Lots of ink is spilled over that other holiday in February, and especially what to watch for it, but we have to admit the best February holiday is the one that actually involves a day off: Presidents Day. What finer way to honor our three-day weekend, and the birthdays of George Washington (Feb. 22) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12), than with a good old fashioned movie marathon?
Celebrate President Lincoln with a whiplash-inducing double feature of films both released in 2012. For a more serious-minded approach, Stephen Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis in the Oscar-winning “Lincoln,” available on Amazon Prime or for a $3.99 rental. For something sillier, try on Timur Bekmambetov’s gonzo action-horror flick “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” starring Benjamin Walker as the top-hatted president. Stream it on Amazon Prime or Hulu.
George Washington doesn’t have as many iconic film representations as Lincoln, so either queue up Roland Emmerich’s 2000 Revolutionary War film “The Patriot,” starring Mel Gibson, in which Terry Layman plays George Washington (streaming on Netflix), or check out Ken Burns’ 1989 documentary, “The Congress,” streaming on PBS with your local membership.
