McGee's Movie Moments: Movie cheer time of year
I love the holidays as much as
the next girl — maybe even a little
more, depending on who she is,
exactly — but do you know what I
love even more? I love the influx
of big, powerful, impressive blockbuster
movies that come out in that
golden time between Christmas
and New Year's. For me, this is
prime movie season because,
unlike the summer blockbuster run
that is also hugely popular with
filmmakers and studios alike, the
holiday movie season sees many of
the Academy Award contenders,
which tend to be a little more intellectually
stimulating and a little
less action-packed than summer
flicks.
This year is certainly no exception. Among the big titles that have been released this year during this golden holiday movie time are The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Les Misérables, and Zero Dark Thirty. I'm not going to talk about these movies in particular but rather why this time of year is so magical for movies.
It's largely due to the fact that movie studios know that students and professionals alike tend to have much more free time during this time of year. Most colleges and universities take at least a couple of weeks off from classes to allow students to enjoy the season and take a break before the new semester begins in January. Most companies offer their employees at least a few days of holidays between Christmas and New Year's Day. Kids are at home going stir-crazy, parents are looking for a way to relax and college kids are looking for something fun to do. The studios know this, so they keep their biggest releases for this time.
The Oscars are another big factor in this move. Movies have to be released before the end of the calendar year in order to be eligible for the following Academy Awards. It makes the most sense to filmmakers looking to take home that golden statue to save the best chances for the very end of the year so the buzz and popularity is still fresh in the minds of voters, rather than the faded memories of movies that were released 11 months earlier.
This year, even though you're all settled nicely back in school now, I hope you can all get out for one last night at the movies before you buckle down into study mode for the next four months. Go watch a really impressive, epic flick with your friends. Go watch something deep and thought-provoking. Enjoy everything this time of the year has to offer from the magical world of cinema.
This year is certainly no exception. Among the big titles that have been released this year during this golden holiday movie time are The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Les Misérables, and Zero Dark Thirty. I'm not going to talk about these movies in particular but rather why this time of year is so magical for movies.
It's largely due to the fact that movie studios know that students and professionals alike tend to have much more free time during this time of year. Most colleges and universities take at least a couple of weeks off from classes to allow students to enjoy the season and take a break before the new semester begins in January. Most companies offer their employees at least a few days of holidays between Christmas and New Year's Day. Kids are at home going stir-crazy, parents are looking for a way to relax and college kids are looking for something fun to do. The studios know this, so they keep their biggest releases for this time.
The Oscars are another big factor in this move. Movies have to be released before the end of the calendar year in order to be eligible for the following Academy Awards. It makes the most sense to filmmakers looking to take home that golden statue to save the best chances for the very end of the year so the buzz and popularity is still fresh in the minds of voters, rather than the faded memories of movies that were released 11 months earlier.
This year, even though you're all settled nicely back in school now, I hope you can all get out for one last night at the movies before you buckle down into study mode for the next four months. Go watch a really impressive, epic flick with your friends. Go watch something deep and thought-provoking. Enjoy everything this time of the year has to offer from the magical world of cinema.
