post war London. A self-proclaimed spinster, virtuous, intelligent, and entirely without family she's alone and content to be so. She听leads a quiet life of churchgoing and part-time charity work, with听Julian and Winifred Malorys her dearest friends.听 However, as Mildred herself notes, 鈥淎n unmarried woman, just over thirty, who lives alone and has no apparent ties, must expect to find herself involved or interested in other people鈥檚 business.鈥澨� Behind her plain and patient facade, capable Mildred turns out to be a more ruthless social observer than even the anthropologists whose job it is to 鈥渟tudy man.鈥�

Excellent Women by Barbara Pym is published by Virago, available everywhere

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THEATRE: On Tuesday evening Summertime a dark hard hitting play set in an East Belfast parish written by the award winning playwright David Ireland opens at 听and runs until the 16th November.听 It's also worth noting there听are a couple of post show talks taking place during its run, with the first on Wednesday evening led by Ciaran McQuillan from the theatre company.

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THEATRE:听Over at the Lyric听Brendan at The Chelsea has just transferred from a successful run on Broadway.听 It tells the story about one of Ireland's National treasures Brendan Behan and his time at the iconic Chelsea Hotel in New York back in the Sixties. Brendan at听The Chelsea is听directed by and stars Adrian Dunbar, and runs until 10th November.听
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FILM FESTIVAL:听听Film buffs in听Yorkshire听can enjoy two weeks of the which听kicks off on Wednesday. Tickets听are still available for a whole range of cinema experiences across lots of different genres.
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EXHIBITION: 听Art Under Attack听opens at tomorrow. It's听the first exhibition in the UK exploring the history of physical attacks on art, from the 16th Century to the present day and runs until just after the New Year

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PHOTOGRAPHY:听The听returns to Southbank Centre from next Friday听bringing听together the most powerful, moving and sometimes disturbing images of the year.听