HOLLYWOOD —Black Friday officially kicked off the holiday shopping season. With millions of people hitting the stores hunting for the best bargains. If you’re willing to deal with the stress and crowds, the day can be a great opportunity to hunt for exceptional deals, if you use a game plan. The most important thing is to know your budget, in other words, set a realistic budget that doesn’t come back and haunt you with buyer’s remorse once the credit card bill arrives. Secondly, you need to sit down in advance and outline your holiday shopping list. You also need to be time-sensitive, know the stores you want to hit and write a schedule. With Christmas, less than 20 days away, writing down a holiday list and budget can also assure substantial savings and limit elbowing your way through hordes of shoppers. With holiday shopping, always comes stress, and one way to release the stress is going to the movies. Ringing in the holiday movie season is “Disney’s “The Frog and the Princess,” and WB’s “Ninja Assasin,” and “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.”

It sure has been a year full of slapstick comedies, gory horrors, giant robots and G.I. Joes. It’s basically the season, where Hollywood stops focusing on making bags of money and begins thinking about getting lots of Oscars. Truth be told, some of the leading contenders are probably in the bag, with the brilliant work of Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia,” and the rarity, super-smart “An Education”- hopefully not to be forgotten come nomination time. The first week of December brings us “Everybody’s Fine” starring Robert De Niro, as a widower, emotionally detached from his children, who sets out on a road trip to re-connect, with a few unexpected detours. Who knows if this is the film that may bring Robert De Niro back to his glory days? DeNiro is a brilliant actor, and well-deserving of some recognition as a potential prize winner. Of course, we all love George Clooney in “Up in the Air,” frequent-flyer comedy drama, inside a corporate man’s soul. Oscar odds look very good for director Jason Reitman.

The week of December 11, “Invictus,” never count out director Clint Eastwood, or Morgan Freeman playing Nelson Mandela, and insider’s favorite for possible nominations. A week later, there is “Crazy Heart,” about a country singer trying to pick up the pieces of his life. The studio is probably hoping the film will bring Jeff Bridges an Oscar, since it sounds like “Tender Mercies.” You might remember that Robert Duvall won an Oscar back in 1983, for his performance as Mac Sledge.

Twelve years of “Titanic,” James Cameron returns with a semi-animated, 3-D epic in “Avatar” about a human frailty and alien life on December 18. A possibility for technical awards. The same week we have, “Nine” an adaptation of the Broadway musical, about a director and his muses. Sophia Loren should get a nomination out of pure adoration.

On Christmas Day, we have “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” Heath Ledger’s last film that was finished by several of his friends, and stars Christopher Plummer as an immortal magician. We well have to wait and see on this film, even though Tom Waits as Satan was an interesting casting choice. Alright then, “It’s Complicated” a romantic comedy with Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. While the Oscars hosts will be Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, if Miss Streep gets a prize, it will be for “Julie & Julia.”

Rose’s Scoop: If you can’t think of what to buy for the baby who has everything. Think again. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt designed a limited-edition jewelry and baby collection for Asprey, their jewelry line, includes a silver baby spoon, an egg cup, tooth box, as well as pendants and rings, Women’s Wear Daily reports.