Each year, when writers and directors rush to make Christmas movies, the production team often focuses more on making a Christmas movie than making a quality movie. In the desire to manufacture a new holiday staple, many of these subpar Christmas movies are often garishly draped in all the holiday accouterment a studio can muster; expect conspicuous needle drops of every classic Christmas song you can think of, a set design tastelessly decorated with every available ornament, and, of course, for the movie to climax with a supposedly heartwarming Christmas Eve celebration. Indeed, this kind of corny holiday affair—think movies like Christmas with the Kranks (2004), Deck the Halls (2006), or Four Christmases (2008)—seems to be dressed up in everything except likable characters, charming scripts, and legitimate respect for the audience that make a real classic.

With all episodes of Ahsoka now streaming on Disney+, along with both the writers’ and actors’ strikes finally concluding, now is the best time to look at one of the year’s most highly anticipated Disney series. Over the last weeks, I’ve found myself extremely excited to see how the series would unfold, hopefully bringing with it a new side to Star Wars many feel is lacking under the current management.

Noah Kahan took the world by storm with his 2023 album Stick Season, a display of raw emotion and some incredibly catchy songs. Kahan was able to captivate listeners with his powerful yet somber attitude, timely lyrics, and musical energy that feels both foreign and homely. All of this to say: Kahan is hard to explain, and his rise to fame is even more complex—a perfect storm, if you will. Kahan now has billboard-charting songs and collaborations with some of pop’s biggest stars, such as Post Malone and Hozier. While he is by no means the most successful folk star, he shines a great spotlight onto modern folk; however, most folk artists aren’t able to break through the fame barrier. 

During this jolly time of the year, many families will sit down together by an open fire, make a nice cup of eggnog, and watch a wholesome holiday classic like Elf (2003), Home Alone (1990), or The Polar Express (2006). Other families will stray from the Christmas convention and watch John McTiernan’s Die Hard (1988) or Bob Clark’s Black Christmas (1974). As for me, the best way to spend Christmas with the movies is to revisit the works of one of the most intelligent writers in the business. He is a man who has consistently provided the scripts for some of the best action comedies since the 1980s, and the pinnacle of his work takes place during the holidays: Lethal Weapon (1987) and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005). This man is Shane Black, one of Hollywood’s most intelligent and witty writers.

After facing a stressful day, many turn on their television or open a book to unwind. Reality shows are a favorite for those who enjoy laughing at the conceited (it’s easier to laugh when the egotistical are on your screen, rather than in your group project); horrors and thrillers are chosen by those looking for their heart rate to increase after a dull day. Yet, at the mention of tragedy—a devastating movie that ensures at least a few tears from the consumer—it’s difficult to understand why we’d willingly subject ourselves to the genre. 

On Nov. 9, 2023, the hard working members of Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) ended their strike with significant gains, a deal valued at $1 billion! In solidarity with the writer’s and actor’s strikes, many of us journalists chose not to report on works that had been “struck,” i.e., films and television programs produced or distributed by studios that are members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Now that the strike is over, we have a lot of catching up to do. The following is a series of reviews for most major films released during the strike, limited to a few sentences because full reviews would be far too long—I don’t want to cause that much pain for our lovely Lamron editors.

As the weather becomes colder, the world becomes still. We can no longer take advantage of beautiful, sunny days to partake in summer’s outlandish and outgoing activities. Instead of parasailing, we draw a warm bath. Where we would cliff jump near rapids, we now shut the doors and sip hot chocolate. 

I must admit that I rarely use my (parents’) Apple TV subscription. Though I know many incredibly noteworthy shows and movies are in their repertoire, I always end up on Netflix rewatching Gilmore Girls for the hundredth time. Right after Halloween, however, I found myself perusing Apple TV for the first time since Ted Lasso finished airing, and subsequently came across my new obsession: Lessons in Chemistry. 

As Shingeki no Kyojin, created by Hajime Isayama, known as Attack on Titan overseas, came to its conclusive end last weekend, with the airing of a one-hour spectacle of an animation—referred to as “The Battle of Heaven and Earth”—many fans, like myself, are left dwelling the lasting impact this show has; whether this be the crazy fights, the major plot twists in nearly every episode—keeping one eternally on their toes—or the physical execution of philosophical ideals related to nihilism and existentialism, this show offers something for almost every viewer to take with them long after the credits roll!

I was never really the biggest fan of Taylor Swift, the stars just never aligned for me to get into her music. For years, I was unaware of the clues, the eras, the drama, that pastel-colored snakes; I heard hits on the radio like “22,”  “You Belong With Me,” and “Bad Blood,” but nothing more. This changed fairly recently, as the hype for the pop icon's most recent tour, the Eras Tour, was near-inescapable over the summer and into the fall.