Arts & Entertainment
Holly Jolly Hollywood: Five Films for Feeling Festive
Teressa Berton, Social Media Coordinator
As the semester comes to a close
and the holidays draw near and
the semester draws to a close,
many of us may find ourselves
suddenly having some spare time.
After you have finished finals and
have headed home for the holiday
let off some steam, and give some
old hollywood favorite a spot on
your streaming queue.
Meet Me in St. Louis - This film
is a classic not only around the
holidays, but all year long.The
movie follows an American family
at the turn of the century, and their
ups and downs in St. Louis. The
musical starring Judy Garland
introduced the world to the
Christmas carol “Have Yourself a
Merry Little Christmas.” In addition
to great songs in this movie, you
also get a story about family and
love — perfect for the holidays.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) -
Do you believe in Santa Claus?
Follow the journey of a sweet
little girl as she determines the
authenticity of a man who claims
to be Santa. This film was so
successful that it would later be
remade in 1994, but the original
is equally worthy of your time- if
not for the charming story, then
at least for the view of a young
Natalie Wood.
Holiday Inn - This is the original
holiday movie, featuring Irving
Berlin songs for all of the holidays
in the year including “White
Christmas”. When Berlin wrote the
song, he stated that it was the best
song ever written. The film sfars
crooner Bing Crosby and hoofer
Fred Astaire as a pair of show
biz whizzes and fheir celebration
of a year’s worth of Holiday toe
tappers. This movie is perfect for
getting into the holiday mood.
White Christmas- From the OG
Christmas movie to the ultimate
Christmas extravaganza. Bing
Crosby returns to the screen to
reprise the song he made famous
during the second World War and
bring it to the next generation.
This movie has got it all from
lavish musical numbers to a
heartwarming story and even slam
bang finish.
The Bishop’s Wife - As a great
reminder of fhe importance of
family, this film shines as a great
example of using the gifts you
have and appreciating what has
been placed in your life. Follow the
angel Dudley, played by the suave
and debonair Cary Grant, as he
aides a Bishop in finding a way to
care for his parish and his family.
It’s a Wonderful Life - This
is a must-see! This film by
director Frank Capra, fells the
story of George Bailey and his
contributions to his community.
This film is a great reminder of
community and the individuals
that live within them. I strongly
recommend this film to all the
Meredith Angels who are still
looking to find their wings.
I hope you’ll take the time to enjoy
these classics while you are home
for the holidays.Maybe you’ll
find a few new favorites. Merry
Christmas!
It's The Most Wonderful Channel of the Year:
Laurie Diggett, Staff Writer
Hallmark
With most of November
already gone, it is no wonder that
we’re in the thick of the festive
season. Along with the consistent
commercials and Christmas trees,
everywhere you look comes a
wintry feeling that makes you want
to cuddle up with a loved one by a
warm fire or watch a movie to get
into the holiday spirit.
In a 2015 Variety article, Rick
Kissell writes, “Among all cable
networks for the week of Nov.
23-29,[2015] Hallmark Channel
ranked No. 2 in primetime total
viewers (all-time high 2.48 million),
behind only ESPN (3.45 million).”
Based upon the statistics reported
by Kissell, it appears that the
Hallmark channel is expected to
be a popular pitstop for holiday
channel surfers.
Chances are, if you’re near
a television it will be turned to
the Hallmark channel at some
point during these festive times.
Not only does Hallmark play an
endless nurrrber of Christmas •
themed films throughout the last
two months of the year, but the
movies are ridiculously easy
to follow and, therefore, serve
as perfect background noise
for some fesfive baking, giff-
wrapping, or online shopping.
Let’s face it, Christmas is the
perfect time of year to be cliche,
and Hallmark certainly delivers.
If you leave the channel on long
enough, the stereotypical plots
and stock characters will begin to
run together, but, instead of being
bored to tears, you will most likely
become further engaged in each
film. It will become a competition
to see how fast you can pick out
which character will end up with
another, who will finally get that ’
big promotion, and who will be the
antagonist to lose it all in the end.
For many people, the Hallmark
channel is at its best during the
festive season. Hallmark movies
tend to instill the same warm
feeling of family and festivities
as our classic specials like Santa
Claus is Coming to Town and
A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Whereas the Christmas specials
typically seen on Freeform
(formerly known as ABC Family)
are a sentimenfal reminder of
our simple childhood, the antics
of the often corny characters in
Hallmark films tend to be relatable
to the craziness of adulthood.
The Hallmark channel brings us
comfort through its wholesome
relatability to us in our adult lives,
while the specials bring us back to
our simpler innocence. Whether
you’re looking for a “real” fesfive
film after flipping to Freeform and
seeing a “Harry Potter Weekend”
for the umpteenth time, or you’ve
worn out your Christmas music
halfway into the season and need
some background noise while you
work. Hallmark’s many Christmas
movies will not disappoint.
Web Stars Take on the World
Laurie Digget and Carolina Brustt, Staff Writers
Watch out, stand-up comics,
pop artists, and Broadway stars
alike. There’s a new form of
celebrity on the horizon, and
they’re all coming from a place that
no one ever would have expected
five years ago. YouTube, a site
once seen as a place to go for
cat videos and fail compilations
(although there continues to be
an abundance of both), has been
taken over by a new generation
of visionaries that go beyond the
normal model of entertainment
that conventional television and
film has long established. Whether
they’re performing a cool comedy
sketch, walking viewers through
a week of their daily life or even
reviewing the latest beauty product
to be put on Sephora’s shelves,
these YouTubers have made a
career out of simply having the
courage to sit in front of a camera
and start talking.
YouTube has been a home for
social media influencers from all
platforms. When Vine announced
they would be shutting down
their site in late 2016, their users
flocked to YouTube for refuge.
Even before then, a few had
made the transition in the hopes
of broadening their fame past 6
seconds. Their loyal fans soon
followed them during the switch
and brought a boost to Youtube’s
viewer base. Others from
Instagram, Tumbir, and Pinterest
have also made their home on the
site.
These days, people are
looking for their daily dose beyond
cable television and towards the
online realm. Numerous hours
can be spent on one specific site,
Youtube, with videos ranging from
the educational to the ridiculous.
While the term “YouTuber” has
been in everyday use for a few
years now, what is changing is the
way these so called YouTubers
interact with their followers. These
influencers are moving past their
computer screens and out into
the real world. What started as
a few ticketed conventions in
major cities like Orlando, Florida,
and California have helped these
individuals gain enough attention
from the mainstream media and
potential followers for them to go
on tour, showcasing their particular
talents whether it be comedy,
improv, or a simple question
and answer session. These
highly profitable ventures have
taken them past their respective
countries to meet and interact with
their fans worldwide, increasing
their reach and supporter base.
Not only that, but these
Youtubers have also found fame
in almost every outlet of the media
and across numerous industries.
Besides touring, first in their home
country, and later worldwide,
they have also skyrocketed their
fame by making appearances
on our television screens and
in independent films like Liza
Koshy on the Hulu Original show
Freakish, signing book deals like
Tyler Oakley’s Binge, producing
music like Joey Graceffa and
his album Don’t Wait, creating
a makeup line like beauty guru
Michelle Phan’s Em Cosmetics,
and more. Any new venture is
a chance to make a name for
themselves and reach out to any
current and future fans.
Youtube comedy duos currently or
getting ready to go on tour:
• Dan and Phil’s Interactive
Introverts: Coming to Greensboro,
NC on July 11th at White Oak
Amphitheatre. Buy tickets at:
http://danandphiltour.com/
• Rhett and Link’s Tour of
Mythicality: Tickets in NC are sold
out but there are tickets at other
venues available at https://www.
tourofmythicality.com
• Elijah Daniel and Christine
Sydelko: (No official tickets
available yet)