What to Watch on TV this Weekend: Chloe's Guide

Dec. 23–25 , 2016

Her are a few suggestions for what to watch on the upcoming Christmas weekend.

The Goonies (1985)

Friday, Dec. 23 - AMC - 3:30 p.m.

Richard Donner's The Goonies seems to be one of the most quoted films of its time. The adventure-comedy follows the winding story of a group of preteens, living in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Or., who attempt to save their homes from demolition and, in doing so, discover an old map that leads them on the trail to unearthing a legendary, long-lost treasure. Their pursuit, however, garners the attention of a family of criminals who want the fabled fortune for themselves. The cult film generated $61.5 million in the box office that, with consideration for inflation, amounts to a modern total of about $136,476,273. The star-studded cast includes Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin, Anne Ramsey, Jonathan Ke Juy Quan, Jeff Cohen and others.

Crimson Peak (2015)

Saturday, Dec. 24- More Max - 3 p.m.

Dubbed a gothic romance, Crimson Peak stars Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain and Charlie Hunnam. The year is 1887, and Edith Cushing (Wasikowska) is the young daughter of a wealthy businessman, haunted by the black, disfigured ghost of her mother. The ghost warns Edith: ""Beware of Crimson Peak." Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes offers the critical consensus that the film "offers an engaging – albeit somewhat slight – diversion driven by a delightfully creepy atmosphere and director Guillermo del Toro's brilliant knack for unforgettable visuals." It grossed $31.1 million in North America and $43.6 million in other territories, with a worldwide total of $74.7 million against a $55 million budget.

The Force Awakens (2015)

Sunday, Dec. 25 - Starz - 2 p.m.

The long-awaited sequel to George Lucas's classic franchise was decades in the making, with Lucas discussing plans for a sequel trilogy following the conclusion of the original trilogy. The epic space opera features John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max von Sydow. Its story, set 30 years after Return of the Jedi, focuses on Rey (Ridley), Finn (Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Isaac) on their search for Luke Skywalker as well as the trio's fight alongside the Resistance, led by veterans of the Rebel Alliance, against Kylo Ren and the First Order, a successor organization to the Galactic Empire. The film generated $936.7 million in the U.S. and Canada and $1.132 billion in other countries, totaling a worldwide $2.068 billion. According to Box Office Mojo, The Force Awakens sold nearly 110 million tickets in North America, which is the highest tally sold by any film in North America since 1997's Titanic.

The Nice Guys (2016)

Cox Communications On Demand

The Nice Guys, directed by Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), stars Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger, Angourie Rice, Keith David and Margaret Qualley. The story, neo-noir action-comedy, follows a pair of 1977 Los Angeles private eyes (Gosling, Crowe), who investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl (Rice) at the center of a conspiracy. The film takes inspiration from the late Brett Halliday's novel, Blue Murder. The Nice Guys received generally favorable reviews from critics, but against a budget of $50 million, the film grossed $57 million after its premier at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and subsequent, wider release by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Gladiator (2000)

Cox Communications On Demand

I was a child at the time of Gladiator's 2000 release; as an adult, I made it a point to revisit the film—and was anything but disappointed. Directed by the acclaimed Ridley Scott (Aliens, Blade Runner, American Gangster), Gladiator centers on the honorable Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Hispano-Roman general who is betrayed when the son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius murders his father and seizes the throne. Forced into slavery, Maximus rises through the ranks of the gladiatorial arena at which he is stationed. There is something familiar about this film, although it stands confidently on its own and as its own, something reminiscent of the core sentiment found in 1995's Braveheart. Gladiator was nominated for 10 Academy Awards at the 68th Academy Awards, claiming five.

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Image via Pixabay