25 Movies to Watch for Christmas

As the Christmas weekend is upon us, I like to spend time rewatching Christmas movies: the old classics and family favorites. In more recent years, I have also added Hallmark Christmas movies to the rotation. But even those can’t hold a candle to many of the movies on this list, at least for me. So, what is this list you may ask? A list of 25 movies that you should spend time watching over Christmas, if you’re into that sort of thing. If you’re not, that’s cool too, whatever floats your boats.

While I may love some of these movies more than others, just like other people, I tried to be fair with my descriptions. They are all worth watching as each one represents an element of Christmas and the holiday season, each in their own way..

Without further ado, 25 movies to watch for Christmas!

1. White Christmas (1954)

Vermont at Christmas, a charming inn, and songs sung by Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen. What more needs to be said? It’s a classic and quite possibly my number one favorite Christmas movie (and number one favorite Christmas song, especially as sung by Bing Crosby). I’ve loved Bing Crosby christmas songs long before I first saw this movie, but once I had seen it, it quickly became a must watch every year. And since moving to Arizona, I can certainly relate to… “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know…”

2. Muppets’ Christmas Carol (1992)

“It’s in the singing of a street corner choir, it’s going home and getting warm by the fire. It’s true, wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas.” Michael Caine (as Scrooge) and a host of everyone’s favorite muppets retell the Charles Dickens classic tale of A Christmas Carol. This was my favorite Christmas movie until White Christmas. But if I’m truly honest, both movies are tied for first. I have every song in the movie memorized by heart. And this is my favorite Jim Henson Production that wasn’t directed by Jim Henson, but by his son Brian, as Jim passed away during pre-production of this movie. My favorite Jim Henson movie is of course Labyrinth, followed closely by The Dark Crystal, but I digress as neither of those are Christmas movies.

3. The Holiday (2006)

The honor of one of the best romantic Christmas movies goes to The Holiday. In what other movie can you find romance amidst the Santa Ana winds or the snow flocked fields of Surrey? This movie stars Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Eli Wallach, as two budding romantic couples and one adorable old man. And speaking of the adorable old man, he offers up one of my favorite lines in the movie, “Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you’re behaving like the best friend.” I can certainly appreciate when your life can be put into such simple terms, and ever since I first heard it, I have strived to be the leading lady of my own life. I also strive to watch this movie every year, and spoiler alert: I already have.

4. Last Holiday (2006)

In the same year as The Holiday, another romantic comedy Christmas movie premiered, starring Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, Alicia Witt, and Gerard Depardieu. This movie is about taking life altering news and not letting it keep you from going on a trip that allows you to live life to the fullest. This movie quickly became one of my favorite movies to watch for Christmas (and one of my mom’s favorites as well). It has such a great blend of humor, love, discovery, sadness and surprise.

5. Elf (2003)

What do you get when you combine Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner and Mary Steenburgen? You get a really fun Christmas movie about a human who grew up at the North Pole as an elf and goes on an adventure to find his real family. A great time for the whole family, and don’t forget, “The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.”

6. This Christmas (2007)

10 years before the world knew Idris Elba as Heimdall in Thor and Luther in the acclaimed BBC show of the same name, he was Quentin Whitfield in This Christmas. This movie is all about a family trying to come together for Christmas despite a variety of obstacles. You really get the feeling of how important the support of a loving family can be.

7. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

No Christmas movie list would be complete without the classic animated Christmas tales from Rankin and Bass. These are the movies that filled my childhood with happiness and joy. Starting with everyone’s favorite red-nosed reindeer, Rudolph! Before Rudy was leading Santa’s sleigh on the screen, he had a successful song based off an equally successful poem from the 1930s. Rudolph has taught generations of children that it's ok to be different and that everyone has a special way that they can be important.

8. Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1970)

Just like Rudolph, this cartoon was based off the song of the same name, also from the 1930s. In this timeless tale, children can learn all about the origin story of the big-man-in-red himself, Santa Claus. Certain aspects of the story are taken from the tales and legends of Saint Nicholas aka Sinterklaas aka Nikolaus aka Santa Claus, as he was known across Europe and later in America. So, if you need to brush up on your Santa facts, this is the movie for you.

9. The Year Without A Santa Claus (1974)

Out of the Rankin and Bass classics, this one has to be my favorite. It introduced some of my favorite characters: Heat Miser and Snow Miser. Each of whom have great theme songs. Plus, I have always considered this movie to have a unique take on a Santa Claus involved Christmas story. What happens when Santa decides to take the year off?

10. Frosty the Snowman (1969)

What do you get when you combine a magical top hat with a snowman? A talking jolly snowman named Frosty. He takes a group of kids on an exciting parade through their town and teaches them that even though their snowy fun will melt away eventually, they only need wait until next year to have wintery fun again. This is the perfect follow up to a fun-filled day building snowmen. Warm yours hands around a warm cup of cocoa or cider and wish Frosty a “Happy Birthday!”

11. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

Based on a marvelous Dr. Seuss tale, this movie should put you in the Christmas spirit without fail. And with the voice of the Grinch and the narration by Boris Karloff, I dare anyone to find a reason to scoff. But we must not forget, this movie also spawned a hit song by Thurl Ravenscroft to complete the set. Whether you are a Grinch or a Cindy Lou Who, this movie is bound to have something for you!

12. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)

I know, I already have a version of The Christmas Carol on here (there may also be another one further down on the list), but I am of the mindset that you can’t have enough versions of a great classic story. Also, this is Disney’s Mickey Mouse that we’re talking about here, not to mention a bunch of his Disney pals. Including, everyone’s favorite miserly duck, Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge. Could you have a more fitting casting than that? I am also aware, that Scrooge is named after that very same Dickens’ character, I just thought “the casting” line was funny. Anyway, this was an important animation for Mickey. At the time, this had been the first original theatrical release of a Mickey Mouse movie in over 30 years. It was also the last animated film to have Clarence Nash, who voiced Donald Duck, the only remaining original voice actor having outlived Walt Disney and Pinto Colvig (Goofy). I heartily nominate this Academy award nominee to be added to your Christmas watch list. Go on and know it better man!

13. Snow Queen (1957)

“Here comes the Snow Queen, her majesty in white…” and here comes a Han Christian Andersen classic for you, in a visual format. This 1957 classic is one that was introduced to me by my mother, who grew up watching it as a child. You may have seen a more recent (albeit loose) adaptation that hit theaters in 2013, a little film by the name of Frozen. For those that may not know, Hans Christian Andersen was also the same author of The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Pea, The Emperor’s New Suit, and many more stories. Stories many of which Disney has adapted into films, and similar to the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, Disney made them much more kid friendly. The Snow Queen is a tale of a girl who loses her childhood sweetheart to a cold but beautiful queen of the ice and snow. You follow the girl on an adventure across Northern Europe, from Denmark to the far northern reaches of Scandinavia, as she avoids a witch’s grasp, bandits, a prince’s dungeon and the icy powers of the Snow Queen herself. It is definitely not your conventional animated Christmas movie and I think that’s what I’ve always loved about it. So if you’re up for something unique, check this one out.

14. Love Actually (2003)

People either love this movie, or hate this movie, and always for different reasons I’ve found. I’m in the love it camp. It’s amazing cast and unconventional plot points had me sold from the first time I saw it. Andrew Lincoln, Keira Knightley, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Bill Nighy, Martin Freeman, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, and the late Alan Rickman. It has romance, humor, sadness, family, London, and a great rendition of All I Want for Christmas. That is all I will say, and I will let you all make up your own minds.

15. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

Before I get fists shaken at me for not going with the 1947 version, let me just say this. I love the original and I enjoy watching it. I would include it as well if I could, but then I would have 26 movies and America doesn’t believe in a second Christmas day as the Europeans do (or Boxing Day for my Canadian friends). So I chose the remake because it was the first version that I saw as a child and because I was a big fan of Richard Attenborough from Jurassic Park and Mara Wilson from Mrs. Doubtfire. The remake is also a bit easier to get a hold of to watch than the original, especially if you feel like watching it in the original black and white instead of the remastered color version. But I do highly recommend everyone seek out the original, it has a great cast as well: Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood.

16. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

I think everyone in their lifetime has either had a neighbor like or known someone like Clark Griswold. They go all out with their decorations and want everything to be perfect for Christmas. I love Christmas, and Winter is my favorite time of year, but even I have my limits when it comes to decorations. It’s a lot of work to put up decorations and not to mention the energy bill tends to spike a bit this time of year (although not nearly as much as running the AC during an Arizonan summer). So, when I want to see a crazy display of lights, I go no further than the TV in my living room and I reacquaint myself with the Griswolds and their Christmas shenanigans.

17. The Santa Clause (1994)

This movie taught us all a valuable lesson, do not scare Santa while he is on your roof. Otherwise, you wind up accidentally killing Santa and having to take over his job. Luckily for the rest of us, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) found that out the hard way and made his handy guide for us all. Ok, clearly I’m kidding, except for the premise of this movie. I remember watching this movie as a kid and while there have been a few sequels, none of them can top the original. I really liked this movie, but I was also a Tim Allen fan, as my parents used to watch a lot of Home Improvement. And of course, what 90s kid doesn’t know Tim Allen as the voice of Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. So for nostalgia’s sake, grunt a big Tim “the Toolman” Taylor “roh roh roh” before settling down to watch this fun Christmas comedy. Don’t worry, you won’t need to go to infinity and beyond.

18. Gremlins (1984)

It’s recommended to never get your kids a pet for Christmas unless you’re absolutely sure that your kids are willing to take care of said pet, or you’re prepared to take care of the pet when they don’t. No movie hammers home more the importance of proper pet care than this one. Three simple rules: No water, no bright light, and no feeding after midnight. The consequences of not following these rules were nothing short of disastrous for one small town plagued by gremlins. Billy, his girlfriend Kate, and little adorable Gizmo, must work together to save themselves and the town from these ugly and dangerous creatures.

19. Scrooged (1988)

Remember before when I said there was at least one more version of The Christmas Carol on this list? Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Bobcat Goldthwait, Carol Kane and more...bring this modernized telling of the tale to life. Scrooge is a miserly TV executive named Frank Cross, who gave up on love with Claire and needs a visit from those three ghosts we know so well to get him back on track. I remember when I was younger, the elevator scene with the Ghost of Christmas Future always scared me and I would cover my eyes or turn away. I didn’t know exactly what it looked like until I was older. So if that part still creeps you out, don’t worry, it is a brief scene and is worth it in order to enjoy this great Bill Murray flick.

20. Jack Frost (1998)

Michael Keaton as a talking snowman. Need I say more? Of course, I am going to say more about this movie, because it’s one that I really enjoy and think doesn’t get enough credit. I’ve been a fan of Michael Keaton since Beetlejuice and Batman, so naturally, I was a fan of this film. While it’s just his voice coming out of a snowman, for the majority of the movie, the snowman does resemble Keaton and his mannerisms. If you’ve never seen it, give Keaton’s combination of Jack Frost and Frosty the Snowman a chance.

21. Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)

For the longest time, I did not realize there were other Ernest P. Worrell movies and that there was actually an entire franchise. Not until I discovered Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Scared Stupid and Ernest Goes to School. Of them all, Ernest Saves Christmas has remained my favorite, but Ernest Scared Stupid is a close second. We had this on VHS and I watched it often as a kid. In this movie, and all the others, Jim Varney plays Ernest P. Worrell. Ernest is a buffoon and a redneck with a raspy voice, that gets himself into trouble but always manages to work things out. And in the case of this movie, manages to help save Christmas. If you’re at all interested in finding out what happens when you cross a clumsy redneck with Christmas, then this is the movie for you. “KnowhutImean?”

22. Home Alone (1990)

This movie starred Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, the kid who gave parents in the 90s cause to think twice about leaving their kids alone at home, for fear of them destroying the house with booby traps to defend against burglars. This movie spawned a myriad of quotable lines, and an entire franchise. While Culkin only did two films, the original and it’s sequel, there are apparently three more that noone has ever heard of. But I wouldn’t bother with those, just stick with the original. So, grab some popcorn “ya filthy animals” and enjoy watching a kid destroy a couple of criminals.

23. Jingle All the Way (1996)

After he was the Terminator and after he fought predators in the jungle, Arnold Schwarzenegger got to find out what it was like to be Turbo Man. In this Christmas comedy, a dad (Schwarzenegger) tries everything he can to get his son one of the hottest toys on the market. Even to such lengths at picking fights with a postal worker out for the same thing, played by comedian Sinbad. If you enjoy comedic Arnold as much as Action Arnold, like I do, then sit back and relax. “It’s Turbo time!”

24. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Now, I will be completely honest. I can’t recall if I’ve actually seen It’s a Wonderful Life. I think I have, or maybe just a portion of it? But I have gone through life hearing about the movie and it’s plot every Christmas for years, from other Christmas movies and other people. It’s touted as one of the top classic Christmas movies, and is a must watch in many households for the Christmas season. So, I thought I had better include it in the list, lest I be shunned. I will make it priority to watch the film all the way through.

25. A Christmas Story (1983)

So we come to the last film on the list. This also is considered a must watch for Christmas by a lot of people. Unlike the Jimmy Stewart staple, I have seen this movie, once, and honestly that was enough for me. It’s not a bad movie but it’s just not one I feel I have to watch every year necessarily. But, other people love it and I can appreciate what people love about it, so that’s enough to include it on this list. It does have some great moments and I do like that it is based on the partially real-life writings of an author (Jean Shepherd). Anyway, if you love this movie, let me know why and it may help to convince me. So enjoy watching the wintry exploits of little Ralphie, but be careful, “you might shoot your eye out kid.”

You can’t watch all of these movies on Christmas, there might be enough time to watch them all over the entire Christmas weekend, if you’re snowed in. But hopefully this list gives an idea to those who don’t know where to start. And hopefully some of these become your favorites to watch every year, as some have become mine. But remember, who you watch these movies with is really more important than which ones are favorites or the best ones to watch for Christmas. Spending time with family or those you care about is the important thing and these movies just help to provide entertainment and a way to make cherished family memories this holiday season.

So with that...Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year everyone!

Hella Awesome: Why Thor: Ragnarok is the Best Marvel Movie of 2017 (Spoiler Warning)

I watched Thor: Ragnarok last Saturday and left the theater thinking this was hands down the best Marvel movie of 2017. This is coming from someone who loved Guardians of the Galaxy 2. I will admit that I haven't seen Spider-Man Homecoming, as I'm not a big Spider-Man fan. But even if I had seen it, it could not have changed my mind about Thor: Ragnarok.

Now, before I go any further, this review will contain spoilers (as stated in the title). So if you have not yet seen the movie, get thee to a theater!

Ok, with that out of the way. Spoilers in three…two…one...

Starting the movie with your regular dose of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) arrogance, but spruced up with his own humor, was a great way to reintroduce the audience to a character we had not seen in some time. And I don't mean the humor at Thor's expense that we had with his first visit to Earth. But Thor actively teasing a Balrog-like fiery god creature, distracting it, and yet still managing to miss the timing of Mjölnir's entrance. It was a cheeky introduction to the movie's humor, which had me laughing out loud repeatedly.

This movie did well to wrap up items from the previous Thor and Marvel movies. Thor's relationship with Jane Foster aka the "mutual dumping", the missing father and King of Asgard, the whereabouts of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) since the battle with Ultron, and the strained brotherly relationship between Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

Speaking of relationships, I wonder if Thor will spend any time mourning the violent murder of all his friends. Poor beardy guy, blond Zachary Levi, and hard-of-hearing Samurai dude. I know their names of course, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to treat them in the same manner as the movie. I can understand it not making any sense to say their names in the quick scene when they die. But Hogun had actual dialog, he couldn't throw a little shoutout in for his deceased friends? Poor Fandral and Volstagg, you too may be gone but…well actually, you just might be forgotten.

Back to the main story. I thought Cate Blanchett was hella fantastic as Hela, the Goddess of Death. As the main antagonist in the film, Thor faces not just another sibling bent on claiming the throne, but an adversary whose strength is far greater than his own. A being so set on complete domination of the entire universe, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) had no choice but to lock her away. But with his power taken by Loki, Odin can no longer outrun his mortality and his passing unlocks whatever barrier contained Hela, allowing her return to Asgard. While trying to stop Hela from reaching his home, Thor is thrown out of the bifrost along with Loki, out into the unknown reaches of space. Imagine the rainbow road from Mario Kart, and the moment you get hit by a turtle shell and go careening over the edge into space. It was sort of like that.

Speaking of old video games, that is the sort of feel I got from this movie. The music and the color palette reminded me a lot of a retro 80s video game or movie. I’m a big fan of the 80s; the music, movies, and video games. So I could appreciate the nostalgic vibe the movie gave off.

While Hela is literally causing hell for the Asgardians, Thor spends a good while trapped on a garbage planet as a “prisoner with a job” gladiator for The Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). The Grandmaster, like many others on the planet, wound up there by falling through a portal and then building himself up to the man in charge. It was through one of these portals that Thor wound up in a junkyard, was captured and delivered to the Grandmaster’s arena, and pitted against the Hulk aka “his friend from work”.

The entire battle sequence between these two Avengers was awesome. Each landed blows that would have destroyed any normal man, alien, or rock creature. The fight does leave you wondering which of the two truly is the strongest Avenger, as their fight is interrupted by a shock to the body of Thor administered by a device in his neck with the Grandmaster’s finger on the button. The fight isn’t the only great part of this whole scene. Throughout the fight, a nervous Loki sits watching everything play out, after Thor was nice enough to remind Hulk of he and Loki’s past encounter. Loki certainly was not looking forward to meeting the Hulk again any time soon, after the last time the Hulk tossed him around like a ragdoll. But it definitely cheers Loki up, the moment that Thor thinks he has won Hulk over and is instead given a taste of the ragdoll treatment. Of course, everything works out after the fight, with Thor spending time in Hulk’s room, having a heart to heart with the big guy. Hulk is after all his favorite, way better than that Banner guy, until later when Banner is back then forget about that Hulk guy. Thor wins over Hulk and convinces his friend to get him an audience with a fellow Asgardian.

Here is where it got really interesting and we as the audience get treated to a bit of the Asgard lore. Thor discovers that his captor (the one who delivered him to the Grandmaster) is one of the elite guard of Asgard, a Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson). The Valkyries rode atop winged horses and were the first wave of attack against Hela. Thor, who wanted to be a Valkyrie as a child, was filled in on their fate by the last of them. She was saved and somehow wound up on the universe’s planet-sized junkyard, where she quickly found work supplying the Grandmaster with fighters for his arena. Included in her conquests was not just Thor, but the Hulk as well, whose capture I would love to see as a DVD extra. While Thor is busy trying to convince Valkyrie and the Hulk to join team “Revengers”, Hela is busy explaining to her lackey Skurge (Karl Urban) just how Odin was able to get those 9 realms under his control. She does so with a little redecorating of the throne room. What was once a mural of a peaceful Odin and his new family, broke away to reveal a warrior Odin with a mighty horned crown and Hela by his side. She was his executioner until her thirst for complete dominance caused Odin to lock her away. He set aside his ornate crown and covered up every bit of history involving Hela, choosing to rule the realms through treaties and peace.

While all this is happening, Heimdall (Idris Elba) is kicking ass and taking names with the bifrost sword, which he stole to keep Hela from jumping to any other realms and effectively trapping her on Asgard. This of course sucked for the Asgardians, but he did his part to protect and hide away as many as he could. He held off Hela’s undead army long enough for Thor to return to Asgard through a portal, on board the Grandmaster’s pleasure cruiser (which they probably should have reconsidered taking, or at least disinfected). And now, for the main event.

Thor takes on Hela, after promising Valkyrie that he wouldn’t die, while Bruce as the Hulk, Heimdall, and Valkyrie take on Hela’s forces to save the Asgardians. An outmatched Thor takes his scrapes, including losing an eye (just like dad), to hold off Hela long enough for another spacecraft to show up. A craft conveniently large enough for all the Asgardians, full of the revolting aliens from the space junk planet who are led by Loki. Loki welcomes his former subjects aboard as their savior and then joins in the fray. Meanwhile, Thor summons his inner strength after a vision of his father reminds him that he isn’t the god of the hammer but the God of Thunder. This allows him to get over the loss of his hammer and wiggle out of Hela’s grasp while she’s lit up like a Christmas tree.

Now, let me just take a quick moment to discuss Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, or more importantly the loss of said hammer. Shortly after Hela’s release, Thor aims to take her on in an attempt to send her back to whence she came. Just like in many fights before, Thor relies on his hammer to attack. It's an action he immediately is taught to regret, when Hela catches it in mid-throw and crushes it as though the hammer was made of clay. With his hammer gone, Thor struggles to come to terms with the loss of not just a weapon but something more akin to a trusted friend. He says as much to one of the other gladiators who he befriends, telling him about the hammer and how it would allow him to fly and fight. This was a poignant moment for Thor, and the audience as well as we see how much the loss of the hammer has affected Thor, especially while he is looking through the weaponry provided to the gladiators. It's no wonder that Thor finds himself as less of a warrior without it and too weak to fight against Hela. Until the dream chat with dear old dad, which reminds him just what he’s capable of as a god.

Thor’s attack of course does not stop the ever powerful Hela, whose power continues to be drawn from Asgard itself. What is Thor to do but convince Loki to set a plan into motion that even Loki thinks is bold. We are treated to Loki’s amusing stroll through dad’s man cave of trophies, where he eyes the tesseract longingly, but sticks to his brother’s plan.

What plan is that you ask? The old “enemy of my enemy” plan. No wonder Loki was willing to go along with it, as far as Thor’s plans go, this was way better than the humiliating (to Loki) “get help” plan. This plan basically entailed Loki pretending to be injured and then Thor calling for help before chucking him at their unsuspecting target. It sort of helps you understand Loki’s viewpoint a bit more, as to why he didn’t exactly have the best relationship with Thor growing up. But back to the plan at hand. Loki grabs the skull of Surtur (Clancy Brown)--you remember him, fiery guy from the beginning who Thor defeated to keep him from wreaking havoc on Asgard--and tosses said skull into the eternal flame of Asgard. The same eternal flame that Hela used to bring her dead army to life. So I’m sure you can guess what happens from there. Thor meets and defeats Surtur, Thor meets and is defeated by Hela, so Thor resurrects Surtur and introduces him to Hela. The boss battle ensues, while Thor and Valkyrie are scooped up by the Hulk and brought aboard the spacecraft, which departs just in time to see Surtur strike down Hela and all of Asgard implode. The heroes brought about Ragnarok instead of stopping it and in doing so saved Asgard, because Asgard is not a place but a people.

Now I would be remiss, if I did not mention Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his short but helpful role in the film. When Thor first returns home with the skull of Surtur, thinking that he has successfully stopped the Asgardian apocalypse, he discovers that Odin is not quite himself. He witnesses a play about Loki’s death which has been completely over exaggerated to make Loki out to be the selfless hero. It is actually a really great scene, where the play actors are fun cameos of well known actors playing Thor, Loki, and Odin. Actor Thor is played by Luke Hemsworth, Chris Hemsworth’s brother, who makes a very realistically convincing Thor when the blond wig is added. Actor Loki is played by Matt Damon, yes, the Matt Damon. Actor Odin is played by Sam Neill of Jurassic Park fame. But I digress, Loki is forced to reveal himself and returns to Earth with Thor to look for their father. Not too long after their arrival, Loki is snatched and Thor is left with a business card leading to his whereabouts. Thor winds up meeting Doctor Strange and they come to an agreement. Strange helps Thor find his father, if Thor gets Loki back to Asgard as soon as possible. There are some great comedic moments between Strange and Thor, which leaves you hoping they interact again very soon.

So there you have it. My review of Thor: Ragnarok. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. What better way to show my absolute love for this movie, then to write a post about it. I truly wish I could go see it again, but I have my eyes set on The Justice League next and then Star Wars: The Last Jedi. But believe me when I say, I enjoyed every aspect of this Thor movie. I went to see it with my mom and she equally enjoyed it. Seated beside me was an elderly grandmother who went to see the movie with her teenage grandson. I’m sure she knew far less about the Marvel Cinematic Universe than I do and yet she laughed at all the same humorous scenes that I did and she was just as invested in these characters as I was. The movie introduced us to two strong female characters in Hela and Valkyrie, clearly on opposite sides of the hero spectrum. The presentation of the movie was fun and colorful and as I mentioned before, gave off a nostalgic vibe to please my inner child with a world of pure imagination (yes, there is a Charlie and the Chocolate reference in the movie).

Hats off to director Taika Waititi (who I loved in What We Do in the Shadows) for not only hitting the raised bar of Guardians of the Galaxy 2, but surpassing it with no sweat as the best Marvel movie of 2017. At least in this Marvel fan’s humble opinion.

Late to the Game: A Ready Player One Review

I recently read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, after having borrowed the book from my boyfriend during my last visit. I had heard of the book not only from him but from mutual friends who had read it as well. They all had glowing (spoiler free) reviews of the book and it had certainly been on my radar for some time. But, what finally made me get my butt in gear was the fact that the novel is being made into a movie. The movie is slated to come out in 2018 and I certainly did not want to wait until the last minute.

Now, as I mentioned above, there are plenty of reviews out there for this book. One more is probably not needed, but I wanted to share my thoughts on the book anyway. This will also be a spoiler free review, despite there probably being a lot of reviews out there with spoilers by this point as well. I've always believed its important to avoid spoilers no matter how long after something has been released into the world. Take Game of Thrones for example. The show is halfway through it's 7th season and I have never seen a single episode. Yet I have not seen, read, or heard any major spoilers. I decided long ago that I would wait until the show was over to finally to catch up, all the while expertly avoiding major spoilers. So long story short, there will equally be no spoilers from me.

Any book that references Oingo Boingo in the first few pages is a book for me. I've been a fan of Danny Elfman since I first watched Nightmare Before Christmas in high school. I know, I was really late with discovering that as well. But I have loved the movie and Jack Skellington ever since. For those who may not know, Danny Elfman was the singing voice of Jack. It was shortly thereafter that I delved into his former (by that time) band, Oingo Boingo. I had completely forgotten that Dead Man's Party was an Oingo Boingo song, it had been some time since I had heard it. Now I will admit, I did stop reading the book to fall into an Oingo Boingo rabbit hole on Youtube. But in my defense, I was at work when I started reading the book and I had only planned to read a little bit of it anyway, just to start it. On that day, our work system was being upgraded leaving a bit of downtime. But, I did still have some smaller projects to work on and Oingo Boingo certainly helped pass the time.

Once I really dove into the book, I enjoyed every page of it. Even when I wasn't familiar with all of the old school video game references, the references I did know certainly made up for the deficit. It also prompted me to watch a movie I had not seen yet, WarGames, starring Matthew Broderick. It's a Broderick movie that had completely slipped by my radar for some reason. Whereas Ladyhawke, and of course Ferris Bueller's Day Off, did not. But apart from this second minor distraction, I let nothing further deter me from finishing the book. Well, apart from finding the time to spend reading the book. While it may have taken me longer to read it than it probably should have, that is in no way a result of the content. It's an amazing book.

The many, many great references aside, this book has a fascinating future setting and storyline unlike any other that I have come across. The unique characters make it easy to become invested in their lives, especially that of the main character and his friends. The book also takes a form of technology and makes it a part of everyday life for the world represented within it's pages. The technology being VR (virtual reality, but on a massive scale. It's funny though to think, the real world has made giant leaps in the way VR is used and commercialized for today's consumers. A world like in the book is not too far fetched, especially when it comes to full immersion VR, which is both frightening and astounding. Just a couple weeks ago, I got the chance to try out a friend's VR goggles. They had it set up at a party for anyone to try and play around with. They had it set to Google Earth. Using the hand controls, you could navigate the world and then zoom down to a specific place. The detail and clarity was so impressive that it felt like I was standing in a different country, instead of my friend's office space. It's incredible how far we have come with VR technology.

Now with that being said, my overall opinion of the book is to give it five stars out of five. I highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially those people of the Generation X and older Millennials who remember what it's like to grow up in the 1980s. Of course, that is not to say that this book would be lost on a younger audience. The references may have been plucked from the 80s, but that shouldn't stop the younger generations from seeking out this book for it's amazing story. The main characters in the book are far removed from that particular era and have learned everything they know about these popular references from their version of the internet. It's no big leap that today's youth could and can easily do the exact same thing. My three year old niece can navigate a smart phone better than I could when I got my first smart phone at the age of  21. So I would not say this book couldn't easily be read by teens interested in a sci-fi adventure set in an alternative world.

Regardless of when you were born, go out and get a copy of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. You will not regret it. Now all I have to do is wait for the movie, which is slated for a March 30, 2018 release.

An Essay For Gishwhes

This year's Gishwhes (Greatest Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen) has just ended. It was another week of crazy scavenger hunting fun. With over 200 items, it was a packed week of finding things, creating things, donating to charities and causes, and spending time with your team of friends and newcomers.

I've shared about past hunts and if you check my Facebook and twitter accounts in the next few days, you will see what our team has accomplished this year. My goal here now, is to share one specific item. An item that took me time to finish and then way less time to post on twitter in the first ever tweet storm on my twitter account.

One of the items was to write a 2,000 word essay about the best way to get pregnant for the 10th time. Yes, the 10th time. That was it, the only instructions and no other information was provided. Being a writer, of course I jumped on this item straight away and starting brain storming ideas for this essay. I hadn't written an essay since my early college days, so I knew I was going to be a bit rusty. But once I settled on what I was going to write, I researched some sources and set to work, writing and formatting. I even used citations to give credit to every borrowed quote, fact, and statistic. This was going to be the best essay about getting pregnant for the 20th time the world had ever seen.

There was a catch though. Once I was finished writing all 2,000 words, I had to post the whole thing on twitter. Now for those who don't know, you send tweets on twitter, tweets that are usually short statements of whatever you want. Short statements consisting of 140 characters. So after I was finished, I went through and split the whole thing up into 140 character chunks and then set about blowing up my twitter feed with a gishwhes-related tweet storm.

I had to submit a picture of the tweet as part of the scavenger hunt, along with a link to the tweet, so that there was proof I had completed the task in order to gain points. Every item is worth points and once you complete them, you submit a photo or a video, in the hopes of gaining the allotted points and maybe even bonus points. So, it was well worth the effort to earn 80-something points.

Now, for those who don't want to spend time scrolling through my twitter feed, here is the essay in it's entirety.

How To Get Pregnant for the 10th Time
Essay by Stefanie Muniz

If someone would come to me to ask about the best way to have a child,my initial reaction would be that they were hitching their horse to the wrong wagon. As a woman who is on the fence about whether to have even one child, I would imagine I am not the right person to ask. But that’s not the question. The question is not about the best way to have a child, and is in fact more along the lines of the best way to get pregnant. This of course triggers my next reaction, which is to quote Prissy, played by Butterfly McQueen, who once said, “I don’t know nothin’ about birthin’ babies” (Gone with the Wind, 1939). I feel I can relate to that line. Now, I do know a certain extent about child birth and getting pregnant, despite never having been pregnant or being witness to anyone else’s birth. Most people, and certainly most adults, know the basics of pregnancy and giving birth. We have learned about these things throughout our adolescence, from our parents or in school health classes.

So, even though I don’t have any experience with this topic myself, I do have some personal experience from being around friends and family who have been pregnant and have given birth. I am sure I am not alone in that regard. With that in mind, I do not think I would be completely out of the realm for offering advice to someone who is interesting in learning the best way to get pregnant for the 10th time. Yes, getting pregnant for the 10th time and the best way to do so, is indeed the question here today. A third reaction would be expected here, possibly along the lines of, “why would someone with 9 kids want to get pregnant for the 10th time”?! But that’s not my next reaction. I’ve learned not to judge something or someone based on initial gut reactions, in the way we all learn things, by making the mistake of judging people based on a gut reaction or my own preexisting prejudices.

People often make assumptions of people, based on learned behavior from our parents or social settings, which leads us to draw comparisons between ourselves and others. It’s a habit, I myself have been guilty of, which we often must work towards overcoming as part of becoming an adult. If you have a prejudice, it does not automatically make you a bad person. Most people have them and may not even be aware they do, subconscious prejudice, which can seem harmless but lend well to making assumptions. For example, someone chooses not to shop at secondhand stores because they believe secondhand stores have lower quality used items. When in actuality, secondhand stores are great for finding unique items that most of time have only been used/worn once or not at all and are in new condition.

So, what is my point here? It’s simple.Who am I to judge why someone would like to have a 10th child? We do not know their personal life. Even if the person asking is a friend of yours, who are we to judge that 10 is one to many? Furthermore, unless this friend is someone who would share their deepest secrets with you, you may not entirely be aware of what is going on in their lives. It is for that reason, you cannot assume that someone who is looking to get pregnant for the 10th time has 9 children at home, or even if they do that they are not capable of having a 10th one or shouldn’t have a 10th one. It is not up to you to make that decision, the decision is up to the person looking to get pregnant. If they are asking for your help or advice with the matter, they obviously trust your opinion. The best thing to do is not try to convince them otherwise, because you don’t think it’s right, but instead do try and lend them a hand. Even if you don’t know where to start, the helpful effort would be appreciated,and that is the intent here as well.

I am going to offer different suggestions for practices that could help someone get pregnant for the 10th time, along with the pros and cons so someone can determine what the best way is for them. First, there is what can be referred to as the “good old fashioned” way by some, but is technically speaking the act of conception through intercourse. Secondly, there is the choice to use a surrogate for carrying the child. And lastly there is the process of artificial insemination.

I want to begin by stating that I am not a medical professional, I have not studied in the medical field, and I am not certified in any medical sense. What is listed from hereon out are strictly suggestions based on researched facts and figures, and nothing more. The advice provided in this essay should not be taken above the advice of a licensed medical professional.

The easiest starting point for having a child, be it the 1st or the 10th, would of course be to decide to have a child. It would be a good idea to find a partner who is also willing or that your current partner is in agreement on the subject. It takes two to tango, that’s a line I’m sure we have all heard and know is not limited to just dancing. But, I digress. The same can be said about having a child. Both parties have to be willing and able. It is at this point where both adults have consenual intercourse with the hopes of conceiving a child. Now if you have successfully conceived 9 healthy children, chances are this is the way to go when trying for kid number 10. It’s worked out for you well so far, so more power to you.

However, it would be remiss of me to not take into account the negatives that could effect the success of conception with this method. Taking into account the scenario where you have successfully conceived 9 nine times, but for one reason or another have not carried to term all 9 times, then you may need to seek an alternate method of conceiving or having a child. There are many reasons that a pregnancy doesn’t go to term and results in an early termination of the pregnancy. The frequently asked questions of a medical website suggest that common causes can be smoking and alcohol, “Smoking, alcohol, and caffeine also have been studied as causes of early pregnancy loss.” (FAQ090. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. August 2015. https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Early-Pregnancy-Loss) Despite these things having been studied the research is not entirely conclusive, but the general thought is to avoid these things in excess. Some woman believe that the early termination of their pregnancy is due to something that they may have done, but that is not actually the case in most early pregnancy occurrences. The same aforementioned frequently asked questions section of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website states, “About one half of cases of early pregnancy loss are caused by a random event in which the embryo received an abnormal number of chromosomes.” These specific things also do not take into account the age of the woman who is attempting to get pregnant, which can cause issues or problems as well, especially if the woman is over the age of 40.

So what can you do if you come across this issue or another that keeps you from naturally and safely conceiving a child? There is always the option of finding or using a surrogate mother to carry your child. This is of course the process of another woman being impregnated with your egg through an implantation process or the surrogate mother’s own egg being fertilized by the your partner. If you do not have the fortune of knowing someone who would be willing to carry your child, such as a good friend or family member, there are companies that help hopeful parents-to-be with finding a stranger to have their child. I don’t know about you, but I would personally go with a stranger that was artificially implanted with the egg fertilized by my spouse or significant other. It could get a bit awkward with using a friend or family member, especially if you don’t go the artificial insemination route with the surrogate mother. But if you do and there is a willing family member, I have heard of cases where this has worked out just fine.

Surrogacy is also a safer alternative for women who have been identified as having a chance for a high risk pregnancy or unable to conceive. A surrogacy website online shared that health is certainly a factor for a surrogate pregnancy and how it related to success, not just for the contributing parents but also for the surrogate mother as well. They stated, “The greatest success will always come from an IVF procedure where the sperm donor has had thorough medical evaluations, the egg donor is young and has a positive fertility history, and where the surrogate is also young and has met rigorous fertility criteria. In general, success rates in cases similar to this will be between 55% and 75% for a fresh embryo transfer using two high-quality embryos.” (Surrogacy Success Rates. Sensible Surrogacy. 2014. http://www.sensiblesurrogacy.com/surrogacy-success-rates/)

So let’s say you don’t want to go with a surrogate mother and you just need a little help with getting a pregnancy to take. In Vitro Fertilization or IVF, could be the solution for you in order to conceive. A medical website provided a few reasons for needing IVF, “IVF is usually the treatment of choice for a woman with blocked, severely damaged, or no Fallopian tubes. IVF is also used to overcome infertility caused by endometriosis or problems with the man’s sperm (such as low sperm count). Couples who simply can’t conceive and have tried other infertility methods (such as intrauterine insemination) that have not worked for them can also try IVF.” (Conrad Stöppler, Melissa, In Vitro Fertilization IVF Introduction. E Medicine Health. 2017. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/in_vitro_fertilization/article_em.htm)

Whatever the reason, IVF, would allow a couple having difficulty, to not only conceive a child, but also carry a child naturally without the need for a surrogate. For those not familiar with the process, with IVF, the egg is fertilized by the sperm in a laboratory dish and once fertilization has successfully taken place the egg is implanted into the woman. The woman will then be assisted with the pregnancy by various aids and medications to ensure a successful pregnancy carried out to full term. IVF can be a costly solution, but if you have no other choice, it would be a worthwhile investment for the end result of having a child.

Now, with all that said, there is still one other option. I will not go into great detail with this option, as it is not really a way to have a child, but it would result in getting a child. This option is of course adoption. You use an adoption agency to adopt a child from another country or from foster care or a similar child adoption agency in your country. If you do not wish to have a child of your own or cannot have a child of your own, it would certainly be a viable option for becoming a parent. It isn’t too difficult to look up adoption agencies online and contact them for more information regarding adoption.

So there you have it, three ways to have a 10th child. I will leave it up to you to pick the way that is best for you, because only you will know.