December Movies!

Have you ever gone to the movies on Christmas Day?  We do sometimes, and I sort of love it.  It's always a little bit quieter than usual, and everyone there seems to be smiling and content.  I'm not sure if I'll catch a film on the day this year, but here is the list (in no particular order) of stuff I am going to see the heck out of this holiday season!

1. The Muppets - I have already seen this, but it's going on the list because I loved it THAT MUCH.  See it, love it, buy the soundtrack, and have "Man or Muppet" stuck in your head for the rest of your life.  You will not regret it.

2. Hugo - I've heard mixed things about Hugo, but one thing every review I've read has agreed on is that this is a gorgeous film.  I get the feeling it's going to be a film I want to live inside of, and I love those.  I know I said no particular order, but this will be the next one I catch.  And I'll shell out the clams for 3D while I'm at it.

3. The Artist - Sometime in elementary school, while I was home sick from school, I happened to switch on Turner Classic Movies.  Greta Garbo was the artist of the month, and they were showing all of her films.  Before I knew what had hit me, I had been seduced by old Hollywood, giving birth to an obsession that lasted several years.  By the age of 12, I had seen more obscure black and white films than your grandmother.  I can still sing the One Reel Wonders jingle from memory.  I'm not saying that's the main reason I'm dying to see "The Artist" (I heard a fantastic interview with the director on NPR, the lead actor and dog both won awards for their performance at Cannes), but, yeah.  It's a factor.

4. Tintin - I didn't grow up reading Tintin stories, but I wish I had.  Detective, dog, mysteries?  Basically a formula for something I love.  While I'm not crazy about Motion-Capture Animation (it tends to fall too far into the Uncanny Valley for me), there are so many people whose work I love involved with this movie that I am willing to overlook just about anything, honestly.  I'll definitely be checking this out later this month.  Still undecided on whether to go for 3D, however.

5. Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows - People, I saw the first film in the theatre four times.  The question here is not whether I'm going to see it, it is how many times.  And whether I'll feel the need to go home and shower and sleep between viewings.  I just...really like Robert Downey, Jr.  And yes, it'll probably be all Guy Ritchie flash-bang-explosion a lot of the time, which is not usually something I go ape for, but I don't care.  There is something about this franchise.  I love it.

6. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Oh my, I can't wait for this movie.  Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Mark Strong, and Ciaran Hinds?  In an espionage film?  A period espionage film?  Yessir, sign me up.  I am especially looking forward to Gary Oldman's performance in this.  I've heard he's fantastic.

7. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - I was working in a bookstore the summer that everyone and their mother went crazy for Steig Larsson, so naturally I stayed away from the series.  It's a thing some of us bookstore folk do with the madly popular books.  I haven't read Eat Pray Love, either.  I'm a little bit excited for the movie, however.  I adore Daniel Craig, the premise sounds interesting, and I actually like the idea of seeing the film without having read the book.

8. We Bought A Zoo - This one is a little bit about Matt Damon's face, I admit it.  I like it when he plays the family man.  But I like the premise, too.  I probably won't get to this until after the new year, but I am excited about it.  This one will be a Mom and Me date, I guarantee it.  

There's a lot of good stuff to choose from this time of year!  What are you looking forward to seeing this month?