Top 10 Favorite Holiday Movies

     I thought about posting this earlier in the month but I'm glad that I waited until now to post this list. It's been a while since I posted a Top 10 list but given the time of year, I feel like it's appropriate.

     We all love the holidays and every season that passes, Hollywood releases a Christmas-themed movie or a movie that takes place during the holiday (A recent example would be Iron Man 3). Most holiday movies are drama themed about families coming together again after living their own lives, finding love during the holidays, or finding the importance of living your life.

     Here is my Top 10 Favorite Holiday Movies.

   

1)  It's A Wonderful Life - This 1946 classic has withstood the test of time, not getting lost in the shuffle of holiday movies. This feel good fable stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a deeply-troubled businessman who goes to commit suicide but is stopped by an angel (Henry Travers) trying to get his wings. To show him the value and impact of  an individual life, he places George in a world where he never existed. 

   

2) A Christmas Story - Everyone's favorite holiday movie, no matter how young or old you are. Nine-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) tries to convince his parents, his teacher, and even Santa himself that a Red Ryder B.B. Gun is the perfect present for him. If you have never seen this movie, you must take the time out to see it this season. I'm sure some channel will have a marathon before Christmas. Don't forget: Don't stick your tongue onto a cold metal pole outside and don't get a Red Ryder B.B. Gun because "you'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

   


   

3) Home Alone - If you were born in the 1990's, you watched these movies at one point or another. As with all film series, the first is always the best and the benchmark for all the other films following it. Eight-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), a misunderstood child by his family, is accidentally left behind by them when they fly to France for Christmas and Kevin is left to defend his house from burglars (Joe Pesci and David Stern).

   



   

4) Love Actually - This holiday-themed movie has become a new Christmas classic and should definitely be seen at least once. This film follows the lives of eight different couples in dealing with their relationships in loosely and interrelated tales. This film is all set during the month of December all culminating at Christmas in London, England. The romantic comedy has an all-star lineup, featuring Liam Nesson, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, and a then-unknown Andrew Lincoln.

   


   

5) Home Alone 2: Lost in New York - The sequel to the first Home Alone is just as enjoyable as the first. One year after his battle against the Wet Bandits, Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) finds himself separated from his family again with them going to Miami and Kevin going to New York. While he is in the big city alone with his father's wallet, the bandits (Joe Pesci and David Stern) are not far behind their nemesis.

   



   

6) Die Hard - I know it's an action film but it still takes place during Christmas so it counts! Terrorists, a young Bruce Willis, and full on action; what more could you want for Christmas?!  John McClaine (Bruce Willis), an NYPD cop, tries to save his estranged wife Holly Gennaro and several others that are taken hostage by German terrorist Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) during a Christmas party at Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. Like Home Alone, the first movie of this series is the standard for the other films.

   

7) Elf - This story about one of Santa's helpers certainly helped solidify Will Ferrell as one of Hollywood's leading funny men. Will Ferrell plays Buddy Hobbs, an unusually large elf in the North Pole, discovers his true identity and travels to New York City to meet his biological father and spread Christmas cheer to the cynics of the city.

   

8) Gremlins - One of the movies that my father introduced to me one holiday season and I've never forgotten it, despite the fact that it scared the hell out of me the first time I watched it. The film follows a young man (Zach Galligan) who is given a mogwai as a pet but when he breaks three important rules for taking care of it, he unleashes a small army of destructive, mischievous creatures on his small town. Remember, follow the three rules and this won't happen to your town!

   



   

9) Scrooged - Ah, Bill Murray. This Murray classic is a modern-day take on the Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol. Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is a successful but cynical television executive. He gets haunted and scared straight by three spirits that bear lessons for him on Christmas Eve. There are many versions of Dickens' novel that have been re-done by Hollywood and I'm more partial to Patrick Stewart's portrayal but this one is well done.

   

10) The Nightmare Before Christmas - A double holiday strike brings this movie to my top 10. You can watch this movie on both Halloween and Christmas. This creative animated film follows Jack Skellington (Chris Saradon), king of Halloweentown, who opens a portal to Christmastown and decides to celebrate the holiday but not without consequences. This film is a hilarious and enjoyable fantasy for kids and adults alike.






     Happy Holidays!!!

Movie Preview - The Amazing Spider-Man 2

     As we all know, superhero films run Hollywood right now. Almost every other movie that comes out now has a super-powered hero that takes us on a journey through their own personal struggle while dealing with their personal issues. Now, I can't blame Hollywood and the studios continue to look towards the comic book heroes and heroines because they have been box-office hits.

     Marvel's heroes has been dominated theaters recently, particularly the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, there are other Marvel legends that are not a part of this universe, but seriously should be. In 2012, we were re-introduced to the legendary Spider-Man in the reboot film, The Amazing Spider-Man. While there were skeptics, myself included who grew up watching Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi's adaptation of the wall-crawler, Andrew Garfield did a good job stepping into the tight spandex outfit of Spider-Man.

     Now, audiences should prepare to swing with the human arachnid in this anticipated sequel.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

     In this sequel, Peter Parker's (Andrew Garfield) alter-ego, Spider-Man, has been embraced as a hero by the citizens of New York and enjoying the time he spends with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes with a price: only Spider-Man can protect New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must face an enemy that is far more powerful that him. And when Peter's old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) returns, Peter realizes that all of his enemies have one thing in common: Oscorp. 

     Co-starring Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich / The Rhino, Chris Cooper as Norman Osborn, and Sally Field as May Parker, this sequel seems to be prepared to succeed the first film as far as being a larger adventure for the wall-crawler. We also seem to get glimpses into more of Spider-Man's back story, particularly his father's involvement with Oscorp. The preview also shows flashes of other villains from Spider-Man's Rogues Gallery (Vulture, Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, possibly the Sidious Six?!). 

     With all of these elements shown in only the first preview, I think this film will be better than the first. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be released on May 2, 2014. 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - This sequel burns brighter and stronger than the original

     One of the most anticipated movies of this season certainly delivered. Smart and sleekly directed by Francis Lawrence, Catching Fire proves to be not only a compelling second installment in the Hunger Games series but possibly one of the best young adult novel adaptations since the Harry Potter series.

     The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the second film in The Hunger Games film series. After winning the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) return home to District 12 but are required to take a victory tour of the country. Their actions during the Games have sparked a revolution against the Capitol. In order to put an end to the rebellion before it fully begins, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games known as the Quarter Quell - a competition that will change Panem forever. 

     As a whole, I will say that this film is much better than the first. It doesn't just focus on the violence of teenagers killing themselves and surviving for the entertainment of the general public but it delves deeper into the effects that these "games" had on the victors. The emotional and mental trauma showed, especially on Katniss. Dealing with the trauma was escalated when she and Peeta embark on the Victory Tour, seeing the seeds of revolution that were sewn into the other districts, even to the Capitol. What drove this film for me is that the romance between Katniss and Peeta was not at the forefront like other contemporary teenage movies of recent memory but it was intertwined with the very convincingly scary dictatorship of the Capitol.

     Jennifer Lawrence's devotion and commitment to the character of Katniss really helps power this film along. With an Oscar on her resume for last year's Silver Linings Playbook, this film helps solidify Jennifer Lawrence as an A-list actress with staying power for coming years. She was magnificent to watch as the heroine, dealing with her survival of the games, the fear of returning to the arena to survive while embracing the role of a love-struck young woman. With wonderful performances from Hutcherson, newcomers Jeffery Wright, Amanda Plummer, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, this film is a wonderful piece of work that will thrill and excite fans of the series. 

     While the movie does run longer than it probably should have, the ending makes up for that and built up the anticipation for the next installment, Mockingjay, Part 1. This film warranted a double viewing for me and I believe that fans of the books and the first film will be more than pleased by this pop-culture escapism film that has captured the hearts of the world.