Let’s just skip past the part where next month is actually next year and stick to being excited about all the cool stuff on deck for December.
Between a couple highly anticipated movies, a crazy week of fights in Las Vegas, a ton of Netflix new arrivals and holiday specials galore, there are plenty of entertainment options available to you over the next month.
Here’s a look at them all in the December 2015 edition of The Primer.
Mélange of Music (Various Dates)
December’s new musical releases skews towards the hip hop and R&B side, the offerings from Pusha T, Chris Brown and Rick Ross are joined by a brand new music from Coldplay as well. Whether you’re still buying CDs or giving iTunes gift cards, there are plenty of good choices available.
New Entries into Old Series on Your Console (Various Dates)
Both Just Cause and Kung-Fu Panda have delivered previous games of varying levels of success to your console and this month, both return with the latest entry into their collection. The last Just Cause was critically praised, so the bar is set high for JC3 and Kung-Fu Panda has always been fun and this latest offering should be no different.
New Joints on Netflix (Various Dates)
In addition to several Adam Sandler-helmed projects that are likely to be terrible, December also brings A Very Murray Christmas, Bill Murray’s Christmas special, and Making a Murderer, a documentary series in the save vein as The Jinx or Serial. Add a Bill Burr cartoon and Avengers: Age of Ultron and you’ve got plenty of new stuff to watch in the coming weeks.
All Your Favourite Holiday Specials (Various Dates)
Everyone has the one or two favourites they always watch during the holiday season. Whether it’s cooking specials, Elf or any of the animated classic from yoru childhood, they’re on this month.
Scary Start to December in Theatres (December 4)
You know what’s awesome? Rolling out a “Santa isn’t coming this year” creepy-ass holiday movie to kick off the month at the movies. Krampus should scare the crap out of a few kids that are destined for the naughty list and be a welcomed alternate to the standard Christmas offerings.
Three Very Different, Very Intriguing Movies (December 11)
Ron Howard’s true story In The Heart of the Sea, Tom Hardy’s true story of twin gangster brothers Legend and the fictional adaptation of Michael Lewis’ true story of the housing crisis The Big Short all open on the second Friday of the month and all should be pretty solid at the very least. Hardy doing double duty will likely be the best individual performance, but the ensemble for The Big Short – Bale, Carell, Gosling, Pitt – is too hard to pass up.
2015 in the Octagon Ends (Four Shows from December 10-19)
While it has already been an amazing year in the UFC, there are still four quality events on the calendar. With three title fights and a bunch of big names scheduled to compete over the next three weeks, 2015 should end with a bang.
The Force Awakens (December 18)
Star Wars returns. Nothing more needs to be said.
NBA Christmas Day (December 25)
If you’re a hoops fanatic, Christmas Day is one of your favourite days of the year, as the action tips off early and continues all day. This year’s slate of games – five in total – includes a Finals rematch, an all-Los Angeles affair, Bulls vs. Thunder and San Antonio taking on Houston.
Plenty of Christmas Day Movies (December 25)
There is a pretty healthy collection of flicks hitting theatres on Christmas Day, including The Hateful Eight, Concussion and The Revenant. There is also the dreadful Point Break remake, the Ferrell-Wahlberg team-up Daddy’s Home and the intriguing Joy, another partnership between David O. Russell, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper.
