Lila Miller,
A & E Editor
As the fall semester at Armstrong comes to a close, many students may be wondering what to do during the holiday break. After a stressful and tumultuous semester, many share the sentiment of wanting to kick back, relax and enjoy some downtime before the spring semester and the new year come around.
What better way to do that than with a comprehensive breakdown of favorite holiday films? While there’s no accounting for taste, this jolly list boasts something for everyone.
For the classic lover of all things merry and festive, Christmases past might suggest giving “A Christmas Story”, “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, or even “White Christmas” a try. The writer specifically enjoys the iconic scene in “A Christmas Story” where Ralphie’s sidekick and friend gets his tongue stuck to the flagpole. Another classic film is certainly the claymation flick, “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Worth mentioning, though this one falls dead last because the only moral in the story is that people won’t like you if you’re different, unless you can be useful to them.
The most Brady Bunch of families can find the holidays fraught with stress and tension. Thankfully, with the holidays also comes amusing films everyone can enjoy. “Home Alone” appeals to both the underdog, as well as the paranoid. Will Ferrell’s acting skills in “Elf” punctuate a child-like wonder and silliness that a lot of people find nostalgic, particularly around the holidays. Other funny films include “8 Crazy Nights”, “Frosty The Snowman”, “The Polar Express”, and “The Muppet Christmas Carol”.
Even the cheeriest of elves could use a little mischief from time to time. Some creepy Christmas favorites include: “The Grinch”, “Bad Santa”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Gremlins”, “Batman Returns”, “Die Hard”, and even perhaps, “The Shining.” All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
If the thought of being around family for three very long weeks isn’t enough of a tearjerker, films like “Love Actually”, “It’s A Wonderful Life”, and “Bridget Jones’ Diary” might be enough to start the waterworks.
No matter the cinematic preference, the holiday break is really just that, a break. So, relax, grab some eggnog, turn on the TV, and enjoy the break. Happy Holidays, Pirates.
