For college students, winter break is a great time to finally do some laundry, hang out with the family and read something that isn't a textbook. Although, too much time with one's family could eventually cause a mental breakdown — a solid break from the family experience can be a trip to the movies. So here's a list of some of the films set to be released in the near future or during winter break:
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," set to be released Dec. 9.
It's a bunch of British kids going through an enchanted wardrobe to hang out with lions, centaurs and beavers. How could it not be sweet?
"Brokeback Mountain," set to be released Dec. 9.
It's a cinematic first: a gay Western in the mountains of Wyoming during the '60s. Jake Gyllenhaal ("Donnie Darko," "Bubble Boy") and Heath Ledger ("10 Things I Hate About You," "The Brothers Grimm") provide their hunkiness for the love story.
"Memoirs of a Geisha," set to be released Dec. 9.
Rob Marshall, the director of "Chicago," presents the tale of a nine-year-old Japanese girl who becomes a geisha: a Japanese woman who is trained to entertain men with conversation, song and dance. The story takes place around the time of World War II. It's probably very artsy and will win a bunch of awards.
"King Kong," set to be released Dec. 14.
Adrien Brody ("The Pianist"), Naomi Watts ("The Ring" films) and Jack Black ("Saving Silverman," "The School of Rock") star in a three-hour movie from the director of "The Lord of the Rings" films, Peter Jackson. It's going to be enormous in every way possible. And I hope there are a lot of people getting smashed by a big gorilla.
"Fun With Dick and Jane," set to be released Dec. 21.
It's a remake of a 1977 George Segal and Jane Fonda film. Instead, it's Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni ("Spanglish") in the lead roles this time. The whole thing is directed by Dean Parisot, who directed the television show "Northern Exposure." Bottom line, it's a Jim Carrey film and he makes highly entertaining movies. Even "The Cable Guy" gets more enjoyable each time it's watched.
"The Family Stone," set to be released Dec. 16.
It looks to be the token chick flick of the holiday season with Sarah Jessica Parker leading the charge. Claire Danes, Diane Keaton and Luke Wilson round out the rest of the cast in a story where the Stone family doesn't initially welcome Parker's character.
"Munich," set to be released Dec. 23.
It's Steven Spielberg's new movie. It has to do with the true story of the 11 Israeli athletes taken hostage during the 1972 Olympic games in Munich. Geoffrey Rush ("Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Shakespeare in Love") plays a Mossad case officer.
"The Ringer," set to be released Dec. 23.
Johnny Knoxville ("The Dukes of Hazzard") rigs the Special Olympics by pretending to have a mental disability. But didn't Eric Cartman already do this on a "South Park" episode? And isn't Knoxville already comically challenged?
"Hoodwinked," set to be released Dec. 23.
A twist on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. The film begins with the investigation at Granny's house with a wolf, an ax and a little girl on the scene of the crime. The movie is animated with an all-star cast of voices including Glenn Close ("101 Dalmatians"), Anne Hathaway ( "The Princess Diaries" films), Patrick Warburton ("Seinfeld"), Xzibit ("Pimp My Ride") and Andy Dick ("NewsRadio"). It should be awesome for children of all ages.
If all else fails, the "Harry Potter" movie will be out for a while.
