A CHRISTMAS MOVIE FILLED WITH GORE AND CHEER

Martin Kay

The Advocate

Released in December for the holiday season, “Violent Night” pits David Harbour, as Santa, against a dangerous band of mercenaries with code names such as Candy Cane, Gingerbread, Krampus, and Mr. Scrooge – played by John Leguizamo – who have invaded the family compound of Gertrude Lightstone.

This movie mixes the comedic violence of “Die Hard” and the child endangerment of “Home Alone” with generous sprinkles of Christmas spirit from movies that include “Elf,” “The Santa Claus,” and “Miracle On 34th Street”. Harbour plays a bitter, disillusioned version of Captain Presents, who is fed up with the greed and entitlement of the kids who make it to his “Nice List,” groaning as he delivers video games and money, and stopping for several drinks along his route. (Note: spoilers follow, here.)

Santa stops at the Lightstone Mansion to indulge in some homemade cookies left by Trudy, the youngest and most innocent of the Lightstones, as well as some of Gertrude’s alcohol. While he is relaxing, the catering staff executes the security team and reveal themselves as mercenaries who intend to break into a vault and steal $3 million. Santa’s reindeer flee the scene when bullets start flying, and he is forced to defend himself.

Trudy quickly becomes Santa’s little helper using a walkietalkie, similar to the way Reginald VelJohnson communicated with Bruce Willis while he was taking out thugs in Nakatomi Plaza. She comes equipped with some impressive skills of her own, having watched Kevin McCallister defend his family

Isabela Durighello

The Advocate

Since the beginning of the pandemic, it seems house plants and their popularity have been climbing to the top of the trend ladder. If you haven’t already hopped onto this trend, there is a good reason it had such a heavy takeaway with the majority of people. Growing plants indoors not only gives us a fun new hobby but also there are so many added benefits to bringing nature inside.

Caring for house plants brings a lot of benefit not only to yourself, but to your environment, as well. Here I am going to give you some suggestions on good beginner house plants to start with, if you have never grown before. You don’t have to be a plant mom to grow these or even have a green thumb; most of these plants are going to be strong and resilient (and so harder to kill).

The spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), is a great one to start with. Not only is it beautiful with its light green, long, hanging, cascading leaves that resemble – you guessed it, spider legs – it is a very easy plant to keep alive! Requiring bright, indirect light and being a plant that “thrives on neglect,” it is a hard one to go wrong with. What’s more, it will return favor by improving the air in home from intruders just the day before. She has all the catchphrases down and sets up vicious booby traps.

Harbour plays a version of Santa based on a Viking warrior who says witty tough guy things and sustains some serious injuries as he fights off the intruders. Right away, he’s dealt a deep stab wound in his lower abdomen. Sterilizing a sewing needle with a Santa candle, while biting down on a wooden Santa ornament, he stitches himself up with tinsel, then applies