Our winter break may be shorter this year (thanks semesters), but that doesn’t mean we can’t take the time to enjoy the upcoming four weeks. One of my favorite pastimes when I’m home: going to the movies. Everything about the movies just makes me smile, from the buttery smell of popcorn, to the plush feel of the seats, to getting together with family and friends I’ve missed all semester. And the time for movies is the holidays when Hollywood debuts its best to draw in the spirited crowds. Here’s a movie to keep you going every week of break:
Week 1: Monsters Inc. 3D
Release: Dec. 19
What better way to kick off break than relive a Pixar classic on the big screen? The antics of Sulley, Mike and the oh-so-adorable Boo are sure to delight even more in 3D. Another upside: you’ll get refreshed before the prequel Monsters University hits theaters in 2013.
Week 2: This is 40
Release: Dec. 21
Fans of Knocked Up will want to see this spin-off featuring Katherine Heigel’s dysfunctional sister and brother-in-law, Debbie and Pete. If the first film was any indication, this couple has yet to see their share of outrageous marriage mishaps. Plus, Paul Rudd and Leslie Man together again is pure comical genius.
Week 3: Les Misérables
Release: Dec. 25
Choir nerds rejoice! Finally, the musical phenomenon is close to hitting theaters with a star-studded cast including Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried and more. The movie may be a tearjerker, but watching the characters struggle against the backdrop of the Paris Uprising will have you value the sacrifices made for freedom and independence.
Week 4: Gangster Squad
Release: Jan. 11
The main reason to see this movie: Ryan Gosling plays a 1950s dapper cop. More seriously, the film chronicles the efforts of the Los Angeles police to take down gangsters in the area–hence the name. This off-the-books crusade promises gun fights and action galore, but maybe even a little romance with the addition of Emma Stone as damsel in distress.