Film Holiday

They're what make us cringe, cry, love, smile, laugh, scream, and say, "well, that was dumb." You guessed it: movies. As the month of February embraces the intoxication of red and pink-colored Valentine's Day, it's also the time for movie award season.  And, for me, that is the true holiday and reason for celebration this month.

While movies may not show up on our doorstep with luscious roses and boxes of chocolates, they have the ability to "dig" into our soul and inspire us through heart-warming stories, cliché love scenes, fast-action plots, suspense-filled climaxes, and morally-right, yet always complicated, protagonist characters that charm the crap out of us. What better recipe for entertainment is there?

Our cover story for the month is our very own "DIG Movie Awards," as depicted by the ape, Ryan Gosling, Marion Cotillard, Owen Wilson, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, all casually enjoying a beer together on the front of this edition. DIG's entertainment writer, Matt Grippi, awards the top films of 2011 with specialized categories for each. Don't forget to look at the bottom of page 9 for his short list of "Worst Films of 2011" that I'm sure most of you will agree with.

Along with movie award season, this month is also the time when all those New Year's resolutions we made last month begin to dwindle. One of the most common New Year's resolutions tends to be a goal surrounding fitness (i.e. getting in shape, toning up, losing weight, etc). To get some motivation and a kick start on that resolution, read our profile on yoga instructor Genieve Cardinez, who takes yoga at the Student Recreation and Wellness center to another level with her challenging classes and high-spirited personality. Need some new tunes for the month? Check out our uniquely made Valentine's Day playlists by Monica Nguyen. There's one for the couples, the singles, and the "I don't know what's" – perfectly representing the variety of relationships we have here on campus.

Happy Valentine's Day, Happy February and Happy Movie Awards Season, DIG readers.