With the piles of assignments, papers, and presentations HFCC students have had to endure this semester, we are all looking forward to relaxing over the winter break. If you have a couple of hours to get away from work and all the Christmas hoopla, go check out a movie!
There is a lot of variety this December, from hobbits to bounty hunters, a mom and son duo, Cirque du Soleil, and many familiar faces just to name a few. Here are the highlights of this holiday season:
For a good laugh, “Guilt Trip”, “This Is 40”, and “Parental Guidance” are sure to have you cracking up in your seat. Raunchy actor Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand star in Guilt Trip, where a mother and son go on a cross-country road trip to sell Rogen’s latest invention. Pairing Rogen and Streisand together is a little odd, but with Rogen’s sense of humor, I’m sure it will be hilarious.
“This Is 40” brings back funny married couple Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) from the 2007 blockbluster “Knocked Up”. More like a spinoff of its predecessor than a sequel, the film shows the ups and downs Debbie and Pete still have to go through as Debbie approaches her 40th birthday. For family fare, “Parental Guidance” stars Billy Crystal and Bette Midler as grandparents taking care of their wild grandchildren for the weekend.
Lord of the Rings fans rejoice! The prequel of the beloved trilogy is finally here. In “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”, Martin Freeman portrays the pint-sized Bilbo Baggins who’s off on a quest to retrieve a stolen treasure. Along for the ride are 13 dwarves and a wizard. Some of the cast from the Lord of the Rings series return, such as Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Hugo Weaving, and Christopher Lee.
The arrival of the holiday movie season comes with some Oscar-worthy titles this year. This month brings three Academy Award contenders: “Django Unchained”, “Zero Dark Thirty”, and “Les Miserables ».
“Unchained” presents a talented cast with Jamie Foxx as a freed-slave-turned-bounty-hunter who wants to rescue his wife from her evil slave owner played by Leonardo DiCaprio.
“Zero Dark Thirty” is a new film from Kathryn Bigelow, the director behind the award-winning film, “The Hurt Locker”. “Zero Dark Thirty” follows the US Navy Seals’ hunt for Osama Bin Laden after the horrendous 9/11 attacks.
Based on the play and novel, “Les Miserables” features an ensemble cast led by Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway. Set in the 1800s, main character Jean Valjean (Jackman) is a fugitive who becomes the mayor of a French city.
If you don’t want to watch anything heavy, a lighter choice is “Cique du Soleil: World’s Away”. If you’ve never seen them perform live, now’s your chance! The circus troupe will act out a story using their amazing acrobatic moves in the now overused 3D technology.