Five Must-See Movies in December

The way films come and go, in and out of theaters, usually it's easier to miss a movie than catch it. That makes planning ahead a must when it comes to moviegoing in the Valley. That's also why we've handpicked five must-see flicks screening this month to add to the ol' planner. Snag some snacks and scope out our picks.

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Christopher Plummer stars as John Barrymore, of the dynastic theatrical Barrymores, in William Luce's play about the comedic-turned-Shakespearean actor. In it, Barrymore reflects on his life of fame, excess, and antics. Plummer's performance was recorded and the film is making artsy rounds. It comes to

on December 15 and 16 at 1 and 2 p.m. respectively. General admission is $18.

We are positive that we weren't the only ones who saw flashes of Mac Attack rigging paint cans while watching James Bond boobytrap his childhood home in

. We are also positive that the connection has left us with a hankering for

. Our appetite for children saying and doing wildly inappropriate and unlikely (and quite violent) things will be sated after

screens the classic on Thursday, December 20, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $1. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal.

Because of

, we are forever fans of Judd Apatow's painful, funny, and real portrayals of life. While

is our least favorite film in his ouvre (maybe/probably blame Katherine Heigl), we are anxiously awaiting the December 21 release of its "sort-of sequel"

. The dramedy finds struggling, not-so-happy couple Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) hitting midlife, but lacking the stability they thought would come with it.

Originally deemed blasphemous and banned by humorless Norway (among other downer countries), Monty Python's religious satire

looks into the life of Brian Cohen, a man mistaken for the Lord and Savior after being born the same day and just a stone's throw away from actual Messiah, Jesus. Scoot to

for the sacrilege at 2 and 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 25. The second screening is 21-plus. Tickets to either are $7.

In Quentin Tarantino's latest, freed slave Django (Jamie Foxx) embarks on a western adventure with bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). For helping him hunt down baddies, Schultz promises to aid Django in freeing his wife, Broomhilda, from the clutches of plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The pre-Civil War drama opens on Tuesday, December 25.

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