Hoping to draw audiences out of the cold and into warm theaters, studios across the country are gearing up for the holiday movie season.

Christmas Day is historically a hot bed for blockbuster films, but considering that awards season is full speed ahead, tons of smaller releases are looking impressive as well.

Every demographic from kids to adults, will be pleased with the upcoming releases as audiences see familiar faces like “Sherlock Holmes” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”

However, lesser known titles like “Young Adult” and “We Bought a Zoo” are looking to draw audiences in as well.

Tis’ the season for comedy as the evergreen genre sees releases like Jonah Hills’s “The Sitter” and the Steven Spielberg 3-D animated feature “The Adventures of Tintin.”

But the laughs may stop there as a host of drama movies are set to release over winter break, like Spielberg’s other new movie “War Horse.” Adapted from the wildly popular book and stage play, the film’s 30-second preview alone leaves one in tears.

So, as the mercury falls on the thermometer and the shopping list slowly get chipped away, take a break from the hectic holiday and see one of the season’s many promising new releases.

Carnage

It’s not very often that Oscar winning actress, Kate Winslet, branches from her dramatic roots to take on a comedic role. However in Roman Polanski’s newest dark comedy “Carnage,” Winslet finally shows us her funny side.

The movie’s plot is rather simple — two sets of parents agree to meet after their sons are entangled in an after school brawl.

However, as in most Polanski pictures, things go awry once the meeting commences.

Think Winslet is the only big ticket name on the cast? Think again.

Sharing the screen with Winslet is fellow Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, Oscar nominee John C. Reily and another Oscar recipient, Jodie Foster.

With such a star-stocked cast, “Carnage” easily transistions from funny situations to serious conversations.

As the movie progresses, the two very different couples bicker with their spouses and each other and eventually catch cabin fever in the small New York apartment.

Everything from faulty marriages, to politics and even to pet names get touched in “Carnage.” Polanski leaves no stone unturned.

Does the plot line sound familiar? It should. SMU Meadows students put on a production of “God of Carnage” last week, the play which the movie is based on.

The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival this year and was nominated for the prestigious Golden Lion award.

“Carnage” is rated R and opens in theaters nationwide on Dec 16.

Young Adult

Filmaker Jason Reitman has a knack for creating features that highlight the mundane things in life often overlooked by bigger Hollywood blockbusters.

In his newest movie, “Young Adult,” Reitman tackles the ever-present storyline of the high school reunion.

However, Reitman chooses to tell the story through Charlize Theron’s Mavis Gary, the homecoming queen who had it all in high school.

After high school, Mavis made her way as a successful young adult author and is back in her hometown to get the one thing she doesn’t have — her high school crush, Buddy Slade, played by Patrick Wilson.

One little problem though, Buddy is now married with children.

That doesn’t stop Theron’s character as the author seemingly will do anything to get him back, even if that means destorying his marriage.

“Young Adult” looks to be one of the holiday’s more promising releases with a stellar cast and an acclaimed director. Reitman has yet to make a mistake in his directorial career, don’t expect “Young Adult” to be his first.

War Horse

Steven Spielberg looks to once again nab an Oscar with his new movie “War Horse.” Rumors have circulated that at a recent “War Horse” screening, every audience member was left in tears.

Winter’s breakout star

Adepero Oduye

Not very many people would skip on a Cornell education to become an actress, but for “Pariah’s” Adepero Oduye, the choice was simple.

Oduye plays Alike, a Brooklyn teenager struggling to cope with her sexuality, her family and her friends.

Dee Ree of “Pariah” claims that Oduye was the first person to audition for the role and even after numerous auditions, the actresses name kept coming up.

Oduye’s performance in “Pariah” is compelling and captivating. Will the young actress get honored come awards season? Probably not. However, this role may just be the start to a very long career.

Other notable releases

The Iron Lady

Don’t miss your chance to catch Meryl Streep in yet another biopic as she plays Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” The movie follows the famous British prime minister and her rise to power and the many roadblocks along the way. Streep is already favored to win her third Oscar for this role.

New Year’s Eve

Hoping to capitalize of the success of “Valentine’s Day,” director Gary Marshall and his star studded cast hope to capture the essence of New Years Eve in the film of the same name. Some of the movie’s most notable cast members are Halle Berry, Jon Bon Jovi and Sofia Vergara.

Albert Nobbs

Glenn Close plays a woman desguised as a male butler in the play turned movie, “Albert Nobbs.” Close is in tight competition with Meryl Streep for the Best Actress trophy. Many think that after six nominations Close finally deserves the trophy forher role.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and director David Fincher team up to make an on screen adaption of the Swedish crime novels in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”