Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

Director David Slade

Genre Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Cast Asim Chaudhry, Will Poulter, Fionn Whitehead

Rating TV-MA

Release Date December 28th, 2018

“A young programmer makes a fantasy novel into a game. Soon, reality and virtual world are mixed and start to create confusion.”

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is a feature-length entry in the extremely popular Netflix sci-fi anthology series. Bandersnatch is set in 1984 and tells the story of a young programmer adapting a “sprawling fantasy novel” — the titular Bandersnatch — into a video game. In classic “Black Mirror” fashion the line between fantasy and reality begin to blur. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch:

• Rumored to be a Black Mirror film, in which the viewer can chose a plot direction several times. The amount of footage that was filmed is reported to be close to 5 hours. The actual running time of the film is 90 minutes.

Stan & Ollie

Director Jon S. Baird

Genre Biography | Comedy | Drama

Cast John C. Reilly, Steve Coogan, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston

Rating PG

Release Date December 28th, 2018

“Laurel and Hardy, the world’s most famous comedy duo, attempt to reignite their film careers as they embark on what becomes their swan song - a grueling theatre tour of post-war Britain.”

From director Jon S. Baird (Filth, Vinyl), Stan & Ollie tells the true story of the worlds most famous comedy duo as they attempt to reignite their film careers. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Stan & Ollie:

• Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly were the first choices of director Jon S. Baird and screenwriter Jeff Pope for the role of Laurel and Hardy.

• Jeff Pope has described Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as his heroes.

Top 10 Christmas Movies

Ahh the infamous Red Ryder BB Gun movie that gave birth to the phrase "No. Shoot your eye out". Also, this 1983 instant classic served as my voice of reason each and every time I even considered touching my tongue to a frozen pole (don’t worry, it only came up a few times).

One of the many National Lampoon's classic films, Christmas Vacation is the ultimate Christmas movie for the entire family because let's be honest, this family makes us feel soooooooo much better about ours no matter how messed up they are. 

A fantastic Christmas movie full of nostalgia and memorable moments. It is also a double-edged sword as it skyrocketed star Macaulay Culkin to instant stardom and in turn ripped his family apart (true story, look it up).

It is undeniable that Elf is a fan favorite - people are absolutely obsessed with this movie. Surprisingly highly rated by critics all things considered, this is an over-the-top goofy classic that is a ton of fun to watch as long as you know what to expect. 

No top movie list would be complete without the classic love story, and Love Actually is perfect thanks to this story of interconnected love. Have an issue with a little romance during the Holidays?! Well that sounds like a YOU problem.

Bad Santa is raunchy and ridiculous, just the way I like my Christmas evening to be (kidding, kinda). But seriously, Billy Bob Thornton basically plays himself and keeps the laughs coming.

What is there to say about this movie aside from the obvious fact that it is one of the all-time classic’s so the 1946 family drama had to be on the list.

Another Christmas Classic with the ageless and undeniably talented Bill Murray with a surprisingly heartfelt feel-good story.

I don’t really need to explain why this movie made the list, but this family film starring Tim Allen is slightly underrated and is absolutely a classic. I have seen it myself at least 10-15 times.

It is impossible to forget about this Tom Hanks classic thanks to the constant special screenings during the Holiday’s but who am I to complain?! This is a movie that will continue to excite generations to come.

 Disagree with our list? Let us know in the comments below.

Aquaman

Director James Wan

Genre Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Cast Jason Mamoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Randall Park

Rating PG-13

Release Date December 21st, 2018

“Arthur Curry learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and to be a hero to the world.”

From visionary director James Wan, Aquaman is the highly anticipated origin story for the popular DC character. Arthur Curry aka Aquaman learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis  and must step forward and lead his people. Everyone is aware that DC has fallen well short of it's MCU counterpart but with Mamoa as the lead and Wan behind the camera, not to mention a very strong supporting cast, this could be a big stepping stone similar to Wonder Woman. But it could be terrible, let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the latter. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Aquaman:

• The film is based on Geoff Johns's 2011 "Aquaman" comic.

• Nicole Kidman, who plays Aquaman's mother Queen Atlanna, had declined the role of Queen Hippolyta in Wonder Woman (2017) (in the comics, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman was Aquaman's ally and sometimes love interest).

• Aquaman's suit was supposed to be a surprise in 2016. Instead, Zack Snyder released the photo of Momoa wearing the Aquaman suit in February 2015. Snyder called Momoa moments before its release to the world.

Bumblebee

Director Travis Knight

Genre Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Cast Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Martin Short, Pamela Adlon

Rating PG-13

Release Date December 21st, 2018

“On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.”

From director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings), Bumblebee is the story of where it all began for the yellow Transformers star. On the run in 1987, Bumblebee finds himself in a junkyard in a small California beach town and is discovered by nearly 18-year old Charlie who who is searching for a sense of belonging. The cast includes Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Martin Short, and Pamela Adlon. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Bumblebee:

• This won't be a sequel but a spin-off based on the popular Autobot Bumblebee, as well as a prequel tale to the Transformers films.

• Bumblebee's alternate mode in this feature is a Volkswagen Beetle, his original mode in The Transformers (1984).

• In an interview Hailee Steinfeld revealed that her "Edge of Steventeen" writer/director/producer Kelly Fremon Craig did a rewrite of the script.

Mary Poppins Returns

Director Rob Marshall

Genre Family | Fantasy | Musical

Cast Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Dick Van Dyke

Rating PG

Release Date December 19th, 2018

“In Depression-era London, a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. ”

From director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Into the Woods), Mary Poppins Returns is the latest foray into the world of the enigmatic Mary Poppins, a character that was brought to life by Walt Disney himself in 1964 when he personally cast Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, alongside Dick Van Dyke. Now Mary Poppins is played by Emily Blunt (great choice if you ask me), and the rest of the cast includes Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, and a welcome return for Dick Van Dyke. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Mary Poppins Returns:

• When the first Mary Poppins movie was being written, the lead role was offered to Julie Andrews by Walt Disney himself. Andrews told Disney that she was pregnant and couldn't do the movie. Disney wanted Andrews so much that he postponed the production in order to accommodate Andrews' pregnancy. When this movie was announced, the history repeated as Emily Blunt was also pregnant and the movie was postponed to accommodate her pregnancy.

Welcome to Marwen

Director Robert Zemeckis

Genre Biography | Drama

Cast Steve Carell, Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger, Eiza González

Rating PG-13

Release Date December 21st, 2018

“A victim of a brutal attack finds a unique and beautiful therapeutic outlet to help him through his recovery process.”

From director Robert Zemeckis, the man who brought us Forrest Gump, Cast Away, and Flight, just to name a few, Welcome to Marwen is a biography drama about a man who is the victim of a brutal attack but finds a beautiful and therapeutic outlet to help him through his recovery process. The cast includes Steve Carell, Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger, and Eiza González. Check out the official trailer below!! 

Ted Takes Film Facts, Welcome to Marwen:

• The film is a dramatization of the 2010 documentary film Marwencol which told the story of Mark Hogancamp. Hogancamp, an artist and photographer, was attacked outside of a bar by 5 men who nearly beat him to death. After a lengthy stay in the hospital he began to form a new reality to help in his recovery process.

• The documentary received widespread critic acclaim, holding a 98% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and also received the "Golden Tomato" award for best reviewed documentary of the year.

Second Act

Director Peter Segal

Genre Comedy | Romance

Cast Jennifer Lopez, Milo Ventimiglia, Vanessa Hudgens, Leah Remini

Rating PG-13

Release Date December 21st, 2018

“A big box store worker reinvents her life and her life-story and shows Madison Avenue what street smarts can do.”

From talented director Peter Segal, the man who brought us 50 First Dates, Get Smart, and Grudge Match, to name a few, Second Act is a romantic comedy about a woman who uses her street smarts to reshape her life and proves those who doubted her wrong in the process. The cast includes Jennifer Lopez, Milo Ventimiglia, Vanessa Hudgens, and Leah Remini. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Second Act:

• Food Bazaar Supermarket in Long Island City, New York, was used for location filming and remained open for three days while filming in October, 2017.

• Actor Milo Ventimiglia made his acting debut in 1995 on an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.