My Favorite Holiday Movies

Holiday movies can be sentimental or fun. I don’t do too many holiday movies so the list is short, but I never get tired of these. Here they are  in no particular order:

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Forget Johnny Depp (and I’m a fan) the Willie Wonka that warms my heart is Gene Wilder! He is just the right amount of funny and serious! Throw in the bad children and a kid’s (and adult’s) dream of all that cool candy and it is heaven!  I still try to imitate Veruka and every time I see the ending (and it has been MANY times), I cry! They aren’t even in the elevator yet and I’m tearing up. He gives Charlie the WHOLE factory! And it admit it, you are singing the Oompa Loompa song to yourself right now.

A Christmas Story

Fffffudge….. admit it you have seen this movie, a holiday staple, dozens of times…. you worried that Ralphie would “shoot his eye out”…you wanted your own leg lamp and you remember that age of trusting in Santa, just in case. I didn’t grow up in the time period, but this movie made one nostalgic for simpler holiday times, when it wasn’t about the next electronic item, but  more about simple pleasures.

The Santa Clause

I think I watch this movie at least two or three times every holiday.  Tim Allen plays a newly divorced man trying to connect with his son during the holidays. One night, he gets a job offer he really can’t refuse. From the first scene to the last, you’ll smile and have a laugh.  I love the sequels almost as much!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

This was a classic hit back in my day that still holds up well. John Candy and Steve Martin are hysterical as two very different men trying to get home during the holidays who end up stuck with each other and deal with bad situation after bad situations…. I love the deer scene.  John Candy was truly a comic genius and is so missed. Growing up near the areas they filmed, I still tell my son “I remember driving past the El Rancho Motel”!

Christmas in Connecticut

The original 1945 version with Barbara Stanwyck as a food writer and 1940′s version of Martha Stewart,  who agrees to “host” a homey Christmas for a returning WWII hero. Problem is she can’t cook and is nowhere near a homemaker…. its funny, sappy and romantic… I love it!

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

This is a fantasy film I saw recently, but can’t wait to watch again. Filmed in Finland, it’s about of group of people who discover the truth behind the Santa legend. Let’s just say he wasn’t quite so nice! Instead of rewarding good children, he punished the naughty. Children start disappearing and the reindeer start turning up dead. A group of men, led by one of man’s son, set out to capture Santa and put an end to all this. What follows is bizarre, but really fun.

-Christine

He’s Back!!!

Sunday is Oscar night when Hollywood puts on their tuxes and gowns to celebrate the year’s best in film. I am very excited about watching it this year! Billy Crystal is back!!! Yay! After Eddie Murphy backed out (thank you!), it was announced he would be hosting.  Starting in 1990, Billy has hosted on and off 8 times. This Sunday will make it 9, second to Bob Hope who hosted 18 times!

Billy has had many very funny and memorable moments on the show… Billy being wheeled out ala Hannibal Lecter, or his hysterical introductions of the nominated films (paying tribute to Titanic with the Gilligan Island’s theme).  He is just funny enough to make what seems like an endless show (editing for a short documentary award, anyone??) be pleasurable. After suffering through last year’s James Franco and Anne Hathaway debacle, it is so nice to see Billy back. It has been too long, 8 too long years.

And what better way to show his humor as this, after he accepted the hosting job, he tweeted  ” Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions. Looking forward to the show.”

So am I.

-Christine

God Bless The Vicar, Of Dibley That Is!

My love of all Britcoms continues in my latest TV watching vice… The Vicar of Dibley. The show stars the fantastically talented Dawn French. Dawn is the French half of the very funny French and Saunders comedy duo, who brought us Absolutely Fabulous. The show was created by Richard Curtis of Four Weddings and a Funeral fame, specifically for her.

Geraldine Granger is a bodacious and lively female vicar who is sent to the very small and rural town of Dibley. While there she meets a variety of “interesting” characters namely the village council. There is the arrogant multimillionaire, David Horton who initially tries to get Geraldine fired, and his thick as a plank son Hugo. Hugo loves Alice Tinker, the church verger, who is so dense that at one point, after reading the Da Vinci Code, she is sure she is a descendent of Jesus Christ. There is Frank Pickle, a man who never met a speech or a story he couldn’t drag out for hours on end. He is well-known for putting people to sleep. Jim Trott is an elderly gentleman who says no-no-no-no before most of his sentences. This turned into a problem when he was asked if it was a deal on the British version of “Deal or No Deal”. You can only imagine. Owen Newitt is a farmer with extremely poor hygiene and some rather adult interests. He is Geraldine’s biggest supporter and along with David Horton, wanted to marry her. There was also Letitia Cropley, who died early in the series…. she was especially known for her cooking…. parsnip brownies or pancakes with  a hint of liver, anyone??

From the Easter Bunny incident, to Dalek Bridesmaids,  to Geraldine’s real middle name (think Mary Poppins songs) this show is a classic! Throw in some bawdy humor and a fantastic ensemble cast, add Dawn French who  is one of the best comediennes of our time and you have a must see. There are some great guest stars, Sting and Sean Bean,  for example and some really touching moments such as the special involving the Make Poverty History campaign or the church service for animals that despite sounding silly, was quite heartfelt. The Fountaindale Library owns all the DVD releases of the show, so check out our catalog for this and other Britcoms.

Enjoy!!

-Christine

They’re Too Much!

Does the name “Heat Miser” mean anything to you? Do images of little  men dancing with straw hats fill your head? Then you are one of the many devoted fans of the Rankin/ Bass stop-motion Christmas specials that ran (and still run) ad nauseam during the month of December starting back in the mid 60′s.  Everyone remembers “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” or “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and even “Frosty the Snowman” . Those were just too pedestrian for me, I wanted something campy and fun (even though I didn’t know what campy was at the time)… well, I found it with my favorite Christmas special,  “The Year Without a Santa Claus”. It didn’t run often, and I think it even took a break for several years… but I never forgot it.

The show opens with Santa dealing with a bad cold. His doctor tells him he needs to make changes this Christmas….  Santa, feeling that people really don’t believe much in him anymore and not feeling well, decides to take a holiday. Two of his elves, Jingle and Jangle,  decide to set out to find people who still believe in Santa. They fly off  on a very young Vixen, run into some trouble and end up in Southtown USA. There Vixen is mistaken for a dog and sent to the pound, where she get sick from the hot weather (she is a reindeer after all!). The skeptical mayor promises the elves if they can get it to snow this Christmas in Southtown and prove themselves to truly be magical, Vixen will be freed. 

The elves have to go ask two very scary people for help… the Miser brothers! What follows is one of the most memorable and outrageous song and dance routines ever done by cartoon characters in a children’s Christmas special.The Snow Miser controls the climate in the North, he’s “Mister White Christmas”, he’s “Mister Icicle”, he’s “Mister 10 Below”, he likes things to turn to snow in his clutch!  The Heat Miser controls the climate in the south, he’s “Mister Green Christmas”, he’s “Mister Sun”, he loves it over 100 degrees, he likes to have things melt in his clutch  (he’s too much!). Accompanied by mini versions of themselves as a chorus line, each brother gets a chance to sing and dance. The elves try to convince the brothers to, for one day let it snow in the snow and be hot in the north. They won’t stand for it…. and after their respective musical numbers, they fight. So the elves call on their mother, “Mother Nature”, who makes them compromise.

Meanwhile, Santa comes to Southtown to help. The children of the world decide if that if he won’t come to them, they will make him presents. We get the song “Blue Christmas”! Santa is moved…. it snows in Southtown, Vixen is freed and Christmas is saved!  Happy ending. And children everywhere, are left singing “I’m Mister Green Christmas….”! And yes, they sell Miser action figures, t-shirts and Halloween costumes.  

-Christine

 

Looking Marvelous!

Any fan of TLC’s “What Not To Wear” knows who Clinton Kelly is. Those of you who don’t What Not To Wear is a reality program where Clinton and his co-host, Stacy London, who have both worked in the fashion world, do makeovers for the woefully in need. The new season debuted on Oct. 26th with former Facts of Life star Mindy Cohen in need of help. I’ve been watching the show, based off a British show of the same name, pretty much since it debuted in 2003.

Clinton  has also written several books, the newest being “Oh No She Didn’t:  the Top 100 Style Mistakes Women Make and How To Avoid Them” This book is hysterical yet  sadly true! Each 100 examples has a very funny picture, some staged some actual fashion faux pas. Some of my favorites include “matching your mate” , “hairy legs under hose” , ”pajamas in public” (which really is a very annoying trend!!! Why oh why???), he even takes on “bad posture” !  Clinton is outspoken and some might say not always very nice….  but he does offer advice on how to change these mistakes. For example with the “I give up dress” which is basically the ugly shapeless boxy dresses so many women (me included) purchase at some point, he actually tells you a few simple facts to look for in any dress you buy. If you take one thing away just remember, if it looks like a box on the hanger, what do you think it will look like on you??? And importantly, dress the body you are in! Don’t dress and shop for “I want to lose 10 lbs”.

Clinton has also authored the book “Freakin” Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate and Generally Be Better Than anyone Else”  , “Dress Your Best: the Complete Guide to Finding the Style That’s Right for Your Body”, and of course there is a “What Not to Wear: Mom Makeovers” DVD. So check one out, have some fun and learn if you are a fashion victim!! Oh my!

- Christine

He Really is a Big Part of the Family!

 

From the people who brought you Awkward Family Photos, comes another hysterical web site catering to those of us who love our furry (or feathery, or scaly) friends…. Awkward Family Pet Photos!  What says  love more than a photo of you and your wonderful pet chicken? I am not sure I can think of anything more touching…..  It will look lovely over the mantle place or maybe in the barn!

And just in time for the holidays… something heart warming for those Christmas card, just don’t forget to include Buster! Imagine the joyous looks on your family and friend’s faces when the see this!

And just because Mr. Peepers is gone, that doesn’t mean you can’t have those precious memories of him!  Don’t let that stop you!

Awkward Family Pet Photos is updated frequently and is just as much fun as it sister site. So take a visit, have a laugh or maybe you have a photo you want to submit!

-Christine

What a Nice Looking Family…..

 

For anyone who has ever had to pose for a family portrait, with mom, dad or some “creative” photographer telling us what to wear, how to hold our heads etc…. Awkward Family Photos  is the site for you! Awkward Family Photos is updated regularly with some of the silliest and tragically horrible family photos you have ever seen.  How about that stranglehold Junior has on mom? What a touching moment….   And nothing says we love each other than posing with the family pig who is wearing a lovely shirt! AFP was started by two childhood friends, who one day came upon their own “awkward family photo” of the two of them posing in skis. Realizing that they were probably not the only ones with pictures like this they started the web site. It has been featured on several morning news shows in the area and has even spawned an upcoming book. It really is a hysterical site that makes you wonder, what were they thinking??

-Christine