GUEST COLUMN: 7 Best Movies to Watch While Being On a Winter Break

7 Best Movies to Watch While Being On a Winter Break

By Michael Gorman

Winter breaks are awesome because they give you the time you need to spend with yourself and your family and friends. Some people love visiting their friends or family, while others love spending time indoors, drinking mulled wine and enjoying the cozy atmosphere. 

Winter holiday is the perfect moment to relax and chill, and how can you better do this otherwise than watching some movies? 

Some movies are full of action and thrill, but some movies inspire you to be good and calm. When it is snowing and the weather is cold, you can enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, some cookies, and a movie. 

The beautiful atmosphere will make you feel at peace and cozy, but you need to choose the right movies to watch. John Jackson, who offers online assignment help at an essay writing service, argues that some movies are perfect for this time of the year and nurture positive feelings. 

Here is a list of seven movies to watch while being on a winter break:

Home Alone

Home Alone never gets old, doesn’t it? Kevin McCallister manages to bring a smile on your face every time you watch the movies. And even though you have seen the movies a lot of times before, they still make you feel the Christmas spirit. 

Home alone is one of the best movies for this winter break and anyone can watch it, no matter their age. Even though the first movie was filmed in 1990, the story of Kevin who was accidentally left behind by his family and who defends his house from burglars warms your heart. All you need is a cozy blanket and a cup of hot chocolate. 

The Knight Before Christmas 

You can find this romantic movie on Netflix. It is perfect for people of all ages because it introduces you to that amazing and cozy Christmas atmosphere. Even though most Christmas movies have similar storylines, where people find their true love or have their wishes come true, they are also comical and passionate. 

And this is the case with The Knight Before Christmas. Brooke, played by Vanessa Hudgens, befriends a gentleman named Sir Cole. He is a knight from 1300 who traveled in time to complete a quest: to find his true love. While helping him to figure out how the modern world works, they fall in love and Sir Cole starts to wonder if he wants to return home. 

Despicable Me

Despicable Me is an animation movie that is suited for everyone, not only children. It is comical and interesting, as it presents the story of Gru, who is planning the biggest heist in history with his army of minions.  But, he adopts three orphans to help him with the heist and they begin to see him as a father. This is the moment when the life of Gru takes an unexpected turn. This movie will make you remember why you love your family and the funny minions will surely bring a smile on your face. The story continues with another two movies, so you can make a movie marathon. 

Let It Snow

This movie is based on the book Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances co-authored by John Greene. It is the perfect choice for teenagers because the story is around a small group of high schoolers. A snowstorm hits their town and all the transportation is stopped. Some of them were on a train and begin to walk home, where they find that their friendships and love collide. Because the storm arrived on Christmas Eve, of course, that Christmas morning will not be the same. It is an interesting, funny and romantic story that is suited not only for teenagers but for people of all ages. This movie will remind you of your teenage years and high school love stories. 

A Christmas Prince

While movie critics said that Netflix’s movie A Christmas Prince is not so good, Netflix reported that for 18 days, a medium of 53 people per day were watching the movie. It is Netflix’s first attempt at a holiday-themed film which is suited for people of all ages. 

It is about finding true love when you least expect it, even while working. Amber is a young journalist who is working undercover at a royal house as a tutor. She wants to find out nasty things about Prince Richard but ends up falling in love with him. Netflix made A Christmas Prince a sequel, so you can watch a movie marathon with A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding and A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby too, says Carolina Herero, a contributor to an essay writing service on movie topics. 

The Grinch

The Grinch is an animation inspired by Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch and tells the story of someone who tries to steal Christmas. He lives in the town of Whoville, where the Christmas spirit is celebrated every year. People become more enthusiastic as the years pass and the festive cheer is growing and growing. 

And so begins the story of Grinch who stole the Christmas with his dog. He tries to steal all the Christmas decorations and presents from the city. It is a movie that is suited for people of all ages, especially for children who will understand better the Christmas spirit. You can also watch the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jimmy Carrey which is a live-action adaptation. 

The Holiday Calendar

Another Christmas story illustrated by Netflix is The Holiday Calendar. Abby Suton is a talented photographer that has a dead-end job at a small local business. She inherits an Advent calendar from her grandfather. The calendar opens one door every day and reveals an object that will bring Abby joy. Meanwhile, Josh, her childhood friend comes home for Christmas and is around her every day. After a lot of misunderstandings and confusion, Josh and Abby end up together and they even open their photography studio. A calm and relaxing movie which brings to attention that magical things happen during the winter holidays. 

Conclusion

Winter breaks are always welcomed and spending time indoors is relaxing. There are a lot of movies that are suited for winter holidays, but these seven movies are the best. Enjoy some Christmas movies while drinking a cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate and relax with your family and friends.

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MOVIE REVIEW: The Two Popes

(Image by Peter Mountain for Netflix)

Special Presentation selection of the 55th Chicago International Film Festival

THE TWO POPES— 4 STARS

The saying “meeting of the minds” fits the retrospective premise of The Two Popes until you dig a little deeper into the expression. Taken from the Latin phrase “consensus ad idem” and used in the arena of contract law, the term stresses the existence of common understanding. For most of this film brilliantly scripted by three-time Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten, unity is not present between Anthony Hopkins’ Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce’s Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Their dichotomy is telegraphed right down to the wardrobe with the Cardinal in black and Pope’s pristine white.

They may “play for the same team,” if you will, yet there is a rhetorical battle of divine wills and egos. Sizing each other up, there is zero agreement between the two, who could not be farther apart philosophically, politically, or personally. But, to see the respect, oh my, the respect, being shared is like a balm of hopeful covenant all its own. Powered by two impeccable performances, there is truly something marvelous to see these powerful men reach a true “meeting of the minds.” The Two Popes is available now streaming on Netflix after a brief theatrical run.

Seven years after Pope Benedict XVI filled the Vatican power vacuum after the death of the revered John Paul II, the leader is bracing leaked documents and the staining shame of the boiled-over sex abuse scandals that rocked the Catholic Church earlier this decade. Benedict calls upon the Argentine Bergoglio to cross the globe to meet him at the Palace of Castel Gandolfo summer residence for extended conversations. Bergoglio has requested in writing to leave his post as Archbishop and Benedict will not grant it. As it turns out, stress and age have reduced Benedict’s leadership capabilities, so much so that he too is considering the preternatural measure of resignation.

LESSON #1: THE BEST QUALIFICATION OF BEING A LEADER IS NOT WANTING TO BE A LEADER — The greatest leaders think of others before themselves. Benedict states that being a pope is being a martyr with its death sentence lifetime term. Harsh as that may be, such commitment is true. Yet, here are two men looking at different crossroads from different journeys that would have them leave their positions.

As they convene, their prickly differences clash both subtly and resoundingly. With a surprisingly smooth Spanish accent, Pryce plays Bergoglio as a jovial, amiable man coming from a place where tango and soccer are compulsory requirements and activities. He is a man of the people capable of whistling an ABBA tune while still being forthright in his fight against poverty and atrocity that has beset his nation at different points of his history.

Filled with ticks and fiery reprisal if necessary, Hopkins imbues Benedict with a judgmental indignation and inflexibility. He sees Bergoglio as a salesman, one errant with protest, cynicism, and harsh criticism of traditions. As they introduce each other to their backgrounds, The Two Popes becomes a biopic of asides and flashbacks that document the tumultuous plight of a younger Bergoglio, played excellently by Argentine actor Juan Minujín, that slowly erase the Benedict’s wrong impressions and define the prudent and unpretentious man who would become the Pope Francis that dazzles us to this day.

LESSON #2: WAYS TO LEAD — Echoing Lesson #1, the burden of leadership is on high display throughout the historical notes of The Two Popes. Between the two men, there are different responses to crippling doubt and guilt. In Bergoglio, you have even-keeled humility to work around obstacles. In Benedict, you have stalwart creed to maintain an institution at all costs. Condoning mercy, spiritual pride, and the penance of sins are compromises that must urgently lead to change across this personal valley on contention.

The recreated pomp and circumstance of the preparatory and gathering rituals in The Two Popes is given extraordinary energy. The invasive camera views, pans, and moves of cinematographer César Charlone (American Made) with angles to pull different points of view pairs with the breathless editing of up-and-comer Fernando Stutz to make the boring riveting in a very fluid film. Something like the tedious election of the conclave to select a new pope becomes a staccato milieu of amplified pen clicks, creased paper, dropped bingo balls, and clanging furnace doors. Built as a play hopscotching through decades, McCarten’s narrative builds big decision suspense nearly on par with a sports movie’s swell to get a victory.

City of God and The Constant Gardener director Fernando Meirelles does not shy away from the enormous balancing act here. The clear politics surrounding these men and their level of importance is softened by the intentional frankness to make these figures more reachable and human than merely humane from their lofty perches. The movie’s matter-of-fact tone balances the overarching seriousness of the history that was once at stake.

All the talk exceeds any and all production value. The confrontations of Hopkins and Pryce create immeasurable endearment to be found in this movie. Both actors are given the best showcase material they’ve had in years since chasing franchise robots or pirates, respectively. The way geniality shifts introspection to win over strife is fascinating and inspiring, to say the least. In one moment, the characters will debate a high theological construct and, in the next, remark on cheesy television or life’s simple pleasures over Fanta and pizza. Pryce and Hopkins sell that levity with ease and regality.

LESSON #3: WHERE IS GOD IN ALL THIS? — In closing, the resonating force of this movie will be its call for reflection alongside that which is being depicted. The men speak of a “spiritual hearing aid” or the need to “blow the ash away” as the strength of the Catholic Church is challenged by changing people and changing times. Wounds have been afflicted that need healing. These men lament how the “hardest thing is to listen to God’s voice.” It is a voice that should bring peace and not guilt. The movie say it plainly in “Truth without love is unbearable,” supporting the first two lessons. This high papal position is meant to continue and complete the work of God’s love. It looks like the right man for the job is in place where even a fictional episode like this can help us now see why.

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" podcast and talking "All the President's Men" for the "ReelPolitk" series

If the two of us were paid for doing this stuff, Ian Simmons of Kicking the Seat and I would be following the money for All the President’s Men. For a little something different than our usual big roundtables for new movies, Ian and I put the recorders on to mix politics and movies together. The dark parking garage was optional. For nearly an hour, we build bridges between old brilliance and analog journalism to our 24-hour news cycle and current times of media bias with this masterpiece being the mold. Enjoy this very topical and jovial shared conversation!

PODCAST EPISODE PAGE

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" podcast talking "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"

The dead speak! On an early morning in advance of its much ballyhooed release, Ian Simmons of Kicking the Seat assembled the clones of myself, David Fowlie of Keeping It Reel, Emmanuel Noisette of E-Man’s Movie Reviews, and Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree to put all of our Midichlorians on the table to immediately react to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. There’s so much forceful spirit on this dais, you would think it’s the real versions of all of us. Enjoy this podcast episode!

PODCAST EPISODE PAGE MY OWN FULL "STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER" REVIEW

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COLUMN: Looking for Some of the Best Classic Movie Posters? Buy Online

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Looking for Some of the Best Classic Movie Posters? Buy Online.

Movie posters should be created by devoting a lot of time and with tremendous imagination. However, most of the poster designers and marketing consultants depend on Photoshop today to generate movie posters. These posters are way different from the classic Hollywood movie posters of the earlier times.

According to Forbes, movie enthusiasts are always looking for novelty. However, they are obsessed with only those films that match with the conventional genres they seem to be used to and comfortable with. They would like to enjoy something new, fresh and original within the same genre. Movie buffs love original stories that present unique visceral experiences, visuals, and viewpoints. Over the years, many Hollywood movies have won the hearts of millions of viewers. Let us explore some of the classic film posters that are still in huge demand among movie buffs, auctioneers, and collectors. If you are thinking of adding to your collection of classic movie posters, buy online for an amazing selection.

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Image: imdb.com

This poster seems to be an amazing instance of a color scheme which is extending from a movie to its marketing. You could see bright yellow is emanating from this pleasing Sundance blockbuster, seen on the T-shirt of Paul Dano. This color scheme is consistent across the trailer, film, and the poster. Here an important element of the movie is depicted. The van refuses to start hence, the family is compelled to run and spontaneously jump into it. It depicts a picture in motion; however, it does not lose its sense of humor and family.

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(Image: idmb.com)

The Graduate

This poster has been immortalized as the most infamous seduction in the history of cinema. The poster highlights Anne Bancroft’s leg that is partially covered with stocking but the very sight of her leg is quite seductive for the onlookers. The poster made history and Anne Bancroft won phenomenal popularity and countless fans across the globe. The funny part is that 46 years after the film was released, Linda Gray, Dallas star and model disclosed to the world that the hot leg in the film’s poster belonged to her since Anne Bancroft could not be present for the poster shoot. Linda Gray got $25 as a payment for the hotshot.

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Image: imdb.com

Mean Streets

Mean Streets by Martin Scorsese was a path-breaking film and the film’s poster was groundbreaking too. The poster complemented the movie very well. It was a stunning depiction of Little Italy’s negative or the darker side along with the physical features of the neighborhood in New York-stoops, fire escapes, rooftop water towers merging into graded-colored graphics. 

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Conclusion

Certain visual tricks would always attract your attention such as the contrasting colors, symmetry, beautiful women, etc. However, a movie expert has gone a step beyond all this by exposing the secret trick to attract audiences to the movie theaters. He believes that film posters must speak just enough. They should not convey a word more. There should be no scope for extra word. Film posters have the responsibility of compelling, inspiring, and exciting potential movie viewers. It could be a pretty challenging and complicated effort but one that could be highly rewarding to the distributors and the studios.

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EDITORIAL: How Do People See AI in Movies?

(Image: interestingengineering.com)

How Do People See AI in Movies?

AI in the real world isn’t remotely advanced enough to allow it to have a true personality. But in movies, AI has been a constant source of interest for many people since the very beginning. Movies allow filmmakers to explore a world in which AI is truly sentient. But that sentience hasn’t always been good.Interestingly enough, when you spread out AI in movies by intelligence and morality, you may start to see a strange correlation. In general, childlike robots tend to be typed as “good,” while superhuman robots tend to be typed as “evil.” Walk through this ranking of AI in movies and see how people tend to type AI across the board.

Childlike and Good

The largest singular group on the map of AI is that of characters that have a childlike temperament or intelligence and a good moral compass. From the excited learning of Max from Flight of the Navigator to the rapport between R2-D2 and C-3P0, childlike robots seem to ping people’s radars to really be a force for good.

• R2-D2 – Star Wars

• Giant – The Iron Giant

• Robocop – Robocop

• Max – Flight of the Navigator

• Robot – Robot & Frank

• Johnny 5 – Short Circuit

• Chappie – Chappie 

Adult-like and Mixed

Adult-intelligence AI characters, of course, have a variety of uses in movies. They tend to simply bring a science fiction element of drama to a movie. Comic relief characters, like Bender from Futurama, pull the viewers further into the canon of the story while also fulfilling many of the same tropes that another adult character would.

• KITT – Knight Rider

• TARS – Interstellar

• Bender – Futurama

• Evil Bill and Ted – Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey

Next are characters that are essentially just shells. These may be humans, like the Agents in The Matrix, who are just being filled by the AI in question. They may also be intelligent sources of information, like the spider robots from Minority Report.

• Spider Robots – Minority Report

• MU-TH-UR 6000 – Alien

• Connecticut Housewives – The Stepford Wives

• Agents – The Matrix 

Last in the adult section are characters that fulfill a dramatic purpose in the story. These storylines, interestingly enough, tend to revolve much more around the fact that they are an AI. Comedy relief characters, on the other hand, don’t tend to get this type of heavy story.

• Ava – Ex Machina

• Maria’s Double – Metropolis

• Bishop – Alien 

Superhuman and Evil

Next up is the group of characters that are both superhuman and evil. You’ll see in this list that many of these AI entities claim to know everything there is to know, and they invariably use this knowledge for sinister purposes.

• Borg – Star Trek

• VIKI – I, Robot

• Skynet – The Terminator

• Ultron – Avengers: Age of Ultron

• HAL 9000 – 2001: A Space Odyssey 

Exceptions to the Rule

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. There are two especially substantial exceptions to the superhuman rule, showing that sometimes people do think that superhuman AI can be good.

• Data – Star Trek

• Marvin the Paranoid Android – A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

When it comes to childlike AI that’s either neutral or evil, it’s typically being utilized by someone else. Their childlike demeanor may in many people’s minds keep them from creating evil on their own.

• Droids - Elysium

• Gort – The Day the Earth Stood Still 

Conclusion

What kind of lessons has movie AI taught us over the years? Humans have definitely taken inspiration from science fiction when it comes to building real things. But at the center of it all isn’t necessarily a distrust of computers, but in fact a distrust of knowledge itself. And that’s what’s so interesting to see about AI in movies.

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EDITORIAL: How to Create a Perfect Female Character to Grab Millennials' Attention to Your Movie

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How to Create a Perfect Female Character to Grab Millennials’ Attention to Your Movie

Everyone sees millennials as the young generation who gets bored very quickly and is continually looking for something new to do or watch. When it comes to movies, the industry changed in the past years, given the millennials' appetite to spend more time in front of the TV, watching Netflix, than going to the cinema. Still, the film industry manages to reach incredible peaks and attract millennials’ attention in different forms. When you write female characters for millennials, you need to keep high standards. Even though the cost of quality might be high when trying to meet millennials’ needs, the benefits will exceed all the efforts. So, if you are standing in front of your computer right now, wondering how your next female character should look to impress millennials, then you should first take a look at this article.

1. Create a female character that will save herself

Millennial women grew in a society where women succeeded in having equal rights as men. So, they won’t be surprised that the female character from their favorite movie won’t just sit in a corner and wait for a man to save her. A female character that attracts millennials will become a hero herself and take control of the story. For example, the success of Wonder Woman was incredible for this particular reason. It showed the younger generation that a woman could be a successful leader. Also, many movies and TV serials have demonstrated that a strong female character doesn’t have to have superpowers or have ninja skills. She just has to have strong moral principles. An independent woman, who doesn’t make any compromises in leading her cause, will always win millennials’ attention. If you are just starting as a character writer, you can work with a team of professionals in the beginning, like the team at PicktheWriter, to give you a hand.

2. Build a strong female character, but don’t forget that she is a human being too

Millennials are craving for authenticity. They will never prefer a movie where everything is out of this world and doesn’t teach them anything new. Thus, even though you are creating the most influential female character, you shouldn’t exaggerate. You shouldn’t forget that your female character is a human being too. So, you can add scenes where you show that she has feelings as well. Coming back to Wonder Woman, you most probably remember that she also fell in love and went through amazing moments with her male partner. Despite her strong attitude, the writer also took into consideration the idea of humanizing her and bringing her closer to the audience. Therefore, when you think of creating a strong female character, you shouldn’t just add superpowers and keep her in continuous action. She will also have to show her sensitive side and look like she is a human being as well. A strong female character should also have weaknesses. The closer to taking her to reality, the stronger the role will become. After all, each small imperfection will add more authenticity and less boring.

3. Don’t surround your female character with other characters having weak personalities

One of the most common mistakes that many characters writers make is that they surround their female characters with weak male characters to make her look stronger. This is a complete failure as it fails to bring authenticity to the movie. As we already mentioned, millennials represent a smart audience, who don’t like fake characters. They want authenticity and leave a film with a pleasant feeling that they learned a valuable lesson from the main character. So, when the main character is a strong woman, she doesn’t have to appear around weak male characters. Millennials have grown in a society where men and women have equal rights. You can read more about this generation's habits and points of interest on TrustMyPaper and other similar sites. So, when the female character works with a male with a dominant personality, she will stand out even more. Your audience will love an energetic couple who works together to save the world. You can think of Mr. and Mrs. Smith movie that managed to grab the audience’s attention with their strong personality. Also, if you add a bit of love and sparkles in the couple, the action will become even more entertaining.

4. Let your strong female character make mistakes sometimes

The goal of any writer is to make each character as human as possible. So, like any other human being, your female character will sometimes fail too. It’s not realistic to create a female character who will win every battle and kill every villain that appears in her way. Her strength will become more authentic if you let her fail sometimes. You can even let her be defeated, but not for a very long time. The moment when your female character seems defeated will be the climax of your movie. Your audience will stop breathing and wait anxiously for your character to get up and get her revenge over the negative personage that has put her down. It’s impressive to see how everyone cheers up when they see that their favorite female character is returning stronger than ever before and comes over any obstacle that appears in her way. By allowing her to trip and fall for a short period, you will make her even stronger than in the beginning. Also, you can use the moments when she fails not to make everything too dramatic. You can add a touch of humor in these scenes and shift your audience’s attention from something that might seem tragic to some funny moments that they will enjoy a lot. If you feel stuck during the writing process, you can ask for the help of professional writers, like those at WritingJudge.

Conclusion

Building a strong female character that will please millennials can be a challenging task. However, if you pay close attention to what this generation actually likes, you will discover that your job is not so difficult. As long as you stay authentic and respect the fact that your female character is a human being too, you won’t have anything to fear. Also, it is nothing wrong to put her close to a strong man with whom she can collaborate and change the future of humanity. Besides, a strong female character should also have feelings and experience failure. As long as you pay attention to all these elements, you will notice how fast you attract millennials’ attention. 

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