There are so many classic Christmas movies out there- both old school and modern- we tend to watch every year.
It’s a Wonderful Life, the first two Home Alone movies, Love Actually, and of course Die Hard.
For me, White Christmas will always be a top tier Christmas movie. It doesn’t matter how many versions you hear every December on the airwaves on the radio and all the stores. It’ll always be something extra special because it’s very much a product of its time. (And when I say this, it’s meant as a positive). Classic Hollywood with the big production musical numbers and one of a kind costumes. And how it’s a love letter to those who served in World War II.
It reminds me of my grandma on my dad’s side and all the production that led to spending Christmas at her house. The hour-long car ride, having to dress up, etc. I know she had a Barbie doll that was dressed as Eliza Doolittle at the Ascot race and I want to say she also had one Barbie dressed in one of the Haynes sisters’ Mrs. Claus outfits but I’m not positive.
I didn’t see the movie until years after she’d passed away, but I feel oddly nostalgic about it. For it showing a simpler time in Hollywood but also the time period it’s set. My grandma on my mom’s side served in World War II. He passed away before I was born so I never met him. But I’ve heard stories of how he wanted a big family (got the 12 kids but not the 50/50 boy-girl ratio) and had an affinity for peanut butter on EVERYTHING, including sardines.
So, I guess this movie resonates with something in my DNA.
As good as the actual song is and how it feels like a distant memory of Christmases past, it’s another experience to see how the movie used it to its full potential.
It serves as the perfect bookend. Bing Crosby sings it to his fellow troops overseas to give them a taste of home during a lull in the action. Then it’s done to greater effect to conclude the movie. Trust me, seeing the snow come down in the background while the whole cast sings the song- if you don’t feel something by the end of it, you’re not human.
The movie revolves around two army buddies Wallace and Davis, how they meet up with the sisters of another buddy from their regiment and spend the holiday at an inn run by their former general, General Waverly. The inn is having an off season due to lack of “snow, snow, snow…”
In his older age, he’s content but they believe he feels a bit forgotten and underappreciated, particularly when his petition to reenlist is denied. So, they move their stage show to his inn and plan a massive surprise for him.
Meanwhile Bob Wallace and Betty, the oldest of the sisters, tiptoe their way towards a relationship and his friend Phil and younger sister Judy try all they can to play Cupid for them. Unfortunately, the road towards this conclusion is a rocky one through misunderstanding and being unable to get out of their own way. A little too much “one step forward, two steps back”. Almost like a romcom but the laughs aren’t as frequent. Phil bringing up his “injury” from when he saved Bob’s life on the battlefield to twist his arm into going along with his schemes is only funny the first couple times.
The musical numbers are admittedly a mixed bag. The rehearsal numbers range from spectacular choreography to bizarre themes. If we learn anything about the Wallace and Davis production, it’s eclectic. None of the numbers have anything to do with each other except for the fact it’s Hollywood in its heyday of musicals.
The “Sisters” number(s) and Phil’s first dance with Judy are the better highlights and the payoff that is the 151st regiment reunion on stage and the finale… the whole movie is worth watching for that alone.
This year the Sundance channel had a movie marathon, but I made sure to put it on for the last half hour where everything comes together.
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Thursday, December 25, 2025
Friday, December 24, 2021
Christmas Nostalgia- Nicktoons Edition
I figured I’d write this over the next couple of days so I’m not struggling to get this out at the last minute.
***
I’d alluded to Doug’s Christmas a few times but I’ll put a little more detail. It’s only fair.
Renee in Ally McBeal said something in one episode about how Christmas isn’t always a happy time of year, dropping a quick reference to “It’s a Wonderful Life” to support her statement.
True… as much as this season is about joy and peace, it can be super depressing too. The reason why some people are so ornery in December is because they have no one to spend it with and sadness gives way to anger. Admittedly, I sometimes consider what I’d feel like several Christmases from now when I have no one left to celebrate with and it depresses the hell outta me.
There’s a Friends episode where Phoebe turns off “It’s a Wonderful Life” right before George Bailey gets “saved” when his guardian angel Clarence jumps off the bridge.
And of course there’s the fate of Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol's Christmas Future… Mickey’s version and the Muppets version make me such an emotional wreck, I haven’t seen them in years.
Doug was the one Christmas special on Nickelodeon that reaches that level of “so sad, makes me not want to watch.”
In summary, the Doug episode revolves around his dog Porkchop being sentenced to death because he “attacked” Beebe.
We figure out later on that he grabbed her leg to drag her away from thin ice on Lucky Duck Lake. But because her family owns the town, the story is GREATLY exaggerated. They even have a dramatic reenactment where the Beebe actress is full on mauled by a pit bull. Doug goes to see him at the pound (Skeeter provides a great distraction but it only lasts for so long) and finds him way in the back with the “very VERY bad dogs”. Wow!!
He goes around to do a petition but only gets a handful of signatures. Except for Mr. Dink, everyone we see him talk to flat out refuses. The worst is the “it tastes like cement!” lady from an episode I covered in a previous post.
Her comment: “this is supposed to be a happy time. This isn’t happy. Save it for after the holiday.”
“But by then, it’ll be too late.”
“You should’ve thought of this before!”
[facepalm]
The really sad part is only for maybe 30 seconds but, man, it kills me…
Doug reminisces about previous Christmases when he got Porkchop and when Porkchop gave him the journal.
“But this Christmas…” (imagines standing by his tombstone in the rain… back in present day, he's crying in front of Porkchop’s roped off igloo dog house).
Best part might be the hilarity of Doug’s various alter egos interacting in the situation room, trying to figure out a plan.
Quailman says they could fly in and he’ll use his Quail-eye to hypnotize the guards to let Porkchop go. Doug then says he can’t fly and Quailman essentially sits back down and says “ok never mind”.
Then at a future meeting, all of them get into an altercation and Doug has to yell above them “Quiet! …I’ll just have to handle this myself.”
At the trial, Beebe is in a wheelchair with her one leg in a cast. While she testifies, Porkchop communicates to Doug he wants to go to the lake to tell his side of the story. He appeals to the judge who just wants to get this over with cuz it’s Christmas Eve and it’s time to spend with family. Of course Doug explains how Porkchop is his family and he’d do so much good for the community… the kinds of things only anthropomorphized animals could do but still…
They go to the lake and the judge is about to call everything off when Beebe actually falls into the lake and Porkchop breaks free to save her.
So, to quote Ralphie from A Christmas Story- “all was right with the world.”
***
Rugrats did several holiday specials over the years and I credit it with educating me about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
Later she is reassured that there’s plenty of time for her to find that quality in herself. Her grandma also tells a story where she meets Martin Luther King when he experiences car trouble while on his way to make the “I have a dream” speech. It’s historical fiction at best, but it was still a cool moment when they more or less reveal it was him.
And if the “All Growed Up” spin is canon, Susie does find her special thing… she’s an amazing singer.
Hanukkah
The Rugrats are off to see Grandpa Boris take part in a community play about the origin of Hanukkah. He’s angry because his old rival Schlomo was cast as the king instead of him and groans that he doesn’t understand the true meaning of Hanukkah.
The babies overhear this and think he’s “the meanie” of Hanukkah and are on a quest to stop him. Angelica meanwhile is on her own quest- to watch the Cynthia Christmas Extravaganza Special. Her description of Hanukkah is “that time between Christmas and Thanksgiving when all of the best specials are on TV."
…well, sometimes Hanukkah is after Christmas or at the same time, but she’s not entirely wrong…
At the play, the babies storm the stage to put the meanie down for a nap. But are quickly stopped and put in the on-site daycare. Angelica winds up there later on because she throws a latke on the ground and someone trips over it.
She admires how she’d never be allowed to have pancakes for dinner, but spits it out after she takes a bite.
“Ta-pay-dohs? What kind of bo-bo head makes pancakes out of ta-pay-dohs?!”
(I’m sorry, that mispronunciation makes me laugh)
When she learns about the babies’ plan, she convinces them that they should get him to watch TV cuz that alway puts Grandpa Lou to sleep. She’s really just using them so they can get access to a TV to watch her special.
The play winds up going off the rails because the two men can’t get along. Boris says Schlomo always brags about his business. He then finds out how Schlomo resented him for bragging about his family because he and his wife were unable to have one.
…I actually didn’t pick up on that until I saw the special again a couple years ago.
Another ongoing plot point- Stu created this massive menorah for the play that had lots of moving parts and pyrotechnics. All because he wanted to be sure Tommy was proud of his heritage. (His heart's in the right place, but c'mon, he's a baby. He's not gonna notice the difference). So he and Grandpa have to come later since they need to work out some kinks. Then on their way over, Stu groans about traffic, not realizing they pulled into the middle of a parade route.
The actual story behind the holiday really isn’t talked about much. At least not to the length Passover was. Boris talks about how the Jews were being ruled by a king that only wanted his faith to be followed and forbade all others.
Cut back to reality- Angelica is about to get away with the TV when she bumps into Schlomo and it breaks. She’s upset and he’s at a loss on how to help. Luckily, Boris shows up and
helps calm things down.
So they finish the story with how they only have enough oil to light the giant menorah for one night and by miracle, it lasted 8.
Stu’s menorah gets on stage, interrupting the Shakespearean actor’s impassioned monologue ("to be or Macabee, that is the question"). The thing malfunctions again, bringing down the curtain. It reveals to the audience the storytime session in progress and everyone goes aww…
Boris and Schlomo then break into song and the babies marvel that it’s a “mira-bull”.
Also, a quick shout out to that womens' choir who sing during the interludes of the play. Watching the special a few years ago after having not seen it for ages, that brought me back in time a bit.
The original Rugrats Christmas special- “The Santa Experience”- that’s one that definitely takes me back. Back to when I was a kid and what Christmas meant growing up. At least a small part of that.
It all starts with a familiar scenario across various kids' shows and movies. Angelica discovers the mall Santa Claus was a fake and makes a scene. She gets suspicious after she runs through a massive list of toys she wants for Christmas and before he can explain to her that’s too much, she asks how he didn’t already know this stuff already.
At the same time, Chuckie believes Santa Claus is as scary as the guy on the Oatmeal box and Tommy keeps trying to convince him Santa is nice. His dad is also afraid Christmas will be disappointing for Chuckie like it was for him as a kid.
The adults come up with all kinds of ideas to make Christmas extra special for all the kids. They decide to rent a chalet in the mountains and cut down their own tree.
The latter kinda goes array and after pressure from Didi, they get an artificial one… but it’s a really nice cabin.
After the ruckus she caused at the mall, Angelica got a whole bag of free stuff and is quick to express her disappointment with all of its contents. She unloads two things on Phil and Lil when they’re not sure what to get each other for Christmas. But she plays a trick where she trades them for the item that would go with the gift. This leads to a pretty scary nightmare when she opens up presents on Christmas morning and finds nothing but coal.
And Santa mocks her, saying how he saw everything and how the twins got new copies of what she took.
She makes several attempts to give everything back but the adults get in the way each time. She even calls a hotline to try to contact him… she annoys the call taker so much with her brattiness that when she asks if she’s on the good or bad list this year, she gets exactly what you’d expect.
Chas decides he’ll dress as Santa and come down the chimney to surprise Chuckie while Drew wants to hire a professional to restore Angelica’s belief in Santa.
The big night comes and Chas goes down the chimney. The one place where Tommy and Chuckie didn’t set a Santa trap (“nobody in their right mind would try and come down a chimb-lee”). It gives everyone a quick scare but it turns out ok. The gifts are all given out and Angelica finally gets to make things right.
Then Santa shows up to give the gifts out. He goes to Chuckie and asks “still think I’m so scary?,” putting his fears to rest at last. Angelica also gets exactly what she asked for- the Malibu Cynthia beach house. He smiles, saying how trying to be good is as good as being good in the first place. But then she looks in the attached garage and finds what appears to be a tiny lump of coal… they leave the rest to the imagination.
One thing that gives me chills every time- after everything happens, Drew gets a call from the guy he hired and he said he couldn’t make it that night. Which makes Chas and Drew do a double take.
“Drew… who was that?”
Like, whoa…
Yep, this is the final hurrah for my favorite Nick show and it’s going out with one of the best Christmas episodes of any show- live action or animated.
While they’re all out shopping, we learn all of the kids have a different philosophy when it comes to gift giving on Christmas. For Gerald, it’s easy; just give everybody a tie. And I mean everyone.
For Helga, it’s about getting something big and flashy. And getting yours before the other kid gets his.
For Arnold, his philosophy is pretty much the same as it is in every aspect of his life.
So, come Christmas Eve, Arnold is on a mission to track her down. Gerald thinks he’s crazy but agrees to go along for the ride. After making several phone calls, he found the office that would be able to help. Mr. Bailey declines at first because it’s too huge of a job to do with such short notice. But after overhearing him on the phone with his wife, Arnold offers to do his Christmas shopping in exchange for helping him. It’s crazy but he accepts the deal, so long as they get EVERYTHING on the list.
Therein lies the problem:
The final item is a pair of Nancy Spumoni snow boots. They happen to be the one thing on Helga’s Christmas list (she brings this up near the start of the episode). But what they don’t learn until too late is that the stores had been sold out for months and every salesman laughs him and Gerald out the door.
So Mr. Bailey says their deal is no good and they have no other choice but to leave. On the stoop of the building, Arnold sums up the series of events- within earshot of Helga, because of course she’s never too far behind- and thanks Gerald for joining him. He tries to make him feel better by saying he did more than most people would’ve done and the fact he tried his hardest is what Christmas is all about.
Helga gets home, a little sad about Arnold’s dilemma but also (most likely) about the fact she couldn’t find the perfect thing to get him for Christmas. Earlier she’d considered a train set and a super expensive computer game but changed her mind about both.
Her mom gives her one of her presents to open and it’s the snow boots. And she went on about how they’re likely the last pair left in the whole city.
Yeah, you know where this is going…
Mr. Bailey just locked up and is ready to go home when she shows up, insisting they have a missing person to find. He brushes her off because it’s Christmas Eve. Then she gives a poignant speech about how “that little football headed kid will never believe in miracles again” if they don’t do this thing.
Christmas morning arrives. It hilariously appears that Oskar got a bag of coal as a gift. And everyone’s kinda at loss about why there’s nothing under the tree for Mr. Hyunh. Just as Arnold is about to explain, the door bell rings…
Dang, even recollecting this scene gives me chills and I’m a mess. But it’s all happy stuff.
Arnold tries to figure out how and Gerald advises him not to. “A miracle is a miracle and that’s all there is to it. Maybe you have a guardian angel out there or something.”
“Guardian angel? Yeah… maybe.”
Cue Helga, standing in the snow in front of the boarding house- “Merry Christmas, Arnold.”
Aww…
Danny’s gripe has more to do with his parents. Every year they have a heated argument about whether or not Santa Claus is real and things end up getting ruined.
There’s a ghost voiced by Brendan Fraser who narrates the episode in rhyme and Danny is the only one able to hear him. And he’s told repeatedly that the story won’t end until his lesson is learned. The dramatic “everything looks hopeless” midpoint comes about when presents are getting stolen and turned into a giant monster by the ghostwriter. But after Danny Phantom attacks and emerges victorious, it appears to everyone around him that he stole the presents and destroyed them. He winds up seeking the help of other ghosts he’d previously defeated to help him and Christmas happens to be the day of a truce between ghosts and mortals.
We see him in jail just before the end credits roll. One of the guards hands him a gift basket. “Orange?”
He screams and cringes- “get those away from me!” (Tried to find the screenshot of this, but to no avail...)
Last but not least-
Rocko’s Modern Life (also, the next Nick show on my list)
This is a cute little special with all of the things you’d expect to see during Christmas time. The hunt for the perfect Christmas tree, crowded malls, Christmas cheer and elves… lots of elves.
Rocko is spending his first Christmas in America, away from his family in Australia, and he has all of the optimism in the world that it's gonna be a great holiday. Even when the odds are stacked against him.
The opening credit sequence is super cute. It gets its own holiday theme, Rocko is driving a sled being pulled by Spunky and they’re delivering presents to all of the main characters. Then of course it ends with something falling on them- this time, a giant pine tree.
Rocko is currently sending out invitations to a Christmas party he’s hosting when he learns he has new neighbors. And it’s a whole bunch of elves.
He goes to the mall for shopping and also to get a tree. Heffer and Filburt are running a stand but there’s only one tree left. (The other two items for sale are a small cactus and a pot with some random dude’s body sticking out of it). It’s also kinda sad that the tree has a face and is panting and smiling like a dog and Heffer literally kills it with a chainsaw when he cuts it down. But it’s funny that it falls on him as he’s singing “O Christmas Tree”.
Inside the mall, it’s solid bodies marching in place as the PA system plays a cute rendition of Jingle Bells. It’s a bunch of “la la’s” set to the melody but anytime I hear it, I get all warm and fuzzy.
While he’s there, he finds one of the elves being bullied and comes to his rescue. Rocko takes him home and sees nothing but Christmas cheer all over the house. While talking to the lead elf (and we’re introduced to several other elves with names based on their crafting specialties), he also learns about the greatest elf of all… Mitch. He had three legs and was the last elf that was able to make it snow. Ironically, he was lost in a blizzard.
Naturally Rocko invites the elves to his party… something that does not sit well with Mr. Bighead. He’s also the only one who hadn’t received an invitation and he’s still upset about that.
Filbert happens to be strolling by when he tells him elves will be at the party and they carry disease. Because he’s a big germaphobe and hypochondriac, this puts him in such a panic. Filbert calls Dr. Hutchison to say he can’t go. This leads to a massive phone chain of random characters and all decide not to go. Even the elves themselves- by the time the phone reaches them, the rumor changes to some other race of critters that carry disease.
The worst part of all this- nobody thought to tell Rocko himself so the poor guy had everything set for the party and nobody showed up. Time passes and he decides it’s all ok as long as he and Spunky have each other. Then the little elf he saved from the mall comes and they hang out for a bit. Rocko expresses his disappointment about it not snowing so the elf goes outside to talk to the cloud that’s been hanging out above the house. It’s a silent conversation but he gets it to snow.
Everyone wakes up the next morning and finds out that Rocko’s house (and ONLY Rocko’s house) got a coating of snow. They collectively apologize for not coming and the party resumes as planned.
Mr. Bighead sees this and isn’t pleased. Then his doorbell rings and the little elf hands him his invitation. Apparently it’d been lost in the mail this whole time. Really lost- cuz it had all kinds of postmarks from foreign countries.
And a nice little thing at the end- aside from finding out Mitch was ok and had been on vacation this whole time…
Rocko gets a phone call from his parents wishing him merry Christmas and the snow spreads everywhere else.
Then it’s the next day and everyone simultaneously throws their Christmas trees out onto the curb.
***
I’d alluded to Doug’s Christmas a few times but I’ll put a little more detail. It’s only fair.
Renee in Ally McBeal said something in one episode about how Christmas isn’t always a happy time of year, dropping a quick reference to “It’s a Wonderful Life” to support her statement.
True… as much as this season is about joy and peace, it can be super depressing too. The reason why some people are so ornery in December is because they have no one to spend it with and sadness gives way to anger. Admittedly, I sometimes consider what I’d feel like several Christmases from now when I have no one left to celebrate with and it depresses the hell outta me.
There’s a Friends episode where Phoebe turns off “It’s a Wonderful Life” right before George Bailey gets “saved” when his guardian angel Clarence jumps off the bridge.
And of course there’s the fate of Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol's Christmas Future… Mickey’s version and the Muppets version make me such an emotional wreck, I haven’t seen them in years.
Doug was the one Christmas special on Nickelodeon that reaches that level of “so sad, makes me not want to watch.”
In summary, the Doug episode revolves around his dog Porkchop being sentenced to death because he “attacked” Beebe.
We figure out later on that he grabbed her leg to drag her away from thin ice on Lucky Duck Lake. But because her family owns the town, the story is GREATLY exaggerated. They even have a dramatic reenactment where the Beebe actress is full on mauled by a pit bull. Doug goes to see him at the pound (Skeeter provides a great distraction but it only lasts for so long) and finds him way in the back with the “very VERY bad dogs”. Wow!!
He goes around to do a petition but only gets a handful of signatures. Except for Mr. Dink, everyone we see him talk to flat out refuses. The worst is the “it tastes like cement!” lady from an episode I covered in a previous post.
Her comment: “this is supposed to be a happy time. This isn’t happy. Save it for after the holiday.”
“But by then, it’ll be too late.”
“You should’ve thought of this before!”
[facepalm]
The really sad part is only for maybe 30 seconds but, man, it kills me…
Doug reminisces about previous Christmases when he got Porkchop and when Porkchop gave him the journal.
“But this Christmas…” (imagines standing by his tombstone in the rain… back in present day, he's crying in front of Porkchop’s roped off igloo dog house).
Best part might be the hilarity of Doug’s various alter egos interacting in the situation room, trying to figure out a plan.
Quailman says they could fly in and he’ll use his Quail-eye to hypnotize the guards to let Porkchop go. Doug then says he can’t fly and Quailman essentially sits back down and says “ok never mind”.
Then at a future meeting, all of them get into an altercation and Doug has to yell above them “Quiet! …I’ll just have to handle this myself.”
At the trial, Beebe is in a wheelchair with her one leg in a cast. While she testifies, Porkchop communicates to Doug he wants to go to the lake to tell his side of the story. He appeals to the judge who just wants to get this over with cuz it’s Christmas Eve and it’s time to spend with family. Of course Doug explains how Porkchop is his family and he’d do so much good for the community… the kinds of things only anthropomorphized animals could do but still…
They go to the lake and the judge is about to call everything off when Beebe actually falls into the lake and Porkchop breaks free to save her.
So, to quote Ralphie from A Christmas Story- “all was right with the world.”
***
Rugrats did several holiday specials over the years and I credit it with educating me about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
Technically, I first heard about Kwanzaa from Blue's Clues. Not much from that special penetrated my skull because I was stuck on the fact I never heard anything about this in school. I just remembered the household celebrating it belonged to purple kangaroo, his “Steve” was black and there were different colored candles in the "menorah" sitting in the window. (The correct term is "kinara")
I think the first time I heard about Hanukkah was 1st grade when we had potato pancakes in class. We NEVER talked about Kwanzaa during my entire education… but in all of my classes grade K-12, a very small percentage of my classmates were black. So that might have had something to do with it…
Rugrats took Kwanzaa and spent an entire half hour special on it. It revolved around the Carmichael family, but Tommy and the other babies were there.
Oddly enough, Angelica wasn’t, but something tells me that would’ve been difficult to write without falling into the pitfall of her saying something offensive and disrespectful.
Susie’s grandma comes over and gives her and her siblings various gifts that correspond to the holiday. She also says that current date of the celebration was about embracing what makes each individual special. Susie is saddened by this because she looks at all of the awards her siblings have won and realizes she doesn’t done anything. And she thinks this will leave her out of the celebration.
I think the first time I heard about Hanukkah was 1st grade when we had potato pancakes in class. We NEVER talked about Kwanzaa during my entire education… but in all of my classes grade K-12, a very small percentage of my classmates were black. So that might have had something to do with it…
Rugrats took Kwanzaa and spent an entire half hour special on it. It revolved around the Carmichael family, but Tommy and the other babies were there.
Oddly enough, Angelica wasn’t, but something tells me that would’ve been difficult to write without falling into the pitfall of her saying something offensive and disrespectful.
Susie’s grandma comes over and gives her and her siblings various gifts that correspond to the holiday. She also says that current date of the celebration was about embracing what makes each individual special. Susie is saddened by this because she looks at all of the awards her siblings have won and realizes she doesn’t done anything. And she thinks this will leave her out of the celebration.
Later she is reassured that there’s plenty of time for her to find that quality in herself. Her grandma also tells a story where she meets Martin Luther King when he experiences car trouble while on his way to make the “I have a dream” speech. It’s historical fiction at best, but it was still a cool moment when they more or less reveal it was him.
And if the “All Growed Up” spin is canon, Susie does find her special thing… she’s an amazing singer.
Hanukkah
The Rugrats are off to see Grandpa Boris take part in a community play about the origin of Hanukkah. He’s angry because his old rival Schlomo was cast as the king instead of him and groans that he doesn’t understand the true meaning of Hanukkah.
The babies overhear this and think he’s “the meanie” of Hanukkah and are on a quest to stop him. Angelica meanwhile is on her own quest- to watch the Cynthia Christmas Extravaganza Special. Her description of Hanukkah is “that time between Christmas and Thanksgiving when all of the best specials are on TV."
…well, sometimes Hanukkah is after Christmas or at the same time, but she’s not entirely wrong…
At the play, the babies storm the stage to put the meanie down for a nap. But are quickly stopped and put in the on-site daycare. Angelica winds up there later on because she throws a latke on the ground and someone trips over it.
She admires how she’d never be allowed to have pancakes for dinner, but spits it out after she takes a bite.
“Ta-pay-dohs? What kind of bo-bo head makes pancakes out of ta-pay-dohs?!”
(I’m sorry, that mispronunciation makes me laugh)
When she learns about the babies’ plan, she convinces them that they should get him to watch TV cuz that alway puts Grandpa Lou to sleep. She’s really just using them so they can get access to a TV to watch her special.
The play winds up going off the rails because the two men can’t get along. Boris says Schlomo always brags about his business. He then finds out how Schlomo resented him for bragging about his family because he and his wife were unable to have one.
…I actually didn’t pick up on that until I saw the special again a couple years ago.
Another ongoing plot point- Stu created this massive menorah for the play that had lots of moving parts and pyrotechnics. All because he wanted to be sure Tommy was proud of his heritage. (His heart's in the right place, but c'mon, he's a baby. He's not gonna notice the difference). So he and Grandpa have to come later since they need to work out some kinks. Then on their way over, Stu groans about traffic, not realizing they pulled into the middle of a parade route.
The actual story behind the holiday really isn’t talked about much. At least not to the length Passover was. Boris talks about how the Jews were being ruled by a king that only wanted his faith to be followed and forbade all others.
Cut back to reality- Angelica is about to get away with the TV when she bumps into Schlomo and it breaks. She’s upset and he’s at a loss on how to help. Luckily, Boris shows up and
helps calm things down.
So they finish the story with how they only have enough oil to light the giant menorah for one night and by miracle, it lasted 8.
Stu’s menorah gets on stage, interrupting the Shakespearean actor’s impassioned monologue ("to be or Macabee, that is the question"). The thing malfunctions again, bringing down the curtain. It reveals to the audience the storytime session in progress and everyone goes aww…
Boris and Schlomo then break into song and the babies marvel that it’s a “mira-bull”.
Also, a quick shout out to that womens' choir who sing during the interludes of the play. Watching the special a few years ago after having not seen it for ages, that brought me back in time a bit.
The original Rugrats Christmas special- “The Santa Experience”- that’s one that definitely takes me back. Back to when I was a kid and what Christmas meant growing up. At least a small part of that.
It all starts with a familiar scenario across various kids' shows and movies. Angelica discovers the mall Santa Claus was a fake and makes a scene. She gets suspicious after she runs through a massive list of toys she wants for Christmas and before he can explain to her that’s too much, she asks how he didn’t already know this stuff already.
At the same time, Chuckie believes Santa Claus is as scary as the guy on the Oatmeal box and Tommy keeps trying to convince him Santa is nice. His dad is also afraid Christmas will be disappointing for Chuckie like it was for him as a kid.
The adults come up with all kinds of ideas to make Christmas extra special for all the kids. They decide to rent a chalet in the mountains and cut down their own tree.
The latter kinda goes array and after pressure from Didi, they get an artificial one… but it’s a really nice cabin.
After the ruckus she caused at the mall, Angelica got a whole bag of free stuff and is quick to express her disappointment with all of its contents. She unloads two things on Phil and Lil when they’re not sure what to get each other for Christmas. But she plays a trick where she trades them for the item that would go with the gift. This leads to a pretty scary nightmare when she opens up presents on Christmas morning and finds nothing but coal.
And Santa mocks her, saying how he saw everything and how the twins got new copies of what she took.
She makes several attempts to give everything back but the adults get in the way each time. She even calls a hotline to try to contact him… she annoys the call taker so much with her brattiness that when she asks if she’s on the good or bad list this year, she gets exactly what you’d expect.
Chas decides he’ll dress as Santa and come down the chimney to surprise Chuckie while Drew wants to hire a professional to restore Angelica’s belief in Santa.
The big night comes and Chas goes down the chimney. The one place where Tommy and Chuckie didn’t set a Santa trap (“nobody in their right mind would try and come down a chimb-lee”). It gives everyone a quick scare but it turns out ok. The gifts are all given out and Angelica finally gets to make things right.
Then Santa shows up to give the gifts out. He goes to Chuckie and asks “still think I’m so scary?,” putting his fears to rest at last. Angelica also gets exactly what she asked for- the Malibu Cynthia beach house. He smiles, saying how trying to be good is as good as being good in the first place. But then she looks in the attached garage and finds what appears to be a tiny lump of coal… they leave the rest to the imagination.
One thing that gives me chills every time- after everything happens, Drew gets a call from the guy he hired and he said he couldn’t make it that night. Which makes Chas and Drew do a double take.
“Drew… who was that?”
Like, whoa…
***
Hey Arnold! ChristmasYep, this is the final hurrah for my favorite Nick show and it’s going out with one of the best Christmas episodes of any show- live action or animated.
While they’re all out shopping, we learn all of the kids have a different philosophy when it comes to gift giving on Christmas. For Gerald, it’s easy; just give everybody a tie. And I mean everyone.
For Helga, it’s about getting something big and flashy. And getting yours before the other kid gets his.
For Arnold, his philosophy is pretty much the same as it is in every aspect of his life.
The boarding house has its annual Secret Santa. After getting past the false start of everyone drawing slips with Oskar’s name on them, Arnold draws Mr. Hyunh.
Not sure about where to start, he pays him a visit to hopefully get ideas. And he gets a BIG one after he learns about how Mr. Hyunh came to be in America.
Anyone who’d seen this episode or this scene in particular would say it’s really well done but also heart breaking. He grew up in Vietnam and had a young daughter, Mai. The war came to the country and they were among thousands trying to get out. At the American helicopter, they only had room for one more. So he gave Mai to the soldier, who told him the city he’d be bringing her to.
It took him several years to get out himself, but he was never able to find her.
Not sure about where to start, he pays him a visit to hopefully get ideas. And he gets a BIG one after he learns about how Mr. Hyunh came to be in America.
Anyone who’d seen this episode or this scene in particular would say it’s really well done but also heart breaking. He grew up in Vietnam and had a young daughter, Mai. The war came to the country and they were among thousands trying to get out. At the American helicopter, they only had room for one more. So he gave Mai to the soldier, who told him the city he’d be bringing her to.
It took him several years to get out himself, but he was never able to find her.
So, come Christmas Eve, Arnold is on a mission to track her down. Gerald thinks he’s crazy but agrees to go along for the ride. After making several phone calls, he found the office that would be able to help. Mr. Bailey declines at first because it’s too huge of a job to do with such short notice. But after overhearing him on the phone with his wife, Arnold offers to do his Christmas shopping in exchange for helping him. It’s crazy but he accepts the deal, so long as they get EVERYTHING on the list.
Therein lies the problem:
The final item is a pair of Nancy Spumoni snow boots. They happen to be the one thing on Helga’s Christmas list (she brings this up near the start of the episode). But what they don’t learn until too late is that the stores had been sold out for months and every salesman laughs him and Gerald out the door.
So Mr. Bailey says their deal is no good and they have no other choice but to leave. On the stoop of the building, Arnold sums up the series of events- within earshot of Helga, because of course she’s never too far behind- and thanks Gerald for joining him. He tries to make him feel better by saying he did more than most people would’ve done and the fact he tried his hardest is what Christmas is all about.
Helga gets home, a little sad about Arnold’s dilemma but also (most likely) about the fact she couldn’t find the perfect thing to get him for Christmas. Earlier she’d considered a train set and a super expensive computer game but changed her mind about both.
Her mom gives her one of her presents to open and it’s the snow boots. And she went on about how they’re likely the last pair left in the whole city.
Yeah, you know where this is going…
Mr. Bailey just locked up and is ready to go home when she shows up, insisting they have a missing person to find. He brushes her off because it’s Christmas Eve. Then she gives a poignant speech about how “that little football headed kid will never believe in miracles again” if they don’t do this thing.
Christmas morning arrives. It hilariously appears that Oskar got a bag of coal as a gift. And everyone’s kinda at loss about why there’s nothing under the tree for Mr. Hyunh. Just as Arnold is about to explain, the door bell rings…
Dang, even recollecting this scene gives me chills and I’m a mess. But it’s all happy stuff.
Arnold tries to figure out how and Gerald advises him not to. “A miracle is a miracle and that’s all there is to it. Maybe you have a guardian angel out there or something.”
“Guardian angel? Yeah… maybe.”
Cue Helga, standing in the snow in front of the boarding house- “Merry Christmas, Arnold.”
Aww…
***
Before the final show, a couple honorable mentions-
Fairly Oddparents- where Timmy wishes it was Christmas every day…
a familiar scenario in a lot of media geared toward kids because who hasn’t wished for that?
But this is the only instance- at least that I’m aware of- where EVERYONE is aware of this going on, not just the protagonist. And there are real consequences. Not just people getting sick of Christmas but because Santa literally is magic.
Apparently Christmas is the one day of the year when all of the fairy godparents send their magic to Santa Claus and this enables him to deliver all of the presents in one night.
At the end, everything is set right but this whole fiasco led to the rule book getting a new amendment. All kids henceforth are forbidden to wish for Christmas every day. I think Cosmo even says you have to really screw up for them to add a new rule to the book.
The one thing I remember clearly and still laugh about to this day- in the opening musical number, his parents sing “we love you, noggie…” there’s a pause before Timmy’s dad runs off with the carton of eggnog, “mine!”
Yeah, his obsession with eggnog was hilarious. I love the stuff but maybe that NOT much.
Danny Phantom also had an interesting twist on the holiday. Danny is the only person in his family and circle of friends that hates Christmas. That’s saying a lot, considering his friend Sam is into the goth thing; she fully embraces the spreading joy and good will part of it.
Before the final show, a couple honorable mentions-
Fairly Oddparents- where Timmy wishes it was Christmas every day…
a familiar scenario in a lot of media geared toward kids because who hasn’t wished for that?
But this is the only instance- at least that I’m aware of- where EVERYONE is aware of this going on, not just the protagonist. And there are real consequences. Not just people getting sick of Christmas but because Santa literally is magic.
Apparently Christmas is the one day of the year when all of the fairy godparents send their magic to Santa Claus and this enables him to deliver all of the presents in one night.
At the end, everything is set right but this whole fiasco led to the rule book getting a new amendment. All kids henceforth are forbidden to wish for Christmas every day. I think Cosmo even says you have to really screw up for them to add a new rule to the book.
The one thing I remember clearly and still laugh about to this day- in the opening musical number, his parents sing “we love you, noggie…” there’s a pause before Timmy’s dad runs off with the carton of eggnog, “mine!”
Yeah, his obsession with eggnog was hilarious. I love the stuff but maybe that NOT much.
Danny Phantom also had an interesting twist on the holiday. Danny is the only person in his family and circle of friends that hates Christmas. That’s saying a lot, considering his friend Sam is into the goth thing; she fully embraces the spreading joy and good will part of it.
Danny’s gripe has more to do with his parents. Every year they have a heated argument about whether or not Santa Claus is real and things end up getting ruined.
There’s a ghost voiced by Brendan Fraser who narrates the episode in rhyme and Danny is the only one able to hear him. And he’s told repeatedly that the story won’t end until his lesson is learned. The dramatic “everything looks hopeless” midpoint comes about when presents are getting stolen and turned into a giant monster by the ghostwriter. But after Danny Phantom attacks and emerges victorious, it appears to everyone around him that he stole the presents and destroyed them. He winds up seeking the help of other ghosts he’d previously defeated to help him and Christmas happens to be the day of a truce between ghosts and mortals.
Of course the ghostwriter screws this up with his rewrites. Then Danny defeats him in the most hilarious way possible… he throws out “orange” when the ghostwriter is narrating. He quickly remembers “wait, nothing rhymes with orange!” and he’s rendered powerless.
We see him in jail just before the end credits roll. One of the guards hands him a gift basket. “Orange?”
He screams and cringes- “get those away from me!” (Tried to find the screenshot of this, but to no avail...)
Last but not least-
Rocko’s Modern Life (also, the next Nick show on my list)
This is a cute little special with all of the things you’d expect to see during Christmas time. The hunt for the perfect Christmas tree, crowded malls, Christmas cheer and elves… lots of elves.
Rocko is spending his first Christmas in America, away from his family in Australia, and he has all of the optimism in the world that it's gonna be a great holiday. Even when the odds are stacked against him.
The opening credit sequence is super cute. It gets its own holiday theme, Rocko is driving a sled being pulled by Spunky and they’re delivering presents to all of the main characters. Then of course it ends with something falling on them- this time, a giant pine tree.
Rocko is currently sending out invitations to a Christmas party he’s hosting when he learns he has new neighbors. And it’s a whole bunch of elves.
He goes to the mall for shopping and also to get a tree. Heffer and Filburt are running a stand but there’s only one tree left. (The other two items for sale are a small cactus and a pot with some random dude’s body sticking out of it). It’s also kinda sad that the tree has a face and is panting and smiling like a dog and Heffer literally kills it with a chainsaw when he cuts it down. But it’s funny that it falls on him as he’s singing “O Christmas Tree”.
Inside the mall, it’s solid bodies marching in place as the PA system plays a cute rendition of Jingle Bells. It’s a bunch of “la la’s” set to the melody but anytime I hear it, I get all warm and fuzzy.
While he’s there, he finds one of the elves being bullied and comes to his rescue. Rocko takes him home and sees nothing but Christmas cheer all over the house. While talking to the lead elf (and we’re introduced to several other elves with names based on their crafting specialties), he also learns about the greatest elf of all… Mitch. He had three legs and was the last elf that was able to make it snow. Ironically, he was lost in a blizzard.
Naturally Rocko invites the elves to his party… something that does not sit well with Mr. Bighead. He’s also the only one who hadn’t received an invitation and he’s still upset about that.
Filbert happens to be strolling by when he tells him elves will be at the party and they carry disease. Because he’s a big germaphobe and hypochondriac, this puts him in such a panic. Filbert calls Dr. Hutchison to say he can’t go. This leads to a massive phone chain of random characters and all decide not to go. Even the elves themselves- by the time the phone reaches them, the rumor changes to some other race of critters that carry disease.
The worst part of all this- nobody thought to tell Rocko himself so the poor guy had everything set for the party and nobody showed up. Time passes and he decides it’s all ok as long as he and Spunky have each other. Then the little elf he saved from the mall comes and they hang out for a bit. Rocko expresses his disappointment about it not snowing so the elf goes outside to talk to the cloud that’s been hanging out above the house. It’s a silent conversation but he gets it to snow.
Everyone wakes up the next morning and finds out that Rocko’s house (and ONLY Rocko’s house) got a coating of snow. They collectively apologize for not coming and the party resumes as planned.
Mr. Bighead sees this and isn’t pleased. Then his doorbell rings and the little elf hands him his invitation. Apparently it’d been lost in the mail this whole time. Really lost- cuz it had all kinds of postmarks from foreign countries.
And a nice little thing at the end- aside from finding out Mitch was ok and had been on vacation this whole time…
Rocko gets a phone call from his parents wishing him merry Christmas and the snow spreads everywhere else.
Then it’s the next day and everyone simultaneously throws their Christmas trees out onto the curb.
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Home Alone (1990)
Director: Chris Columbus (RIP 2009)
Writer: John Hughes
Composer: John Williams
..gee, between 2 of these 3 guys, I can't help but think to myself... no wonder I'm getting "Harry Potter" vibes from this movie
Cast:
Kevin McCallister- Macaulay Culkin
Kate McCallister- Catherine O'Hara
Peter McCallister- John Heard (RIP 2017)
Buzz- Devin Ratray
Jeff- Michael C. Maronna (aka the older Pete from "The Adventures of Pete & Pete)
Uncle Frank- Gerry Bamman
Harry- Joe Pesci
Marv- Daniel Stern
Gus Polinski- John Candy (RIP 1994)
Old Man Marley- Roberts Blossom (RIP 2011)
...
You almost can't have a proper Christmas season without one of the original Home Alone movies. If you ask me, the two movies are practically interchangeable. They have the same cast and premise. The only difference is location, really. "Home Alone 3" is ok, but nowhere near as good as the original ones. And it's one of those movies that have become a Christmas classic, so remaking it is a ridiculous idea. You know studios are running out of ideas when they're remaking 90's movies.
Anyway, moving on...
This is one of those movies I grew up with and still like revisiting from time to time. It's been a couple years since I saw the original and I had a lot of fun this time around.
Everyone knows the basic premise: The McCallisters are going on a vacation to Paris. A major argument breaks out between the youngest brother Kevin and the oldest brother, Buzz. Kevin gets blamed for the incident breaking out in the first place and he's punished. Between this punishment (being banished to the attic) and a few other random incidents, the family oversleeps and is running late for their trip. In all of the hustle and bustle, they completely forget about Kevin and he's left Home Alone.
There are two burglars called the Wet Bandits making their rounds in the neighborhood. Kevin has to get by on his own while having to defend himself against the burglars. He also befriends the scary old man that lives next door and the results of this friendship have a major impact on the story as well as the characters themselves.
Anyone who knows me knows that John Hughes is one of my favorite writer/directors in the movie industry. I still miss him... can't believe he left us 10 years ago... this is another of his great contributions alongside The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The movie is hilarious, but it also has a lot of heart and the writing is really good. It's also crazy to find out that he and Chris Columbus (who went on to direct Mrs. Doubtfire and the first two Harry Potter movies) were friends because I like Chris Columbus a lot as well.
And John Williams doing the music. Wow... and just maybe that's why the first Harry Potter movie in particular has that special feel to it. Not just because it's the introduction to the franchise and there's a lot of magic involved (in the script and with the production), but the music and the feel I get with the visuals. In Home Alone, they're very simple, obviously, but there's a certain warmth. And of course with it being a Christmas movie, the warm and fuzzies come with the territory.
Obviously this movie couldn't have been done as well without Macaulay Culkin. Sure, he makes Kevin out to be too smart for his own good sometimes, but it's done with the right amount of balance between innocence, cockiness and heart. The same can't be said for the actor in Home Alone 3 because he is way too smart for his own good and it's to the point where it's not believable. Sadly, with the way child acting has been going over the past couple of years, it's only going to get worse.
It's also kinda sad that he's one of those child actors that got too famous too fast and they couldn't handle their success or go back to living a normal life. He's one of those people where rumors would fly around constantly that they'd died, but it was really a hoax.
The two Home Alone movies have one key side-story in common. Kevin is initially afraid of a stranger because of either rumors or they just look strange. But after getting to know them, he sees they're not so bad and they have their own insecurities that he tries to absolve them of.
In this movie, it's the scary old man that lives next door. There's a scene early on where Buzz is telling Kevin about a rumor that Marley killed his family and buried them in the backyard. Admittedly, the way the camera shoots this man and the creepy music that follows, it's hard not to be intimidated. So it's kinda crazy when he talks to Kevin when they meet at a church service and he winds up being completely normal. His back story isn't fleshed out too much, but he talks about having an argument with his son and they'd been estranged ever since. Kevin winds up talking him into giving things another shot.
When I watched this scene again, I thought about how similiar it was in the second movie with the Central Park pigeon lady. Her story was that she'd been in love with someone and he broke her heart and she wound up separating herself from society because she was afraid to open up to people again. The similiar exchange that happens in both movies: Kevin suggests that they take action to change things, they say "what if it doesn't work out" (or something to the effort of repeating their initial apprehension), and he stands his ground, convincing them to do something about it.
In the second movie, we don't see if anything does change with the pigeon lady. But in the first movie, we certainly do.
Before going further, I gotta add how poignant that church scene is where the children's choir is singing "O' Holy Night." It really grounds you and makes you feel like it's Christmas time. I also love when Kevin leaves the church, the clock rings 8 times (the Bandits said they'll break it at 9), and the music changes to John Williams' version of "Carol of the Bells" but with the extra drama and urgency. That's why this guy is one of the best in the industry.
Anyway, back to the resolution of Marley and his family.
There's an episode of Seinfeld where George wants to watch "Home Alone" in Jerry's apartment. Jerry gets back later in the episode and George is a mess. He's like "What, you're crying over Home Alone?" And George is like "The old man got to me."
Seriously, you watch that final scene of the movie when the reconciliaton happens and tell me you don't get choked up. With the snow falling and the music and how everything is shot... dang, that's good.
I love the little thing in the 2nd movie with the Turtle Dove ornaments: "you keep one and you give the other to a very special person. So as long as you each have your turtle dove, you'll be friends forever"... AWWW, that's so sweet!!! I'm a sucker for sentimental stuff, especially at Christmas time.
And of course this movie has the burglars. It's kinda funny seeing Joe Pesci in a family movie, someone known for more than occasionally spewing profanity. But the two guys are robbing all these houses on this block where all the families happen to be away on vacation. I can understand one or two, but everyone? That's kinda unbelievable.
And all the shenanigans that happen as they try to rob the house and Kevin set up all these boobytraps for them :P IMDb actually had trivia where a medical expert runs through some of them and whether or not the resulting injuries are believable. People take things way too seriously sometimes.
I think I read somewhere that they kept a swear jar on set because Pesci couldn't help himself. But going through the movie trivia, I read that he didn't talk to Macaulay Culkin when they weren't shooting because he wanted him to think he was mean. And also Chris Columbus told Pesci to say "fridge" when he got the urge to say the other "f word."
While all this is going on, Kevin's mom is trying to get home as soon as she can. I almost feel bad for the family because they can't even enjoy their vacation with all this going on. But she gets to a point where she's flown to all these different locations and winds up in Scranton... we moved up to the Poconos in 2006, so it's kinda funny to hear them mention Scranton because I know where that is now (even though I'd never been there).
It's interesting to read that John Candy did this role for free and he improvised everything. He's a nice light spot in the movie as well. Kevin's mom needed that little bit of reassurance with all she'd gone through.
Other than "Do you give up or are you thirsty for more?"- the one thing about this movie I always remembered as a kid. The movie within the movie. I was so disappointed to find out that "Angels with Filthy Souls" wasn't even a real movie. Because it looked like a fun movie. There's this gangster boss this guy owes money and at the end of the scene, the boss shoots him up.
"You have until the count of 10 to get your ugly, yella, no good keister off my property before I pop your guts full of lead.... 1, 2, 10!!"
So funny when these guys never properly cut to 10. But after seeing the movie once, Kevin used this scene multiple times to full comedic effect. Because the poor unwitting fools never saw it coming :P It's so great that that joke was brought back in the next movie- "Angels with even filthier souls"
I think that's everything I can add about this movie. There's a lot of good stuff to talk about, but I think that's roughly it.
Writer: John Hughes
Composer: John Williams
..gee, between 2 of these 3 guys, I can't help but think to myself... no wonder I'm getting "Harry Potter" vibes from this movie
Cast:
Kevin McCallister- Macaulay Culkin
Kate McCallister- Catherine O'Hara
Peter McCallister- John Heard (RIP 2017)
Buzz- Devin Ratray
Jeff- Michael C. Maronna (aka the older Pete from "The Adventures of Pete & Pete)
Uncle Frank- Gerry Bamman
Harry- Joe Pesci
Marv- Daniel Stern
Gus Polinski- John Candy (RIP 1994)
Old Man Marley- Roberts Blossom (RIP 2011)
...
You almost can't have a proper Christmas season without one of the original Home Alone movies. If you ask me, the two movies are practically interchangeable. They have the same cast and premise. The only difference is location, really. "Home Alone 3" is ok, but nowhere near as good as the original ones. And it's one of those movies that have become a Christmas classic, so remaking it is a ridiculous idea. You know studios are running out of ideas when they're remaking 90's movies.
Anyway, moving on...
This is one of those movies I grew up with and still like revisiting from time to time. It's been a couple years since I saw the original and I had a lot of fun this time around.
Everyone knows the basic premise: The McCallisters are going on a vacation to Paris. A major argument breaks out between the youngest brother Kevin and the oldest brother, Buzz. Kevin gets blamed for the incident breaking out in the first place and he's punished. Between this punishment (being banished to the attic) and a few other random incidents, the family oversleeps and is running late for their trip. In all of the hustle and bustle, they completely forget about Kevin and he's left Home Alone.
There are two burglars called the Wet Bandits making their rounds in the neighborhood. Kevin has to get by on his own while having to defend himself against the burglars. He also befriends the scary old man that lives next door and the results of this friendship have a major impact on the story as well as the characters themselves.
Anyone who knows me knows that John Hughes is one of my favorite writer/directors in the movie industry. I still miss him... can't believe he left us 10 years ago... this is another of his great contributions alongside The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The movie is hilarious, but it also has a lot of heart and the writing is really good. It's also crazy to find out that he and Chris Columbus (who went on to direct Mrs. Doubtfire and the first two Harry Potter movies) were friends because I like Chris Columbus a lot as well.
And John Williams doing the music. Wow... and just maybe that's why the first Harry Potter movie in particular has that special feel to it. Not just because it's the introduction to the franchise and there's a lot of magic involved (in the script and with the production), but the music and the feel I get with the visuals. In Home Alone, they're very simple, obviously, but there's a certain warmth. And of course with it being a Christmas movie, the warm and fuzzies come with the territory.
Obviously this movie couldn't have been done as well without Macaulay Culkin. Sure, he makes Kevin out to be too smart for his own good sometimes, but it's done with the right amount of balance between innocence, cockiness and heart. The same can't be said for the actor in Home Alone 3 because he is way too smart for his own good and it's to the point where it's not believable. Sadly, with the way child acting has been going over the past couple of years, it's only going to get worse.
It's also kinda sad that he's one of those child actors that got too famous too fast and they couldn't handle their success or go back to living a normal life. He's one of those people where rumors would fly around constantly that they'd died, but it was really a hoax.
The two Home Alone movies have one key side-story in common. Kevin is initially afraid of a stranger because of either rumors or they just look strange. But after getting to know them, he sees they're not so bad and they have their own insecurities that he tries to absolve them of.
In this movie, it's the scary old man that lives next door. There's a scene early on where Buzz is telling Kevin about a rumor that Marley killed his family and buried them in the backyard. Admittedly, the way the camera shoots this man and the creepy music that follows, it's hard not to be intimidated. So it's kinda crazy when he talks to Kevin when they meet at a church service and he winds up being completely normal. His back story isn't fleshed out too much, but he talks about having an argument with his son and they'd been estranged ever since. Kevin winds up talking him into giving things another shot.
When I watched this scene again, I thought about how similiar it was in the second movie with the Central Park pigeon lady. Her story was that she'd been in love with someone and he broke her heart and she wound up separating herself from society because she was afraid to open up to people again. The similiar exchange that happens in both movies: Kevin suggests that they take action to change things, they say "what if it doesn't work out" (or something to the effort of repeating their initial apprehension), and he stands his ground, convincing them to do something about it.
In the second movie, we don't see if anything does change with the pigeon lady. But in the first movie, we certainly do.
Before going further, I gotta add how poignant that church scene is where the children's choir is singing "O' Holy Night." It really grounds you and makes you feel like it's Christmas time. I also love when Kevin leaves the church, the clock rings 8 times (the Bandits said they'll break it at 9), and the music changes to John Williams' version of "Carol of the Bells" but with the extra drama and urgency. That's why this guy is one of the best in the industry.
Anyway, back to the resolution of Marley and his family.
There's an episode of Seinfeld where George wants to watch "Home Alone" in Jerry's apartment. Jerry gets back later in the episode and George is a mess. He's like "What, you're crying over Home Alone?" And George is like "The old man got to me."
Seriously, you watch that final scene of the movie when the reconciliaton happens and tell me you don't get choked up. With the snow falling and the music and how everything is shot... dang, that's good.
I love the little thing in the 2nd movie with the Turtle Dove ornaments: "you keep one and you give the other to a very special person. So as long as you each have your turtle dove, you'll be friends forever"... AWWW, that's so sweet!!! I'm a sucker for sentimental stuff, especially at Christmas time.
And of course this movie has the burglars. It's kinda funny seeing Joe Pesci in a family movie, someone known for more than occasionally spewing profanity. But the two guys are robbing all these houses on this block where all the families happen to be away on vacation. I can understand one or two, but everyone? That's kinda unbelievable.
And all the shenanigans that happen as they try to rob the house and Kevin set up all these boobytraps for them :P IMDb actually had trivia where a medical expert runs through some of them and whether or not the resulting injuries are believable. People take things way too seriously sometimes.
I think I read somewhere that they kept a swear jar on set because Pesci couldn't help himself. But going through the movie trivia, I read that he didn't talk to Macaulay Culkin when they weren't shooting because he wanted him to think he was mean. And also Chris Columbus told Pesci to say "fridge" when he got the urge to say the other "f word."
While all this is going on, Kevin's mom is trying to get home as soon as she can. I almost feel bad for the family because they can't even enjoy their vacation with all this going on. But she gets to a point where she's flown to all these different locations and winds up in Scranton... we moved up to the Poconos in 2006, so it's kinda funny to hear them mention Scranton because I know where that is now (even though I'd never been there).
It's interesting to read that John Candy did this role for free and he improvised everything. He's a nice light spot in the movie as well. Kevin's mom needed that little bit of reassurance with all she'd gone through.
Other than "Do you give up or are you thirsty for more?"- the one thing about this movie I always remembered as a kid. The movie within the movie. I was so disappointed to find out that "Angels with Filthy Souls" wasn't even a real movie. Because it looked like a fun movie. There's this gangster boss this guy owes money and at the end of the scene, the boss shoots him up.
"You have until the count of 10 to get your ugly, yella, no good keister off my property before I pop your guts full of lead.... 1, 2, 10!!"
So funny when these guys never properly cut to 10. But after seeing the movie once, Kevin used this scene multiple times to full comedic effect. Because the poor unwitting fools never saw it coming :P It's so great that that joke was brought back in the next movie- "Angels with even filthier souls"
I think that's everything I can add about this movie. There's a lot of good stuff to talk about, but I think that's roughly it.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Christmas Nostalgia: Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas (1977)
Mom surprised us this Christmas with a DVD version of this classic Jim Henson special and we watched it the other night.
So I'm gonna have to do write-up about it now. Not that this in anyway makes up for the fact I'd seldom posted on this blog these past few months except for when we've gone to the movies.
I said in my previous post how this was one of the Christmas specials we had on a recorded VHS and used to watch when we were kids.
And I was always kinda annoyed that my mom never let us sit through all of it in one sitting.
I mean, c'mon... all that Christmas goodness, why stop it?
Getting to the last two specials (Charlie Brown and Claymotion) was always a bit of a... I don't even know what word I want to use here... it wasn't easy to do. We'd get so far along, stop, and sometimes we just never got around to finishing and next year we'd be back at the start.
Anyway... trip down memory lane aside...
I had so many thoughts on this as I was watching, but I'll start with the craziest revelation that might not be so crazy...
Emmett Otter's special is universal in that it's good for all ages. And I found that I was getting a lot more out of it as an adult than I ever did as a kid.
This time around, for example, I was just marveling at the craftsmanship of the whole thing. Just looked it up and by the time this special was made (and apparently it was based on a book), Sesame Street and The Muppet Show were already in full swing.
So it's interesting to see marionette work at the forefront opposed to the muppets we got to know over the years.
I remember seeing this a few years ago, maybe on a home video VHS (that one of my aunts gave to us), and noticing the strings for the first time. I made a bit of a ruckus during Rudolph this year because our HD TV revealed strings I never knew were there. Not that totally ruins the illusion.
With this, I see strings with Emmett and his Ma and his friends. Moreso this time around, but the illusion isn't ruined at all. I find it endearing at certain points actually. Particularly where Emmett and Ma ride the slide onto the newly frozen lake. So cute to see them running and sliding around.
And the sets... just wow... in real life, all these buildings are probably so small, but they look so big on TV. And the way they're adorned, that's Christmas nostalgia right there.
I guess that means I need to get to the main story, then.
Emmett and his Ma, Alice, live in the town of Waterville. They get by doing odd jobs for neighbors like fixing things and doing laundry. They don't have a lot of money, but they always had each other. And a washtub, apparently.
It'll make sense later...
This year, both of them decide on their own that they really want to give the other a nice Christmas present, but they can't quite afford it. Alice wants to give Emmett a guitar they saw in a music store in town and Emmett wants to put a down payment on a piano for Ma. They had to sell it after Emmett's Pa died and they started struggling with money. Even though they were never rich with him being a snake oil salesman (haha- I didn't get that joke until a couple years ago- "there just aren't enough people who want to oil a snake").
And a local talent show presents the opportunity both of them want to take advantage of. But certain sacrifices need to be made...
This is sort of a take on "The Gift of the Magi," except that both of them sacrifice something that the other needs for their odd jobs.
Maybe 5-10 minutes after the two of them sing about not having a hole in the washtub... Emmett has to put a hole in it so he can play washtub bass in his friends' jugband. And Alice hocks Emmett's tool chest (that originally belonged to Pa) to get dress fabric so she has something nice to wear.
In the end, it is the thought that counts, though.
Throughout this special, we also see the residential antagonists from River Bottom. They're a bunch of delinquents with attitude. And surprise, surprise, they make an appearance at the talent contest as well.
Now that I think about it, I don't think I know any of their names aside from their leader, Chuck.
Oh man... that was something I found so hilarious as a kid and I still do. Chuck is a man (I have no idea what kind of furry creature he is, a bear, maybe?) of few words, but when he talks, you listen.
One of the them is a weasel who's very chatty and kinda talks for the group, but Chuck will often correct him and intimidates the crap out of him with his tough-guy voice. Just love it.
Chuck: I'm hungry
Weasel: Hey everybody, Chuck's funny
Chuck: No, I'm not hungry. I'm HUNGRY... now!
Oh geez... I guess Chuck is supposed to be a woodchuck, then, lol.
I just know there's a weasel, a lizard, a snake and some fish/mudskipper thing that they always seem to have a tub of water for him to swim in when they're traveling around town.
The talent show... wow, the nostalgia the first few minutes in that concert hall before it even starts... I'm just transported back with that. I remember watching the horse- which unfortunately gets split up in an earlier scene and the whole act gets ruined. I remember the dancing squirrels (omg, so cute!) and their mom cheering and clapping like a maniac when they're all finished.
An interesting curveball gets thrown at the jugband and they easily could have avoided having an issue if they rehearsed more than one song.
It turns out "Barbeque" is popular and some hillbilly badger takes up a banjo and performs it before it's their turn. So they need to put together a new song and fast.
Alice goes on just ahead of them and gives a really moving performance with a ballad. Complete with that out-of-tune piano (Rowlf might have been onto something- he said in "Muppet Family Christmas" how he loves out of tune pianos), nostalgia hits again.
With the jugband, they sound and look really good considering how last minute this song change was. But "Brothers" is not as catchy as "Barbeque"... I've always felt a little bit of disappointment where the first chords begin and it's not the same song. Just doesn't have that same impact.
Then the "River Bottom Nightmare Band" shows up and all hell breaks loose :P
Now this was memorable. The whole song and look of it. And each time, you pick out something different. Weasel does the main vocal on the bridge and his voice still stands out to me. And of course all Chuck has to say/growl is "River Bottom Nightmare Band!"... he's all decked out like Elton John or Liberace with this long blue shiny cape and Kiss-style platform shoes.
Gotta give them credit- they were true to themselves and didn't sugarcoat anything. This is more of a heavy metal type song with an organ, guitars and drums, so the song really isn't sing-along-y. But they do play good music.
There's an earlier scene where they're playing instruments in a music store and they sound better than you would think. Maybe they wouldn't be as troublesome if they spent more time with the music because it's a good outlet for them.
Anyway... the results are kinda disappointing. The Nightmare winds up winning. It's slightly more annoying when you consider the fact that they were a last minute entry. And they heard from the jugband about the talent contest... although Weasel says something like "they think they're gonna win the talent contest" jokingly, which says to me that they already knew about it.
But our heroes do get a happy ending and all they had to do was invent the song mash-up. They're walking by Doc Bullfrog's diner as they put their songs from the talent show together and he recruits them to be regular performers there with a salary and free food.
If I were to nit-pick anything... you hear a couple songs more than once and if you're not feeling it, you might get sick of them. But they are great songs.
"When the River Meets the Sea" is great and beautiful and it became a Henson classic because it was written for this and also featured on the Muppet Christmas album with John Denver. Even was played at Jerry Nelson's funeral, which was a fitting tribute. He did the voice of Emmett.
When they showed this on TV (and this carries over to our recorded VHS), they had an intro with Kermit pedaling his bike to Waterville, introducing the special and the River Bottom gang interacts with him.
It's a pretty funny exchange.
"What about the scarf?"- Chuck says after he's asked by Weasel whether he wants to take anything from Kermit.
And they argue among themselves before that whether he's a frog or toad :P
Kermit also appears at the end of the diner scene- they pan over to him as they're performing and he says (I think) how they were a big hit and their lives became better as a result. It's been so long that I don't remember the exact dialogue.
OH- someone posted them on YouTube calling them "the lost scenes"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_B8xVwHTgw
Overall... great special and definitely will look forward to bringing it back every year from now.
So I'm gonna have to do write-up about it now. Not that this in anyway makes up for the fact I'd seldom posted on this blog these past few months except for when we've gone to the movies.
I said in my previous post how this was one of the Christmas specials we had on a recorded VHS and used to watch when we were kids.
And I was always kinda annoyed that my mom never let us sit through all of it in one sitting.
I mean, c'mon... all that Christmas goodness, why stop it?
Getting to the last two specials (Charlie Brown and Claymotion) was always a bit of a... I don't even know what word I want to use here... it wasn't easy to do. We'd get so far along, stop, and sometimes we just never got around to finishing and next year we'd be back at the start.
Anyway... trip down memory lane aside...
I had so many thoughts on this as I was watching, but I'll start with the craziest revelation that might not be so crazy...
Emmett Otter's special is universal in that it's good for all ages. And I found that I was getting a lot more out of it as an adult than I ever did as a kid.
This time around, for example, I was just marveling at the craftsmanship of the whole thing. Just looked it up and by the time this special was made (and apparently it was based on a book), Sesame Street and The Muppet Show were already in full swing.
So it's interesting to see marionette work at the forefront opposed to the muppets we got to know over the years.
I remember seeing this a few years ago, maybe on a home video VHS (that one of my aunts gave to us), and noticing the strings for the first time. I made a bit of a ruckus during Rudolph this year because our HD TV revealed strings I never knew were there. Not that totally ruins the illusion.
With this, I see strings with Emmett and his Ma and his friends. Moreso this time around, but the illusion isn't ruined at all. I find it endearing at certain points actually. Particularly where Emmett and Ma ride the slide onto the newly frozen lake. So cute to see them running and sliding around.
And the sets... just wow... in real life, all these buildings are probably so small, but they look so big on TV. And the way they're adorned, that's Christmas nostalgia right there.
I guess that means I need to get to the main story, then.
Emmett and his Ma, Alice, live in the town of Waterville. They get by doing odd jobs for neighbors like fixing things and doing laundry. They don't have a lot of money, but they always had each other. And a washtub, apparently.
It'll make sense later...
This year, both of them decide on their own that they really want to give the other a nice Christmas present, but they can't quite afford it. Alice wants to give Emmett a guitar they saw in a music store in town and Emmett wants to put a down payment on a piano for Ma. They had to sell it after Emmett's Pa died and they started struggling with money. Even though they were never rich with him being a snake oil salesman (haha- I didn't get that joke until a couple years ago- "there just aren't enough people who want to oil a snake").
And a local talent show presents the opportunity both of them want to take advantage of. But certain sacrifices need to be made...
This is sort of a take on "The Gift of the Magi," except that both of them sacrifice something that the other needs for their odd jobs.
Maybe 5-10 minutes after the two of them sing about not having a hole in the washtub... Emmett has to put a hole in it so he can play washtub bass in his friends' jugband. And Alice hocks Emmett's tool chest (that originally belonged to Pa) to get dress fabric so she has something nice to wear.
In the end, it is the thought that counts, though.
Throughout this special, we also see the residential antagonists from River Bottom. They're a bunch of delinquents with attitude. And surprise, surprise, they make an appearance at the talent contest as well.
Now that I think about it, I don't think I know any of their names aside from their leader, Chuck.
Oh man... that was something I found so hilarious as a kid and I still do. Chuck is a man (I have no idea what kind of furry creature he is, a bear, maybe?) of few words, but when he talks, you listen.
One of the them is a weasel who's very chatty and kinda talks for the group, but Chuck will often correct him and intimidates the crap out of him with his tough-guy voice. Just love it.
Chuck: I'm hungry
Weasel: Hey everybody, Chuck's funny
Chuck: No, I'm not hungry. I'm HUNGRY... now!
Oh geez... I guess Chuck is supposed to be a woodchuck, then, lol.
I just know there's a weasel, a lizard, a snake and some fish/mudskipper thing that they always seem to have a tub of water for him to swim in when they're traveling around town.
The talent show... wow, the nostalgia the first few minutes in that concert hall before it even starts... I'm just transported back with that. I remember watching the horse- which unfortunately gets split up in an earlier scene and the whole act gets ruined. I remember the dancing squirrels (omg, so cute!) and their mom cheering and clapping like a maniac when they're all finished.
An interesting curveball gets thrown at the jugband and they easily could have avoided having an issue if they rehearsed more than one song.
It turns out "Barbeque" is popular and some hillbilly badger takes up a banjo and performs it before it's their turn. So they need to put together a new song and fast.
Alice goes on just ahead of them and gives a really moving performance with a ballad. Complete with that out-of-tune piano (Rowlf might have been onto something- he said in "Muppet Family Christmas" how he loves out of tune pianos), nostalgia hits again.
With the jugband, they sound and look really good considering how last minute this song change was. But "Brothers" is not as catchy as "Barbeque"... I've always felt a little bit of disappointment where the first chords begin and it's not the same song. Just doesn't have that same impact.
Then the "River Bottom Nightmare Band" shows up and all hell breaks loose :P
Now this was memorable. The whole song and look of it. And each time, you pick out something different. Weasel does the main vocal on the bridge and his voice still stands out to me. And of course all Chuck has to say/growl is "River Bottom Nightmare Band!"... he's all decked out like Elton John or Liberace with this long blue shiny cape and Kiss-style platform shoes.
Gotta give them credit- they were true to themselves and didn't sugarcoat anything. This is more of a heavy metal type song with an organ, guitars and drums, so the song really isn't sing-along-y. But they do play good music.
There's an earlier scene where they're playing instruments in a music store and they sound better than you would think. Maybe they wouldn't be as troublesome if they spent more time with the music because it's a good outlet for them.
Anyway... the results are kinda disappointing. The Nightmare winds up winning. It's slightly more annoying when you consider the fact that they were a last minute entry. And they heard from the jugband about the talent contest... although Weasel says something like "they think they're gonna win the talent contest" jokingly, which says to me that they already knew about it.
But our heroes do get a happy ending and all they had to do was invent the song mash-up. They're walking by Doc Bullfrog's diner as they put their songs from the talent show together and he recruits them to be regular performers there with a salary and free food.
If I were to nit-pick anything... you hear a couple songs more than once and if you're not feeling it, you might get sick of them. But they are great songs.
"When the River Meets the Sea" is great and beautiful and it became a Henson classic because it was written for this and also featured on the Muppet Christmas album with John Denver. Even was played at Jerry Nelson's funeral, which was a fitting tribute. He did the voice of Emmett.
When they showed this on TV (and this carries over to our recorded VHS), they had an intro with Kermit pedaling his bike to Waterville, introducing the special and the River Bottom gang interacts with him.
It's a pretty funny exchange.
"What about the scarf?"- Chuck says after he's asked by Weasel whether he wants to take anything from Kermit.
And they argue among themselves before that whether he's a frog or toad :P
Kermit also appears at the end of the diner scene- they pan over to him as they're performing and he says (I think) how they were a big hit and their lives became better as a result. It's been so long that I don't remember the exact dialogue.
OH- someone posted them on YouTube calling them "the lost scenes"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_B8xVwHTgw
Overall... great special and definitely will look forward to bringing it back every year from now.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Christmas Nostalgia: Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
A Trip Down Memory Lane...
I would have dubbed this as one of my Christmas essentials, but it isn't among those specials that are shown every year around this time.
In fact, it hasn't been shown on TV maybe since its first airing. And my mom had the foresight to record it so my sister and I could watch it again in the future.
This was one of several Christmas specials recorded on this old VHS. I keep meaning to record it onto DVD- we have the machine to do it- but I just keep forgetting. Plus YouTube makes things so much more convenient and accessible.
Other specials included:
* Disney cartoons featuring Donald, Mickey and Pluto, leading up to their "Christmas Carol"
* behind-the-scenes footage of "Oliver and Company" (not Christmas-y, but if I ever see that footage again... man... I can only imagine the nostalgia- between that and the commercials that somehow made the cut)
* Rudolph
* Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas (which I may write-up one day as well)
* Charlie Brown
* Claymotion's Christmas (also on YouTube- we may or may not get to it this year).
Anyway... the short of it is... I know my sister had watched this particular special on YouTube one other year and I only heard it going on. I didn't get to see this. This year, I finally got that opportunity and Google Chrome did a great job casting it. [YouTube is the only website where the streaming works perfectly without the audio and video being out of sync].
And the nostalgia hit me right in the heart and it was AWESOME... I don't think I'd seen this in 15-20 years. And I still remember so much of it like it was yesterday.
The coolest part... my mom was late recording the special and I did the math... this was the first time I saw the first 2 minutes of this special ever. And it does explain one thing I never thought to ask...
In a Chestnut[shell]... with all the trimmings
I never thought to ask why they came to Fozzie Bear's mom's farmhouse. I didn't add up that fact and her being ready to go to Hawaii. All I knew is that they crashed at her house, which was a huge surprise to her as well as Doc, the boarder she invited to watch the house while she was gone.
BTW, RIP Gerry Parks. He passed away in 2014. And he was such a great guy in a special where he was the only human character.
Fraggle Rock had been around for a couple years before this special, but Doc and his dog Sprocket were in it and he always told his dog that he was crazy for imagining Fraggles.
I actually caught one interesting bit of dialogue for the first time- when the Muppets invade, he asks Sprocket if they were anything like the Fraggles he kept telling him about.
Funny he should mention that... but more on that later...
Anyway, he starts as this curmudgeon of an old man, being bent out of shape that he's being denied this "nice quiet Christmas" he'd been promised.
But at the same time, Fozzie's mom is a little miffed that she took 3 months of surfing lessons and getting nothing in return for it.
Uh... I guess she didn't have the heart to tell Fozzie and the others that she had plans?? I thought for years that she found out she couldn't go because of the upcoming snowstorm. But she might have been out of dodge before it got there...
I'm thinking too much about this :P time to move on.
So anyway, everyone is here to celebrate Christmas at the farmhouse. And three spheres of Jim Henson's incredible universe [four if you include the Muppet Babies footage] come together for the first time EVER... and never really did again. Unless you account for the fact Kermit occasionally cameos on Sesame Street.
There's a running joke that they're having trouble finding room for everybody to spend the night, the icy patch at the front door keeps getting tripped over (it's still funny every single time, lol), and Miss Piggy is literally doing every last minute thing before she gets over there.
And we have this impossible snowstorm on the horizon- barometers are falling sharply!!!
That was one of those jokes I didn't get until I was older. :P
Much of Kermit's storyline was worrying about Miss Piggy and whether she'd get to the farmhouse safe and sound. As materialistic as she is, it's not surprising that she has to go to a photo shoot (that she somehow forgot she scheduled) and does some last minute shopping (and we never see her give away those great fuzzy flipper snippers) before actually making the trip.
I mean, these are just puppets at the end of the day, but that part of the story has so much suspense in it. I mean, it didn't make me a sobbing mess when I was a kid (Mickey's Christmas Carol on the other hand... I have to just think about Christmas Future and the song at the beginning and end... that messes me up... Muppet Christmas Carol has a few spots that do the same thing)... but it's kinda sad and kinda scary. Right along with Kermit, I'm worried if things will work out all right even though I know the ending.
Kermit does have some good distractions to help keep his mind off things, though.
Fozzie, as anyone knows, is a comedian and he finds a new act after he builds a snowman.
Yeah, the snowman comes to life. And the act kinda goes bust (Statler and Waldorf happened), but hey, certainly can't blame him for trying.
Then there's the great scene where Robin takes Kermit to Fraggle Rock and we get to meet some Fraggles. Of course, the main characters from the TV series. (I'd only seen it a couple times maybe ever, but it might be worth looking up in the future... maybe YouTube will indulge me like it did with this).
And they introduce to us the art of regifting... and they're happy to receive any gifts at all, which is kinda nice.
And they get their own musical number too. Good times 8-)
And just to finish my comments on Doc- the way his character evolves throughout these 45 minutes is a great example of Christmas spirit. He doesn't get the Christmas he wanted when he first arrived, but he comes to like the Muppets a lot and goes above and beyond in a couple ways.
One of them, of course, has to involve Miss Piggy. Despite all the hardship, they make a pretty amazing and touching entrance (complete with a duet of "There's No Place like Home for the Holidays" with her and Kermit). Makes me wonder if she really is that composed a person... er, pig. Or she was a complete mess and she threatened to karate chop Doc if he said anything about the state he found her in.
The other way... you'd have to watch it to see, but it allows for a really nice cameo by Jim Henson himself. For years, I didn't know it was him and learning how he died a couple years later... it's a sweet and bittersweet moment all at the same time.
Only Jim Henson could come up with something where you have nothing but puppetry and you get to feel all kinds of emotions. Everyone takes part in a really sweet Christmas Carol medley where they cover pretty much all the songs we grew up on. Plus maybe two I hadn't heard anyone but with the Muppets.
Of course there's also a lot of comedy. The icy patch is only the... I guess, the tip of the iceberg... shut up!
Maybe the funniest beside that is the saga of the Christmas Turkey and Swedish Chef. The turkey shows up, alive and well and Gonzo tries to talk him into leaving.
The Swedish Chef gets all confused about which creature is the turkey.
Doc: I don't care if the turkey says the dog is the turkey. The dog is not the turkey. The turkey's the turkey, you turkey!
There's a love triangle between Gonzo, Camilla and the turkey.
Gonzo: But Camilla's my girlfriend
Turkey: You gotta be kidding! You're not even a bird!
Gonzo: [shrug] well, nobody's perfect
Then he beats the stuffing out of the turkey when he finally catches him... but then this turkey is so slick, he thought up another lie and he thought it up quick... yeah, I'm quoting The Grinch :P so what? I'm finishing this up on Christmas Eve.
Yeah, he told Swedish Chef that Big Bird is a turkey. And he exclaims: "Gobble Gobble Hugmungo!"
I believe Doc gets into the Christmas spirit right around the time Bert and Ernie show up and they do their "small talk" routine.
You know... Doc starts with the letter D, and so on...
and he cheerfully says he's gotta build some bunk beds.
If I watched Sesame Street as a kid, I don't remember it... but after all these years, when Big Bird shows up, I get warm and fuzzy.
His big moment in this special is when he talks to Swedish Chef, saying how he might be lonely because his family is back in Sweden and Christmas is about spending time with family.
I mean, I've said it a bunch already... these are puppets! Yet their duet of "The Christmas Song" is a tearjerker every time :P And the sweetest part is that Swedish Chef decides on a vegetarian menu as a result of this.
"Shredded wheat and cranberry sauce- my absolute favorite!"
At least "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays" has the icy patch gag to keep it from getting too sappy and too teary :P
And while we're going with the animal friendly theme here- I love Kermit's present to Miss Piggy. It's a live mink [opposed to a mink coat or stole] who's Miss Piggy's biggest fan.
"I've seen everything you've done... I worship the ground you walk on."
If there's one thing Miss Piggy loves more than minks and Kermit, it's herself. So it's perfect.
And Robin has a nice moment where he continues to the Fraggle tradition of regifting, but he gives it to one of the Sesame Street gang.
Also RIP Jerry Nelson- who did the voice for The Count, Fozzie's mom and Robin in this special. I don't know if it's because of this special or Muppet Christmas Carol where he plays Tiny Tim [ :sniff: ]... he's always been one of my favorite Muppets characters and Jerry Nelson is the biggest reason for that.
Also he was Emmett Otter and Doc Bullfrog in "Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas"... and I just found that that Emmett Otter was made in 1977... 10 years before Muppet Family Christmas... just wow... I don't know how I feel about Emmett Otter being older than me :P
Most of the other cast members are still alive, which is good. Or I'd be here for ages.
A couple more things:
* Animal has some of the funniest moments. Like when Cookie Monster eats all the Christmas cookies and Animal says "that my kind of fella."
And Gonzo and Animal are totally game for sleeping on hangers in a closet- the only places left to sleep in the house. ["That's the only way Animal ever sleeps, man."]
* Mechanical Mayhem do a kick-ass version of "Jingle Bell Rock."
* Oscar and Rizzo bond in a cute scene- Rizzo asks if he can bunk out with Oscar and Oscar says "I've never had a rat in my trashcan before. That might be kinda nice."
...
and it looks like we might be entering into a similar situation. Some unexpected guests are coming to our Christmas Eve gathering.
And I guess we'll see how it goes. The idea of it is getting some mixed results.
Hopefully it all turns out ok in the end.
I would have dubbed this as one of my Christmas essentials, but it isn't among those specials that are shown every year around this time.
In fact, it hasn't been shown on TV maybe since its first airing. And my mom had the foresight to record it so my sister and I could watch it again in the future.
This was one of several Christmas specials recorded on this old VHS. I keep meaning to record it onto DVD- we have the machine to do it- but I just keep forgetting. Plus YouTube makes things so much more convenient and accessible.
Other specials included:
* Disney cartoons featuring Donald, Mickey and Pluto, leading up to their "Christmas Carol"
* behind-the-scenes footage of "Oliver and Company" (not Christmas-y, but if I ever see that footage again... man... I can only imagine the nostalgia- between that and the commercials that somehow made the cut)
* Rudolph
* Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas (which I may write-up one day as well)
* Charlie Brown
* Claymotion's Christmas (also on YouTube- we may or may not get to it this year).
Anyway... the short of it is... I know my sister had watched this particular special on YouTube one other year and I only heard it going on. I didn't get to see this. This year, I finally got that opportunity and Google Chrome did a great job casting it. [YouTube is the only website where the streaming works perfectly without the audio and video being out of sync].
And the nostalgia hit me right in the heart and it was AWESOME... I don't think I'd seen this in 15-20 years. And I still remember so much of it like it was yesterday.
The coolest part... my mom was late recording the special and I did the math... this was the first time I saw the first 2 minutes of this special ever. And it does explain one thing I never thought to ask...
In a Chestnut[shell]... with all the trimmings
I never thought to ask why they came to Fozzie Bear's mom's farmhouse. I didn't add up that fact and her being ready to go to Hawaii. All I knew is that they crashed at her house, which was a huge surprise to her as well as Doc, the boarder she invited to watch the house while she was gone.
BTW, RIP Gerry Parks. He passed away in 2014. And he was such a great guy in a special where he was the only human character.
Fraggle Rock had been around for a couple years before this special, but Doc and his dog Sprocket were in it and he always told his dog that he was crazy for imagining Fraggles.
I actually caught one interesting bit of dialogue for the first time- when the Muppets invade, he asks Sprocket if they were anything like the Fraggles he kept telling him about.
Funny he should mention that... but more on that later...
Anyway, he starts as this curmudgeon of an old man, being bent out of shape that he's being denied this "nice quiet Christmas" he'd been promised.
But at the same time, Fozzie's mom is a little miffed that she took 3 months of surfing lessons and getting nothing in return for it.
Uh... I guess she didn't have the heart to tell Fozzie and the others that she had plans?? I thought for years that she found out she couldn't go because of the upcoming snowstorm. But she might have been out of dodge before it got there...
I'm thinking too much about this :P time to move on.
So anyway, everyone is here to celebrate Christmas at the farmhouse. And three spheres of Jim Henson's incredible universe [four if you include the Muppet Babies footage] come together for the first time EVER... and never really did again. Unless you account for the fact Kermit occasionally cameos on Sesame Street.
There's a running joke that they're having trouble finding room for everybody to spend the night, the icy patch at the front door keeps getting tripped over (it's still funny every single time, lol), and Miss Piggy is literally doing every last minute thing before she gets over there.
And we have this impossible snowstorm on the horizon- barometers are falling sharply!!!
That was one of those jokes I didn't get until I was older. :P
Much of Kermit's storyline was worrying about Miss Piggy and whether she'd get to the farmhouse safe and sound. As materialistic as she is, it's not surprising that she has to go to a photo shoot (that she somehow forgot she scheduled) and does some last minute shopping (and we never see her give away those great fuzzy flipper snippers) before actually making the trip.
I mean, these are just puppets at the end of the day, but that part of the story has so much suspense in it. I mean, it didn't make me a sobbing mess when I was a kid (Mickey's Christmas Carol on the other hand... I have to just think about Christmas Future and the song at the beginning and end... that messes me up... Muppet Christmas Carol has a few spots that do the same thing)... but it's kinda sad and kinda scary. Right along with Kermit, I'm worried if things will work out all right even though I know the ending.
Kermit does have some good distractions to help keep his mind off things, though.
Fozzie, as anyone knows, is a comedian and he finds a new act after he builds a snowman.
Yeah, the snowman comes to life. And the act kinda goes bust (Statler and Waldorf happened), but hey, certainly can't blame him for trying.
Then there's the great scene where Robin takes Kermit to Fraggle Rock and we get to meet some Fraggles. Of course, the main characters from the TV series. (I'd only seen it a couple times maybe ever, but it might be worth looking up in the future... maybe YouTube will indulge me like it did with this).
And they introduce to us the art of regifting... and they're happy to receive any gifts at all, which is kinda nice.
And they get their own musical number too. Good times 8-)
And just to finish my comments on Doc- the way his character evolves throughout these 45 minutes is a great example of Christmas spirit. He doesn't get the Christmas he wanted when he first arrived, but he comes to like the Muppets a lot and goes above and beyond in a couple ways.
One of them, of course, has to involve Miss Piggy. Despite all the hardship, they make a pretty amazing and touching entrance (complete with a duet of "There's No Place like Home for the Holidays" with her and Kermit). Makes me wonder if she really is that composed a person... er, pig. Or she was a complete mess and she threatened to karate chop Doc if he said anything about the state he found her in.
The other way... you'd have to watch it to see, but it allows for a really nice cameo by Jim Henson himself. For years, I didn't know it was him and learning how he died a couple years later... it's a sweet and bittersweet moment all at the same time.
Only Jim Henson could come up with something where you have nothing but puppetry and you get to feel all kinds of emotions. Everyone takes part in a really sweet Christmas Carol medley where they cover pretty much all the songs we grew up on. Plus maybe two I hadn't heard anyone but with the Muppets.
Of course there's also a lot of comedy. The icy patch is only the... I guess, the tip of the iceberg... shut up!
Maybe the funniest beside that is the saga of the Christmas Turkey and Swedish Chef. The turkey shows up, alive and well and Gonzo tries to talk him into leaving.
The Swedish Chef gets all confused about which creature is the turkey.
Doc: I don't care if the turkey says the dog is the turkey. The dog is not the turkey. The turkey's the turkey, you turkey!
There's a love triangle between Gonzo, Camilla and the turkey.
Gonzo: But Camilla's my girlfriend
Turkey: You gotta be kidding! You're not even a bird!
Gonzo: [shrug] well, nobody's perfect
Then he beats the stuffing out of the turkey when he finally catches him... but then this turkey is so slick, he thought up another lie and he thought it up quick... yeah, I'm quoting The Grinch :P so what? I'm finishing this up on Christmas Eve.
Yeah, he told Swedish Chef that Big Bird is a turkey. And he exclaims: "Gobble Gobble Hugmungo!"
I believe Doc gets into the Christmas spirit right around the time Bert and Ernie show up and they do their "small talk" routine.
You know... Doc starts with the letter D, and so on...
and he cheerfully says he's gotta build some bunk beds.
If I watched Sesame Street as a kid, I don't remember it... but after all these years, when Big Bird shows up, I get warm and fuzzy.
His big moment in this special is when he talks to Swedish Chef, saying how he might be lonely because his family is back in Sweden and Christmas is about spending time with family.
I mean, I've said it a bunch already... these are puppets! Yet their duet of "The Christmas Song" is a tearjerker every time :P And the sweetest part is that Swedish Chef decides on a vegetarian menu as a result of this.
"Shredded wheat and cranberry sauce- my absolute favorite!"
At least "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays" has the icy patch gag to keep it from getting too sappy and too teary :P
And while we're going with the animal friendly theme here- I love Kermit's present to Miss Piggy. It's a live mink [opposed to a mink coat or stole] who's Miss Piggy's biggest fan.
"I've seen everything you've done... I worship the ground you walk on."
If there's one thing Miss Piggy loves more than minks and Kermit, it's herself. So it's perfect.
And Robin has a nice moment where he continues to the Fraggle tradition of regifting, but he gives it to one of the Sesame Street gang.
Also RIP Jerry Nelson- who did the voice for The Count, Fozzie's mom and Robin in this special. I don't know if it's because of this special or Muppet Christmas Carol where he plays Tiny Tim [ :sniff: ]... he's always been one of my favorite Muppets characters and Jerry Nelson is the biggest reason for that.
Also he was Emmett Otter and Doc Bullfrog in "Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas"... and I just found that that Emmett Otter was made in 1977... 10 years before Muppet Family Christmas... just wow... I don't know how I feel about Emmett Otter being older than me :P
Most of the other cast members are still alive, which is good. Or I'd be here for ages.
A couple more things:
* Animal has some of the funniest moments. Like when Cookie Monster eats all the Christmas cookies and Animal says "that my kind of fella."
And Gonzo and Animal are totally game for sleeping on hangers in a closet- the only places left to sleep in the house. ["That's the only way Animal ever sleeps, man."]
* Mechanical Mayhem do a kick-ass version of "Jingle Bell Rock."
* Oscar and Rizzo bond in a cute scene- Rizzo asks if he can bunk out with Oscar and Oscar says "I've never had a rat in my trashcan before. That might be kinda nice."
...
and it looks like we might be entering into a similar situation. Some unexpected guests are coming to our Christmas Eve gathering.
And I guess we'll see how it goes. The idea of it is getting some mixed results.
Hopefully it all turns out ok in the end.
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Christmas Every Day (1996)
Cast:
Billy Jackson- Erik Von Detton [went to play a heartthrob/jerk in "Princess Diaries"]
Sarah Jackson- Yvonne Zima [had a tiny role in "Iron-Man 3" I don't recall]
Henry- Jackson- Robert Hays [from "Airplane!"]
Molly Jackson- Bess Armstrong
Uncle David- Robert Curtis Brown [he's from Bucks County PA- where I grew up!! :P ]
Aunt Caroline- Robin Riker
Cousin Jacey- Julia Whelan
Opening Remarks:
I may have mentioned this briefly in one of my compilation Christmas entries, but after watching the movie this year, I decided to do one final write-up.
For all I know, I might not be able to see it next year. And even if it's still on YouTube, I don't know if I'm going to have this same feeling next year. I would have waited for the 20th anniversary of this movie to write this otherwise.
I first saw this movie when it first came out and for some time, I watched it every time it aired... then it just stopped showing... a couple years ago, it made a comeback... only to disappear again.
But whenever it came back, there was much rejoicing on my part.
Rewatching it for the 2nd year since someone put it on YouTube, I couldn't help but get nostalgic over it. Just seeing the Jackson family room decorated for Christmas, I felt like I was home. That warm and fuzzy feeling came back and stayed for me throughout the picture.
Plot:
Billy Jackson (Erik Von Detton) is a 13-year old teen who lives in a small town on the east coast with his parents and his younger sister, Sarah. His dad owns the general store, one of many small businesses that are the trademark of the town. It's a place where everyone is very close and knows each other. As of the beginning of this movie, this is a notion that Billy doesn't quite appreciate, but will grow to with time.
And because this is a Christmas movie, it needs to be added that he lacks in Christmas spirit as well. So being the narrator of the town's annual Christmas pageant is an occupation he begrudges.
Christmas Day is more or less a disaster. Billy's Uncle David, Aunt Caroline and his cousin, Jacey, are visiting. Back in the day, his dad and his uncle worked together in the general store, then owned by their father. But after his father died, a rift occurred, so David left town and became a successful businessman. Now he's back with the mind to bring a super mall to the town-- something that many of the town's denizens do not want because it'd be disastrous for all the town's small businesses and their owners.
And as with a lot of family gatherings, a lot of arguing occurs.
Including one between Billy and his sister Sarah, which ends with both of them wishing it was Christmas every day (Sarah meant it for real, Billy did it sarcastically).
Either way, the wish was granted and it was Christmas again.
Sooner or later, Billy had to learn that only he can stop it from being Christmas every day. He had to change and with changes he made to his life, he'd affect so many others.
[Kinda like "Groundhog's Day" but with Christmas instead]
Thoughts and Comments:
Negativity first.
Looking at this now, there are some aspects about this movie that don't sit quite right.
This year in particular, I had a couple of moments where I was groaning and rolling my eyes at our protagonist. He went through a phase where he was renting movies (what the heck is Blockbuster doing open on Christmas?!) and imitating actors from westerns and kung fu movies. Most of it was standing up to the school bully Joey and trying to steal away his girlfriend Diane... none of which worked. Just cringe-worthy garbage. I realize it's a made-for-TV movie so it's not perfect, but still...
Another aspect is how dark it gets at points.
Almost every day we have Christmas (5 of 7 days), there's a big argument in the family about the value mall. Differences of values between the brothers and imperfections of the marriages beginning to show... it feels like the world's going to end and the rifts that form can never be fixed.
Plus there's the fact that a big theme of the movie is a sad reality. A lot of these small timeless towns have been ruined by big businesses. And not all of them have the luxury of the businessman having a familial connection within the town-- giving more of a chance for things not to change.
Now for the good...
Just like people who grew up in tight-knit communities can relate to this small town life, the same can be said about the characters. You can relate to one of them on a personal level or you have a friend or family member that reminds you of them.
In recent years, I've become a little disenchanted with Christmas so each year has been a little tough to find the spirit. Last year, I didn't really feel it until the day of- after everyone opened their presents and they really made a lot of people happy.
This year, I was feeling a little like Charlie Brown- not so much hating the commercialism of Christmas (although I hate the fact they start advertising even before Halloween), but just not feeling the joy of the season. Oddly enough, getting involved in a Christmas project worked wonders like it did for Charlie Brown.
Billy's had trouble finding the Christmas spirit, but also appreciating what's in front of him. Spending more time with my family over the month doing all these Christmas related things- that's really made me appreciate what I do have.
There's a moment where Billy's dad says that every now and then you need to step away from yourself and look at what you have in front of you... that's kinda sums up the way I've come to feel over the course of December.
Of course, the best day of the Christmases is the final one because all the pieces finally come together.
And I really love how Billy spend time with his relatives and does all these small things to make them happy. You also get to know them more as people than you maybe have the entire movie. And feeling the influence of the holiday spirit, they go on to do great things for other people... and the warm and fuzzies start piling on and I can't stop smiling :D
If you're lucky enough to find this movie, at least give it one look. It may not be perfect, but just family gatherings at Christmas, they don't have to be for you to fully appreciate them.
[And the reason I'm not giving away all the details... you need to experience them for yourself to appreciate them. And you're also free to make your own connections, whether it's with the characters, the town or the situations involved].
Billy Jackson- Erik Von Detton [went to play a heartthrob/jerk in "Princess Diaries"]
Sarah Jackson- Yvonne Zima [had a tiny role in "Iron-Man 3" I don't recall]
Henry- Jackson- Robert Hays [from "Airplane!"]
Molly Jackson- Bess Armstrong
Uncle David- Robert Curtis Brown [he's from Bucks County PA- where I grew up!! :P ]
Aunt Caroline- Robin Riker
Cousin Jacey- Julia Whelan
Opening Remarks:
I may have mentioned this briefly in one of my compilation Christmas entries, but after watching the movie this year, I decided to do one final write-up.
For all I know, I might not be able to see it next year. And even if it's still on YouTube, I don't know if I'm going to have this same feeling next year. I would have waited for the 20th anniversary of this movie to write this otherwise.
I first saw this movie when it first came out and for some time, I watched it every time it aired... then it just stopped showing... a couple years ago, it made a comeback... only to disappear again.
But whenever it came back, there was much rejoicing on my part.
Rewatching it for the 2nd year since someone put it on YouTube, I couldn't help but get nostalgic over it. Just seeing the Jackson family room decorated for Christmas, I felt like I was home. That warm and fuzzy feeling came back and stayed for me throughout the picture.
Plot:
Billy Jackson (Erik Von Detton) is a 13-year old teen who lives in a small town on the east coast with his parents and his younger sister, Sarah. His dad owns the general store, one of many small businesses that are the trademark of the town. It's a place where everyone is very close and knows each other. As of the beginning of this movie, this is a notion that Billy doesn't quite appreciate, but will grow to with time.
And because this is a Christmas movie, it needs to be added that he lacks in Christmas spirit as well. So being the narrator of the town's annual Christmas pageant is an occupation he begrudges.
Christmas Day is more or less a disaster. Billy's Uncle David, Aunt Caroline and his cousin, Jacey, are visiting. Back in the day, his dad and his uncle worked together in the general store, then owned by their father. But after his father died, a rift occurred, so David left town and became a successful businessman. Now he's back with the mind to bring a super mall to the town-- something that many of the town's denizens do not want because it'd be disastrous for all the town's small businesses and their owners.
And as with a lot of family gatherings, a lot of arguing occurs.
Including one between Billy and his sister Sarah, which ends with both of them wishing it was Christmas every day (Sarah meant it for real, Billy did it sarcastically).
Either way, the wish was granted and it was Christmas again.
Sooner or later, Billy had to learn that only he can stop it from being Christmas every day. He had to change and with changes he made to his life, he'd affect so many others.
[Kinda like "Groundhog's Day" but with Christmas instead]
Thoughts and Comments:
Negativity first.
Looking at this now, there are some aspects about this movie that don't sit quite right.
This year in particular, I had a couple of moments where I was groaning and rolling my eyes at our protagonist. He went through a phase where he was renting movies (what the heck is Blockbuster doing open on Christmas?!) and imitating actors from westerns and kung fu movies. Most of it was standing up to the school bully Joey and trying to steal away his girlfriend Diane... none of which worked. Just cringe-worthy garbage. I realize it's a made-for-TV movie so it's not perfect, but still...
Another aspect is how dark it gets at points.
Almost every day we have Christmas (5 of 7 days), there's a big argument in the family about the value mall. Differences of values between the brothers and imperfections of the marriages beginning to show... it feels like the world's going to end and the rifts that form can never be fixed.
Plus there's the fact that a big theme of the movie is a sad reality. A lot of these small timeless towns have been ruined by big businesses. And not all of them have the luxury of the businessman having a familial connection within the town-- giving more of a chance for things not to change.
Now for the good...
Just like people who grew up in tight-knit communities can relate to this small town life, the same can be said about the characters. You can relate to one of them on a personal level or you have a friend or family member that reminds you of them.
In recent years, I've become a little disenchanted with Christmas so each year has been a little tough to find the spirit. Last year, I didn't really feel it until the day of- after everyone opened their presents and they really made a lot of people happy.
This year, I was feeling a little like Charlie Brown- not so much hating the commercialism of Christmas (although I hate the fact they start advertising even before Halloween), but just not feeling the joy of the season. Oddly enough, getting involved in a Christmas project worked wonders like it did for Charlie Brown.
Billy's had trouble finding the Christmas spirit, but also appreciating what's in front of him. Spending more time with my family over the month doing all these Christmas related things- that's really made me appreciate what I do have.
There's a moment where Billy's dad says that every now and then you need to step away from yourself and look at what you have in front of you... that's kinda sums up the way I've come to feel over the course of December.
Of course, the best day of the Christmases is the final one because all the pieces finally come together.
And I really love how Billy spend time with his relatives and does all these small things to make them happy. You also get to know them more as people than you maybe have the entire movie. And feeling the influence of the holiday spirit, they go on to do great things for other people... and the warm and fuzzies start piling on and I can't stop smiling :D
If you're lucky enough to find this movie, at least give it one look. It may not be perfect, but just family gatherings at Christmas, they don't have to be for you to fully appreciate them.
[And the reason I'm not giving away all the details... you need to experience them for yourself to appreciate them. And you're also free to make your own connections, whether it's with the characters, the town or the situations involved].
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Unorthodox Christmas: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)
Director: Mark Waters (also did Mean Girls and Just Like Heaven- two of my favorite movies)
Writers: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (co-wrote "The Hangover")
Cast:
Connor Mead- Matthew McConaughey
Paul Mead- Breckin Meyer
Jenny- Jennifer Garner
Sandra- Lacey Chabert
Sgt Volkom [Sandra's father]- Robert Forster
Brad- Daniel Sanjuta
Ghosts
Uncle Wayne- Michael Douglas
Past- Allison Vandermeersh- Emma Stone
Present- Melanie, Connor's assistant- Noureen DeWulf
Ghost of Future Girlfriends- Olga Maliouk
Write-up:
Some spoilers...
unless of course you've never seen/read any version of "A Christmas Carol"
Every year, you kinda need at least one adaptation of "A Christmas Carol."
But instead being a miser who needs to change in order to escape eternal damnation, our protagonist who gets visited by three spirits is a chauvinistic playboy photographer... and if he doesn't change, the results are practically the same as the original story. Except the significant death that takes place in the future is something more abstract...
We start with Connor Mead (vintage McConaughey) at work-- photographing hot models in lingerie in various settings. Also get to know a bit about how he interacts with the ladies, which includes hot make-out sessions and breaking up over conference call. (And you thought a break-up over a text or voicemail was bad...)
But he has to do this break-up "in bulk" because he needs to get to his brother's wedding rehearsal. Despite the fact he does not believe in the institution of love and marriage, his brother is the only person in his life willing to stand by him despite all his personality flaws. Kinda like Fred in the original "Christmas Carol"-- but the relationship is hashed out more and a lot of drama accompanies it.
On top of that, Sandra/Sandy (Lacey Chabert from "Mean Girls"/"Wild Thornberries" fame) is a highstrung bridezilla that has her moments...
Her first episode is over lack of figs, which she asked for, in the salad- hilarious stuff. Especially when Connor off-handedly adds as he leaves the room "some figs would have been nice..."
Also among the guests are "The Sergeant"- father of the bride and Korean War veteran ("we didn't get a wall... we got a TV series starring Alan Alda"), a MILF of a future mother-in-law, nerdy groomsmen and bridesmaids that cover the three basic hair colors (blonde/brunette/redhead).
The hilarity practically writes itself.
Then of course there's the maid of honor/wedding planner who happens to be Connor's childhood sweetheart Jenny... although their relationship is a little more complicated than that and is the very reason Connor turned how he did.
Although his Uncle Wayne (who took over guardianship when his parents died in a car accident) had a lot to do with that as well.
Which explains why he's the activating incident of this main plot-- our Jacob Marley, but without all the chains.
There's plenty of drama, but this is meant to be a very goofy fun movie.
Particularly goofy is the notion of Brad- the sex that Sandra brought for Jenny. Nobody is that freaking perfect!
At the same time, though, my one nitpick is the mechanics of the ghosts. I guess "Scrooged" some of them were very violent (ok, just Carol Kane), so it makes sense that Connor gets smacked around by a couple of the ghosts. But he first meets the ghost of his Uncle Wayne in the bathroom taking a piss... how the hell do they explain that?!
The one thing that separates this from all the other "Christmas Carol" adaptations I've seen is the fact that this doesn't happen in the wee hours of the night. It's early evening and Connor is able to return to the pre-wedding party after each ghostly visit. This opens up some interesting possibilities as well as chances to fix things little by little. But being a bit of an idiot (as well as a pathological liar), he's unable to take full advantage of this and actually makes things worse the more he tries to fix them.
It's interesting to see Emma Stone as the first ghost namely because this was before she hit it big in "Easy A"- the same sense of humor is still there. We start in the 80's with lots of great music playing in the background as well as crazy outfits. Also explored is Connor's past with Jenny and how he screwed things up with her (personal note: not a fan of his hairstyle in the latter flashbacks- that long hair isn't attractive).
Also interesting is that the ghost of Present is actually still living and very present in Connor's life as his assistant, Mel. This is where he's able to go freely through the parties (both the wedding and one Mel concocted to appease the three conference call girls) undetected and hear what other people think about him behind his back. True to his character, his brother is the only one fully supportive of him.
Like all the Future ghosts, the final "girlfriend" is mute- when I first saw the trailers, I thought it was Amanda Seyfried (doppelganger alert!), but she's actually a Ukrainian actress with very few credits to her name. She's also the only Future ghost dressed in white (opposed to black or gray).
Considering it's a chick flick, everything predictably works out in the end. There's an incident in the 3rd act that almost derails the entire wedding involving one of the bridesmaids. Connor learns the error of his ways with the third ghost and he patches up all the core relationships of the story. [As for the "death" in the future I previewed-- watch the movie and find out. It's kinda sad, but it isn't nearly as heartwrenching as all those Tiny Tim deaths throughout the adaptations-- don't know why, but it always kills me despite knowing he'll be all right in the end]
This was one of those movies my dad saw in-flight and recommended we see. Beside the line about the figs, his favorite came towards the end after the final ghostly escapade-
"You there, boy, what day is it? Is it Christmas?"
"No, it's Saturday, you moron!"
Another funny tidbit that came around by the time I saw the movie this year:
Quentin Tarantino confessed to getting choked up in the flashback when it's revealed Jenny gave Connor his first camera :P and he wound up becoming a photographer
Writers: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (co-wrote "The Hangover")
Cast:
Connor Mead- Matthew McConaughey
Paul Mead- Breckin Meyer
Jenny- Jennifer Garner
Sandra- Lacey Chabert
Sgt Volkom [Sandra's father]- Robert Forster
Brad- Daniel Sanjuta
Ghosts
Uncle Wayne- Michael Douglas
Past- Allison Vandermeersh- Emma Stone
Present- Melanie, Connor's assistant- Noureen DeWulf
Ghost of Future Girlfriends- Olga Maliouk
Write-up:
Some spoilers...
unless of course you've never seen/read any version of "A Christmas Carol"
Every year, you kinda need at least one adaptation of "A Christmas Carol."
But instead being a miser who needs to change in order to escape eternal damnation, our protagonist who gets visited by three spirits is a chauvinistic playboy photographer... and if he doesn't change, the results are practically the same as the original story. Except the significant death that takes place in the future is something more abstract...
We start with Connor Mead (vintage McConaughey) at work-- photographing hot models in lingerie in various settings. Also get to know a bit about how he interacts with the ladies, which includes hot make-out sessions and breaking up over conference call. (And you thought a break-up over a text or voicemail was bad...)
But he has to do this break-up "in bulk" because he needs to get to his brother's wedding rehearsal. Despite the fact he does not believe in the institution of love and marriage, his brother is the only person in his life willing to stand by him despite all his personality flaws. Kinda like Fred in the original "Christmas Carol"-- but the relationship is hashed out more and a lot of drama accompanies it.
On top of that, Sandra/Sandy (Lacey Chabert from "Mean Girls"/"Wild Thornberries" fame) is a highstrung bridezilla that has her moments...
Her first episode is over lack of figs, which she asked for, in the salad- hilarious stuff. Especially when Connor off-handedly adds as he leaves the room "some figs would have been nice..."
Also among the guests are "The Sergeant"- father of the bride and Korean War veteran ("we didn't get a wall... we got a TV series starring Alan Alda"), a MILF of a future mother-in-law, nerdy groomsmen and bridesmaids that cover the three basic hair colors (blonde/brunette/redhead).
The hilarity practically writes itself.
Then of course there's the maid of honor/wedding planner who happens to be Connor's childhood sweetheart Jenny... although their relationship is a little more complicated than that and is the very reason Connor turned how he did.
Although his Uncle Wayne (who took over guardianship when his parents died in a car accident) had a lot to do with that as well.
Which explains why he's the activating incident of this main plot-- our Jacob Marley, but without all the chains.
There's plenty of drama, but this is meant to be a very goofy fun movie.
Particularly goofy is the notion of Brad- the sex that Sandra brought for Jenny. Nobody is that freaking perfect!
At the same time, though, my one nitpick is the mechanics of the ghosts. I guess "Scrooged" some of them were very violent (ok, just Carol Kane), so it makes sense that Connor gets smacked around by a couple of the ghosts. But he first meets the ghost of his Uncle Wayne in the bathroom taking a piss... how the hell do they explain that?!
The one thing that separates this from all the other "Christmas Carol" adaptations I've seen is the fact that this doesn't happen in the wee hours of the night. It's early evening and Connor is able to return to the pre-wedding party after each ghostly visit. This opens up some interesting possibilities as well as chances to fix things little by little. But being a bit of an idiot (as well as a pathological liar), he's unable to take full advantage of this and actually makes things worse the more he tries to fix them.
It's interesting to see Emma Stone as the first ghost namely because this was before she hit it big in "Easy A"- the same sense of humor is still there. We start in the 80's with lots of great music playing in the background as well as crazy outfits. Also explored is Connor's past with Jenny and how he screwed things up with her (personal note: not a fan of his hairstyle in the latter flashbacks- that long hair isn't attractive).
Also interesting is that the ghost of Present is actually still living and very present in Connor's life as his assistant, Mel. This is where he's able to go freely through the parties (both the wedding and one Mel concocted to appease the three conference call girls) undetected and hear what other people think about him behind his back. True to his character, his brother is the only one fully supportive of him.
Like all the Future ghosts, the final "girlfriend" is mute- when I first saw the trailers, I thought it was Amanda Seyfried (doppelganger alert!), but she's actually a Ukrainian actress with very few credits to her name. She's also the only Future ghost dressed in white (opposed to black or gray).
Considering it's a chick flick, everything predictably works out in the end. There's an incident in the 3rd act that almost derails the entire wedding involving one of the bridesmaids. Connor learns the error of his ways with the third ghost and he patches up all the core relationships of the story. [As for the "death" in the future I previewed-- watch the movie and find out. It's kinda sad, but it isn't nearly as heartwrenching as all those Tiny Tim deaths throughout the adaptations-- don't know why, but it always kills me despite knowing he'll be all right in the end]
This was one of those movies my dad saw in-flight and recommended we see. Beside the line about the figs, his favorite came towards the end after the final ghostly escapade-
"You there, boy, what day is it? Is it Christmas?"
"No, it's Saturday, you moron!"
Another funny tidbit that came around by the time I saw the movie this year:
Quentin Tarantino confessed to getting choked up in the flashback when it's revealed Jenny gave Connor his first camera :P and he wound up becoming a photographer
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Christmas Essentials: It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Director: Frank Capra
Cast:
George Bailey- Jimmy Stewart
Mary Bailey- Donna Reed
Henry Bailey- Todd Karns
Ma Bailey- Beulah Bondi
Mr. Potter- Lionel Barrymore
Uncle Billy- Thomas Mitchell
Clarence- Henry TraversViolet- Gloria Grahame
Mr. Gower- H.B. Warner
Sam Wainwright- Frank Albertson
Notable Awards and Nominations:
Golden Globe- Best Director- Frank Capra
nomination- OSCAR- Best Picture
nomination- OSCAR- Best Actor- James Stewart
nomination- OSCAR- Best Sound
nomination- OSCAR- Best Film Editing
nomination- OSCAR- Best Director- Frank Capra
Write-up:
Opening Remarks
Almost everyone has seen this movie or some parody of it, so I probably don't need my trademark SPOILER ALERT... but I'll put it here anyway just in case..
But also, I'll SPOIL the fact that this movie is a guaranteed tear-jerker... and this is the one of those occasions where people can honestly say "If you feel nothing watching this movie through to the end, you have no soul"
This is my mom's favorite Christmas movie and it's been a fixture in our family since I was a teenager. When my dad's Taiwanese friend (who used to be a translator for one of his distributors in Asia) Joevy spent a Christmas season with us, she was seeing the movie with us for the first time. Along with my mom and I, she enjoyed a Grasshopper (those who don't know- it's a cocktail with white crème de cacao, green crème de minte and milk/cream) and needed a tissue afterwards.
But before seeing the actual movie, I've seen versions of it play out in cartoons. There was an episode of Rugrats where Chuckie blames himself for his dad's CD going missing and an guardian angel shows him "what the world will be like without you" when he tries to run away. It's pretty disturbing just how exaggerated it was- that without Chuckie, Angelica would be a tyrant that makes everyone's lives revolve around her. At the end of it, Angelica was the one who had taken the CD and her dad forces her to apologize.
I think "Tiny Toons" also did a version where Buster Bunny almost jumps off the page of the animated cel he was on.
They did it once on "Glee"... kinda depressing, really... but it also felt like a cop-out. They do this whole "what would McKinley High be like without him" scenario to convince Artie that everyone is better off because he's wheel-chair bound. That if he wasn't, he'd be one of the jocks, nobody would have stuck it out with the Glee club. It was like they were saying that the kid in the wheelchair is never allowed to be upset about that.
Then in "Rocko's Modern Life" they made fun of the line "teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings"...
but instead, a kid says "teacher says every time a gas cap is found, an angel gets its wings" and his dad says "your teacher's full of snot!"
Father Clarence, a character that happened randomly on "All My Children" when miracles were needed to resolve storylines, was likely their own version of Clarence the guardian angel. (Him arriving to stop JR from running away with Bianca's daughter Miranda... that was one of the greatest moments in the history of the series- well, in the decade I spent watching it)
They also went into this on "Friends" once... but it was more or less discussing the movie. Phoebe has a rude awakening when she realizes her aunt never showed her the ends of depressing movies. "Old Yeller" among others... I know the ending of that movie, so I refuse to see it EVER. Anyway, Monica suggests that she see "It's a Wonderful Life" and later, she says that she turned it off when George Bailey was at the bridge. She refused to see beyond that... therefore missing the ultimate happy ending.
That always bothered me :/ that she never got see how it all resolved.
The Story
The entire town of Bedford Falls (somewhere in upstate New York) is praying for God to help George Bailey because he seems to be out of sorts. We go up to the heaven and the stars and the superior beings up there get George Bailey's guardian angel Clarence acquainted with him so he'll have the tools he needs to help him.
We the audience see the flashbacks right along with him.
We begin with George at the age of 12 where he saves his brother Harry from drowning and loses hearing in his left ear.
He stops his boss, Mr. Gower, from putting poison in capsules going to a sick kid. He's also someone who has great admiration for his father, who runs the Bailey Bros Building & Loan with his uncle Billy. His father is the one person in Bedford Falls with enough guts to stand up to Mr. Potter, the meanest/richest person in town.
Fast forward a couple years and we see how he falls in love with his wife, Mary Hatch, and how his sense of common decency and his unshakeable moral core have helped hundreds of people... but have also kept him stuck in Bedford Falls- which is practically purgatory in his mind.
On Christmas Eve, all hell breaks loose... at least that's how his mind sees it. Absentminded Uncle Billy misplaces $8000 that he was going to deposit into the bank. George Bailey finds out and loses it because all of the impending consequences- felony, jail time, etc.- that are liable to fall on his shoulders.
He never explains any of this to his family, but they see he is very upset and irate and simply not acting like himself. Several other people he meets along the way see he's not in the best state, so all the praying occurs as a result.
Over an hour later, Clarence finally makes an appearance. He saves George from jumping off a bridge by jumping himself- figuring he'll be too busy saving him to think about suicide. The next thing we know, Clarence grants George's wish- that he no longer exists.
And Bedford Falls suddenly becomes an entirely different place.
First of all, it's called Pottersville- so apparently Mr. Potter's inevitable takeover finally happened. Every other establishment is a dance club or a bar. But the most disturbing fact to him is that nobody knows who he is...
It isn't until he sees what becomes of Mary that he decides that he wants his life back. And if not for one slight omission, it was a perfectly happy ending.
Saturday Night Live
YouTube is great for so much... but it doesn't have the link I want to share.
But the one thing missing from "It's a Wonderful Life" that would have made it awesome... if everyone in Bedford Falls went after Mr. Potter and gave him what was coming to him.
Dana Carvey plays George Bailey in this sketch (his Jimmy Stewart impression is spot-on). The actor playing Uncle Billy suddenly remembers that he accidentally rolled up the $8000 in a newspaper and gave it to Mr. Potter. So everyone at the Bailey house goes to Mr. Potter's mansion, find out that he's not even a cripple and they beat the crap out of him.
If there was one villain that needed his comeuppance, it was Mr. Potter... perhaps more annoying than the fact he's never found out... it's that he is so old yet it seems like he'll be around forever.
He practically gave Mr. Bailey (George and Harry's father) a stroke with all their battles over ideals and such... yet he gets to live a long life... movies just aren't supposed to work like that. In real life, absolutely, but these kinds of ills are always fixed in movies.
Clearly not always, but thank God for SNL at least.
Other Talking Points
For me personally, I don't know why, but what chokes me up is the moment when George's brother Harry arrives at the Bailey house.
In Pottersville, we learn that he died when he was 9 when he broke through the ice. And the reason why he got the Congressional Medal of Honor never came to pass.
What I don't get... George and Harry were with a bunch of kids when they were playing near the thin ice. Why couldn't any of those kids have saved Harry when he fell through the ice? Could none of them swim? Or were they cowards and didn't even try? Or was Harry alone (and all those friends were George's friends?)
But seeing Harry alive and in uniform and such, arriving a day earlier than his original homecoming... that does me in every time.
Of course I have to ask if George Bailey EVER got to leave Bedford falls to visit Europe and have a real honeymoon... it seems like every single opportunity he had to leave, some moral obligation kept him around. Well, that and Mr. Potter. He stayed with the Building & Loan after his father died of a stroke and the board refused to kept the business running without him. How Mr. Potter got on the board is beyond me... other than him buying his way in... but it just is ridiculous how the rest of the board members were too chicken to stand up to him. I mean, he's just a big jerk with a lot of money. It's not like he was connected to the mob or anything...that we know of... if they had anything in his background about him threatening to whack people or do harm to their families, then maybe. The worst he could do was increase the rent at his slums...
The courtship and relationship between George and Mary had a lot of great moments. Although there is one element that always annoyed me- listening to them sing "Buffalo Gals"- being out of key and in terrible harmony... it makes me cringe.
But there was something kinda hilarious about it: the fact that Mary's mother loved Sam Wainwright and wanted her to marry him... and she was upset when she and George got together. So I say "if you love him so much, YOU marry him."
Other than Sam being rich, I really didn't get the "attraction" about him... I found him annoying with the exception of his final act... when he advanced George Bailey's salary via telegram when he got word of his money trouble. That was pretty cool.
I read one article where someone asked why Pottersville was so bad because it had all of these cool risqué establishment and a lot of people seemed happier. But the people who grew to know and love either didn't exist anymore or they were just mean bizarro versions of themselves. The worst was Nick who now owns what used to be Martini's place... he was completely different and difficult to watch. (In the real world, he was not just a good nice guy, but also handsome). Also Ma Bailey, George's mom, she looked old and creepy and very cranky.
Probably the greatest contribution George made to Bedford Falls- with the exception of building Bailey Park affordable housing (not counting Harry, I'm still on the fence about whether George's non-existence would have guaranteed his death at a young age)- what he did for Mr. Gower. If it wasn't for him, a distraught Mr. Gower (who lost his son to influenza) would have mistaken put poison in capsules meant for a sick kid... and he would done jail time and become a pariah.
Mary always said that George was the one person she ever loved or would love, so I understand why she would become an old maid/spinster. But George's reaction to her could be misconstrued really badly... Nostalgia Critic called it sexist and said the following:
"She never married? That's the most important thing to a woman, isn't it? ...and she's learning at the library? what kind of horrible world is this?"
Like that's some huge travesty or something...
One thing I don't quite get...in every other version of the "what the world would be like without you" cliché, the person who doesn't exist is a ghost to everyone else in this alternate bizarro world... yet in this version, George interacts with all the people that don't recognize... I guess this would be a way for the parodies to set themselves apart from this movie, but couldn't the movie have had the same impact if George was a ghost that nobody could see?
Something to think about...
But it is slightly annoying that Clarence explains to George that this is what the world is like without him... yet George never GETS that... to me, he's behaving like a time-traveling who's trying to mess around with the time-space continuum... he's talking to these people and trying to explain to them what they're supposed to be when clearly they aren't going to change. What part of YOU DON'T EXIST is so hard for him to get? Especially since he freaking wished for it.
Although it was serious, last night when we watched the movie, we burst out laughing when one of the Bailey kids was praying "Please God, there's something wrong with Daddy"... yes, we are terrible people :P
The one part that has me bursting laughing every time wasn't meant to be funny either- it's Christmas Eve where George is yelling at Zuzu's teacher, asking why she sent her home "half naked" and later he said "with no clothes on" [she didn't wear her coat because she was protecting a flower she won]... he's upset and he's completely exaggerating stuff, but the writing here is just so funny.
Trivia- courtesy of IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv
[the link to the full list]
Here are some interesting factoids worth noting:
* Lionel Barrymore (Mr. Potter) convinced James Stewart to do this movie- it was his first acting job after serving in WWII and it was very soon after he returned home
*Lionel Barrymore was wheelchair bound in real life and they incorporated that into his character.
*Bedford Falls (the actual place where the movie was filmed) is located in Balboa Park in Encino, California
*The actor who played Mr. Gower was drunk during the scene where he slapped 12-year old George Bailey- the slaps and the resulting blood was real [scary when you really think about it, I can't care it was the 40's when they filmed it]
*Vincent Price was considered for playing Mr. Potter [that would've been interesting, but they did perfectly fine with the man they have]
*Lionel Barrymore was cast after he played a good Ebenzer Scrooge on a radio dramatization of "A Christmas Carol"
*James Stewart majored in architecture at Princeton- George Bailey said he wanted to learn to build things in college
*The scene where Uncle Billy stumbles down the street and says "I'm all right!"- the sound [which we assume to be garbage cans he fell into] in reality was a stagehand that knocked over equipment...now that's just hilarious.
*everyone was led to assume that Bert & Ernie (the muppets) were named after the cop and cab-driver in this movie... it was a complete coincidence
Something else that falls in line with one of my talking points earlier- I need to copy/paste it so I don't misprint it:
"Mr. Potter is never caught as the thief who embezzled $8000, which he apparently gets to keep. This was very unusual for a Hollywood film of at the time; the Hays Office--the censor--code required that criminals must always be shown to be either punished or made to repent at the end of every film."
Why did they decide with THIS movie to go against that supposed code?
I still don't understand...
Cast:
George Bailey- Jimmy Stewart
Mary Bailey- Donna Reed
Henry Bailey- Todd Karns
Ma Bailey- Beulah Bondi
Mr. Potter- Lionel Barrymore
Uncle Billy- Thomas Mitchell
Clarence- Henry TraversViolet- Gloria Grahame
Mr. Gower- H.B. Warner
Sam Wainwright- Frank Albertson
Notable Awards and Nominations:
Golden Globe- Best Director- Frank Capra
nomination- OSCAR- Best Picture
nomination- OSCAR- Best Actor- James Stewart
nomination- OSCAR- Best Sound
nomination- OSCAR- Best Film Editing
nomination- OSCAR- Best Director- Frank Capra
Write-up:
Opening Remarks
Almost everyone has seen this movie or some parody of it, so I probably don't need my trademark SPOILER ALERT... but I'll put it here anyway just in case..
But also, I'll SPOIL the fact that this movie is a guaranteed tear-jerker... and this is the one of those occasions where people can honestly say "If you feel nothing watching this movie through to the end, you have no soul"
This is my mom's favorite Christmas movie and it's been a fixture in our family since I was a teenager. When my dad's Taiwanese friend (who used to be a translator for one of his distributors in Asia) Joevy spent a Christmas season with us, she was seeing the movie with us for the first time. Along with my mom and I, she enjoyed a Grasshopper (those who don't know- it's a cocktail with white crème de cacao, green crème de minte and milk/cream) and needed a tissue afterwards.
But before seeing the actual movie, I've seen versions of it play out in cartoons. There was an episode of Rugrats where Chuckie blames himself for his dad's CD going missing and an guardian angel shows him "what the world will be like without you" when he tries to run away. It's pretty disturbing just how exaggerated it was- that without Chuckie, Angelica would be a tyrant that makes everyone's lives revolve around her. At the end of it, Angelica was the one who had taken the CD and her dad forces her to apologize.
I think "Tiny Toons" also did a version where Buster Bunny almost jumps off the page of the animated cel he was on.
They did it once on "Glee"... kinda depressing, really... but it also felt like a cop-out. They do this whole "what would McKinley High be like without him" scenario to convince Artie that everyone is better off because he's wheel-chair bound. That if he wasn't, he'd be one of the jocks, nobody would have stuck it out with the Glee club. It was like they were saying that the kid in the wheelchair is never allowed to be upset about that.
Then in "Rocko's Modern Life" they made fun of the line "teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings"...
but instead, a kid says "teacher says every time a gas cap is found, an angel gets its wings" and his dad says "your teacher's full of snot!"
Father Clarence, a character that happened randomly on "All My Children" when miracles were needed to resolve storylines, was likely their own version of Clarence the guardian angel. (Him arriving to stop JR from running away with Bianca's daughter Miranda... that was one of the greatest moments in the history of the series- well, in the decade I spent watching it)
They also went into this on "Friends" once... but it was more or less discussing the movie. Phoebe has a rude awakening when she realizes her aunt never showed her the ends of depressing movies. "Old Yeller" among others... I know the ending of that movie, so I refuse to see it EVER. Anyway, Monica suggests that she see "It's a Wonderful Life" and later, she says that she turned it off when George Bailey was at the bridge. She refused to see beyond that... therefore missing the ultimate happy ending.
That always bothered me :/ that she never got see how it all resolved.
The Story
The entire town of Bedford Falls (somewhere in upstate New York) is praying for God to help George Bailey because he seems to be out of sorts. We go up to the heaven and the stars and the superior beings up there get George Bailey's guardian angel Clarence acquainted with him so he'll have the tools he needs to help him.
We the audience see the flashbacks right along with him.
We begin with George at the age of 12 where he saves his brother Harry from drowning and loses hearing in his left ear.
He stops his boss, Mr. Gower, from putting poison in capsules going to a sick kid. He's also someone who has great admiration for his father, who runs the Bailey Bros Building & Loan with his uncle Billy. His father is the one person in Bedford Falls with enough guts to stand up to Mr. Potter, the meanest/richest person in town.
Fast forward a couple years and we see how he falls in love with his wife, Mary Hatch, and how his sense of common decency and his unshakeable moral core have helped hundreds of people... but have also kept him stuck in Bedford Falls- which is practically purgatory in his mind.
On Christmas Eve, all hell breaks loose... at least that's how his mind sees it. Absentminded Uncle Billy misplaces $8000 that he was going to deposit into the bank. George Bailey finds out and loses it because all of the impending consequences- felony, jail time, etc.- that are liable to fall on his shoulders.
He never explains any of this to his family, but they see he is very upset and irate and simply not acting like himself. Several other people he meets along the way see he's not in the best state, so all the praying occurs as a result.
Over an hour later, Clarence finally makes an appearance. He saves George from jumping off a bridge by jumping himself- figuring he'll be too busy saving him to think about suicide. The next thing we know, Clarence grants George's wish- that he no longer exists.
And Bedford Falls suddenly becomes an entirely different place.
First of all, it's called Pottersville- so apparently Mr. Potter's inevitable takeover finally happened. Every other establishment is a dance club or a bar. But the most disturbing fact to him is that nobody knows who he is...
It isn't until he sees what becomes of Mary that he decides that he wants his life back. And if not for one slight omission, it was a perfectly happy ending.
Saturday Night Live
YouTube is great for so much... but it doesn't have the link I want to share.
But the one thing missing from "It's a Wonderful Life" that would have made it awesome... if everyone in Bedford Falls went after Mr. Potter and gave him what was coming to him.
Dana Carvey plays George Bailey in this sketch (his Jimmy Stewart impression is spot-on). The actor playing Uncle Billy suddenly remembers that he accidentally rolled up the $8000 in a newspaper and gave it to Mr. Potter. So everyone at the Bailey house goes to Mr. Potter's mansion, find out that he's not even a cripple and they beat the crap out of him.
If there was one villain that needed his comeuppance, it was Mr. Potter... perhaps more annoying than the fact he's never found out... it's that he is so old yet it seems like he'll be around forever.
He practically gave Mr. Bailey (George and Harry's father) a stroke with all their battles over ideals and such... yet he gets to live a long life... movies just aren't supposed to work like that. In real life, absolutely, but these kinds of ills are always fixed in movies.
Clearly not always, but thank God for SNL at least.
Other Talking Points
For me personally, I don't know why, but what chokes me up is the moment when George's brother Harry arrives at the Bailey house.
In Pottersville, we learn that he died when he was 9 when he broke through the ice. And the reason why he got the Congressional Medal of Honor never came to pass.
What I don't get... George and Harry were with a bunch of kids when they were playing near the thin ice. Why couldn't any of those kids have saved Harry when he fell through the ice? Could none of them swim? Or were they cowards and didn't even try? Or was Harry alone (and all those friends were George's friends?)
But seeing Harry alive and in uniform and such, arriving a day earlier than his original homecoming... that does me in every time.
Of course I have to ask if George Bailey EVER got to leave Bedford falls to visit Europe and have a real honeymoon... it seems like every single opportunity he had to leave, some moral obligation kept him around. Well, that and Mr. Potter. He stayed with the Building & Loan after his father died of a stroke and the board refused to kept the business running without him. How Mr. Potter got on the board is beyond me... other than him buying his way in... but it just is ridiculous how the rest of the board members were too chicken to stand up to him. I mean, he's just a big jerk with a lot of money. It's not like he was connected to the mob or anything...that we know of... if they had anything in his background about him threatening to whack people or do harm to their families, then maybe. The worst he could do was increase the rent at his slums...
The courtship and relationship between George and Mary had a lot of great moments. Although there is one element that always annoyed me- listening to them sing "Buffalo Gals"- being out of key and in terrible harmony... it makes me cringe.
But there was something kinda hilarious about it: the fact that Mary's mother loved Sam Wainwright and wanted her to marry him... and she was upset when she and George got together. So I say "if you love him so much, YOU marry him."
Other than Sam being rich, I really didn't get the "attraction" about him... I found him annoying with the exception of his final act... when he advanced George Bailey's salary via telegram when he got word of his money trouble. That was pretty cool.
I read one article where someone asked why Pottersville was so bad because it had all of these cool risqué establishment and a lot of people seemed happier. But the people who grew to know and love either didn't exist anymore or they were just mean bizarro versions of themselves. The worst was Nick who now owns what used to be Martini's place... he was completely different and difficult to watch. (In the real world, he was not just a good nice guy, but also handsome). Also Ma Bailey, George's mom, she looked old and creepy and very cranky.
Probably the greatest contribution George made to Bedford Falls- with the exception of building Bailey Park affordable housing (not counting Harry, I'm still on the fence about whether George's non-existence would have guaranteed his death at a young age)- what he did for Mr. Gower. If it wasn't for him, a distraught Mr. Gower (who lost his son to influenza) would have mistaken put poison in capsules meant for a sick kid... and he would done jail time and become a pariah.
Mary always said that George was the one person she ever loved or would love, so I understand why she would become an old maid/spinster. But George's reaction to her could be misconstrued really badly... Nostalgia Critic called it sexist and said the following:
"She never married? That's the most important thing to a woman, isn't it? ...and she's learning at the library? what kind of horrible world is this?"
Like that's some huge travesty or something...
One thing I don't quite get...in every other version of the "what the world would be like without you" cliché, the person who doesn't exist is a ghost to everyone else in this alternate bizarro world... yet in this version, George interacts with all the people that don't recognize... I guess this would be a way for the parodies to set themselves apart from this movie, but couldn't the movie have had the same impact if George was a ghost that nobody could see?
Something to think about...
But it is slightly annoying that Clarence explains to George that this is what the world is like without him... yet George never GETS that... to me, he's behaving like a time-traveling who's trying to mess around with the time-space continuum... he's talking to these people and trying to explain to them what they're supposed to be when clearly they aren't going to change. What part of YOU DON'T EXIST is so hard for him to get? Especially since he freaking wished for it.
Although it was serious, last night when we watched the movie, we burst out laughing when one of the Bailey kids was praying "Please God, there's something wrong with Daddy"... yes, we are terrible people :P
The one part that has me bursting laughing every time wasn't meant to be funny either- it's Christmas Eve where George is yelling at Zuzu's teacher, asking why she sent her home "half naked" and later he said "with no clothes on" [she didn't wear her coat because she was protecting a flower she won]... he's upset and he's completely exaggerating stuff, but the writing here is just so funny.
Trivia- courtesy of IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv
[the link to the full list]
Here are some interesting factoids worth noting:
* Lionel Barrymore (Mr. Potter) convinced James Stewart to do this movie- it was his first acting job after serving in WWII and it was very soon after he returned home
*Lionel Barrymore was wheelchair bound in real life and they incorporated that into his character.
*Bedford Falls (the actual place where the movie was filmed) is located in Balboa Park in Encino, California
*The actor who played Mr. Gower was drunk during the scene where he slapped 12-year old George Bailey- the slaps and the resulting blood was real [scary when you really think about it, I can't care it was the 40's when they filmed it]
*Vincent Price was considered for playing Mr. Potter [that would've been interesting, but they did perfectly fine with the man they have]
*Lionel Barrymore was cast after he played a good Ebenzer Scrooge on a radio dramatization of "A Christmas Carol"
*James Stewart majored in architecture at Princeton- George Bailey said he wanted to learn to build things in college
*The scene where Uncle Billy stumbles down the street and says "I'm all right!"- the sound [which we assume to be garbage cans he fell into] in reality was a stagehand that knocked over equipment...now that's just hilarious.
*everyone was led to assume that Bert & Ernie (the muppets) were named after the cop and cab-driver in this movie... it was a complete coincidence
Something else that falls in line with one of my talking points earlier- I need to copy/paste it so I don't misprint it:
"Mr. Potter is never caught as the thief who embezzled $8000, which he apparently gets to keep. This was very unusual for a Hollywood film of at the time; the Hays Office--the censor--code required that criminals must always be shown to be either punished or made to repent at the end of every film."
Why did they decide with THIS movie to go against that supposed code?
I still don't understand...
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