By: By Matthew Jackson

HUNTSVILLE — The holidays are upon, and awards season is right around the corner. That means this is the month to see a whole lot of movies you’ll be hearing a whole lot about come Oscars time, plus a few that are just plain fun. Check out what’s headed to the local theater this month.

The Sitter
Dec. 9
Jonah Hill plays a not so good babysitter who gets up to all kinds of not so good shenanigans. It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out where this is headed, or to realize that this is definitely the kind of comedy you want to check out.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Dec. 9
Who doesn’t love a really good British spy thriller? Well, this flick might not have the big action hooks of a Bond picture, but it does have the classic stories of John le Carre backing it up, along with an outstanding cast that includes the likes of Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, John Hurt and Toby Jones. Early reviews are hailing it as a masterpiece, and the trailers all seem to back up that claim.

Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows
Dec. 16
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return as Holmes and Watson in the sequel to the uber-fun 2009 flick, and this time they’re facing a much bigger adversary in the form of Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris). They’ve also got a new female touch with the addition of Noomi Rapace (star of the Swedish Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series), so this one is definitely an action picture to watch out for.

The Adventures of Tintin
Dec. 21
Steven Spielberg directs this production that also includes Peter Jackson as a producer and Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat as co-writer. Based on the legendary series of Belgian comics, it’s an animated film that’s getting crazy early acclaim, and it could wind up being the movie to see this season.

The Girl with the Gragon Tattoo
Dec. 21
David Fincher (the genius behind Fight Club, Se7en and The Social Network) directs this adapt of the incredibly popular Swedish mystery novels. Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara star along with a supporting cast that includes the likes of Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgard. It’s being billed as “The Feel Bad Movie of Christmas,” so definitely tackle this one if you’re in the mood for something a little darker during the holidays.

Mission Impossible: Shost Protocol
Dec. 21
Tom Cruise returns for yet another superspy thriller in the Mission Impossible franchise, this time with The Incredibles director Brad Bird at the helm. Yeah, it might just be repetitive, but it’s a mega budget action flick, so there’s bound to be an explosion or two worth checking out. Plus, if you feel like paying extra money for the IMAX release, you get to see the first six minutes of Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises.

War Horse
Dec. 25
If you’re looking for something to go watch with the whole family this Christmas, go check out Steven Spielberg’s epic World War I film about a boy and his horse, and what they have to go through to be together again. It sounds corny, I know, but the trailers for this will take your breath away.